What do you think?
Rate this book
Dave Brandstetter #6
Gravedigger
Hardened death-claim investigator Dave Brandstetter searches for Charles Westover, who, although desperate for money, disappeared before collecting an insurance claim on the death of his runaway daughter who may have been murdered by a desert guru
183 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
7 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Hansen
133 books157 followersJoseph Hansen (1923–2004) was an American author of mysteries. The son of a South Dakota shoemaker, he moved to a California citrus farm with his family in 1936. He began publishing poetry in the New Yorker in the 1950s, and joined the editorial teams of gay magazines ONE and Tangents in the 1960s. Using the pseudonyms Rose Brock and James Colton, Hansen published five novels and a collection of short stories before the appearance of Fadeout (1970), the first novel published under his own name.
The book introduced street-smart insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, a complex, openly gay hero who grew and changed over the series’s twelve novels. By the time Hansen concluded the series with A Country of Old Men (1990), Brandstetter was older, melancholy, and ready for retirement. The 1992 recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Hansen published several more novels before his death in 2004.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
The book introduced street-smart insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, a complex, openly gay hero who grew and changed over the series’s twelve novels. By the time Hansen concluded the series with A Country of Old Men (1990), Brandstetter was older, melancholy, and ready for retirement. The 1992 recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Hansen published several more novels before his death in 2004.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 18, 2019
This sixth book in the Dave Brandstetter series is the best yet.
The gay milieu and Southern California atmosphere is superb as usual, but this time, instead hiding the solution of his mystery underneath a myriad of red herrings, Hansen constructs a denouement at once so surprising and so persuasive that the reader--this reader at least--is thoroughly satisfied.
May 10, 2015
The more I read of Hansen, the happier I get with him. I love his style, he comes in tells you a story and bows out, no frills but a whammer of a punch. This series keeps getting better for me as I read on either because it really does or because I need my Hansen fix from time to time and I end up with serious cravings.
Whilst telling this story Hansen parallels it with what’s happening in Dave’s personal life, like seeing your future in your neighbour’s story or vice versa. I got so interested in all this stuff that when the end came I was totally surprised, did not expect that ending, appreciate that Mr Hansen your smokescreen worked with me.
In some of the books I read, gay men going with other men whilst married to a woman are presented as this being in a way OK, almost acceptable. I cringe at this type of presentation, as being loyal, true to your word, is not conditioned by gender, it’s what makes you a man or woman of worth in my opinion, not your tragic story, alphaness, beauty, money or snark. So when a story presents this as ok then I tend to loose respect for the protagonist. I’m not saying that I do not read books were people are unfaithful, what I am saying is that I do not like it when such infidelity is presented as acceptable. So this book was a breath of fresh air for me. Betrayal is unethical in any which form. So Dave remains on my like list. I wanted to hug the book (my precious kindle really) whilst reading this part.
After finishing this I see that my craving is not satisfied. I need more Hansen, partly because I definitely need to know more, can’t leave the story here and partly because I love the writing.
Loved reading this with my Bogey companion Rosa - thanks as always
May 15, 2013
First published in 1982, this is the sixth entry in Joseph Hansen's series featuring Dave Brandstetter, the first openly gay detective to inhabit the world originally occupied by Philip Marlowe and other such giants of the P.I. genre.
Dave is now working for the Banner Insurance Company. A young woman named Serenity Westover has been missing for a couple of years, after falling under the spell of a nutcase named Azrael, who is something of a mash-up of Jim Jones and Charles Manson. The cops have invaded the ranch occupied by Azrael and his followers, and they have discovered the graves of several young women, one of whom may be Serenity.
Serenity's life had been insured by Banner and her father, Charles Westover, a disbarred lawyer, files a death claim. But when Dave attempts to interview her father, Westover is nowhere to be found. His house is empty and apparently hasn't been occupied for at least a couple of weeks.
Naturally, Dave is not going to sign off on the claim unless and until he can interview Westover and ensure that Serenity is, in fact, dead. But Dave's effort to discover the missing father leads him deeper and deeper into a world of old secrets that a lot of people would rather not see exhumed, and before long, he finds himself in serious trouble. At the same time, he's settling into a new relationship with a much younger man, and that is causing him problems as well.
This is a very entertaining book from a day and age when P.I. genre novels were still relatively short and tightly focused. Brandstetter is a character unique in the annals of crime fiction, especially for the early 1980s, and this is a book that should appeal to anyone interested in the evolution of this genre.
Dave is now working for the Banner Insurance Company. A young woman named Serenity Westover has been missing for a couple of years, after falling under the spell of a nutcase named Azrael, who is something of a mash-up of Jim Jones and Charles Manson. The cops have invaded the ranch occupied by Azrael and his followers, and they have discovered the graves of several young women, one of whom may be Serenity.
Serenity's life had been insured by Banner and her father, Charles Westover, a disbarred lawyer, files a death claim. But when Dave attempts to interview her father, Westover is nowhere to be found. His house is empty and apparently hasn't been occupied for at least a couple of weeks.
Naturally, Dave is not going to sign off on the claim unless and until he can interview Westover and ensure that Serenity is, in fact, dead. But Dave's effort to discover the missing father leads him deeper and deeper into a world of old secrets that a lot of people would rather not see exhumed, and before long, he finds himself in serious trouble. At the same time, he's settling into a new relationship with a much younger man, and that is causing him problems as well.
This is a very entertaining book from a day and age when P.I. genre novels were still relatively short and tightly focused. Brandstetter is a character unique in the annals of crime fiction, especially for the early 1980s, and this is a book that should appeal to anyone interested in the evolution of this genre.
May 9, 2015
Motherfucking cliffhangers. AUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!
BR with Sofia.
But I get to be Bogie. Them's the rules.
December 22, 2024
'Gravedigger' is a solid PI novel from the 80s with the twist that the detective is openly (and happily) gay. It's the 6th book in the Dave Brandstetter series (there are 12 in total, the first published in 1970, the last in 1991) and I suspect when they first came out that twist was a much bigger deal than it is today. Despite that advances we've made since then, it's still refreshing to see a LGBTQIA+ lead character in a crime novel whose sexuality is almost incidental to the rest of the book.
The mystery itself is engaging and entertaining, with Dave investigating an insurance claim from a father who believes his daughter was murdered by a cult leader. It has a great early 80s California vibe, just the right number of twists and turns, and comes in at a perfect mystery novel length of just under 200 pages.
The mystery itself is engaging and entertaining, with Dave investigating an insurance claim from a father who believes his daughter was murdered by a cult leader. It has a great early 80s California vibe, just the right number of twists and turns, and comes in at a perfect mystery novel length of just under 200 pages.
January 28, 2015
4,5 stars.
Gravedigger is the sixth book in the Dave Brandstetter series and I think I can talk about a common schema of the Dave Brandsttetter mystery:
*At the beginning our insurance investigator appears at the door/porch of a person who filed an insurance claim.
* Something doesn't fit, it is why his insurance company is nervous, and it is why the best man has to clear the situation. He asks questions. He lets his clients know that something in this death case wasn't quite kosher.
* He investigates on his own. Mostly it is a careful analytic work- that still keeps you on the edge of your seat- and ends almost always in a breath-taking actions that convinces the theory about a secret army of guardian angels on Dave's side.
* He narrowly escapes death, but the difficult case is solved.
* A private life? It remains blurred in the background.
Gravedigger was not much different comparing to a commonly flow of the mystery, but it was different in regard to a private life of Dave Brandstetter. He is in love! O lala!
And this private part of his life is not just on the periphery of the plot, it is an essential part of it! I would even say, that there are two parallel stories to follow- the first one is his job, the second one – his private situation.
One more difference to the previous sequels- the ending.
Yes, it was, as always, full of thrilling scenes at the end.
But I had suddenly more unanswered questions as normally.
Not a lot, but nevertheless. No, I won't name it a cliffhanger, but it was something that will force me read the next sequel ASAP.
The writing? It's s Hansen. Period.
February 18, 2024
This series is so odd. I haven't enjoyed most of the books on an individual level, but I can't stop reading them. The prose is no-nonsense, almost cold; the endings almost always shockingly abrupt (here particularly so); and the setting is perhaps the most compelling thing -- L.A. and environs in the '70s and '80s.
In this one, a Manson-like serial killer is on the loose, but this character and plotline actually barely figures, more of the novel being taken up by death claims investigator Dave's widowed step-mother's shitty finance, who is trying to sabotage Dave's relationship with his his lover, Cecil, and seduce Dave. (Sure.) Domestic drama with insurance fraud and incidental serial killer. I read it so fast.
In this one, a Manson-like serial killer is on the loose, but this character and plotline actually barely figures, more of the novel being taken up by death claims investigator Dave's widowed step-mother's shitty finance, who is trying to sabotage Dave's relationship with his his lover, Cecil, and seduce Dave. (Sure.) Domestic drama with insurance fraud and incidental serial killer. I read it so fast.
October 6, 2019
Overall, an enjoyable installment in the series. There's what feels like a bit more time dedicated to Dave's personal life than there has been in previous books, which might be a plus or a minus. I think I'd have to reread them closer together to say for sure. Dave's brain seems a bit checked out on this one, concussion or not, and the ending... seriously?
November 15, 2010
I feel a little bit like a broken record with Hansen. I've grown to love his style, the descriptiveness, the sound of his prose. Most of it I do read semi-aloud (I whisper), unlike a lot of other stuff I read lately. It takes more time: it's worth taking time over.
I love the way Brandstetter has a life, has family, has people that we care about. I love that Doug doesn't slip right into obscurity because they've broken up: he is there, in the background. I love that the relationships Dave forms -- Cecil, Salazer -- carry through to other books.
Not so fond of the way that all Dave's cases are somehow to do with gay men. On the flipside, glad of the way that he is competent, no matter what he has to deal with, whether it be a crime of passion or a serial-killing cultist madman.
One thing I like -- that others might not -- is that the emotional plot never gets so intense and dramatic that I don't want to read on. When I'm so attached to a character, I get reluctant to keep reading because I don't want anything bad to happen. I like Dave, I sympathise with him, I enjoy his quiet strength. There are moments of high intensity, yeah, but he's wiser than to live his whole life at fever pitch. I really like that.
I love the way Brandstetter has a life, has family, has people that we care about. I love that Doug doesn't slip right into obscurity because they've broken up: he is there, in the background. I love that the relationships Dave forms -- Cecil, Salazer -- carry through to other books.
Not so fond of the way that all Dave's cases are somehow to do with gay men. On the flipside, glad of the way that he is competent, no matter what he has to deal with, whether it be a crime of passion or a serial-killing cultist madman.
One thing I like -- that others might not -- is that the emotional plot never gets so intense and dramatic that I don't want to read on. When I'm so attached to a character, I get reluctant to keep reading because I don't want anything bad to happen. I like Dave, I sympathise with him, I enjoy his quiet strength. There are moments of high intensity, yeah, but he's wiser than to live his whole life at fever pitch. I really like that.
Read
July 9, 2023I like this series and I like the characters, but the episode called *Gravedigger* didn't work for me. The focus was mostly on protagonist Dave Brandstetter's love life and on the love life of his very young widowed stepmother, Amanda. The possible insurance fraud that Brandstetter is investigating (a disbarred lawyer claims his daughter was one of the murdered girls at a crazed guru's encampment) seems to take a back seat. The macabre ending with suddenly introduced, unconvincing characters didn't work for me.
I think the way Hansen works in different aspects of gay life and concerns is interesting, but I suggest you read the books in chronological order to enjoy his his characters' evolution. Don't start with this one.
I think the way Hansen works in different aspects of gay life and concerns is interesting, but I suggest you read the books in chronological order to enjoy his his characters' evolution. Don't start with this one.
February 23, 2017
I am a fan of the Dave Brandstetter series, and this is probably the fourth book in the series I've read. Brandstetter is gay and works as death-clams investigator for an insurance company. The setting for the series is Southern California in the early 1980s. In this book the plot is set into motion when a disbarred lawyer, desperate for money, files a life insurance claim and then vanishes before it is collected. There is a Charles Manson-like aspect to the story. Also, Brandstetter has a young lover who works with him on this case. The plot has some clever twists.
September 12, 2013
Joseph Hansen writes with brevity and beauty. His words paint pictures in the reader's mind yet he is not verbose. His stories are packed with characters and details yet they are compact. Not like mysteries are written today. This book was no exception. The plot was terse and tense. The story held my interest. His MC is strong, smart, a puzzle solver and gay. Not the usual mystery hero of the 70's & 80's . I liked that Doug was not really a part of this book. I like Cecil but doubt he and Dave will have a long term relationship. I hope I am wrong but refuse to peek forward in the series to see. The ending was sudden and filled with questions. Another fantastic story from a wonderful writer.
January 10, 2017
Another outing with insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter. He's a man who investigates death claims, in pursuit of truth, and usually of murder. The series is well written, based in the 1970s and on in the LA area, and the atmosphere, and writing, along with the MC, are part of their appeal.
I've been binge reading this series, so I won't leave a detailed review. But I enjoyed them all, and was pulled along to the end, watching Dave age, and change, and grow, and yet remain essentially the same at heart. Not an emotional series, but by the end, I had fallen hard for Dave Brandstetter.
I've been binge reading this series, so I won't leave a detailed review. But I enjoyed them all, and was pulled along to the end, watching Dave age, and change, and grow, and yet remain essentially the same at heart. Not an emotional series, but by the end, I had fallen hard for Dave Brandstetter.
October 15, 2021
I have thoroughly enjoyed Joseph Hansen’s mystery novels featuring Dave Brandstetter. Each novel seems tighter, more focused and confident. Though earlier LA noir authors (i.e., James Elroy, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Walter Mosely, and others) clearly influenced Hansen, each novel in the Brandstetter series shows his own voice. His dialogue is crisp, and his settings make me feel like I am in the car with Brandstetter as he drives his Triumph or Jaguar across Los Angeles County while investigating suspicious deaths. But, going beyond the typical crime novel, Hansen’s uses his subplots to explore gay love and the challenges of aging.
Gravedigger, the sixth Dave Brandstetter mystery, is as hard to put down as the others in the series. In this novel, Banner Insurance hires independent death claims investigator, Brandstetter, to determine if the young Serenity was indeed one of the six young women found in a mass grave on the property of the cult leader, Azrael.
Long before the grave was discovered in a canyon outside Los Angeles, Serenity had run away from home when her wealthy attorney father, Charles Westover, was convicted of bribing witnesses. After drifting around California and Nevada, Serenity eventually found a home with the charismatic cult leader.
Thinking his daughter to be one of the young, murdered women, Serenity’s father, now out of jail and in debt, files to get her life insurance but suddenly disappears before collecting payment.
Brandstetter’s investigation takes him into wealthy Los Angeles suburbs and difficult to reach canyons deep in the hills surrounding the city. It also takes him deep into humanity’s cruelty and depravity. Yet, in this darkness shines hope as the interracial love relationship deepens between Dave and Cecil, a young man many years Dave’s junior.
Though the novel can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in the order written since some of the characters are recurring ones--in this case, Amanda, the young widow of Dave’s father, and Cecil, a young man Dave finds himself loving more by the day. Furthermore, by reading them in order, readers can better appreciate Hansen’s exploration of the challenges of aging.
Of the six Brandstetter mysteries I have read to date, this is one of my favorites. In Gravedigger, the mystery investigation is front and center, but Hansen makes Dave’s private life just as interesting. In fact, the subplot involving Amanda, her new lover, and Cecil complements and deepens the primary plot line involving Serenity, her father, and Azrael.
An entertaining and recommended book.
Gravedigger, the sixth Dave Brandstetter mystery, is as hard to put down as the others in the series. In this novel, Banner Insurance hires independent death claims investigator, Brandstetter, to determine if the young Serenity was indeed one of the six young women found in a mass grave on the property of the cult leader, Azrael.
Long before the grave was discovered in a canyon outside Los Angeles, Serenity had run away from home when her wealthy attorney father, Charles Westover, was convicted of bribing witnesses. After drifting around California and Nevada, Serenity eventually found a home with the charismatic cult leader.
Thinking his daughter to be one of the young, murdered women, Serenity’s father, now out of jail and in debt, files to get her life insurance but suddenly disappears before collecting payment.
Brandstetter’s investigation takes him into wealthy Los Angeles suburbs and difficult to reach canyons deep in the hills surrounding the city. It also takes him deep into humanity’s cruelty and depravity. Yet, in this darkness shines hope as the interracial love relationship deepens between Dave and Cecil, a young man many years Dave’s junior.
Though the novel can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in the order written since some of the characters are recurring ones--in this case, Amanda, the young widow of Dave’s father, and Cecil, a young man Dave finds himself loving more by the day. Furthermore, by reading them in order, readers can better appreciate Hansen’s exploration of the challenges of aging.
Of the six Brandstetter mysteries I have read to date, this is one of my favorites. In Gravedigger, the mystery investigation is front and center, but Hansen makes Dave’s private life just as interesting. In fact, the subplot involving Amanda, her new lover, and Cecil complements and deepens the primary plot line involving Serenity, her father, and Azrael.
An entertaining and recommended book.
March 23, 2019
Dave Brandstetter is my current favorite hard-boiled detective. Aside from some off-putting jabs at an overweight character, this story and these people are enthralling—story creepy (especially with Azrael hovering in the background) and people wonderfully real. More, please.
October 5, 2021
I could not connect with the main character. Decent mystery plot but two many outside lines that I could not follow.
August 29, 2024
A really enjoyable read. And a positive representation written at a time when there was not a lot of it.
March 23, 2025
I’m not sure if this novel deserves five stars. After tearing through it and reluctantly putting it down I was on a delirious high. After six novels we finally get handed one where Hansen opens the floodgates to Brandstetter’s personal life. Shockingly, it allows us to spend time with Brandstetter outside of his shark-like hunt for answers to his insurance mysteries and advances his life in meaningful ways. If this was the author’s grand plan then it was a sadistic one, but ultimately pays off.
On top of that, the mystery which surrounds the personal details of Brandstetter’s life is incredibly intriguing and captivating. That’s not always the case in some of his previous outings. I was elated with what unfolded, even if my only criticism is that the mystery itself has to take a backseat because Hansen finally decides he’s interested in portraying his protagonist as an actual human being.
I’m befuddled at the fact that relationships play such an important role in Gravedigger: Dave’s budding relationship with Cecil Harris, Amanda’s deceiving relationships with her fiancé Miles, Mile’s devious desire for a relationship with Dave, Dave’s fractious relationship with Amanda, the missing Charles Westover and his ultimately tragic relationship with his friend Don, Serenity’s relationship with the cult leader Azrael. I could actually go on from there, but you get the point. While relationships are always important in these stories, it’s the first time where Dave’s personal relationships take center stage and I couldn’t have been more excited by that prospect.
What’s even better is that most of all these relationships are incredibly strong aspects of the story. Cecil Harris couldn’t be a more fitting match for Brandstetter. I appreciated his presence as it softened the grizzled detective who mostly comes across at his best as steely and calculating and at his worst cold-hearted, unloving, and robotic. Cecil allows Dave to care for more than just finding the answers and serving justice.
The unsung character doing quite a bit of work is Miles Edwards, Amanda’s deceitful fiancé. He manipulates all the key characters, driving wedges between Dave, Cecil, and Amanda in his attempts to seduce the detective. Yet again it showed that Brandstetter cares about the people in his life for once!
I only have two minor criticisms. One is the unfortunate portrayal of Trio, the stereotypical fat girl who can’t stop eating and is described as fat, homely, and greasy. It was wholly unnecessary and mean-spirited.
The other criticism is that we have a really excellent mystery involving a potentially dead girl who could have been murdered by the Charlie Manson-esque cult leader, Azrael. Her father goes missing after claiming her life insurance, even though no body has been recovered. Obviously that all makes for a very intriguing plot. Unfortunately, Hansen chose this particular plot to advance Brandstetter’s personal life and with most of these stories clocking under two hundred pages, something has to suffer. I suppose if that’s true, I’m happy Hansen made the decision he did. The final act does a serviceable job in trying to compensate for some of these deficits.
While my rating may be questionable, what is not is that Gravedigger is by far the best of the Brandstetter mysteries thus far. I’m still riding the giddy feeling of being able to peer behind the curtain and see Brandstetter as a human being who longs for other human relationships. I so hope that this is a preview of what’s to come in the series. This was the jolt these mysteries needed. Now that we’re firmly in the 80s, Brandstetter is getting older, he’s prioritizing his relationships more, I’m so incredibly excited to see what’s in store for our intrepid investigator.
On top of that, the mystery which surrounds the personal details of Brandstetter’s life is incredibly intriguing and captivating. That’s not always the case in some of his previous outings. I was elated with what unfolded, even if my only criticism is that the mystery itself has to take a backseat because Hansen finally decides he’s interested in portraying his protagonist as an actual human being.
I’m befuddled at the fact that relationships play such an important role in Gravedigger: Dave’s budding relationship with Cecil Harris, Amanda’s deceiving relationships with her fiancé Miles, Mile’s devious desire for a relationship with Dave, Dave’s fractious relationship with Amanda, the missing Charles Westover and his ultimately tragic relationship with his friend Don, Serenity’s relationship with the cult leader Azrael. I could actually go on from there, but you get the point. While relationships are always important in these stories, it’s the first time where Dave’s personal relationships take center stage and I couldn’t have been more excited by that prospect.
What’s even better is that most of all these relationships are incredibly strong aspects of the story. Cecil Harris couldn’t be a more fitting match for Brandstetter. I appreciated his presence as it softened the grizzled detective who mostly comes across at his best as steely and calculating and at his worst cold-hearted, unloving, and robotic. Cecil allows Dave to care for more than just finding the answers and serving justice.
The unsung character doing quite a bit of work is Miles Edwards, Amanda’s deceitful fiancé. He manipulates all the key characters, driving wedges between Dave, Cecil, and Amanda in his attempts to seduce the detective. Yet again it showed that Brandstetter cares about the people in his life for once!
I only have two minor criticisms. One is the unfortunate portrayal of Trio, the stereotypical fat girl who can’t stop eating and is described as fat, homely, and greasy. It was wholly unnecessary and mean-spirited.
The other criticism is that we have a really excellent mystery involving a potentially dead girl who could have been murdered by the Charlie Manson-esque cult leader, Azrael. Her father goes missing after claiming her life insurance, even though no body has been recovered. Obviously that all makes for a very intriguing plot. Unfortunately, Hansen chose this particular plot to advance Brandstetter’s personal life and with most of these stories clocking under two hundred pages, something has to suffer. I suppose if that’s true, I’m happy Hansen made the decision he did. The final act does a serviceable job in trying to compensate for some of these deficits.
While my rating may be questionable, what is not is that Gravedigger is by far the best of the Brandstetter mysteries thus far. I’m still riding the giddy feeling of being able to peer behind the curtain and see Brandstetter as a human being who longs for other human relationships. I so hope that this is a preview of what’s to come in the series. This was the jolt these mysteries needed. Now that we’re firmly in the 80s, Brandstetter is getting older, he’s prioritizing his relationships more, I’m so incredibly excited to see what’s in store for our intrepid investigator.
October 2, 2023
*Warning, there will be spoilers*
Hansen's sixth Brandstetter mystery is a case where I put aside the fact that the mystery in question doesn't get the main focus, because the Dave and Cecil subplot and partner parallels were the stars of the show this time around. Azrael does loom like a drawn curtain at night throughout the story. Hansen superbly builds tension with the red herrings and clues, giving you a false lead on how Dave thinks the case is going before unfurling the rug. How the cult was portrayed was a little different than how I've seen them depicted in the media with Manson, Jonestown, and Heaven's Gate. There was a sense of unity in how Hansen constructed Azrael's relationship with Serenity, and I liked this pivot. Usually, the unity in question is at the benefit of the group, where they act as one body. This is the first time I've seen a clear divide, which gives the incident that starts this case chill. It also helps that it adds to the partner parallels I brought up earlier.
Gravedigger marks the return of Cecil, who we met in The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of. His relationship with Dave allows our investigator to thrive off some of the youth Hansen notes is rapidly declining from him. At the same time, there's an angle of fetishization and the sense that it could also end as sourly as his relationship with Doug. Miles Edwards provides this with his meddling as he and Amanda start the book as a newly engaged couple, but also with his own internalized homophobia. The jealously the former feels over Dave living an "authentic life," whereas he has to tamp down his own queerness (Hansen codes Miles as bi) is apparent in the last half, and I did like how the author decided to tie it together without it becoming a prevalent subplot throughout the series. The context was what made it more compelling for me.
Let's give a round of applause for another strong installment for Hansen! This and Troublemaker are my clear favorites from the first half, TMEWAOf slightly far behind. I'm very excited to see where the rest of this series takes me. My analytical side thrives on it.
Hansen's sixth Brandstetter mystery is a case where I put aside the fact that the mystery in question doesn't get the main focus, because the Dave and Cecil subplot and partner parallels were the stars of the show this time around. Azrael does loom like a drawn curtain at night throughout the story. Hansen superbly builds tension with the red herrings and clues, giving you a false lead on how Dave thinks the case is going before unfurling the rug. How the cult was portrayed was a little different than how I've seen them depicted in the media with Manson, Jonestown, and Heaven's Gate. There was a sense of unity in how Hansen constructed Azrael's relationship with Serenity, and I liked this pivot. Usually, the unity in question is at the benefit of the group, where they act as one body. This is the first time I've seen a clear divide, which gives the incident that starts this case chill. It also helps that it adds to the partner parallels I brought up earlier.
Gravedigger marks the return of Cecil, who we met in The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of. His relationship with Dave allows our investigator to thrive off some of the youth Hansen notes is rapidly declining from him. At the same time, there's an angle of fetishization and the sense that it could also end as sourly as his relationship with Doug. Miles Edwards provides this with his meddling as he and Amanda start the book as a newly engaged couple, but also with his own internalized homophobia. The jealously the former feels over Dave living an "authentic life," whereas he has to tamp down his own queerness (Hansen codes Miles as bi) is apparent in the last half, and I did like how the author decided to tie it together without it becoming a prevalent subplot throughout the series. The context was what made it more compelling for me.
Let's give a round of applause for another strong installment for Hansen! This and Troublemaker are my clear favorites from the first half, TMEWAOf slightly far behind. I'm very excited to see where the rest of this series takes me. My analytical side thrives on it.
November 14, 2011
I happened upon this book this weekend at a used bookstore in Vancouver. Used books are so damned expensive there--this one was only three bucks! I liked the cheesy early-80s mass market cover and it had a nice snippet review from the New York Times Book Review on the back. Overall, it was a good read. The description on the back of the book makes no mention of it, so I was shocked and fascinated to discover that the protagonist Dave Brunstetter is an openly gay insurance claims investigator. As I've learned from Wikipedia today, it was kind of a groundbreaking series for hard boiled detective novels. Not what I was expecting from some random mass market paperback. Hansen does a great job writing dialogue and developing sympathetic characters, and the ending is a complete shocker. Well worth reading (it won't take you long) and also a nice little snapshot of early 1980s Southern California.
January 23, 2014
One of the many things i love about this series is how the reader shares Dave's moods, and for this reason, this is probably my favorite in the series so far. I love Dave's and Cecil's relationship and how it sets the pace - there's an almost bubbling excitement running through this book (all being relative).
December 2, 2018
Ornate descriptive writing duels with characters and dialog all written in the same register. Nothing new about that in Hansen's sixth book in the series. It's an easy and clever read, but enough with the "okays?", okay?
January 12, 2025
Villenbezirke und abgelegene Canyons im Westen und Norden von Los Angeles, zirka 1980; Genre: Detektivkrimi; Serienheld Dave Brandstetter ermittelt für eine Lebensversicherung in Los Angeles.
Obwohl Joseph Hansen seinen Fans in diesem Buch längere Zeit einen ziemlichen Bären aufbindet, steht der sechste von 12 Fällen qualitativ auf jeden Fall über dem dritten. Man würde den Leser gerne warnen, in welche Denkrichtung er sich nicht schicken lassen sollte. Doch geht das nicht, sonst ist die Spannung weg und die tödliche Auseinandersetzung am Ende vorhersehbar.
Zwischen dem dritten und dem sechsten Fall liegen bloß zwei Bücher, aber in diesen Jahren hat sich viel verändert bei Dave Brandstetter, diesem wortkargen, sehr fleißigen, zähen Versicherungsdetektiv. Den gleichaltrigen Freund Doug aus dem dritten Buch gibt es zwar noch, aber sie haben sich getrennt. Beide haben jetzt einen wesentlich jüngeren Partner. Aber nicht den eigensinnigen Töpfer, der in Abenteuer Drei sich zwischen sie zu legen vorhatte. Wenn es mit rechten Dingen zugeht, müsste Dave Brandstetter jetzt hart an die 60 Jahre schrammen. Cecil, der überschlanke, junge Schwarze ohne Berufsausbildung, mit dem er hier zusammen ist, ist gerade mal 20 geworden. Hinter einige Vorzeichen künftigen Glücks ist darum ein Fragezeichen noch zu setzen. Das passt nicht schlecht zum Charakter einer Krimiserie gehört, in der der sehr menschliche Detektiv zwar andauernd nur das Beste für alle will, für jeden abgeschlagenen Kopf der Bestie gleich zwei neue nachwachsen.
Daves alter Vater, der Mann mit den Blaubart-Ehen und Versicherungsboss, ist mittlerweile verstorben, nicht jedoch, ohne sich vorher mit einer weiteren jungen Person zu verbinden, der Innenarchitektin Amanda, die erst einmal einen Auftrag von Dave, der jetzt ein vermögender Mann ist, bekommt, dann zur guten Freundin von Dave und Cecil wird. Von der Versicherung, wo man Dave als den offen Schwulen und Schützling des Eigentümers nie besonders mochte, hat Dave sich getrennt und bei der Konkurrenz angeheuert, obwohl er offenbar gar nicht mehr arbeiten müsste. Amanda bekommt einen Zweitschlüssel fürs Haus, was insofern eine Rolle spielt, als sie sich mit dem bisexuellen Miles Edwards verlobt, der eine Art Daddys Flittchen für reiche, alte Männer gewesen ist und jetzt einigen Ehrgeiz daran setzt, Dave und den jungen Schwarzen auseinander zu bringen. (Man kann sich schon fragen, wieso in den Büchern immer wieder junge, attraktive Männer auf den brummeligen Brandstetter-Charakter fliegen, in dem sich der Autor Hansen wohl auch selbst malte. Er war übrigens verheiratet. Mit einer lesbischen Frau.)
Das Buch irritiert zu Beginn. Weit und breit ist kein Mordfall zu sehen. Von den Personen, die Dave neu kennen lernt, scheint auch niemand schwul zu sein. Die unheimliche Schattenland-Note unter eisig blasenden Winterwinden wird dann von der im Gebirge abgetauchten Gestalt eine psychotischen Religionsstifters und Massenmörders, Azarel, erzeugt. (Jim Jones' Massaker in Jonestown, Guayana, von 1978, hatte für Inspiration gesorgt.) Der Langhaarige hatte einen Harem junger Mädchen um sich geschart; Charles Manson lässt also auch grüßen. Dave kommt wegen Charles Westover in diese Geschichte hinein. Westovers ausgerissene Tochter war eine der dem Religionsguru hörigen Girls. Sie könnte, wie alle anderen , jetzt schon ermordet und verscharrt sein, oder mit ihm zusammen auf der Flucht. Westover ist der Mann, den Brandstetter eigentlich finden sollte. Wie öfter in der Serie hat er es mit einem zwielichtigen Charakter zu tun, der vielleicht gerade ein Verbrechen ausführt, vielleicht auch ermordet worden ist. Westover hatte die Auszahlung der Versicherungsprämie verlangt. Seine Tochter sei vom Killer getötet worden. Westover hat auch schon als Anwalt für die Mafia gearbeitet und jetzt, wo es Geld für ihn geben könnte, weiß niemand, wo er steckt.
Bei den Westovers handelt es sich um eine dysfunktionale Familie. Da wäre zunächst Charles' geschiedene Ehefrau, die ein neues Leben als Kindergärtnerin angefangen hat und von der Verdorbenheit des Vermissten überzeugt ist. Dann der Bruder des Mädchens Serenity, ein genialer Musiker, Autist, kaum zu verstehender Nuschler, den man in der Nachbarschaft immer gemieden und verlacht hatte. Zu ihm gehört eine Kammermusikerin, eine übergewichtige, picklige, Hornbrille tragende verzweifelt Liebende, von der Dave erfährt, dass Westover den Sohn abgeholt hat, um einen Coup zu landen.
Steckt da der Gangster O'Rourke dahinter? Mehrere Monate lang hat Westover mit diesem alten Bekannten an einem Ratgeber-Buch „Alle Ganoventricks und wie Sie sich davor schützen können“ gearbeitet, das zum Renner werden sollte. Aber bis jetzt wollte noch kein Verlag das Manuskript unter Vertrag nehmen.
Von Don Gaillard, einem alten Freund Westovers, kommend, geht Dave und Cecil auf, dass sie es gerade mit einem Schwulen zu tun hatten, der verzweifelt an seiner Hetero-Maske festhalten möchte. Kurz danach verschwindet auch Gaillard im Schattenreich, wo sich jetzt also Westover, dessen Sohn, seine Tochter, der Jugendfreund und ein Wahnsinniger befinden.
Wie oft in den Brandstetter-Krimis übertreibt es der Autor ganz zum Ende hin mit den dramatischen, tragischen, brutalen Effekten, wie um einen vielleicht etwas gemächlichen Mittelteil auszugleichen. Man wird in diesen Büchern immer etwas ungeduldig, wie viele Personen irgendwann noch ins Spiel kommen, wie viele Parallelgeschichten sich überlagern. Rückblickend erweisen sich aber genau diese Kapitel, die einen weiterlesen und rätseln lassen, als die besten. Was schwule Krimis angeht, haben wir es hier mit einem Fall zu tun, der klarmacht, dass Joseph Hansen die Nase vorne hatte im Wettbewerb mit seinen Konkurrenten Richard Stevenson, George Baxt, Grant Michaels, Mark Richard Zubro, John Morgan Wilson, Nathan Aldyne. Und was die 12 Brandstetter-Fälle betrifft, steht dieser in etwa auf der Höhe der ersten zwei, „Fadeout“, „Death Claims“, sowie von den auch sehr guten „The Man Everybody Was Afraid of“ und „Early Graves“.
Obwohl Joseph Hansen seinen Fans in diesem Buch längere Zeit einen ziemlichen Bären aufbindet, steht der sechste von 12 Fällen qualitativ auf jeden Fall über dem dritten. Man würde den Leser gerne warnen, in welche Denkrichtung er sich nicht schicken lassen sollte. Doch geht das nicht, sonst ist die Spannung weg und die tödliche Auseinandersetzung am Ende vorhersehbar.
Zwischen dem dritten und dem sechsten Fall liegen bloß zwei Bücher, aber in diesen Jahren hat sich viel verändert bei Dave Brandstetter, diesem wortkargen, sehr fleißigen, zähen Versicherungsdetektiv. Den gleichaltrigen Freund Doug aus dem dritten Buch gibt es zwar noch, aber sie haben sich getrennt. Beide haben jetzt einen wesentlich jüngeren Partner. Aber nicht den eigensinnigen Töpfer, der in Abenteuer Drei sich zwischen sie zu legen vorhatte. Wenn es mit rechten Dingen zugeht, müsste Dave Brandstetter jetzt hart an die 60 Jahre schrammen. Cecil, der überschlanke, junge Schwarze ohne Berufsausbildung, mit dem er hier zusammen ist, ist gerade mal 20 geworden. Hinter einige Vorzeichen künftigen Glücks ist darum ein Fragezeichen noch zu setzen. Das passt nicht schlecht zum Charakter einer Krimiserie gehört, in der der sehr menschliche Detektiv zwar andauernd nur das Beste für alle will, für jeden abgeschlagenen Kopf der Bestie gleich zwei neue nachwachsen.
Daves alter Vater, der Mann mit den Blaubart-Ehen und Versicherungsboss, ist mittlerweile verstorben, nicht jedoch, ohne sich vorher mit einer weiteren jungen Person zu verbinden, der Innenarchitektin Amanda, die erst einmal einen Auftrag von Dave, der jetzt ein vermögender Mann ist, bekommt, dann zur guten Freundin von Dave und Cecil wird. Von der Versicherung, wo man Dave als den offen Schwulen und Schützling des Eigentümers nie besonders mochte, hat Dave sich getrennt und bei der Konkurrenz angeheuert, obwohl er offenbar gar nicht mehr arbeiten müsste. Amanda bekommt einen Zweitschlüssel fürs Haus, was insofern eine Rolle spielt, als sie sich mit dem bisexuellen Miles Edwards verlobt, der eine Art Daddys Flittchen für reiche, alte Männer gewesen ist und jetzt einigen Ehrgeiz daran setzt, Dave und den jungen Schwarzen auseinander zu bringen. (Man kann sich schon fragen, wieso in den Büchern immer wieder junge, attraktive Männer auf den brummeligen Brandstetter-Charakter fliegen, in dem sich der Autor Hansen wohl auch selbst malte. Er war übrigens verheiratet. Mit einer lesbischen Frau.)
Das Buch irritiert zu Beginn. Weit und breit ist kein Mordfall zu sehen. Von den Personen, die Dave neu kennen lernt, scheint auch niemand schwul zu sein. Die unheimliche Schattenland-Note unter eisig blasenden Winterwinden wird dann von der im Gebirge abgetauchten Gestalt eine psychotischen Religionsstifters und Massenmörders, Azarel, erzeugt. (Jim Jones' Massaker in Jonestown, Guayana, von 1978, hatte für Inspiration gesorgt.) Der Langhaarige hatte einen Harem junger Mädchen um sich geschart; Charles Manson lässt also auch grüßen. Dave kommt wegen Charles Westover in diese Geschichte hinein. Westovers ausgerissene Tochter war eine der dem Religionsguru hörigen Girls. Sie könnte, wie alle anderen , jetzt schon ermordet und verscharrt sein, oder mit ihm zusammen auf der Flucht. Westover ist der Mann, den Brandstetter eigentlich finden sollte. Wie öfter in der Serie hat er es mit einem zwielichtigen Charakter zu tun, der vielleicht gerade ein Verbrechen ausführt, vielleicht auch ermordet worden ist. Westover hatte die Auszahlung der Versicherungsprämie verlangt. Seine Tochter sei vom Killer getötet worden. Westover hat auch schon als Anwalt für die Mafia gearbeitet und jetzt, wo es Geld für ihn geben könnte, weiß niemand, wo er steckt.
Bei den Westovers handelt es sich um eine dysfunktionale Familie. Da wäre zunächst Charles' geschiedene Ehefrau, die ein neues Leben als Kindergärtnerin angefangen hat und von der Verdorbenheit des Vermissten überzeugt ist. Dann der Bruder des Mädchens Serenity, ein genialer Musiker, Autist, kaum zu verstehender Nuschler, den man in der Nachbarschaft immer gemieden und verlacht hatte. Zu ihm gehört eine Kammermusikerin, eine übergewichtige, picklige, Hornbrille tragende verzweifelt Liebende, von der Dave erfährt, dass Westover den Sohn abgeholt hat, um einen Coup zu landen.
Steckt da der Gangster O'Rourke dahinter? Mehrere Monate lang hat Westover mit diesem alten Bekannten an einem Ratgeber-Buch „Alle Ganoventricks und wie Sie sich davor schützen können“ gearbeitet, das zum Renner werden sollte. Aber bis jetzt wollte noch kein Verlag das Manuskript unter Vertrag nehmen.
Von Don Gaillard, einem alten Freund Westovers, kommend, geht Dave und Cecil auf, dass sie es gerade mit einem Schwulen zu tun hatten, der verzweifelt an seiner Hetero-Maske festhalten möchte. Kurz danach verschwindet auch Gaillard im Schattenreich, wo sich jetzt also Westover, dessen Sohn, seine Tochter, der Jugendfreund und ein Wahnsinniger befinden.
Wie oft in den Brandstetter-Krimis übertreibt es der Autor ganz zum Ende hin mit den dramatischen, tragischen, brutalen Effekten, wie um einen vielleicht etwas gemächlichen Mittelteil auszugleichen. Man wird in diesen Büchern immer etwas ungeduldig, wie viele Personen irgendwann noch ins Spiel kommen, wie viele Parallelgeschichten sich überlagern. Rückblickend erweisen sich aber genau diese Kapitel, die einen weiterlesen und rätseln lassen, als die besten. Was schwule Krimis angeht, haben wir es hier mit einem Fall zu tun, der klarmacht, dass Joseph Hansen die Nase vorne hatte im Wettbewerb mit seinen Konkurrenten Richard Stevenson, George Baxt, Grant Michaels, Mark Richard Zubro, John Morgan Wilson, Nathan Aldyne. Und was die 12 Brandstetter-Fälle betrifft, steht dieser in etwa auf der Höhe der ersten zwei, „Fadeout“, „Death Claims“, sowie von den auch sehr guten „The Man Everybody Was Afraid of“ und „Early Graves“.
March 3, 2025
This is the sixth David Brandstetter novel. He is an investigator for an insurance company. He handles death claims. He investigates issues like, was the death a suicide? or did the beneficiary murder the insured? or is the insured really dead?
In this 1982 novel a cult leader in Southern California has brutally murdered multiple young women in his cult. Many of the bodies are unidentifiable. A father claims his daughter was one of the murdered women and makes a claim on a life insurance policy she had.
The story is set in the seedy Southern California which Hansen loved. The father is a disbarred lawyer who has disappeared. He has a dyslexic musical genius son and an embittered wife. Brandstetter unravels multiple levels of deceit and hidden secrets.
Brandstetter is gay. This was one of the first detective series featuring a gay detective. I understand why, but I always find it amusing that every death which Brandstetter investigates ends up involving gay men, usually still in the closet. In this case there is a hidden gay relationship at the middle of the plot.
Hansen also keeps us involved in Brandstetter's complicated romantic life. He is involved with a much younger man which raises problems for both of them. Brandstetter's father died shortly after marrying a much younger wife. He is good friends with his stepmother, who is much younger than he is. Brandstetter think she is making a mistake getting remarried to a cad.
This is a good story with great sundrenched burnt-out atmosphere. I did think the ending was a bit too melodramatic.
In this 1982 novel a cult leader in Southern California has brutally murdered multiple young women in his cult. Many of the bodies are unidentifiable. A father claims his daughter was one of the murdered women and makes a claim on a life insurance policy she had.
The story is set in the seedy Southern California which Hansen loved. The father is a disbarred lawyer who has disappeared. He has a dyslexic musical genius son and an embittered wife. Brandstetter unravels multiple levels of deceit and hidden secrets.
Brandstetter is gay. This was one of the first detective series featuring a gay detective. I understand why, but I always find it amusing that every death which Brandstetter investigates ends up involving gay men, usually still in the closet. In this case there is a hidden gay relationship at the middle of the plot.
Hansen also keeps us involved in Brandstetter's complicated romantic life. He is involved with a much younger man which raises problems for both of them. Brandstetter's father died shortly after marrying a much younger wife. He is good friends with his stepmother, who is much younger than he is. Brandstetter think she is making a mistake getting remarried to a cad.
This is a good story with great sundrenched burnt-out atmosphere. I did think the ending was a bit too melodramatic.
August 4, 2023
I am a bit... miffed at the ending. The whole situation with wasn't exactly out of the blue, all the clues indeed were in the story, it's just... nowadays that kind of a twist feels a bit cheap, as it has been overdone almost to the death.
Still, compelling mystery, suspenseful investigation, and a lot of going on in the personal subplot. I was really worried about Amanda, but the situation worked itself out, to my eternal relief. (Just a note, by now I am amused by the number of men who wants to get into Branstetter's pants by undressing themselves and waiting in his bed. Like, come on!)
I was amused by how drove himself back into the plot and I really hope that all will work out favourably between Brandstetter and him.
Now, let's hope that Syndicate Books will indeed re-print this series in its entirety - 3 out of the remaining 6 books have their covers already revealed as of August 2023, and expected publication dates cover the whole of 2024 - because I need the complete flag on my shelf.
Still, compelling mystery, suspenseful investigation, and a lot of going on in the personal subplot. I was really worried about Amanda, but the situation worked itself out, to my eternal relief. (Just a note, by now I am amused by the number of men who wants to get into Branstetter's pants by undressing themselves and waiting in his bed. Like, come on!)
I was amused by how drove himself back into the plot and I really hope that all will work out favourably between Brandstetter and him.
Now, let's hope that Syndicate Books will indeed re-print this series in its entirety - 3 out of the remaining 6 books have their covers already revealed as of August 2023, and expected publication dates cover the whole of 2024 - because I need the complete flag on my shelf.
November 26, 2022
Two years ago, the attorney Charles Westover was disbarred for bribery. As a result, his disillusioned daughter, Serenity, chose to join a weird cult headed by the charismatic leader Azrael. When Westover learns that Azrael has been implicated in the murder of six girls, one bearing a striking resemblance to Serenity, he decided to claim the proceeds of her life insurance policy. That’s when the likeable insurance claims investigator, Dave Brandstetter, steps in. Charles Westover has disappeared, and the body of Serenity is no where to be found. Brandstetter systematically follows every lead to discover what happened to them both. Enjoy Hansen’s staccato prose in this 6th offering in the series.
January 30, 2021
4.5
I am always transfixed by this series work and this was no exception. The story of Dave Brandsetter’s quest to find the truth behind Charles Westover’s claim on his missing daughter’s life insurance. The story was brilliantly woven and the twist at the end satisfying. My only criticism is with the narrator. I have listened to each of the books and I find his stereotypical portrayal of the Black characters a little passé. I was wondering why all the Black men sound like they were born and raised in the South. Cecil was born and raised in Detroit. Does no one know that Black people are just as likely to have regional accents just like White people? But other than that, great story!
I am always transfixed by this series work and this was no exception. The story of Dave Brandsetter’s quest to find the truth behind Charles Westover’s claim on his missing daughter’s life insurance. The story was brilliantly woven and the twist at the end satisfying. My only criticism is with the narrator. I have listened to each of the books and I find his stereotypical portrayal of the Black characters a little passé. I was wondering why all the Black men sound like they were born and raised in the South. Cecil was born and raised in Detroit. Does no one know that Black people are just as likely to have regional accents just like White people? But other than that, great story!
September 7, 2021
An enticing listen from Audible Plus catalogue
Joseph Hansen relates another suspenseful tale he allows us to follow insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter as he closes in on a case of a “deceased” young woman. His job is to find cases of insurance fraud and he shows us exactly how it’s done with humor and his own brand of Brandstetter charm. Keith Szarabajka and Joseph Hansen have a perfection indeed. I can’t imagine one without the other. Quite a few in this this series as available at no cost from Audible Plus catalogue. Recommended? Hell, yes! Get it now and enjoy more in this superb series.
👏✍🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍🏻
Joseph Hansen relates another suspenseful tale he allows us to follow insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter as he closes in on a case of a “deceased” young woman. His job is to find cases of insurance fraud and he shows us exactly how it’s done with humor and his own brand of Brandstetter charm. Keith Szarabajka and Joseph Hansen have a perfection indeed. I can’t imagine one without the other. Quite a few in this this series as available at no cost from Audible Plus catalogue. Recommended? Hell, yes! Get it now and enjoy more in this superb series.
👏✍🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍🏻
September 28, 2021
Parts of this book were great. The pared down pulp detective writing is stellar as always. I had gotten hold of a first edition and the cover art is amazing. Still, there are several elements that have aged very poorly, more so than in the previous books in the series, starting with the incredibly fat-phobic language around the character Trio. Add to that a predatory bisexual who seems to be chaotic evil and the questionable relationship between Dave and Cecil makes this one of the rougher reads in the series.
April 9, 2024
Another good story by Joseph Hansen. I listened to the audiobook and love this narrator, Keith Szarabajka has a great gravelly voice that I just love. Dave Brandstetter is the insurance fraud detective that solves the crimes that the police don't even know are crimes. The writer is a master at leading you on a slow and winding journey not letting you see who the killer is, but then slamming into view and showing you that they've been hinted at for the whole story, and you never paid attention to them. Good story and series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews