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Peter Macklin #4
Something Borrowed, Something Black
Peter Macklin, contract killer--retired--has found himself the perfect woman. He's convinced young, beautiful, innocent Laurie that he is simply a salesman from Detroit, and they're passionately honeymooning in Los Angeles. . . . until the phone call. Peter tells Laurie he has to go to Sacramento to take care of business, and he'll be back in a day. After a day passes, though, a man called Abilene shows up with a note from Peter saying Abilene will take care of her until his return.Macklin's retirement seems to have been premature, and Laurie's innocence is about to end . . .
240 pages, ebook
First published April 20, 2002
11 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
315 books280 followersLoren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 1, 2018
Enter Peter Macklin just Married and mob-killer in retirement is on a honeymoon with his young bride when he finds himself at a beckoning call of a former boss and adversary. A hit has been foiled by its victim and there is quickly a solution wanted.
Macklin is send to Texas to do the job and he tells his young wife he has an outstanding debt to collect from his working years. His wife is left behind to take care of herself. Enter Abilene who at first seems to be send to watch over her by her husband. She quickly finds out he is not send by her man when Abilene turns vicious.
While Macklin is taking care of business he left his wife taking care of herself while finding out that her new husbands former occupation is somewhat less boring than she expected.
This is a low action story but a very descriptive little noir tale. We get some good insight in all players of this dramatic story. This is not a big story but very low-key and yet you can do anything else but enjoy the descriptive yet taut style of story telling.
A really enjoyable outing that is really fin to read for anybody who really enjoys the more noir genre and does not have any moral problems with the antics men are at when they are at their worst.
Macklin is send to Texas to do the job and he tells his young wife he has an outstanding debt to collect from his working years. His wife is left behind to take care of herself. Enter Abilene who at first seems to be send to watch over her by her husband. She quickly finds out he is not send by her man when Abilene turns vicious.
While Macklin is taking care of business he left his wife taking care of herself while finding out that her new husbands former occupation is somewhat less boring than she expected.
This is a low action story but a very descriptive little noir tale. We get some good insight in all players of this dramatic story. This is not a big story but very low-key and yet you can do anything else but enjoy the descriptive yet taut style of story telling.
A really enjoyable outing that is really fin to read for anybody who really enjoys the more noir genre and does not have any moral problems with the antics men are at when they are at their worst.
September 11, 2023
Something Borrowed, Something Black is the 4th of 5 books in the Peter Macklin crime series by Loren D. Estleman. Peter Macklin is now retired hit man for the Detroit mob. He is newly married to Laurie and they are honeymooning in Los Angeles. Unfortunately for Peter, an old mobster from Detroit, Maggiore (now Major) spots him and forces Peter back to work. He wants Johns Davis, a high end bookie now working out of San Antonio, murdered. His previous effort failed.
To force Peter to do the job, he basically threatens Laurie. She is watched constantly by Abilene, one of Maggiore's heavies. So that is the premise. The story is told from Peter's, Johns', Laurie's and the police officer's, from San Antonio, perspective. We follow Peter to San Antonio as he plans and executes his plan. We follow Laurie, surprisingly strong, as she tries to deal with her discovery of Peter's past and also to get away from Abilene.
It's an interesting story, moves along nicely and gets into the various characters very well. It's a bit introspective at times but it doesn't really affect the story. Lots of action, and a surprisingly satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more of the series. (3.0 stars)
To force Peter to do the job, he basically threatens Laurie. She is watched constantly by Abilene, one of Maggiore's heavies. So that is the premise. The story is told from Peter's, Johns', Laurie's and the police officer's, from San Antonio, perspective. We follow Peter to San Antonio as he plans and executes his plan. We follow Laurie, surprisingly strong, as she tries to deal with her discovery of Peter's past and also to get away from Abilene.
It's an interesting story, moves along nicely and gets into the various characters very well. It's a bit introspective at times but it doesn't really affect the story. Lots of action, and a surprisingly satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more of the series. (3.0 stars)
August 10, 2010
Another in the Peter Macklin series by Loren Estleman. Macklin has married and ostensibly retired, but he makes the mistake of taking his honeymoon in L.A. where a former adversary and crime boss forces him to take on another hit.
I really liked some of the comments that Estleman throws in by way of his characters. "He didn't buy into the romance of the soiled dove. They were walking petri dishes of communicable disease, needle-pierced and pimple-faced, with hearts made of solid shit. Even the high-priced ones didn't have much in common with Miss Kitty [if you get this allusion, you will be dated instantly:]. They could just afford a better grade of heroin."
I really liked some of the comments that Estleman throws in by way of his characters. "He didn't buy into the romance of the soiled dove. They were walking petri dishes of communicable disease, needle-pierced and pimple-faced, with hearts made of solid shit. Even the high-priced ones didn't have much in common with Miss Kitty [if you get this allusion, you will be dated instantly:]. They could just afford a better grade of heroin."
September 24, 2011
The first three Peter Macklin novels are my favorite Estleman titles, and I've read quite a few. I was eagerly looking forward to this book (Macklin's long-awaited return), but it's not nearly as good as the first three. The plot (particularly Macklin's marriage) never really hangs together, and the whole effort seems a little forced. I'm going to try the next book in the series, though...
October 20, 2019
I didn't finish this book. Just not able to connect with it.
August 30, 2015
#4 in the Peter Macklin series.
Peter Macklin series - Macklin has retired from the hit-man business and married Laurie, a young woman who knows nothing of his former career. They're on their honeymoon in Los Angeles when Macklin is forced back into his old calling by a Midwestern crime lord who's interested in expanding his territory. Traveling to San Antonio, Tex., to finish somebody else's botched hit, Macklin must remember how to read every inadvertent message from his contacts, his target and his potential enemies. He's a former master at the unspoken and the unintentional, despite being a little rusty on the fine points. Back in L.A., Laurie is being held hostage. At first she thinks the lanky cowboy named Abilene is just keeping her company while her husband is away "on business," but a fist in the face changes her take on things. Fortunately, Laurie is as resourceful as Abilene is ruthless, and she saves herself from his everpresent knife more than once.
Peter Macklin series - Macklin has retired from the hit-man business and married Laurie, a young woman who knows nothing of his former career. They're on their honeymoon in Los Angeles when Macklin is forced back into his old calling by a Midwestern crime lord who's interested in expanding his territory. Traveling to San Antonio, Tex., to finish somebody else's botched hit, Macklin must remember how to read every inadvertent message from his contacts, his target and his potential enemies. He's a former master at the unspoken and the unintentional, despite being a little rusty on the fine points. Back in L.A., Laurie is being held hostage. At first she thinks the lanky cowboy named Abilene is just keeping her company while her husband is away "on business," but a fist in the face changes her take on things. Fortunately, Laurie is as resourceful as Abilene is ruthless, and she saves herself from his everpresent knife more than once.
June 9, 2015
Not very good thriller about a retired hit man, newly married, who gets drawn back into the business for one last hit to save his life and his marriage.
Too slim, too formulaic, unlikable characters, very different from most of the other Estleman's I've read.
Go with A Smile on the Face of the Tiger (The Amos Walker Series #15), which I rated 5 stars.
Too slim, too formulaic, unlikable characters, very different from most of the other Estleman's I've read.
Go with A Smile on the Face of the Tiger (The Amos Walker Series #15), which I rated 5 stars.
June 10, 2011
Author Estleman's protagonist Macklin is a brillant "hard boiled" derivative to Chandler's Marlowe. His police procedural backdrop, is also well woven into this fine series. His no nonsense writing harkens back to the 30's and 40's and his hitman as a blue collar hero is as noir as it gets.
October 16, 2012
I like his Amos Walker books, but, I like Lawrence Block's Kellor books better than this one.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews