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Lee Henry Oswald Mystery #1
Still River
In a stark and haunting debut novel, Harry Hunsicker introduces Dallas P.I. Lee Henry Oswald,
a Special Forces veteran of the Gulf War whose work begins where legal options end…
He bears a killer's name…
Lee H. "Hank" Oswald inherited more from his bull-headed father than just a name. It's not that he looks for trouble; he just can't seem to keep out of its way. Fortunately being named Oswald in Dallas makes a man tough enough to get the job done, no matter what side of the law he's forced to walk…
He seeks a missing brother
Things get even rougher for Hank when he agrees to help an old friend find her troubled brother. She swears Charlie's quit the drugs for good, now that he's got a job in real estate. But Hank's barely taken the case when he discovers that the Dallas real estate wars can be as vicious and dirty as anything he'd encountered on the battlefield.
He's found three suspects--and a hundred ways to die…
Before long, three prime suspects a ruthless Dallas dealmaker; a rising young real estate developer and community activist; and one of the city's most notorious, and deadly, drug lords. Digging through the muck to find something to tie these three together--and to Charlie--Hank comes to one unmistakable For the right price, a man might do anything.
a Special Forces veteran of the Gulf War whose work begins where legal options end…
He bears a killer's name…
Lee H. "Hank" Oswald inherited more from his bull-headed father than just a name. It's not that he looks for trouble; he just can't seem to keep out of its way. Fortunately being named Oswald in Dallas makes a man tough enough to get the job done, no matter what side of the law he's forced to walk…
He seeks a missing brother
Things get even rougher for Hank when he agrees to help an old friend find her troubled brother. She swears Charlie's quit the drugs for good, now that he's got a job in real estate. But Hank's barely taken the case when he discovers that the Dallas real estate wars can be as vicious and dirty as anything he'd encountered on the battlefield.
He's found three suspects--and a hundred ways to die…
Before long, three prime suspects a ruthless Dallas dealmaker; a rising young real estate developer and community activist; and one of the city's most notorious, and deadly, drug lords. Digging through the muck to find something to tie these three together--and to Charlie--Hank comes to one unmistakable For the right price, a man might do anything.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
43 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Harry Hunsicker
40 books133 followersHarry Hunsicker is the bestselling author of nine crime thrillers including The Life and Death of Rose Doucette, shortlisted for a 2025 Thriller Award, his second nomination. Hunsicker's work has been shortlisted for the Shamus Award. His story "West of Nowhere" (originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) was selected to appear in The Best American Mystery Stories 2011, edited by Otto Penzler and Harlan Coben. Hunsicker lives in Dallas with his wife, Alison.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 25, 2018
A private eye in Dallas is hired by a woman he knew in high school to look for her missing brother; when the brother turns up an apparent suicide in a crack house, the cops are ready to buy the scenario but our hero, of course, isn't. Sniffing out the truth takes him into deep waters, where the Dallas underworld and Old Dallas Money intersect. Standard P.I. stuff, competently written, a bit more violent than the usual P.I. tale, with ex-military types taking on heavily armed gangsters, shootouts all over the landscape.
The best thing about the book is that it piqued my interest in Dallas, a city I've never been to; Hunsicker knows the territory and uses the settings effectively. From the hoity-toity millionaire neighborhoods to the meanest streets in town, he makes Dallas and its people intriguing.
The best thing about the book is that it piqued my interest in Dallas, a city I've never been to; Hunsicker knows the territory and uses the settings effectively. From the hoity-toity millionaire neighborhoods to the meanest streets in town, he makes Dallas and its people intriguing.
October 31, 2017
I really enjoyed this novel. It is fast-paced with interesting and sympathetic characters. The prose is tight and the dialogue realistic. Hunsicker does such a great job of weaving in backstory that I wish there were previous novels to read that detail the adventures hinted at throughout this one. I look forward to reading many more from this author.
August 18, 2018
Not spectacular but good. Well worth the read and a kind of cool intro to Dallas in all her disguises. My favorite quote-"I looked like the out-of-place burnout I was: a fifty-cent ham sandwich in a world of twenty dollar steaks,..."
November 30, 2021
High body count and way too much Dallas travelogue and gun descriptions.
Reads like a movie script.
Protagonists get shot but bounce back.
Hugely unbelievable.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
Reads like a movie script.
Protagonists get shot but bounce back.
Hugely unbelievable.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
April 24, 2018
Gave it a 4 because I like Hunsicker but I found myself looking too often at the % left To the end of the book.
May 15, 2018
What a great new series!! Lee Oswald gives Elvis Cole, Spenser, Travis McGee, and Dave Robicheaux a run for their money. Hope there’s more than three books in this series!
October 14, 2019
One of my 9 best first mysteries read in 2005.
September 3, 2012
I just finished reading STILL RIVER this morning, and feel like this is one of those times when it's important to write a review -- when you come across a book you liked so much that there was never a moment reading it when you wished you were doing something else.
Hunsicker's P.I. Lee Henry Oswald is a tough guy, sterotypical yes, but in all the ways that make reading P.I. novels really fun. He's definitely a hardboiled character in line with all the classics I love -- Philip Marlowe, Lew Archer, etc. -- but updated and ramped up for the new millennium. And I mean, seriously ramped up.
To be fair, one of the reasons I enjoyed this book was that it takes place in Dallas, where I live, and I recognized all the neighborhoods where events took place. If you took this book out of Dallas, it just wouldn't work, and in that way, the city itself becomes something of a key character, which is something I really like about a novel. This is the first novel I've read with an authentic portrayal of Dallas's culture and the people who live here.
The main character "Hank" Oswald is a likable "everyman," with good friends and a past that connects to his future. This makes all the difference to me as a reader. The characters all have this kind of depth -- they're compassionate, genuine, and tough. Hank's crew of friends work like a small network of operatives. When the chips are down, Hank's friends show up in a major way.
Things get crazy in this book. After a while, the standard-issue detecting devolves into all-out mayhem and violence, putting Hank and his friends in serious jeopardy. The plot progresses into the kind of havoc and destruction from which it's hard to come back, but which Hunsicker manages with skill.
STILL RIVER wraps up on a bittersweet note, but I can't think of a more perfect end to this novel. I plan to read the next book in the series as soon as possible. I highly recommend STILL RIVER.
Hunsicker's P.I. Lee Henry Oswald is a tough guy, sterotypical yes, but in all the ways that make reading P.I. novels really fun. He's definitely a hardboiled character in line with all the classics I love -- Philip Marlowe, Lew Archer, etc. -- but updated and ramped up for the new millennium. And I mean, seriously ramped up.
To be fair, one of the reasons I enjoyed this book was that it takes place in Dallas, where I live, and I recognized all the neighborhoods where events took place. If you took this book out of Dallas, it just wouldn't work, and in that way, the city itself becomes something of a key character, which is something I really like about a novel. This is the first novel I've read with an authentic portrayal of Dallas's culture and the people who live here.
The main character "Hank" Oswald is a likable "everyman," with good friends and a past that connects to his future. This makes all the difference to me as a reader. The characters all have this kind of depth -- they're compassionate, genuine, and tough. Hank's crew of friends work like a small network of operatives. When the chips are down, Hank's friends show up in a major way.
Things get crazy in this book. After a while, the standard-issue detecting devolves into all-out mayhem and violence, putting Hank and his friends in serious jeopardy. The plot progresses into the kind of havoc and destruction from which it's hard to come back, but which Hunsicker manages with skill.
STILL RIVER wraps up on a bittersweet note, but I can't think of a more perfect end to this novel. I plan to read the next book in the series as soon as possible. I highly recommend STILL RIVER.
January 20, 2010
When your name is Lee Henry Oswald and you live in Dallas, Texas, you need to be a tough guy. Lee Henry (“call me, Hank”) is as tough as they come on the outside, but nougat on the inside. He lives in a house he is restoring and works in old East Dallas, sharing an office in a house with two other people: Ferguson Merriweather, a lawyer and David March Howell, a real estate appraiser. He shares his house with an elderly chocolate lab named Glenda.
He is unable to resist Vera Drinkwater, the high school slut, who approaches him to find out where her little brother, Charlie Wesson, is. Charlie never showed up at her birthday party. Hank goes to visit his partner, dying of liver cancer at Baylor Hospital to tell him about the new case. Ernie, his partner, asks Hank to protect his sister’s daughter, Nolan, who has just moved to Dallas.
Hank visits Charlie Wesson’s place of employment, Callahan Real Estate and begins to smell a rat, especially when confronted in the parking lot by two hired thugs. The search is going to be hard. But Hank has friends he calls upon, including Delmar and Olson, who deal in weapons of every variety. Hank meets Nolan at a bar where she is serving a subpoena on a business man and takes her along to meet the rest of the crew. It all goes downhill from there. And, once Charlie’s body turns up, Hank is determined to find out why.
This is Hunsicker’s first novel. It does not read like a debut novel. The plot is tightly wrapped and the characters are well drawn. Still River was nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America for Best Debut Novel in 2005. It’s a wild ride down the mean streets of Dallas, but worth the trip.
He is unable to resist Vera Drinkwater, the high school slut, who approaches him to find out where her little brother, Charlie Wesson, is. Charlie never showed up at her birthday party. Hank goes to visit his partner, dying of liver cancer at Baylor Hospital to tell him about the new case. Ernie, his partner, asks Hank to protect his sister’s daughter, Nolan, who has just moved to Dallas.
Hank visits Charlie Wesson’s place of employment, Callahan Real Estate and begins to smell a rat, especially when confronted in the parking lot by two hired thugs. The search is going to be hard. But Hank has friends he calls upon, including Delmar and Olson, who deal in weapons of every variety. Hank meets Nolan at a bar where she is serving a subpoena on a business man and takes her along to meet the rest of the crew. It all goes downhill from there. And, once Charlie’s body turns up, Hank is determined to find out why.
This is Hunsicker’s first novel. It does not read like a debut novel. The plot is tightly wrapped and the characters are well drawn. Still River was nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America for Best Debut Novel in 2005. It’s a wild ride down the mean streets of Dallas, but worth the trip.
August 24, 2007
STILL RIVER (Private Investigator-Dallas-Cont) – G-
Hunsicker, Harry – 1st book
Thomas Dunne Books, 2005- Hardcover
PI Lee Henry "Hank" Oswald is a Gulf War approached by a former schoolmate to find her brother, a former drug addict and alcoholic. Hank's dying partner, Ernie, asks Hank to help his niece, Nolan, also an investigator. The case evolves to include murder, violent drug dealers and a major real estate scam.
*** Some have compared this book to Lehane and Connelly. While I understand the comparison, to me this book just didn't have the same cachet as those. Hank is interesting and there are the well-armed, violent, gay-couple sidekicks, but I never felt connected to them. Hank gets beat up and shot, and shot, and shot but is the proverbial Timex. There are a lot of bad guys without any of them being memorable. The dialogue is good, although the author needs to ensure he does not overuse the phrase (paraphrasing) "If someone knows of a better…I wish they'd show me." The author works too hard at cleaver names for his characters: Lee Henry Oswald, for a book set in Dallas; Vera Drinkwater, client with an alcoholic brother; bad guys Clairol and Fagen. For all that, the story moves well and there are some clever moments. The book was good, but didn't knock me out.
Hunsicker, Harry – 1st book
Thomas Dunne Books, 2005- Hardcover
PI Lee Henry "Hank" Oswald is a Gulf War approached by a former schoolmate to find her brother, a former drug addict and alcoholic. Hank's dying partner, Ernie, asks Hank to help his niece, Nolan, also an investigator. The case evolves to include murder, violent drug dealers and a major real estate scam.
*** Some have compared this book to Lehane and Connelly. While I understand the comparison, to me this book just didn't have the same cachet as those. Hank is interesting and there are the well-armed, violent, gay-couple sidekicks, but I never felt connected to them. Hank gets beat up and shot, and shot, and shot but is the proverbial Timex. There are a lot of bad guys without any of them being memorable. The dialogue is good, although the author needs to ensure he does not overuse the phrase (paraphrasing) "If someone knows of a better…I wish they'd show me." The author works too hard at cleaver names for his characters: Lee Henry Oswald, for a book set in Dallas; Vera Drinkwater, client with an alcoholic brother; bad guys Clairol and Fagen. For all that, the story moves well and there are some clever moments. The book was good, but didn't knock me out.
February 28, 2017
The best crime fiction has a sense of place. When people talk lovingly about the hard-boiled detective fiction from back in the day, they're talking about novels that wallow in the setting--typically Los Angeles. The same is true of the films.
George Pelecanos makes you feel like you live in DC. James Ellroy does the same for LA. Lehane has Boston. There's a long list of authors associated with New York. I was curious to see if I could find someone who wrote about a place familiar to me. Hunsicker's novels are set in Dallas--where I've lived since 2004. The places he visits are places I know. At one point he mentions a neighborhood that is literally two streets over from my own home. That is kind of cool.
As for the book itself, it's OK. It's a little more action-oriented and a little less character-focused than is my preference when it comes to crime-fiction. In some ways it reminds me of a Lee Child novel--though Lee Child has no sense of setting. At other times it seems like Noir-by-Numbers...name drop a dive restaurant, mention a drinking problem, throw in a shady female, etc.
I don't know. I certainly wouldn't mind giving another book by Hunsicker a try. But this one took a while for me to finish because there were points where I just wasn't that interested.
George Pelecanos makes you feel like you live in DC. James Ellroy does the same for LA. Lehane has Boston. There's a long list of authors associated with New York. I was curious to see if I could find someone who wrote about a place familiar to me. Hunsicker's novels are set in Dallas--where I've lived since 2004. The places he visits are places I know. At one point he mentions a neighborhood that is literally two streets over from my own home. That is kind of cool.
As for the book itself, it's OK. It's a little more action-oriented and a little less character-focused than is my preference when it comes to crime-fiction. In some ways it reminds me of a Lee Child novel--though Lee Child has no sense of setting. At other times it seems like Noir-by-Numbers...name drop a dive restaurant, mention a drinking problem, throw in a shady female, etc.
I don't know. I certainly wouldn't mind giving another book by Hunsicker a try. But this one took a while for me to finish because there were points where I just wasn't that interested.
October 30, 2007
10/29/07
TITLE/AUTHOR: STILL RIVER by Harry Hunsicker
RATING: 3.5/C+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery/2005/277 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: 1st in Lee Henry Oswald series
TIME/PLACE: Present/Dallas
CHARACTERS: Lee Henry Oswald/PI, Gulf War Vet
FIRST LINES:Vera Drinkwater had been a slut in high school, or so they said. According to Artie Galbreath, she'd traded a blowjob for tickets to REO Speedwagon in the back of his Goodtimes van, the kind w/ the shag carpet on the walls. Artie was the class dealer & liked to sample his own inventory, so you had to take that into account.
COMMENTS: library book, series recommended & won 3rd in series so need to catch up. Too much energizer bunny action/shoot-outs for my taste. Will give leeway for 1st book. Felt author tried to cram pack too much into this trip not only w/ the excessive action but too many characters/back stories. However, I did like the setting and Hank Oswald has potential for a PI I want to read more of.
TITLE/AUTHOR: STILL RIVER by Harry Hunsicker
RATING: 3.5/C+
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Mystery/2005/277 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: 1st in Lee Henry Oswald series
TIME/PLACE: Present/Dallas
CHARACTERS: Lee Henry Oswald/PI, Gulf War Vet
FIRST LINES:Vera Drinkwater had been a slut in high school, or so they said. According to Artie Galbreath, she'd traded a blowjob for tickets to REO Speedwagon in the back of his Goodtimes van, the kind w/ the shag carpet on the walls. Artie was the class dealer & liked to sample his own inventory, so you had to take that into account.
COMMENTS: library book, series recommended & won 3rd in series so need to catch up. Too much energizer bunny action/shoot-outs for my taste. Will give leeway for 1st book. Felt author tried to cram pack too much into this trip not only w/ the excessive action but too many characters/back stories. However, I did like the setting and Hank Oswald has potential for a PI I want to read more of.
January 25, 2009
Maybe 3 1/2 for this one. It's a new author for me. (Thanks, Ed!) The series is based in Dallas, with a PI whose unfortunate name (Lee Henry Oswald) causes him some discomfort in that city in particular.
I like the characters, which is important to me above all else in a book. Lee Henry (Hank) is somewhat evocative of Robert Parker's Spenser. He's emotionally mature, self-confident, and surrounded by odd but lethal sidekicks. This book even supplies him with a character who does some psychological analysis, reminiscent of Susan Silverman, although in a much different setting.
I also liked the author's insider-knowledge of Dallas and it's history. I'm not sure if this would be as big a plus to those of you who don't live in Texas. Let me know if you read it.
I'll look for more of his titles and see if he continues to keep me interested.
I like the characters, which is important to me above all else in a book. Lee Henry (Hank) is somewhat evocative of Robert Parker's Spenser. He's emotionally mature, self-confident, and surrounded by odd but lethal sidekicks. This book even supplies him with a character who does some psychological analysis, reminiscent of Susan Silverman, although in a much different setting.
I also liked the author's insider-knowledge of Dallas and it's history. I'm not sure if this would be as big a plus to those of you who don't live in Texas. Let me know if you read it.
I'll look for more of his titles and see if he continues to keep me interested.
June 9, 2012
Lee Henry Oswald, Special Forces veteran of the Gulf War, is a private investigator in - wait for it - Dallas, Texas. It makes him tough. He agrees to help an old friend locate her missing brother, who supposedly quit a drug habit and is now working in real estate. Trying to connect three prime suspects; a rising young real estate developer, a community activist, and a notorious drug dealer with Charlie, the missing brother, Hank discovers an unmistakable truth: "For the right price, a man might do anything." This is the author's debut novel, and we'll see more of Lee Henry Oswald. The author is a commercial real estate appraiser and speaks on creative writing. Will he be able to get past real estate in his next novel?
March 4, 2008
A fairly formulaic detective novel except. . . it's by a local author and set in Dallas. In fact, the fictional detective's office is just a few blocks from my house. It was fun to read about places I knew, and the mess that is Trinity River development (something that continues to be a huge issue around here), but it wasn't so fabulous that I'll check out the other Lee Henry Oswald mysteries. Yep, you read that character name correctly. It's almost too much.
November 23, 2009
A simple assignment turns deadly when Oswald asks the right questions in the wrong places, and finds himself drawn into a shadowy world of smooth-talking drug lords and double-dealing real estate developers. In the end, he learns that blood is not always thicker than water, especially the muddy tributaries of the Trinity River, where he confronts the deadly results of his own decisions as he races to save the life of his partner.
August 8, 2011
I loved this book.....tough and moody......Hank Oswald is the Dallas version of Phillip Marlowe. I lived in Dallas for 10 years and could not get over Hunsicker's precise directions that he described when Hank rolled down the street. His descriptions are so vivid that I could actually see each scene as I read....now that doesn't happen to me very much anymore. A definite pick for noir detective lovers.
March 3, 2009
Being from Dallas, was excited to get into Hunsicker. Good story with a strong flow. I couldn't get over the detailed trip-descriptions every time Oswald went somewhere. It was if HH pulled up a google map and detailed every turn and sign-post...but maybe that was just an effect of being familiar with the area. Rating "3+".
December 5, 2014
Tough Dallas PI Lee Henry Oswald is hired to find one of his childhood buddies. He finds a big real estate conspiracy.
I have mixed feelings about this one. While I liked the mystery and most of the action, I actively disliked Oswald. He just seemed like a prig to me. This made it tougher for me to like the book.
Maybe Oswald is an acquired taste.
I have mixed feelings about this one. While I liked the mystery and most of the action, I actively disliked Oswald. He just seemed like a prig to me. This made it tougher for me to like the book.
Maybe Oswald is an acquired taste.
December 19, 2008
Probably the greatest interest for this book is its Dallas setting. It does for Texas for James Lee Burke does for southern Louisiana. If you like noir PI books, you'll probably like this one.
April 9, 2013
This is my kind of detective story! Fast-paced writing with a good mystery. The PI, Oswald, is the wry, tough-as-nails guy you'd expect, while his buddies are what you wouldn't expect. It all works perfectly. Can't wait to read the next one!
January 1, 2009
The book started out as a good, solid P.I. mystery. Sadly, 2/3 of the way through it degenerated into hyper-violenct over action.
June 26, 2009
Loved reading about all of the very familiar Dallas sites! I could picture the settings throughout the book.
January 23, 2014
277 p.
July 13, 2018
I like to read books set in the places I visit. I recently visited Dallas and read this to set the mood. It didn't really do that but it is a decent book.
This books bears more than a passing resemblance to Rick Riordan's Tres Nevarre series but the setting in those books (San Antonio) comes through much better than Dallas does in this one. Maybe that's just because San Antonio has more character than Dallas.
But it is a fun story with a neat mystery and some fun action scenes. I didn't find the main character to be as interesting as Tres Nevarre but Hunsicker does have a knack for creating those bizarre side-characters you always find in these sort of mysteries.
This books bears more than a passing resemblance to Rick Riordan's Tres Nevarre series but the setting in those books (San Antonio) comes through much better than Dallas does in this one. Maybe that's just because San Antonio has more character than Dallas.
But it is a fun story with a neat mystery and some fun action scenes. I didn't find the main character to be as interesting as Tres Nevarre but Hunsicker does have a knack for creating those bizarre side-characters you always find in these sort of mysteries.
dnf
January 24, 2019Gave it about 75 pages, but it just didn't draw me in.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews