Some stories are just so strange they have to be true - and the con artist at the core of Razor Girl is one of those; her scam involves shaving her privates while behind the wheel, "accidentally" rear-ending someone, her hiked skirt and blood droplets for effect.
This book is a return to former-detective, health officer Andrew Yancy and his endangered bit of paradise. A big-city lawyer and his high-maintenance fiance are planning a new McMansion on the lot next to Yancy's house. Things didn't go so well for the last guy that tried to build there ...
Throw into the mix a reality TV star who isn't what he seems, his beleaguered Hollywood agent, and a Florida redneck with a man-crush. Typical Hiaasen!
Truly, it's prime-form Hiaasen too, with a story that hums right along and a plot you couldn't possibly predict. Nobody does comedy-mixed-with-satire the way he does, and it seems like Florida is determined to provide fodder for these novels (we'll call that a silver lining).
Showing posts with label mobsters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobsters. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2016
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Fame Thief by Timothy Hallinan
In this third novel of the Junior Bender series, our hero is called upon by a powerful Mobster to investigate the end of a Hollywood starlet's career more than 60 years ago.
Junior's not actively thieving anything in this book - he's too busy digging into the 1950s and juggling his relationship with new girlfriend Ronnie (but he does make a little time to wreck havoc in his ex-wife's life). It turns out the long-forgotten starlet has been living just a couple floors above Junior's head at his secret lair that's much less secret than he'd thought.
There are lots of great Golden Age of Hollywood stories in the book - from the starlet Delores, and also from some of the dames and heavies around her at the time. And once again, Junior's precocious preteen daughter acts as his research guru and smart-alecky moral compass.
I've really come to enjoy this series - the ace burglar with a heart of gold is fun, and Hallinan does a bang-up job with the story and characters.
Junior's not actively thieving anything in this book - he's too busy digging into the 1950s and juggling his relationship with new girlfriend Ronnie (but he does make a little time to wreck havoc in his ex-wife's life). It turns out the long-forgotten starlet has been living just a couple floors above Junior's head at his secret lair that's much less secret than he'd thought.
There are lots of great Golden Age of Hollywood stories in the book - from the starlet Delores, and also from some of the dames and heavies around her at the time. And once again, Junior's precocious preteen daughter acts as his research guru and smart-alecky moral compass.
I've really come to enjoy this series - the ace burglar with a heart of gold is fun, and Hallinan does a bang-up job with the story and characters.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan
When a "connected" music producer needs help proving he didn't commit murder, he's certainly not going to call in the cops. But Junior Bender is a burglar with a heart of gold, and he's just the kind of guy to help a crook prove he isn't crooked.
This is the second book in the Junior Bender mystery series (the fourth is coming out in July). I'm enjoying the series because Junior is a great character: a reluctant private investigator for the seedy underside while trying hard to be a good dad to his precocious preteen, he's intelligent and essentially good ... yet also operating a bit south of the law.
For example, in this book he's being blackmailed into helping with the murder, but he's also helping his landlady look for her missing adult daughter. That investigation he's doing just because it's the right thing to do, and maybe he can help. It's not fun or easy (and he's already busy), but he can't just walk away.
Additionally, I'm a sucker for anything related to rock and roll, and this one's based on the true-life phenomena of post-Elvis pre-Beatles crooners that scars rock history.
This is the second book in the Junior Bender mystery series (the fourth is coming out in July). I'm enjoying the series because Junior is a great character: a reluctant private investigator for the seedy underside while trying hard to be a good dad to his precocious preteen, he's intelligent and essentially good ... yet also operating a bit south of the law.
For example, in this book he's being blackmailed into helping with the murder, but he's also helping his landlady look for her missing adult daughter. That investigation he's doing just because it's the right thing to do, and maybe he can help. It's not fun or easy (and he's already busy), but he can't just walk away.
Additionally, I'm a sucker for anything related to rock and roll, and this one's based on the true-life phenomena of post-Elvis pre-Beatles crooners that scars rock history.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
Dr. Peter Brown is getting mugged in the first sentence of the book. Within seconds, he has neutralized the threat, hilariously taught us about human anatomy, and nearly killed the mugger. "The oath says FIRST do no harm," he explains. "I think we're past that now." Then, he heads off to work, where his day just gets worse. But that's very good news for us.
This book is furiously fast-paced, f*'n foul, and absolutely fantastic! I laughed, I cringed, and I enjoyed every single minute of this audiobook: the action happens so fast, I didn't have time to figure out what would happen next - twice, I was left with my mouth actually hanging open as the story revealed a new twist. WOW!
(Not for the squeamish or those of sensitive disposition :) The rest of you will enjoy, though!)
This book is furiously fast-paced, f*'n foul, and absolutely fantastic! I laughed, I cringed, and I enjoyed every single minute of this audiobook: the action happens so fast, I didn't have time to figure out what would happen next - twice, I was left with my mouth actually hanging open as the story revealed a new twist. WOW!
(Not for the squeamish or those of sensitive disposition :) The rest of you will enjoy, though!)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
For the love of pete
For the love of Pete by Julia Harper
So you remember the character of Dante Torelli from Harper's book Hot, right?" He's back and this time, he's teamed up with a woman who seems to be his polar opposite. Dante's neat, precise, and a little obsessive. Crazy Zoey, leaps in front of his moving Beamer to stop him from taking her parking space. During a shootout, she hops in and insists on helping with his current FBI case.
So you remember the character of Dante Torelli from Harper's book Hot, right?" He's back and this time, he's teamed up with a woman who seems to be his polar opposite. Dante's neat, precise, and a little obsessive. Crazy Zoey, leaps in front of his moving Beamer to stop him from taking her parking space. During a shootout, she hops in and insists on helping with his current FBI case.
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