What do you think?
Weiss & Bishop #2
Shotgun Alley
Honey---a vivacious, wealthy, seventeen-year-old daughter of a politician---has a penchant for drug dealers, mad-dog bikers, booze, sex, crank, and guns. She's run off with Cobra, the leader of a band of motorcycle-gang outcasts who have dubbed themselves the Outriders since they are too hotheaded and reckless for other rival gangs. But her father, who is running for the U.S. Senate, wants her back before she takes his career down in flames along with her hell-bent soul.
Enter Scott Weiss and Jim Bishop, Andrew Klavan's star private eyes from Dynamite Road. Weiss is a former cop who is an accomplished detective with a lot of connections. Bishop is a savvy, strong-willed tough guy and ladies' man who does the legwork for Weiss's agency.
Bishop's infiltrate the Outriders and seduce and steal Honey away from Cobra. But has Bishop finally met his match? Cobra is brilliant as well as bad---an oddly intellectual biker who is one step ahead of everyone on his trail. And Honey is not only rich and beautiful, she is hotter than the hinges of hell, irresistibly alluring, a black widow who draws the hardest, toughest, sharpest hustlers into her lethal web---where she consumes them whole.
Bishop, falling for a woman like never before, is drawn into Honey's web, and even with the diabolically clever Weiss in his corner---working with the cops, scheming with the politicians, pulling the strings, and calling the shots---Bishop may be going down.
Has Bishop finally met his match? Is Honey too hot to handle?
Enter Scott Weiss and Jim Bishop, Andrew Klavan's star private eyes from Dynamite Road. Weiss is a former cop who is an accomplished detective with a lot of connections. Bishop is a savvy, strong-willed tough guy and ladies' man who does the legwork for Weiss's agency.
Bishop's infiltrate the Outriders and seduce and steal Honey away from Cobra. But has Bishop finally met his match? Cobra is brilliant as well as bad---an oddly intellectual biker who is one step ahead of everyone on his trail. And Honey is not only rich and beautiful, she is hotter than the hinges of hell, irresistibly alluring, a black widow who draws the hardest, toughest, sharpest hustlers into her lethal web---where she consumes them whole.
Bishop, falling for a woman like never before, is drawn into Honey's web, and even with the diabolically clever Weiss in his corner---working with the cops, scheming with the politicians, pulling the strings, and calling the shots---Bishop may be going down.
Has Bishop finally met his match? Is Honey too hot to handle?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
Andrew Klavan
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 19, 2013
I like the Weiss & Bishop novels because the author has found a refreshing way to present the crime/detective story. Not an easy thing to do. Instead of the typical first person narration by the hard-boiled detective, we get three protagonists. Weiss is the former cop who has his own PI agency. H balances his clients while brooding over his idealized view of women, and is obsessed with a seemingly unattainable call girl named Julie Wyant. Weiss desires her, but fears that if he tracks her down he will also lead a psycho named the Shadow Man to her. The dilemma is a heavy distraction to his caseload. His field operative is Jim Bishop, a rough, angry character who walks a tightrope between the right side of the law and the dark side of those he’s assigned to bring down.
The stories are narrated by a young college grad who works as an intern in the agency. He loves the old noir detective novels, and is drawn to Weiss & Bishop, even though he knows his position is not the best use of his education.
This time around Bishop is assigned to infiltrate an outlaw biker gang and extract the young daughter of a prominent politician from their evil clutches. Weiss tracks down the anonymous sender of sexually harassing e-mails to a feminist with unexpected results, and our bookish narrator suddenly finds himself helping out on the cases in subtle ways. All three characters face internal conflicts, and there is a good dose of philosophical reflection amidst the mayhem.
For the most part, this is smart, well-written fiction. It might feel a little too much like a Hollywood screenplay for some readers, but I don’t see anything wrong with that. Really, there’s never a dull moment, and I enjoyed reading it. There are so many ways that Klavan can take these characters that was disappointed to learn that this seems to be the second book of a trilogy. Based on the first two books, I’d like to see the author keep this series going.
The stories are narrated by a young college grad who works as an intern in the agency. He loves the old noir detective novels, and is drawn to Weiss & Bishop, even though he knows his position is not the best use of his education.
This time around Bishop is assigned to infiltrate an outlaw biker gang and extract the young daughter of a prominent politician from their evil clutches. Weiss tracks down the anonymous sender of sexually harassing e-mails to a feminist with unexpected results, and our bookish narrator suddenly finds himself helping out on the cases in subtle ways. All three characters face internal conflicts, and there is a good dose of philosophical reflection amidst the mayhem.
For the most part, this is smart, well-written fiction. It might feel a little too much like a Hollywood screenplay for some readers, but I don’t see anything wrong with that. Really, there’s never a dull moment, and I enjoyed reading it. There are so many ways that Klavan can take these characters that was disappointed to learn that this seems to be the second book of a trilogy. Based on the first two books, I’d like to see the author keep this series going.
September 5, 2022
This is the second in Klavan's Weiss & Bishop series and easily gets five stars as with every Andrew Klavan novel I have read thus far. It is literate, clever, inspiring and loaded with violence and sex. On to the next and final book in this series: Damnation Street.
April 8, 2026
bishop Good characters.
February 11, 2024
Fast paced action. Just like a classic 80s action movie. Fun and easy weekend read.
August 25, 2007
SHOTGUN ALLEY (Private Investigator-San Francisco-Cont) – VG
Klavan, Andrew – 2nd in series
Forge, 2004- Hardcover
A local politician hires the Weiss agency to find his 17-year-old daughter, Honey. He has run off with the head of a violent motorcycle gang and he wants her found and brought back. Scott Weiss sends Jim Bishop in to infiltrate the group but doesn't plan on Bishop's attraction to Honey. A woman who wants to find the person who has been sending her erotic emails hires the agency to find the sender.
*** Shotgun Alley is dark, violent and filled with profanity. It is also wonderfully written, engrossing and filled with intriguing characters. The writing style is unusual in that there are three protagonists; Weiss and Bishop, whose parts of the story are told in third person and a young narrator, whose name we don't know but whose portion of the story is told in first person. The story is introspective, suspenseful, and expertly crafted. Because of the violence, it's not for everyone, but I highly recommend it for those who like dark, PI novels.
Klavan, Andrew – 2nd in series
Forge, 2004- Hardcover
A local politician hires the Weiss agency to find his 17-year-old daughter, Honey. He has run off with the head of a violent motorcycle gang and he wants her found and brought back. Scott Weiss sends Jim Bishop in to infiltrate the group but doesn't plan on Bishop's attraction to Honey. A woman who wants to find the person who has been sending her erotic emails hires the agency to find the sender.
*** Shotgun Alley is dark, violent and filled with profanity. It is also wonderfully written, engrossing and filled with intriguing characters. The writing style is unusual in that there are three protagonists; Weiss and Bishop, whose parts of the story are told in third person and a young narrator, whose name we don't know but whose portion of the story is told in first person. The story is introspective, suspenseful, and expertly crafted. Because of the violence, it's not for everyone, but I highly recommend it for those who like dark, PI novels.
August 22, 2009
**no change is this review from when I read the book in 2009: **
This is the second of the Weiss/Bishop series
I gave it four stars, but it should get 3.5 stars. We learn more about the characters of Weiss and Bishop, some of the prequel and history, and more of how they handle difficult situations that arise as they chase and kill bad guys.
Klavan keeps his chapters short, so one can see separate story lines developing in parallel. How he makes them converge is truly artful and usually works very well. The tension and suspense was surprisingly high in many points along the way, from start to finish.
The sexual content is high in this one, and borders on the creepy. Violence level is about the same as the first in the series "Dynamite Road".
This is the second of the Weiss/Bishop series
I gave it four stars, but it should get 3.5 stars. We learn more about the characters of Weiss and Bishop, some of the prequel and history, and more of how they handle difficult situations that arise as they chase and kill bad guys.
Klavan keeps his chapters short, so one can see separate story lines developing in parallel. How he makes them converge is truly artful and usually works very well. The tension and suspense was surprisingly high in many points along the way, from start to finish.
The sexual content is high in this one, and borders on the creepy. Violence level is about the same as the first in the series "Dynamite Road".
May 10, 2009
Andrew Klavan may be that anomaly; a conservative novelists of thrillers. His characters are as sensual, as obsessed with sex as any in erotica, yet they are conflicted about it; they know its destructive and struggle with it. The good guys want to transcend it; the bad one to control or dominate it--and the latter range from motorcycle gangs to the academic left. To this mix Klavan brings a strong sense of story, standard pot-boiler techniques, and a powerful narrative voice. Anyone who likes thrillers should eat this up. The rest of us can watch in fascination.
August 31, 2011
Decent "gumshoe" tale...the 2nd in the series of the Weiss and Bishop novels...Weiss the hardboiled former cop and Bishop the former spec op soldier and biker...interesting interjection by author with his experiences in an agency following college grad (I assume them to be based in reality)...initially attracted to this series by Klavan's political work on "Pajama Media"...I'll get to the other 2!!!
March 25, 2016
Oh, this was fun. Great characters, exciting action. No complaints at all. I need to find more from this author.
December 10, 2022
The author spoke in a first-person narrative, just as in the first book of the series, Dynamite Road. Jim Bishop, an associate of Scott Weiss’s detective agency, was given the case of a politician's daughter who was into bikers, booze, sex, crank, and guns. She is involved with the leader of a biker gang, Cobra, known as The Outriders. The father, a U.S. Senator wanted her found and returned before she destroyed herself and ruined his career. A related case is a feminist professor, M.L. Brinks who is being sexually harassed via email. This leads us to the introspection of Bishop’s boss, Scott Weiss who is haunted by a prior case, Julie Wyant who was being harassed and followed by a man named Ben Fry from Dynamite Road. The telling of the story is complex, poetic, dark, and very compelling as it draws you in. The competition between Bishop and Cobra was thrilling and desperate. The girl, Honey was the impetus of the competition. It’s an excellent story, raw and vicious. I haven’t listened to the first book of the series, Dynamite Road, but from recollections, action, and excitement of this second book, I’ll have to go back to get it, to listen to it.
July 22, 2024
Masterful story written in 3 voices, but in the style of Quentin Tarantino movie
. The theme tieing the 3 story tellers together (other than their agency case work [M R ,,, ] ) , is their women although the McNair women a hard read. Since this is the 2nd book in the series i kept wondering if chapter 15 (ketchum is black ?) was really necessary.
The murder that almost wasn't found out and the one that might have happened were what kept the story going towards a more logical conclusion. Weiss's relations with ketchum bishop etc make him a hard read ... yes how my 1's interact add up to your 0's who knew. Obsession seems to be the root of all evil with-in this story.
. The theme tieing the 3 story tellers together (other than their agency case work [M R ,,, ] ) , is their women although the McNair women a hard read. Since this is the 2nd book in the series i kept wondering if chapter 15 (ketchum is black ?) was really necessary. The murder that almost wasn't found out and the one that might have happened were what kept the story going towards a more logical conclusion. Weiss's relations with ketchum bishop etc make him a hard read ... yes how my 1's interact add up to your 0's who knew. Obsession seems to be the root of all evil with-in this story.
March 9, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed Dynamite Road, but the sequel is somehow better. You get a feel for Weiss and Bishop and the unnamed narrator ("Andrew Klavan") in the first book, but they become more defined. The writing continues to pull the reader in and behave more like a dialogue so that when you reach the end of the book you know exactly where Weiss is headed. My favorite scene is where the narrator perfectly describes the pretentious English graduate students of Berkely. I can't wait to get to the last book and finish the series.
March 10, 2022
Man, not only is this the darkest book I have read this year, this is the darkest book I have read in a while. Not to diss this show, but it makes sons of anarchy look like it was on Nickelodeon. But I still really liked it a lot. The last 100 pages move at lightning speed and the author does a great job with realistic dialogue and is great at writing action scenes. A pretty great book.
August 9, 2017
An excellent thriller in almost every way. Klavan's writing is terrific as usual. Three stars because it became boring at parts with unnecessary added commentary, and the end was rather disappointing.
August 31, 2017
Way too artsy-fartsy for my tastes. Lots of introspection that really didn't go anywhere.
January 7, 2020
Terrible writing, clunky and childish. Plus the writer is a misogynist, anti-feminist and it comes across quite strongly in how he writes about women.
Red flags guys, avoid this novelists books.
Red flags guys, avoid this novelists books.
September 1, 2022
Read in 2007. The plot develops well, regularly ratcheting up the tension.
October 18, 2022
really good
November 5, 2022
A joy ride, with the pedal to the metal.....
June 22, 2023
I like Andrew Klavan as a writer but this series just isn’t my cup of tea.
March 22, 2024
Good, not great. Excellent pacing. Well written.
January 4, 2011
Growing up on a farm meant I often had summer jobs others might consider unenviable. Mucking out stalls. Weed-wacking endless feet of fencerow. Clearing the poison oak from the front field. Not everything was drudgery. Such occupations did instill in me a desire to excel in higher education so I could avoid them at all costs in the future. Also, sometimes I got to drive The Toyota, an ancient, stripped-down pickup with an odometer seeking its furthermost limits. I remember the foreman teaching me how to work the manual transmission. For long stretches, I'd growl The Toyota along in first gear, working up the nerve to shift, and when I finally stomped on the clutch and yanked back the stick -- wham! -- it would leap forward like a pitbull straining at its chain. That sense of sudden, surging speed came back to me when reading Andrew Klavan's Shotgun Alley, the sequel to his somewhat uneven Dynamite Road.
By all accounts, the new case should've made Scott Weiss smile. Of late, Weiss Investigations had been saddled with unpleasant, penny-ante stuff, including that business with the Women's Studies scholar at Berkeley. Yes, a case was a case, and Weiss felt badly that professor Brinks had a harasser who was sending her obscene emails. But low-profile conundrums didn't bring in the bucks. Then Philip Graham called, a wealthy political candidate with one eye on a Senate seat and the other on a personal problem -- his daughter Beverly. Not content to stay home and out of trouble, Beverly has dubbed herself Honey and hooked up with a nasty biker called Cobra who has a penchant for philosophizing and armed robbery. Graham wants Beverly back home, and Weiss knows that it means more business if he can pull it off. There's the rub. Weiss has his best operative, Bishop, on the case, a man as rough and tumble as they come. But Honey is hardly powerless herself, and as soon as she sees Bishop, she sets on sinking her claws into him.
The reason why Dynamite Road felt a bit off to me was Klavan's penchant for popping out of Serious Thriller Mode and into Over-The-Top Romantic Action (both of the lovelorn and simply adventuresome varieties). It felt like an odd combination, a strange mix of realism and the fantastic. Fortunately, Shotgun Alley more than solves the problem by scaling back the verisimilitude and opening up the novel's action for even more outlandish stunts. This might sound like a left-handed compliment. It isn't. Flat characters and foregone conclusions might be writerly sins in literary fiction, but not in fables, which is exactly what Shotgun Alley is, a Brothers Grimm tale for the hardboiled set. In between the motorcycle chases and fisticuffs, Klavan delves into deep themes like academic intimidation, literary theory, the composition of the human soul and radical feminism. He also deals a lot with sex. Sex and love, sex and psychological manipulation, sex and the secret longings of the heart -- all consume quite a bit of the page count, albeit in a typically not-quite-explicit form. It's encouraging when an author revs up his game during a second installment, and Shotgun Alley kicks the pluses of its predecessor into high gear.
By all accounts, the new case should've made Scott Weiss smile. Of late, Weiss Investigations had been saddled with unpleasant, penny-ante stuff, including that business with the Women's Studies scholar at Berkeley. Yes, a case was a case, and Weiss felt badly that professor Brinks had a harasser who was sending her obscene emails. But low-profile conundrums didn't bring in the bucks. Then Philip Graham called, a wealthy political candidate with one eye on a Senate seat and the other on a personal problem -- his daughter Beverly. Not content to stay home and out of trouble, Beverly has dubbed herself Honey and hooked up with a nasty biker called Cobra who has a penchant for philosophizing and armed robbery. Graham wants Beverly back home, and Weiss knows that it means more business if he can pull it off. There's the rub. Weiss has his best operative, Bishop, on the case, a man as rough and tumble as they come. But Honey is hardly powerless herself, and as soon as she sees Bishop, she sets on sinking her claws into him.
The reason why Dynamite Road felt a bit off to me was Klavan's penchant for popping out of Serious Thriller Mode and into Over-The-Top Romantic Action (both of the lovelorn and simply adventuresome varieties). It felt like an odd combination, a strange mix of realism and the fantastic. Fortunately, Shotgun Alley more than solves the problem by scaling back the verisimilitude and opening up the novel's action for even more outlandish stunts. This might sound like a left-handed compliment. It isn't. Flat characters and foregone conclusions might be writerly sins in literary fiction, but not in fables, which is exactly what Shotgun Alley is, a Brothers Grimm tale for the hardboiled set. In between the motorcycle chases and fisticuffs, Klavan delves into deep themes like academic intimidation, literary theory, the composition of the human soul and radical feminism. He also deals a lot with sex. Sex and love, sex and psychological manipulation, sex and the secret longings of the heart -- all consume quite a bit of the page count, albeit in a typically not-quite-explicit form. It's encouraging when an author revs up his game during a second installment, and Shotgun Alley kicks the pluses of its predecessor into high gear.
February 3, 2010
Shotgun Alley (Weiss & Bishop #2) by Andrew Klavan (Forge 2004) (Fiction – Mystery). I predict that there won't be many more “Weiss & Bishop” novels. The author seems to have slathered on every cliché from the genre of dangerous detective novels in drafting these poorly-drawn protagonists. Even the Goodreads review is poorly done. A very short synopsis is “Gorgeous daughter of aspiring politician takes up with an evil and dangerous biker, and politician hires Weiss and Bishop to free her.” For instance, the Goodreads review refers to the beautiful daughter as “...having a hell-bent soul” and “...hotter than the hinges of hell.” Any author should be ashamed, for Pete's sake. My rating: 3/10, finished 2006.
January 14, 2013
See the goodreads review by Kendall dated May 10, 2009. He gets it, and he got it right.
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January 22, 2016You can't beat a cheesy private investigator novel about an outlaw biker gang with some gratuitous sex thrown in. Gotta love it!
January 29, 2016
Liked it a lot, better the other Klavans (but i have only read two others)
February 21, 2016
Fast, fun crime who-dun-it, with some wise commentary on the human condition - I thought.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews