Yellow Dog Party

Thomas Black #6

by Earl Emerson

Thomas Black is back in a bizarre new case that begins as a practical joke. Four businessmen hire him to track down the women of their dreams. Each man has harbored an unrequited crush for year, and Black must find the women and arrange dates. But when murder enters the picture, it is no joke, and Black finds himself in the midst of a plot that is deadly serious.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective

256 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Earl Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of Vertical Burn, as well as the Thomas Black detective series. He lives in North Bend, Washington.

Reviews

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I figured out who done it, the action and the characters saved the book from a three star rating. Thomas gets the kind of scare which usually means PTSD for life, and he must rescue some very winsome damsels or die trying, and you are with him every step of the way.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but over complicated. A murder mystery in the theme of “old secret threatens someone who decides to start killing people.” Abetted by a corrupt cop. The overcomplication is the overlapping violent domestic abuse/custody case involving a woman who may be a threat. There are just too many domestic entanglements (including Black’s) and the details about the dating game are too . . .detailed. Plus no lawyer (Black’s girlfriend) would ever set up such a deal: too weird.

[Bill Yarbrough · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5 out of 10 stars. I thought the ending was cool. Multiple plot lines had me guessing different scenarios. A lot of characters. I am reading this entire series in order, which is what I prefer.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't like how the book began. It throws you into things, crazy stuff happens, and you are really really lost for about 15 pages. I got the book used, and checked to make sure that pages hadn't been ripped out. That's how abrupt the beginning is. If you can get past that, the book is actually a good read. It takes place in Seattle, which is a instant star bonus for me:) There's a bit of a romance for the main character, which is another star bonus, and the mystery is a good one, which is the rest of the stars. Want the plot? Okay. The private investigator is hired by 4 guys to find their long lost dream crushes, like a centerfold from a Playboy, or someone they passed on the street, but as he looks for these women, he finds that their life is in danger, and his is as well. There are enough twist and turns, and a bit of humor to make this an interesting read, just be prepared to say "huh?" a lot in the beginning. I would like to give this 3.5, but I erred on the side of generosity, and gave it a 4.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

YELLOW DOG PARTY - VG
Emerson, Earl - 6th in series

No self-respecting P.I. would ever touch it: four successful businessmen want Thomas Black to track down the four women they've had secret crushes on for years and set up "dream dates" with them. Naturally, Black makes no bones about telling the buttoned-down lotharios he thinks the case is a dog. But he's persuaded by his partner, Kathy, to swallow his pride and pick up the scent.

Then the trail of one of the so-called dreamgirls leads to a very real woman who's been battered into a coma, and what began as a lark quickly becomes an albatross around Black's neck. But it takes a brutal double murder, and the disappearance of another dream girl, to make Thomas Black realize he was right in the first place. The case is a dog...and it has a bite that kills.

Very enjoyable

[Wanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a little confusing at the beginning. You feel like you were dropped into the middle of something and don't really know what's going on. But it does get better.
Thomas Black is asked to find 4 women who are the dream girls of 4 high school buddies. He suspects that something isn't right and is proven true. He and is friend and lawyer buddy Kathy go about finding the women and setting up the dates but have lots of problems along the way. Their lives are threatened and Thomas barely survives being lynched. One if the dream girls is in hiding and Thomas takes in her children. Several murders occur and Thomas is having a problem with Kathy getting serious with her boyfriend who he doesn't like.
In the end everything gets connected and some things get worked out for the better and some don't.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local author (fireman!), local setting, dead bodies, private investigating, is someone conning the PI? What's not to like?

I enjoy the local setting and visualizing the events, and this one is of the Thomas Black series...Thomas, ex-Seattle PD, his renter and cohort in crime Kathy, the attorney who shares his house and office space, her sig other, Phillip, the F-man....4 guys hiring Thomas to find the dream women of their past, poor Thomas getting beat up in the process.....

Hey, there's even a dog in the story line and book title....

[DRobb]

Smart-mouthed private eye Thomas Black is almost hanged as the story begins. he then takes the bizarre case of finding female companions for four characters. Has several plot twists.
Pivotal scene takes place near the Hollywood sign. Seems PI stories always need entire last chapter to explain the unraveling of the "mystery."

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#6 in the Thomas Black series.

Thomas Black is hired by 4 businessmen to track down their "dream Women" and arrange for a chaperoned date. As Black tracks an ex-nude model, cheerleader, fundraiser and stadium season ticket holder, there are killings and it appears that someone has a hidden agenda for finding one of the women. Tom tells Kathy he doesn't want her to marry Philip.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good P.I. mystery story. This book reads like a shamus novel from the 40's or 50's, which is a decided bonus in my book. Thomas Black is a series character that I look forward to reading again. Recommended to mystery fans.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. One of his earlier Thomas Black books. Others are better.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a little hard to get into but liked the local settings and the two main characters.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not his best.

[Karen Hardy]

Love it. I have most of the others in the series and find it funny and light reading.

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great entry in the Thomas Black series.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dated with offensive language about gays, etc.