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Haftmann's Rules
The first full-length novel to feature White's recurring private investigator, Thomas Haftmann. Out of jail and back on the streets, Haftmann is hired to find a missing young girl in Boston. But what he uncovers goes beyond just murder, into a world of secret societies, bloodshed, and betrayal beyond anything he has experienced before. Haftmann's Rules is an exhilarating read into one man's maddening journey for truth, justice, and self destruction.
- GenresMystery
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2011
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Robb T. White
17 books21 followersRobert White is a Midwest writer of genre fiction. White has published dozens of crime, mystery, and horror stories under the under the names Robert, Robb, or Robb T. White.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 29, 2012
Thomas Haftmann is a Private Investigator, the sole existentialist P.I. in Northern Ohio. He's also a former Detective with Cleveland Homicide.
The story is sprinkled with Haftmann's Rules, things like, "Every existentialist in good standing must own a gun, and every week the existentialist rulebook says that the gun ought to me inserted barrel first into the mouth. Then you make a choice."
I felt the existentialist PI bit played nicely throughout the book. Added to the character of Thomas Haftmann without getting in the way of the telling of the tale.
In this story, Haftmann's client is John O'Reilly who has hired him to locate his estranged 17 year old daughter. Thing is, Annaliese Marie O'Reilly doesn't exactly want to be found.
As the investigation gets going Haftmann learns plenty about the relationship between client and daughter that flat out disgust him. But, he doesn't give up. He never gives up.
The author, Robert White, has a gift for dialog, imbuing each character with it's own cadence and attitude.
The story itself was totally engrossing and at times I found myself getting lost in Haftmann's world. Things never quite turn out how you might expect and the investigation goes way beyond it's original scope. There some huge surprises. Stuff that left me asking, "What the hell just happened here"?
Haftmann's Rules has plenty of disturbing images. One in particular, which will stick with me for a long time, involves a human water balloon. Needless to say, this book is for mature audiences and those not easily offended.
I did feel the book started to drag a bit toward the end, but at the same time I can say it was worth the read and I can recommend Haftmann's Rules as a solid PI story.
BTW, the character, Thomas Haftmann, has appeared in other works by Robert White, but they are not required reading and this is the first full-length novel to feature the character and it works very well as a stand-alone story.
Haftmann's Rules, is published by Grand Mal Press and is available as a paperback and e-book from a wide variety of sources.
The story is sprinkled with Haftmann's Rules, things like, "Every existentialist in good standing must own a gun, and every week the existentialist rulebook says that the gun ought to me inserted barrel first into the mouth. Then you make a choice."
I felt the existentialist PI bit played nicely throughout the book. Added to the character of Thomas Haftmann without getting in the way of the telling of the tale.
In this story, Haftmann's client is John O'Reilly who has hired him to locate his estranged 17 year old daughter. Thing is, Annaliese Marie O'Reilly doesn't exactly want to be found.
As the investigation gets going Haftmann learns plenty about the relationship between client and daughter that flat out disgust him. But, he doesn't give up. He never gives up.
The author, Robert White, has a gift for dialog, imbuing each character with it's own cadence and attitude.
The story itself was totally engrossing and at times I found myself getting lost in Haftmann's world. Things never quite turn out how you might expect and the investigation goes way beyond it's original scope. There some huge surprises. Stuff that left me asking, "What the hell just happened here"?
Haftmann's Rules has plenty of disturbing images. One in particular, which will stick with me for a long time, involves a human water balloon. Needless to say, this book is for mature audiences and those not easily offended.
I did feel the book started to drag a bit toward the end, but at the same time I can say it was worth the read and I can recommend Haftmann's Rules as a solid PI story.
BTW, the character, Thomas Haftmann, has appeared in other works by Robert White, but they are not required reading and this is the first full-length novel to feature the character and it works very well as a stand-alone story.
Haftmann's Rules, is published by Grand Mal Press and is available as a paperback and e-book from a wide variety of sources.
October 5, 2011
In my many years as a lover of literature, I've never come across a book that possesses every single quality I love in a good story... Until now.
We are introduced to Thomas Haftmann, a fantastic private eye who is given the task of finding a father's missing daughter. He is drawn into a world he never dreamed of, a world that is darker than the blackest hole in outer space, filled with racist groups, extreme religious sects, and a little carnal pleasure whenever the urge to hold back is too unbearable. This carnal pleasure is made quite painful by someone from his past who rubs salt in every emotional wound he has.
Tom Haftmann is a testament to what every human being should aspire to be. He is selfless, persistent, in possession of great depth, and proof that the old adage " You need God in your life to be a good person" is entirely false. He not only combats other's demons for them when they're too scared to do it themselves, but he also simultaneously combats his own at every turn. He grows as a person in a little under 240 pages more than most people can hope to grow and flourish in a lifetime. A more philosophical man, you could never hope to encounter again.
Now onto the praise for the author...
Robert White's prose is moving, thought-provoking, and hauntingly beautiful. So many lines stayed with me long after I read it. Philosophy and Emotion are White's fortes. Never will you see them both so beautifully combined again. His descriptions are elegantly written, his sexual tension between various characters poignantly felt and experienced. He draws you in and won't let you go until you finish at his Biography page.
We are introduced to Thomas Haftmann, a fantastic private eye who is given the task of finding a father's missing daughter. He is drawn into a world he never dreamed of, a world that is darker than the blackest hole in outer space, filled with racist groups, extreme religious sects, and a little carnal pleasure whenever the urge to hold back is too unbearable. This carnal pleasure is made quite painful by someone from his past who rubs salt in every emotional wound he has.
Tom Haftmann is a testament to what every human being should aspire to be. He is selfless, persistent, in possession of great depth, and proof that the old adage " You need God in your life to be a good person" is entirely false. He not only combats other's demons for them when they're too scared to do it themselves, but he also simultaneously combats his own at every turn. He grows as a person in a little under 240 pages more than most people can hope to grow and flourish in a lifetime. A more philosophical man, you could never hope to encounter again.
Now onto the praise for the author...
Robert White's prose is moving, thought-provoking, and hauntingly beautiful. So many lines stayed with me long after I read it. Philosophy and Emotion are White's fortes. Never will you see them both so beautifully combined again. His descriptions are elegantly written, his sexual tension between various characters poignantly felt and experienced. He draws you in and won't let you go until you finish at his Biography page.
January 19, 2012
Haftmann is not a guy I'd invite into my home or ordinarily have a social drink with at the local bar. On the other hand, he's a pretty interesting guy in a lot of ways.
Thomas Haftmann is an ex homicide cop living in Ohio. Now he’s a private investigator pretty near the end of his profession. Clients are few and he’s struggling with some major physical and mental problems. Haftmann is not your typical upstanding white knight of a PI. He confronts his drinking problem by hanging out in sleazy bars, has sex with women he finds on the Internet, and abuses the good will of the few friends he still retains.
He’s bright and the novel is littered with his political and philosophical ruminations. His intimacy quotient is low, as his ex-wife would quickly testify. Somewhere in his core, however, is a moral kernel that leads him to put his sanity and his life on the line to try to tease out an unusual serial killer operating in the sleaziest sections of Boston. His entry into this dark and dangerous segment of society, in a town where he has no resources at all, is a search for his client’s missing daughter who may be stripping in one of Boston’s unsavory clubs.
The novel is well-written, coherent and fast-paced. Make no mistake it is very dark, violent and pretty explicit in several instances. It is a very modern story in that much of the motivations on the dark side are rooted in some of the nastier beliefs of today. The novel takes some effort to get into but somehow, for this reader at least, Thomas Haftmann, in spite of his bizarre rules, grabbed me by the collar and held my interest until the ride was finished.
Thomas Haftmann is an ex homicide cop living in Ohio. Now he’s a private investigator pretty near the end of his profession. Clients are few and he’s struggling with some major physical and mental problems. Haftmann is not your typical upstanding white knight of a PI. He confronts his drinking problem by hanging out in sleazy bars, has sex with women he finds on the Internet, and abuses the good will of the few friends he still retains.
He’s bright and the novel is littered with his political and philosophical ruminations. His intimacy quotient is low, as his ex-wife would quickly testify. Somewhere in his core, however, is a moral kernel that leads him to put his sanity and his life on the line to try to tease out an unusual serial killer operating in the sleaziest sections of Boston. His entry into this dark and dangerous segment of society, in a town where he has no resources at all, is a search for his client’s missing daughter who may be stripping in one of Boston’s unsavory clubs.
The novel is well-written, coherent and fast-paced. Make no mistake it is very dark, violent and pretty explicit in several instances. It is a very modern story in that much of the motivations on the dark side are rooted in some of the nastier beliefs of today. The novel takes some effort to get into but somehow, for this reader at least, Thomas Haftmann, in spite of his bizarre rules, grabbed me by the collar and held my interest until the ride was finished.
January 26, 2012
Robert White’s Thomas Haftmann is a man on a mission and that mission comes as a result of a case he undertook to find a missing girl. In the thrilling Haftmann’s Rules, through various twists and turns the PI’s missing girl case changes into an obsessive man hunt for a vicious murderer. White, has taken the old school hardboiled detective and developed a modern day Private Eye in Thomas Haftmann bringing into the mix today’s modern technology, while still maintaining that feeling of noir.
The character’s, both good and bad, are not punched out of a cookie cutter. They each have their own unique quality that aids in our development of feelings for them and their predicament. The settings and locations are very detailed and fully described, so much so that I would venture a guess that the author either lives or has lived in the places the story takes place. The story is well told with enough varying plot points to keep you guessing as to who the killer really is and why is he doing what he’s doing, but not so many twists as to make the tale befuddling.
Haftmann’s Rules is a great thriller/mystery with an old school noir feel that will have lovers of this genre coming back for Thomas Haftmann.
The character’s, both good and bad, are not punched out of a cookie cutter. They each have their own unique quality that aids in our development of feelings for them and their predicament. The settings and locations are very detailed and fully described, so much so that I would venture a guess that the author either lives or has lived in the places the story takes place. The story is well told with enough varying plot points to keep you guessing as to who the killer really is and why is he doing what he’s doing, but not so many twists as to make the tale befuddling.
Haftmann’s Rules is a great thriller/mystery with an old school noir feel that will have lovers of this genre coming back for Thomas Haftmann.
April 21, 2012
very well done noir story. A little depressing at times but all around just fantastic characters and a great thriller. Recommended if you like good, dark mysteries.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews