Dead Aim

Hap and Leonard #8.6

by Joe R. Lansdale, Phil Gigante (Narrator)

Dead Aim marks the always welcome return of Joe R. Lansdale's most enduring fictional creations: Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The story begins simply enough when the two agree to provide protection for a woman harassed by her violent, soon-to-be-ex husband. But, when a protracted stakeout ends in a lethal shooting and a pair of moldering corpses turn up in an otherwise deserted trailer, the nature of this "routine" assignment changes dramatically. The ensuing investigation unearths a complex web of lies, duplicity, and hidden agendas that leads from an upscale Texas law firm to the world of organized crime, culminating in the kind of explosive, anything-can-happen confrontation that only Joe Lansdale could create.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook, Thriller, Humor, Noir

Audio CD

First published January 31, 2012

About the author

Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.

He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.

Reviews

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Too many guns is not like too many guitars." - Hap Collins

3.75⭐

I needed a break from reading two massive hard sci-fi books (Endymion and Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons in case you're interested) and was looking for something fast-moving, fun and action packed. Step forward Mr Joe R Lansdale with his downright brilliant Hap and Leonard series. I know, I know...you're sick of hearing me go on about it. Well it's the number one love in my life...apart from my daughter (almost forgot)...so tough luck sunshine!

Seriously, I've not read a bad Lansdale story yet and that goes double for this series. Any time that guys pen touches paper he's writing solid gold. After reading the last novella, Hyenas, I couldn't wait to get my filthy paws all over this. It's my tenth Hap/Leonard book and my obsession is only getting stronger. Surely this one would be another barn storming success.

And just in case you were wondering who the hell Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are then I'm bitterly disappointed in you. But just so you know they are the best crime fighting duo since Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. I'd probably put them slightly above those wannabes. They are two of my best buddies after all.

"It's our way. It's not a good way, but it's the honourable way."

"And it's just about all we got."

"Our honour?"

"No. Our Way."

The Story

With this being a shorter entry, I was expecting a much simpler case than what I was used to. The story begins when friend and ex-cop Marv Hanlon hires the duo to protect an acquaintance of his, Sharon Devon, from her massive and potentially violent husband who can't quite get to grips with their pending divorce. It all looks like a piece of cake (or vanilla cookie in Leonard's case) or so it seems. With trouble never far round the corner things never go as simple as expected for East Texas' finest.

It doesn't take long for the bodies to start piling up, with more twists and back-stabbing that you can shake a big stick at. The situation certainly runs deeper than a man who can't handle breaking up and with the Dixie mafia lurking in the background it's not long before the brown stuff hits that fan. Didn't I say that this case looked simple? Shows what I know!



The Writing

I've said before that Lansdale's style looks simple on the surface but dig deeper and it's anything but. The prose are razor sharp, really gripping, without a word wasted. It's constantly engaging. And with a story as short as this one his pacing and rapid fire action suits in perfectly, packing a lot of action into a small narrative. Don't worry, there's a lot of twists and turns that keep it interesting.

As always, the dialogue is incredible. Joe has an ear for dialogue that few can emulate. I know guys that have the same sense of humour as Hap and Leonard and the conversation is almost the same. Only not quite as funny. We don't quite have Lansdale's brilliant sense of humour. It helps create a unique atmosphere that can have incredibly dark stuff taking place but still keep things upbeat and fun. That's testament to how good this author is.

'I looked at Leonard, said, "Is any of this making any sense?"

"Not to me," he said. "But I'm still trying to figure out the ending to the Sopranos."


Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, Dead Aim is a quick ride. But boy does it pack a punch. Hopefully a bit like this review. Although I don't profess to have the talent of Champion' Joe.

In comparison to the last novella, Hyenas, I don't think this one was quite as good as that one had a few more things going on. It certainly feels slighter than the best novels in the series (Two Bear Mambo is still the top dog for me). But as always there was maximum entertainment without feeling rushed.

Is it a must read? Most certainly not. You could easily skip it and not miss out on anything significant. Is ita worthwhile read? Without a shadow of a doubt. Top draw entertainment and perfect to give you a break between more demanding books. A bit of light relief. Hopefully, like this review.

Thanks for reading and...cheers!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When their friend Marvin Hanson offers them a job, Hap, Leonard, and an axe handle Hap named Agnes find themselves putting the fear of God into a woman's abusive ex-husband. The ex winds up dead with Hap in the wrong place at the wrong time when the cops show up. Can Hap and Leonard clear their names and figure out who killed the ex-husband?

Here we are, another installment in Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series. For those of you who don't know, Hap and Leonard are like Spenser and Hawk, if they lived in Texas, didn't have any money, and Hawk was openly gay. In this particular installment, Hap and Leonard find themselves caught up in a scam involving gambling debts, insurance money, the Dixie Mafia, and people lying their asses off.

Hap and Leonard are in fine form. As usual with a Hap and Leonard book, I found myself laughing and wanting to read lines out loud. It's a little light on action until the end but it's a very quick read and the web of lies actually seemed pretty believable.

But it's not all bacon and avocado sandwiches. First off all, the story is only about 100 pages long. After Devil Red, Hyenas, and this one, I'd really like another Hap and Leonard that's over 275 pages at some point. My other gripe is the cover art. In and of itself, it's good art by Glen Orbik. However, the characters are about 20 years too young and look like the stars of a CW network show, not the grizzled tough guys depicted in the novel. Hap's talking about being old enough to be a grandfather in the book but the guy meant to be Hap on the cover looks about 25.

I'm giving this four stars since it was hilarious but I'm putting a frowny face next to the four since it's so short.

[Berengaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

short review for busy readers:
Another good Hap & Leonard novella extra in which our boys take on a job protecting a woman from her stalker ex-husband, only to find out the job’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

in detail:
The only problem with this one is that there’s too much plot for the page count. The rather involved story feels quite cramped and like it would love to stretch out a bit, but finds itself shoved in a cookie jar with the top on.

It’s a good plot, just one that should have been a part of the main series, not an extra.

Two points:

I got excited when I saw my favourite side character in the series – Jim Bob Luke – mentioned as the one who had recommended our boys to the lady with the husband problem. Unfortunately, he never makes an appearance, which was mighty disappointing to this reader.

Also, as other reviewers have pointed out, the cover art on these novellas makes our boys look like young, buff action heroes, or at least gun-toting Hardy Boys, when they’re actually in their mid-50s, more greying than sleek and only get into fights when they have to. (Which seems to be more often than for other men in their mid-50s.)

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two best friends are at it again. Witty, hilarious and kickass!
However...it was over before I had even started.

But now I'm ready for the next one!

[Jonathan Janz · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This review first appeared on my blog http://jonathanjanz.com/. Here's the direct link: http://jonathanjanz.com/2013/06/09/jo...

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love Joe R. Lansdale. If you haven’t been around these parts before, you can check out this blog post for proof.

You might also notice that I said I loved Joe himself (or Hisownself as we like to call him) rather than just saying I love his books. But for me it’s all the same thing.

Let me explain.

I’ve got an addiction—a fever if you will—and no, it’s not for cowbell. It’s this consuming need I have for more of my favorite fictional duo of the past twenty years.

Hap Collins and Leonard Pine.

I really hoped, at one time, that Jeff Bridges would play Hap and Samuel L. Jackson would be Leonard, and though I suppose that’s still possible, because of those actors’ respective ages the films would have to be made out of order. You know, there would be some prequels with different actors and all that stuff. And that would be fine with me if Hollywood went all George Lucas on Hap and Leonard and made Book Four after Book Eight and Book Two before Book One. As long as the movies get made, I’m good.

But back to loving Joe R. Lansdale. My reasons for saying this are because a) he seems like a great guy, b) because he has the coolest voice this side of Ray Winstone, and c) he tends to take care of his fans. See, we’re like Lansdale Junkies, slavering like mindless zombies for our next bite of Joe’s brain, and we’re especially this way with Hap and Leonard. I don’t expect Joe to write three Hap and Leonard books a year (though I certainly wouldn’t complain), but it’s like he senses when I’m starting to get desperate for my next Hap and Leonard story. Then he obliges.

Which brings us to Dead Aim. If you’ve never read Hap and Leonard book before, well, that’s like saying you’ve never heard Samuel L. Jackson’s scary Pulp Fiction speech before or seen Jeff Bridges try to escape a leashed marmot in The Big Lebowksi.

In other words, there are certain things you just have to experience to believe.

Read Dead Aim. It’s vintage Hap and Leonard. I’m a slow reader (often pausing to highlight words or write down notes), but even I did this novella in three sittings. You’ll probably swallow it in one. You’ll love the way Hap and Leonard talk. You’ll love how down-to-earth they are but how heroic they can often be. You’ll laugh out loud (and nope, I’m genetically incapable of turning that into an acronym) at the things they do and say. You’ll be buttocks-tightening nervous when they get themselves into a hairy situation. Most of all, you’ll be totally entertained.

Thanks, Joe, for providing a zombie like me with such a great story. Until the next one, I’ll be moaning and salivating at your front gate.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a real Gordian knot: cross, double-cross, triple-cross, quadruple-cross... and Hap and Leonard right in the middle of it, of course.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have two main gripes regarding Dead Aim, the latest installment of the Hap and Leonard series.

1. Too damn short at 103 pages.

2. The cover. Nice but wrong. Hap and Leonard are slightly under my age but in much better shape. The cover makes them look like Miami Vice wannabees.

As for the actual story, it is pretty good.Typical Lansdale with a sharp wit, snappy dialog, and gritty descriptions. But it feels a little tame for the East Texas odd couple. Not much action and the plot was slightly predictable. It was so short and compacted I wondered if I was reading the Reader Digest version. Don't get me wrong. I really, really enjoyed it. But I guess I expected more from my favorite suspense series by my favorite writer. Three and a half stars.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is copy 43 of 400 signed numbered copies.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and pretty good. Just what I needed after finishing off Geoffrey Ashe's Hazard and Somerset #6: Criminal Past.

[Scott Butki · Rating 4 out of 5]

#75 - The Thicket, Blood and Lemonade, Hyenas and Dead Aim, all by Joe Lansdale. The Thicket is a stand alone novel, which I thought I would try since I really like Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series.

I love a good opening paragraph. This is the one from the book: "I didn't expect the day Grandfather came out and got me and my sister, Lula, and hauled us off toward the ferry that I'd soon end up with worse things happening than had already come upon us or that I'd take up with a gun-shooting dwarf, the son of a slave, and a big angry hog, let alone find true love and kill someone, but that's exactly how it was."

As the novel begins Jack Parker has seen his share of tragedy, from his grandmother killed in a farm accident when he was five and now his parents have died in the smallpox epidemic destroying turn-of-the-century East Texas, leaving he and his younger sister, Lula, as orphans.

Then things get worse for Jack, as a group of bank-robbing bandits kills his grandfather and kidnap his sister. He needs help and he gets some from a bounty-hunting dwarf, a grave digging son of an ex-slave, a street smart woman for hire and, later, one or two other colorful characters.

The New York Times Book Review describes the novel "a rip-roaring adventure equal parts True Grit and Stand by Me."

"The Thicket presents Joe Lansdale at his finest - which is to say, at the high-water mark of all storytelling. Nuanced, compelling, darkly humorous, and remarkably vivid, the Thicket quickly becomes a one-sitting novel, told in a voice that would have called Huck Finn himself in from the river. Lansdale marries story and style in a way most writers never achieve," writes author Michael Koryta. John Connolly, whose books I have been loving lately, writes simply: "Lansdale's name deserves to be whispered with the greats."

I quite liked this. While missing some of the witty dialogue between Hap and Leonard and, as with those books, a lot of violence, the writing style and the plotting are amazing. I give this an 8.5.

I then decided to read one of the Hap and Leonard books, which can be as intense and violent as The Thicket but have more fun and wit in them. In Blood and Lemonade, the 11th book in the series, we learn about how Hap Collins and Leonard Pine first meet, namely in a fight with some racist white high school boys. Hap was a liberal teenage, handing out two-fisted justice, while Leonard was black, gay, and fighting his own battles.

The Hap and Leonard series is always funny, witty, violent with lots of good plot twists and excellent dialogue. This novel is no exception. It most consists of stories of their early years together and some observations from Hap and Leonard on how things have changed, especially in terms of outright racism and hostility toward black folks like Leonard.

It was good but I prefer stories about their current exploits so I give it a 7.

Next I picked up a novella called Hyenas, which is number 8.5 in the series. The story contains the usual profane humor between Hap and Leonard. The story starts with him arriving at a bar where three people were injured. Apparently one of them insulted Leonard and so he hurt them. One of the guys, Kelly, wanted to hire Hap and Leonard to do some tough work. Kelly had gone to the bar to look for some tough guys and after seeing Leonard in action decyided Leonard was the toughest guy around.

Kelly was worried about his younger brother, Donnie, who had fallen in with a bad crowd, including one guy, Smoke Stack, who was involved in an armed robbery and was planning another. Kelly was concerned Smoke Stack would convince Donnie to be the get away driver. Donnie wants Hap and Leonard to get away from that crowd and he will pay $10,000 for their work. The guys think about it and later decide they will do the work.

They learn that the last getaway driver was killed and that may happen to Donnie too. Do they succeed in getting Donnie away from them? You will have to read it to find it. This is an excellent story. I give it an 8.

I next read a novella about the dynamic, violent duo, which is called Dead Aim, the 11th book in the series. This one takes a familiar concept - a woman wants her violent soon-to-be-ex-husband to leave her alone so she hires detectives to help that happen. But, as with many Hap and Leonard stories, there's a twist.

The twist is this: The man may have noticed, or heard, that one of them is staying with his wife and the other was tailing him. Either way, Hap is watching the man when he hears a gunshot so he goes inside and finds the man dead. That's twist #1. Twist #2 comes when Hap is accused of being the killer.

How will they get out of this jam? You just know they will - they have to continue in a series and it does no good if one of them is in the slammer -
but how? It's a great premise and it's well executed. Another good story that I give an 8.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good Hap and Leonard novella, but nothing special. The shortness of the story has a lot to do with that. Anyway, we get the laughs and private eye action that we always get with this series. The story starts off with them taking a job to protect a woman from her husband, who she is trying to leave. It quickly evolves into something more than such a simple job. Good fun as always, and a few references to "Vanilla Ride" are thrown it. Good stuff!

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subterranean Press's second Hap and Leonard novella.

I was late to these guys, only finding them after half a dozen novels. It didn't take long for them to become favorites.

In DEAD AIM, our two heroes get asked to help out a woman who's soon to be ex-husband was harassing her. One guy she'd dated had gotten beat up, a couple of ribs cracked. He'd refused to press charges, claiming to have fallen down stairs. She didn't want her husband hurt, just "discouraged" from bothering her.

The whole thing seemed goofy to hap and Leonard, especially when they learned her lawyer was her first husband. They split assignments with Leonard staying at the home and Hap tailing the guy.

Jeez he was big Hap thought when he first spotted him.

Hap was on stakeout outside the man's home when he hears a gunshot come from the house. Almost unwillingly, he sneaks down to the house armed with a pistol and an ax handle, slips into the open back door and finds the man shot in the back of the head, leaning like he was looking out the window up at where Hap was parked. While on his cell letting Leonard know the latest developments, the cops come piling into the place.

Though not at all hard to convince the cops he had nothing to do with it, wrong caliber gun for one thing, it did take up hours of their time.

Their next step wasn't any help either. Checking out the beat-up guy that had dated their employer turned up two dead bodies, the man and his girl friend, both dead longer than the first body that had turned up.

The simple protection job had suddenly turned into something much more complex. As often happens with Hap and Leonard.

A nice, tight little tale from Joe Lansdale.

[Taksya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terzo racconto inserito nell'antologia Una coppia perfetta, Dead Aim si posiziona subito dopo il racconto Hyenas, tra Devil Red e Honky Tonk Samurai.
Anche in questo caso la trama è la solita... incastrati dal solito cliente inaffidabile, si trasformano in vendicatori poco mascherati.
Il ritmo non cala, essendo un racconto si perde poco in chiacchiere, e i personaggi sono tutti sul pezzo.
Ottimo finale per la tripletta di racconti.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, since I read it on my Kindle and it only cost me $3.99, I didn't let the ridonculous cover get to me. And I am sad that the last two Hap & Leonard adventures have only been novellas. With that being said, I loved this story. I think my love for this pair of good-intentioned (well, um...) justice dealers might have biased me slightly. Okay, a lot. But they are so much fun to hang out with that whether it's for several hundred pages or just 104, I can't say it wasn't a good time. I guffawed once with a mouthful of spit and had to dry off my phone (that I was reading on because my Kindle Fire died and I wasn't going to wait patiently while it charged) and it's still drying with the battery removed. I think that's pretty high marks. ;)

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Aim is a short Hap and Leonard story with our heroes once again getting involved with something they ought to have left alone. They're working for Marvin at this point and get sent out to protect a woman from her thuggish ex-husband. Of course, nothing is quite what it seems and the violence and lies spiral up and up until Hap and Leonard are just trying to keep their footing.

Lots of fun; great for fans of the series. Newcomers might be more than a little lost.

[Paul Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid novella featuring the dynamic redneck duo. The problem with these novellas, though, is the lack of banter and odd characters moments that define the series. Thankfully Lansdale is going back to the full novel format for the next one.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short Hap and Leonard book, but not bad. Not as crazy as I've come to expect from a Hap and Leonard book, but then not every case they take can go all weird and crazy, right? The guys are hired to protect a woman from her ex-husband. Things get complicated...

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series. In this noir-like novella the guys are hired to protect a woman from her husband, only to be caught up in murders involving the Dixie Mafia. Highly recommended.

[Sherry Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 2 favorite Southern boys, Hap and Leonard. Short, worth it, though. Audiobook. Props to the narrator.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine fast read.

Read this and his other Hap & Leonard novella (Hyenas) the same day (both released around the same time too. Same great duo; typical Champion Joe storytelling: quick with wit and and peppered with Lansdale trademark turn of phrase.

Not as funny as Hyenas but dont let that dissuade you, this was a humdinger of a mission for our intrepid amateur detectives? body guards? good ol boys? However you describe them you know you love them.

Further dealing with Hap's internal struggles with the amount of death that he has caused... especially coming from a conscientious objector as himself. Leonard single handed fighting for gay rights, people's rights... and the right to eat all the Vanilla cookies one wishes.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying return for Hap and Leonard, who are hired to protect a woman from her violent ex and once again immediately get in way over their heads. I just wish it had been longer - at a slim 100 pages, Lansdale keeps things moving, but there was less time for the funny hang-out moments he's so good at.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like Hyenas, Dead Aim was another good Hap and Leonard story. I'm digging the novellas about this dynamic duo. Again, it's not a complicated read, but if you like stories you can read in a day or two, it's a good one. Hap and Leonard aren't for everyone, and probably not for a lot of women, but they suit me just fine.

[Bill_earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of the Lansdale books I've read. They tend towards the unreal and crazy. But if you've spent time in the Southwest then you will surely recognise the craziness. I'll not say more, just suggest that for a good, entertaining read, pick this up and follow it with more of his books.

[Tim Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hap and Leonard take on a job protecting a woman from her soon-to-be-ex. But as usual things are not all what they seem and the boys end up with a few corpses and Hap gets questioned by the police again. Lansdale let's the boys show some growth in their abilities as sleuths rather than relying solely on Marvin Hansen for the solution. And they don't make as many mistakes as usual...though still more than a few. But they remain endearing and compelling protagonists. This is a novella and the story here is pretty slight. But that's okay. I love that Lansdale likes to work at varying lengths and if doing that with Hap and Leonard means we also get other short works from him so much the better. This one isn't great Hap & Leoanrd. But it's good and worth the short commitment.

But oh my...that cover. What were they thinking? I don't know who those two pretty boys are, but they're at least two decades too young to be Hap & Leonard.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still reading Lansdale's Hap and Leonard novellas. This one, Dead Aim, well written. And, as a budding writer I would like to study Lansdale's techniques in making a compelling and funny story, developing it and bringing it around to a satisfying ending all in the span of 88 pages.

[Rusty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think my of this book. Lansdale coasted on this one. Predictable plot, no real character development. I hope the next book in the series is better.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A one-off novella, with a predictable plot. If it had been anybody but Hap and Leonard, I wouldn't have cared. But it was them so this was fun.

[Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short read

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Notthatjc · Rating 4 out of 5]

whole it didn't bring anything new to the table, dead Aim felt like meeting up with old friends Hap and Leonard to catch up on old happenings