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Tubby Dubonnet #5
Crime Czar
The FIFTH funny, offbeat, and surprising legal thriller in the Tubby Dubonnet series.
“Take one cup of Raymond Chandler, one cup of Tennessee Williams, add a quart of salty humor, and you will get something resembling Dunbar’s crazy mixture of crime and offbeat comedy.” -The Baltimore Sun
CORRUPTION, MURDER, AND A REALLY GREAT PO’BOY…
A New Orleans lawyer who'd rather eat, drink, and swap stories than get caught in court, Tubby Dubonnet can't forget the last words that escaped an old friend's lips, and he can't get out of the way of a political campaign that's turning rough. Obsessed with the idea that a shadowy crime boss may be pulling the strings that have cost good people their lives, Tubby is entering into a test of courage with the most violent men in New Orleans. And if that weren't dangerous enough, he’s just picked up the worst ally he could ever find: a beautiful prostitute gunning for revenge.
A funny-hard-boiled mystery with as many laughs as chills.
“Dunbar has an excellent ear for dialogue … His stylish take on Big Easy lowlife is reminiscent of the best of Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard.” -Booklist
“Dunbar revels in the raffish charm and humor of his famously rambunctious city.” -The New York Times Book Review
“…Subtly wry humor, stylish writing, and authentic New Orleans flavor…” -The New Orleans Times-Picayune
“Take one cup of Raymond Chandler, one cup of Tennessee Williams, add a quart of salty humor, and you will get something resembling Dunbar’s crazy mixture of crime and offbeat comedy.” -The Baltimore Sun
CORRUPTION, MURDER, AND A REALLY GREAT PO’BOY…
A New Orleans lawyer who'd rather eat, drink, and swap stories than get caught in court, Tubby Dubonnet can't forget the last words that escaped an old friend's lips, and he can't get out of the way of a political campaign that's turning rough. Obsessed with the idea that a shadowy crime boss may be pulling the strings that have cost good people their lives, Tubby is entering into a test of courage with the most violent men in New Orleans. And if that weren't dangerous enough, he’s just picked up the worst ally he could ever find: a beautiful prostitute gunning for revenge.
A funny-hard-boiled mystery with as many laughs as chills.
“Dunbar has an excellent ear for dialogue … His stylish take on Big Easy lowlife is reminiscent of the best of Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard.” -Booklist
“Dunbar revels in the raffish charm and humor of his famously rambunctious city.” -The New York Times Book Review
“…Subtly wry humor, stylish writing, and authentic New Orleans flavor…” -The New Orleans Times-Picayune
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 1998
360 people are currently reading
1347 people want to read
About the author
Tony Dunbar
43 books100 followersTony Dunbar started writing at quite a young age. When he was 12, growing up in Atlanta, he told people that he was going to be a writer, but it took him until the age of 19 to publish his first book, Our Land Too, based on his civil rights experiences in the Mississippi delta. For entertainment, Tony turned not to television but to reading mysteries such as dozens of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories. Among his favorites are: Dashiell Hammett, author of The Maltese Falcon, and Tony Hillerman, and John D. MacDonald, and Mickey Spillane.
He has lived in New Orleans for a long, long time, and in addition to writing mysteries and more serious fare he attended Tulane Law School and continues an active practice involving, he says, “money.” That practice took a hit in the Hurricane Katrina flooding, but the experience did produce a seventh Tubby Dubonnet mystery novel, Tubby Meets Katrina
The Tubby series so far comprises seven books: The Crime Czar, City of Beads, Crooked Man, Shelter from the Storm, Trick Question, Lucky Man, and Tubby Meets Katrina. The main character, Tony says, is the City of New Orleans itself, the food, the music, the menace, the party, the inhabitants. But Tubby Dubonnet is the actual protagonist, and he is, like the author, a New Orleans attorney. Unlike the author, however, he finds himself involved in serious crime and murder, and he also ears exceptionally well. He is “40 something,” the divorced father of three daughters, a collector of odd friends and clients, and he is constantly besieged by ethical dilemmas. But he is not fat; he is a former jock and simply big.
Tony’s writing spans quite a few categories and is as varied as his own experiences. He has written about people’s struggle for survival, growing out of his own work as a community organizer in Mississippi and Eastern Kentucky. He has written about young preachers and divinity students who were active in the Southern labor movement in the 1930s, arising from his own work with the Committee of Southern Churchmen and Amnesty International. He has written and edited political commentary, inspired by seeing politics in action with the Voter Education Project. And he has had the most fun with the mysteries, saying, “I think I can say everything I have to say about the world through the medium of Tubby Dubonnet.”
Hurricane Katrina and the floods, which caused the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans for months, blew Tony into an off-resume job serving meals in the parking lot of a Mississippi chemical plant to hundreds of hardhats imported to get the complex dried out and operating. It also gave Tony time to write Tubby Meets Katrina, which was the first published novel set in the storm. It is a little grimmer than most of the books in the series, describing as it does the chaos in the sparsely populated city immediately after the storm. “It was a useful way for me to vent my anger,” Tony says. Still, even in a deserted metropolis stripped of electric power. Tubby manages to find a good meal.
The Tubby Dubonnet series has been nominated for both the Anthony Award and the Edgar Allen Poe Award. While the last one was published in 2006, the author says he is now settling down to write again. But about what? “Birds and wild flowers,” he suggests. Or “maybe television evangelists.” Or, inevitably, about the wondrous and beautiful city of New Orleans.
He has lived in New Orleans for a long, long time, and in addition to writing mysteries and more serious fare he attended Tulane Law School and continues an active practice involving, he says, “money.” That practice took a hit in the Hurricane Katrina flooding, but the experience did produce a seventh Tubby Dubonnet mystery novel, Tubby Meets Katrina
The Tubby series so far comprises seven books: The Crime Czar, City of Beads, Crooked Man, Shelter from the Storm, Trick Question, Lucky Man, and Tubby Meets Katrina. The main character, Tony says, is the City of New Orleans itself, the food, the music, the menace, the party, the inhabitants. But Tubby Dubonnet is the actual protagonist, and he is, like the author, a New Orleans attorney. Unlike the author, however, he finds himself involved in serious crime and murder, and he also ears exceptionally well. He is “40 something,” the divorced father of three daughters, a collector of odd friends and clients, and he is constantly besieged by ethical dilemmas. But he is not fat; he is a former jock and simply big.
Tony’s writing spans quite a few categories and is as varied as his own experiences. He has written about people’s struggle for survival, growing out of his own work as a community organizer in Mississippi and Eastern Kentucky. He has written about young preachers and divinity students who were active in the Southern labor movement in the 1930s, arising from his own work with the Committee of Southern Churchmen and Amnesty International. He has written and edited political commentary, inspired by seeing politics in action with the Voter Education Project. And he has had the most fun with the mysteries, saying, “I think I can say everything I have to say about the world through the medium of Tubby Dubonnet.”
Hurricane Katrina and the floods, which caused the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans for months, blew Tony into an off-resume job serving meals in the parking lot of a Mississippi chemical plant to hundreds of hardhats imported to get the complex dried out and operating. It also gave Tony time to write Tubby Meets Katrina, which was the first published novel set in the storm. It is a little grimmer than most of the books in the series, describing as it does the chaos in the sparsely populated city immediately after the storm. “It was a useful way for me to vent my anger,” Tony says. Still, even in a deserted metropolis stripped of electric power. Tubby manages to find a good meal.
The Tubby Dubonnet series has been nominated for both the Anthony Award and the Edgar Allen Poe Award. While the last one was published in 2006, the author says he is now settling down to write again. But about what? “Birds and wild flowers,” he suggests. Or “maybe television evangelists.” Or, inevitably, about the wondrous and beautiful city of New Orleans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
October 6, 2016
Kept me on the edge of my seat!
The problem with Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet books is that they are too gripping! I read fiction to help me switch my brain off from spinning about the day and get to sleep, and Crime Czar kept me awake, turning pages!
Booknapped AGAIN.
It seems to be inevitable with this series. Tubby is an intriguing blend of ethical and crooked, strong and vulnerable, dissolute and high-functioning, and the people he interacts with are fascinating and varied. Add that with crisp prose and twisting, suspenseful plot lines and you have a recipe for little sleep.
I should know better by now--I've read a number of books in this series, and it happens every time...
In Crime Czar, Tubby crosses paths (or perhaps I should say, crashes paths) with a young prostitute out for revenge, a past kidnapper, a former flame-of-sorts and would-be-accomplice, the crime czar in the title, and a bevy of other characters, new and old.
"What the heck does he think he's doing??" went through my head multiple times, along with "How the heck is he going to get out of this one?"
Discovering the answers to those questions is part of the great pleasure of reading this book. Just take care not to start it when you're under a tight deadline, as you may not surface until you get to the last page.
And then you'll be running to get the next book of the series, which is exactly what I'm about to do.
The problem with Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet books is that they are too gripping! I read fiction to help me switch my brain off from spinning about the day and get to sleep, and Crime Czar kept me awake, turning pages!
Booknapped AGAIN.
It seems to be inevitable with this series. Tubby is an intriguing blend of ethical and crooked, strong and vulnerable, dissolute and high-functioning, and the people he interacts with are fascinating and varied. Add that with crisp prose and twisting, suspenseful plot lines and you have a recipe for little sleep.
I should know better by now--I've read a number of books in this series, and it happens every time...
In Crime Czar, Tubby crosses paths (or perhaps I should say, crashes paths) with a young prostitute out for revenge, a past kidnapper, a former flame-of-sorts and would-be-accomplice, the crime czar in the title, and a bevy of other characters, new and old.
"What the heck does he think he's doing??" went through my head multiple times, along with "How the heck is he going to get out of this one?"
Discovering the answers to those questions is part of the great pleasure of reading this book. Just take care not to start it when you're under a tight deadline, as you may not surface until you get to the last page.
And then you'll be running to get the next book of the series, which is exactly what I'm about to do.
April 11, 2014
Book Review:
Crime Czar: A Hard Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (Tubby Dubonnet #5)
[i]Please Note: This is Book 5 in a series and was free when I was searching the Kindle store. I have since gone back with my Premium membership to read the first four in the series to see if what I read in #5 was consistent among the other novels and also see if it made #5 make more sense.[/i]
Tubby Dubonnet is not your typical New Orleans lawyer. He’s a bit on the crooked side and a bit of a sleaze but he has a wonderful sense of humor and camaraderie with his friends and allies. At least according to the excerpts and Publishers Weekly reviews he does. Personally, I found Tubby to be a rather slapdash character with very little likeable to him excepting his penchant for getting in to situations he has no real business being in.
Billed as a ‘Legal Thriller’ series, I was expecting something more Courtroom Drama than poor CSI. The description of each of the books paints a wonderful picture of a dynamic character with a great deal of interesting characteristics. Tubby is a ‘maverick’ a ‘gambler’ and a person who ‘fights evil to pass the time.’
I must have been reading the wrong series.
This story is a confusing group of plots and subplots all coming together to try and form something coherent. Tubby has been hunting for the ‘Crime Czar’ - a criminal mastermind behind everything that has been going on in his territory (New Orleans). This mastermind is responsible for organizing and assigning crimes as well as covering them up and keeping things from collapsing in on themselves. He is utterly convinced that if he can bust this crime overlord he can take care of most of his home turf’s problems.
Meanwhile a hooker with a heart of gold is having issues of her own when she crosses over in to organized crime’s territory. She vows vengeance on the man who kills her ‘not-boyfriend’ and manages to get a gun to do so. Meanwhile, Tubby’s thief , and sort-of girlfriend’ is visiting New Orleans with some jewels they stole in a previous story. All of this is happening during a re-election campaign WHILE Tubby sets up a trap for the Czar.
Yeah, there are a lot of threads to track.
Unfortunately, the setting, while authentic, is not very well used. The people speak with their dialects and accents as appropriate and do a fairly good job of sounding authentically New Orleans. However, that is about it for the characters. I find Tubby distasteful at best and downright slovenly at worst. He’s supposed to be an interesting person and a part of his community, but he comes off as being somewhat selfish and confused most of the time. Tubby doesn’t seem to know what is going on around him, which is frustrating for the reader since a lot of the time it’s Tubby’s perspective that is governing what we can see and interpret. Dunbar’s secondary characters are all 1-dimensional and easy to predict and see their purpose.
The plot is a confusing mish-mash of threads. Dunbar seems to be hinting that Tubby is on the right trail in his Crime Czar hunt, but nothing is really resolved within the book. There are dozens of candidates available and only one is satisfactorily resolved as to whether or not he is the one behind the crime in New Orleans. The rest are examined very vaguely. That is the main plotline of the story. The sub-plots are half-hazzardly placed within the story and very little is done with it. Tubby’s assistance on a campaign for judge, for instance, is mentioned and focused on for perhaps 10 pages total and is the center of the humor for this particular story. Unfortunately, this sub plot gets so lost in the shuffle that the reader is barely able to track it. Some organization and focus would be very helpful.
All in all, at ‘Free’ its an OK choice to spend some hours on the novel, but I would not spend any real money.
Writing: 5/5
Characterization: 2.5/5
Plot: 3/5
Flow: 2/5
Value: 3/5 (At Free)
Total rating: 3.2/5
Crime Czar: A Hard Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (Tubby Dubonnet #5)
[i]Please Note: This is Book 5 in a series and was free when I was searching the Kindle store. I have since gone back with my Premium membership to read the first four in the series to see if what I read in #5 was consistent among the other novels and also see if it made #5 make more sense.[/i]
Tubby Dubonnet is not your typical New Orleans lawyer. He’s a bit on the crooked side and a bit of a sleaze but he has a wonderful sense of humor and camaraderie with his friends and allies. At least according to the excerpts and Publishers Weekly reviews he does. Personally, I found Tubby to be a rather slapdash character with very little likeable to him excepting his penchant for getting in to situations he has no real business being in.
Billed as a ‘Legal Thriller’ series, I was expecting something more Courtroom Drama than poor CSI. The description of each of the books paints a wonderful picture of a dynamic character with a great deal of interesting characteristics. Tubby is a ‘maverick’ a ‘gambler’ and a person who ‘fights evil to pass the time.’
I must have been reading the wrong series.
This story is a confusing group of plots and subplots all coming together to try and form something coherent. Tubby has been hunting for the ‘Crime Czar’ - a criminal mastermind behind everything that has been going on in his territory (New Orleans). This mastermind is responsible for organizing and assigning crimes as well as covering them up and keeping things from collapsing in on themselves. He is utterly convinced that if he can bust this crime overlord he can take care of most of his home turf’s problems.
Meanwhile a hooker with a heart of gold is having issues of her own when she crosses over in to organized crime’s territory. She vows vengeance on the man who kills her ‘not-boyfriend’ and manages to get a gun to do so. Meanwhile, Tubby’s thief , and sort-of girlfriend’ is visiting New Orleans with some jewels they stole in a previous story. All of this is happening during a re-election campaign WHILE Tubby sets up a trap for the Czar.
Yeah, there are a lot of threads to track.
Unfortunately, the setting, while authentic, is not very well used. The people speak with their dialects and accents as appropriate and do a fairly good job of sounding authentically New Orleans. However, that is about it for the characters. I find Tubby distasteful at best and downright slovenly at worst. He’s supposed to be an interesting person and a part of his community, but he comes off as being somewhat selfish and confused most of the time. Tubby doesn’t seem to know what is going on around him, which is frustrating for the reader since a lot of the time it’s Tubby’s perspective that is governing what we can see and interpret. Dunbar’s secondary characters are all 1-dimensional and easy to predict and see their purpose.
The plot is a confusing mish-mash of threads. Dunbar seems to be hinting that Tubby is on the right trail in his Crime Czar hunt, but nothing is really resolved within the book. There are dozens of candidates available and only one is satisfactorily resolved as to whether or not he is the one behind the crime in New Orleans. The rest are examined very vaguely. That is the main plotline of the story. The sub-plots are half-hazzardly placed within the story and very little is done with it. Tubby’s assistance on a campaign for judge, for instance, is mentioned and focused on for perhaps 10 pages total and is the center of the humor for this particular story. Unfortunately, this sub plot gets so lost in the shuffle that the reader is barely able to track it. Some organization and focus would be very helpful.
All in all, at ‘Free’ its an OK choice to spend some hours on the novel, but I would not spend any real money.
Writing: 5/5
Characterization: 2.5/5
Plot: 3/5
Flow: 2/5
Value: 3/5 (At Free)
Total rating: 3.2/5
February 13, 2017
Soft boiled faux New Orleans story, September 22, 2016
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Crime Czar: a Hard-Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (Tubby Dubonnet #5) (The Tubby Dubonnet Series) (Kindle Edition)
In the front of the book the author issues this disclaimer, "There is no Tubby Dubonnet and the real New Orleans is different from his make believe city." It is true. Some of the real tourist New Orleans and idiosyncrasies of the city are present but the dark, criminal under belly of the city has been turned into a much less threatening and corrupt make believe place. Among the reasons that I enjoy mysteries is to be immersed in an accurate physical setting. At least, if you read the fine print, this novel makes no pretense of doing that. For me, that makes it a considerably less interesting book. I suppose I know too much about both organized crime and New Orleans to enjoy this fantasy about a more or less honest, naive lawyer. The book is well written with humor and interesting if, to me, unbelievable characters. I suppose that a regular person who has not been immersed in the dark side could enjoy this novel.
Some of the humor is in the names of places and organizations. Here are a couple of examples:
The father of the judge's election opponent is Bishop Bloom, pastor of the Original Babylonian Missionary Pentecostal Church.
The judge was invited to a forum on crime, even though he is a civil judge, by Louisianians Opposed to Offenders Now. Mr. Dunbar allows the reader to construct the acronym.
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Crime Czar: a Hard-Boiled New Orleans Legal Thriller (Tubby Dubonnet #5) (The Tubby Dubonnet Series) (Kindle Edition)
In the front of the book the author issues this disclaimer, "There is no Tubby Dubonnet and the real New Orleans is different from his make believe city." It is true. Some of the real tourist New Orleans and idiosyncrasies of the city are present but the dark, criminal under belly of the city has been turned into a much less threatening and corrupt make believe place. Among the reasons that I enjoy mysteries is to be immersed in an accurate physical setting. At least, if you read the fine print, this novel makes no pretense of doing that. For me, that makes it a considerably less interesting book. I suppose I know too much about both organized crime and New Orleans to enjoy this fantasy about a more or less honest, naive lawyer. The book is well written with humor and interesting if, to me, unbelievable characters. I suppose that a regular person who has not been immersed in the dark side could enjoy this novel.
Some of the humor is in the names of places and organizations. Here are a couple of examples:
The father of the judge's election opponent is Bishop Bloom, pastor of the Original Babylonian Missionary Pentecostal Church.
The judge was invited to a forum on crime, even though he is a civil judge, by Louisianians Opposed to Offenders Now. Mr. Dunbar allows the reader to construct the acronym.
June 25, 2014
Good But not great! An enjoyable,easy read.
April 16, 2017
Another satisfying installment in this series. These novels will never be awe-inspiring, but it is a lot of fun to visit Tubby and the gang.
April 5, 2014
"Crime Czar" is the next crime mystery novel in a series, following "Shelter From The Storm." The author is a New Orleans lawyer, like the protagonist. Tubby Dubonnet is a flawed figure, he has a drinking problem, but his ability to mix with a wide-ranging assortment of characters from all walks of life is colorful. The city has recently been hit by the ravages of tropical storm Katrina, where previously Tubby was held hostage in an insider bank robbery that resulted in the death of his good friend from childhood. Now we p ick up Tubby's personal crusade to find the mastermind of the crime. I like our protagonist's strong sense of commitment to a sense of right and wrong, and to the concept that criminal defense lawyers should be champions of justice for everyday people. Sometimes the interconnectedness of all the characters and events borders on a lack of realism, but dry humor and good story line trump picky criticism every time in my value system. As the last chapter unfolds, we are left wondering what is going to be revealed in a stolen video tape, and the seed of curiousity is planted, fertilized, and watered. I'm already curious about how the author proceeds in the next easy to read book.
July 7, 2014
Tubby Rules.
This series is my new favorite. There's one more I haven't read but will start it shortly. Stories are believable and have subtle plot twists enough that they're hard to put down . Love all the characters and locations too.
This series is my new favorite. There's one more I haven't read but will start it shortly. Stories are believable and have subtle plot twists enough that they're hard to put down . Love all the characters and locations too.
August 20, 2015
Easy read.
Held my interest to the end. New Orleans criminal underground, gambling and murders. Fast moving story. Tubby and Daisy lost someone, full of revenge to find who is behind all this.
Held my interest to the end. New Orleans criminal underground, gambling and murders. Fast moving story. Tubby and Daisy lost someone, full of revenge to find who is behind all this.
June 12, 2014
Don't think I'll read the rest of the series.TTS-enabled eBook.
July 7, 2019
I have spent the past few days binging on Tubby Dubonnet and thoroughly enjoyed it. As the series matures, and the recurring characters inter-mingle, Tubby has become a less admirable character.
He still has his own carefully-curated code of conduct, but there are fairly large allowances for what is acceptable and what is not.
I can enjoy the moral ambiguity, but I don't enjoy spending too much time with a character I worry about---and, I started worrying about Tubby. I didn't like his lack of professional responsibility, and was concerned about his personal behavior. But, as his downward slide escalated, Dunbar provided Tubby a course-correction toward redemption. Whew ! I feel that I can safely return to the series without consistently encountering a shady, over-imbibing protagonist. I can expect a man of action who has occasional diversions from the straight and narrow, which is acceptable.
This book centered on revenge and that gave it a darker cast than the previous books in the series, but the author has set up Tubby's interaction with "the bad guys" TO BE CONTINUED and I look forward to that.
He still has his own carefully-curated code of conduct, but there are fairly large allowances for what is acceptable and what is not.
I can enjoy the moral ambiguity, but I don't enjoy spending too much time with a character I worry about---and, I started worrying about Tubby. I didn't like his lack of professional responsibility, and was concerned about his personal behavior. But, as his downward slide escalated, Dunbar provided Tubby a course-correction toward redemption. Whew ! I feel that I can safely return to the series without consistently encountering a shady, over-imbibing protagonist. I can expect a man of action who has occasional diversions from the straight and narrow, which is acceptable.
This book centered on revenge and that gave it a darker cast than the previous books in the series, but the author has set up Tubby's interaction with "the bad guys" TO BE CONTINUED and I look forward to that.
September 14, 2020
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke.
Tubby Dubonnet is on a mission to find the crime czar running New Orleans but it turns out that he may have to settle for second best. Tubby is not at his best when faced with a moral choice - do what's right or do what's best? He's not given to too much deep thought but is coming to realise that doing what's right may come at at a price he is not willing to pay. He's not morally bankrupt, but is worried that he could lose his self respect.
As the series continues Tubby tries to get his life back into some kind of order ...
I mentioned in an earlier review of a different series that the further you read the more you get a sense of deja vu, and the more you feel that the later books are not quite as good. That said, Tubby Dubonnet is a character for the ages - he's a keeper!
Tubby Dubonnet is on a mission to find the crime czar running New Orleans but it turns out that he may have to settle for second best. Tubby is not at his best when faced with a moral choice - do what's right or do what's best? He's not given to too much deep thought but is coming to realise that doing what's right may come at at a price he is not willing to pay. He's not morally bankrupt, but is worried that he could lose his self respect.
As the series continues Tubby tries to get his life back into some kind of order ...
I mentioned in an earlier review of a different series that the further you read the more you get a sense of deja vu, and the more you feel that the later books are not quite as good. That said, Tubby Dubonnet is a character for the ages - he's a keeper!
August 6, 2021
Book #5 of a box-set
This book I didn't like as part of the series. Although the character Tubby was there in name, he wasn't there as the Tubby that was around in books 1, 2, 3 and to a degree 4. This book's main character could have been any person with an obsession to track down the person who killed a friend in book#4, plus the people who are the centre of crime in the city. A one man vigilante story.
A few characters from previous books returned and played some minor roles in the story. They are the reason that I continued reading, along with the hope that the end of the story allows the author to bring back the persona Tubby that made interesting character.
With trepidation, on to Book@6
This book I didn't like as part of the series. Although the character Tubby was there in name, he wasn't there as the Tubby that was around in books 1, 2, 3 and to a degree 4. This book's main character could have been any person with an obsession to track down the person who killed a friend in book#4, plus the people who are the centre of crime in the city. A one man vigilante story.
A few characters from previous books returned and played some minor roles in the story. They are the reason that I continued reading, along with the hope that the end of the story allows the author to bring back the persona Tubby that made interesting character.
With trepidation, on to Book@6
February 26, 2019
Inside joke that you’ll understand once you’ve read the book — Chicks before dicks.
I’m reading my way through the entire Tubby Dubonnet series, and Crime Czar was the next book for me to read. As seems inevitable, Tubby is finally going to find out who it is behind all the corruption in New Orleans, and does so in the presence of not one, but two curvy gals and his curves-because-of-muscles lady boxer gal is back as well. The gang is all here.
Tubby sets out to rid his city of corruption while simultaneously assisting a judge with a re-election campaign. He may actually have succeeded in both purposes— Or did he?
I’m reading my way through the entire Tubby Dubonnet series, and Crime Czar was the next book for me to read. As seems inevitable, Tubby is finally going to find out who it is behind all the corruption in New Orleans, and does so in the presence of not one, but two curvy gals and his curves-because-of-muscles lady boxer gal is back as well. The gang is all here.
Tubby sets out to rid his city of corruption while simultaneously assisting a judge with a re-election campaign. He may actually have succeeded in both purposes— Or did he?
July 8, 2018
I was given this book as a kindle first, and didn't realize it was part of a series. That may be part of why I wasn't in love with this book... I l thought the characters were very interesting and unique, and I did enjoy the writing style, but I felt the plot was too rushed. To me it seemed like it was a long, drawn-out buildup and connecting of random people, and then it all neatly was solved in the last few pages. Maybe if I had read some of the earlier books I might have enjoyed this more?
August 26, 2019
Light reading; amusing, not amazing. This one is a bit thin, I thought, and fairly obvious. What I guess is meant to be a cliffhanger at the end just felt forced. Ah well, still fun to read.
March 15, 2024
Some overarching mystery, a lord of crime overseeing New Orleans... Dubonnet is in deep water on this one and the volume is fairly promising. It did not quite deliver as I would have hoped. Lots of great potential with some well defined characters, but the whole thing is dragged a little so that it can spill into the next story. I like things that develop, I just wish it had had a faster pace and more delivered in this volume.
February 26, 2025
When political corruption is tied to the loss of an old friend and sits very close to home, it can become an obsession. Or maybe Tubby is finally feeling driven to end corruption in high places. It can easily become very dangerous - to both Tubby and his friends. No strangers in this one, and short and sweet and hard to put down.
REVIEWED on February 25, 2025, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and BookBub. Not available at B&N or Kobo.
REVIEWED on February 25, 2025, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and BookBub. Not available at B&N or Kobo.
January 3, 2018
Crime Czar wraps up all the loose ends from Shelter From the Storm (or does it ?). Dunbar is at his finest dark humor and obviously is having a great time leaving you to figure just where and what the next twist is going to be. But, that's why I'm so hooked on this series.
There are times I just want a "just for fun read" which Tony and Tony always deliver.
There are times I just want a "just for fun read" which Tony and Tony always deliver.
October 16, 2019
Entertaining and dash
Tubby is a lawyer and gets roped into running a judge's campaign. Mayhem ensues as various pieces come together including a new grandchild, the death of his friend Dan, crime in the legal system and oddballs running for office. Tubby dodged it all and barely comes out ok...but he gains clarity. Fast paced and exciting sfory.
Tubby is a lawyer and gets roped into running a judge's campaign. Mayhem ensues as various pieces come together including a new grandchild, the death of his friend Dan, crime in the legal system and oddballs running for office. Tubby dodged it all and barely comes out ok...but he gains clarity. Fast paced and exciting sfory.
September 15, 2017
Tubby Dubonnet books are lots of fun. I enjoyed this one also but probably not quite as much as the previous books. I liked the Daisy character but something was lacking in the story. That being said, I'll continue to work my way through the series.
January 30, 2018
Fans of Tubby Dubonnet
A really fast paced, sometimes funny look at political corruption at its finest in the Big Easy. A look at the criminals and the "good" guys who sometimes look too much alike.
A really fast paced, sometimes funny look at political corruption at its finest in the Big Easy. A look at the criminals and the "good" guys who sometimes look too much alike.
December 17, 2018
Crime Pays???
It certainly appears to for law enforcement, judges and the actual criminals. The private detective appears to be the only honest person in the crowd, yet he too gets caught up in the latest crime spree. Although he gets burned by a person close to him.
It certainly appears to for law enforcement, judges and the actual criminals. The private detective appears to be the only honest person in the crowd, yet he too gets caught up in the latest crime spree. Although he gets burned by a person close to him.
April 7, 2019
Tubby is always Tubby
The love the Tubby books. They are not great literature but the are fun. It is light reading at its best. This story is darker than the previous books but still enjoyable.
The love the Tubby books. They are not great literature but the are fun. It is light reading at its best. This story is darker than the previous books but still enjoyable.
April 20, 2020
Enjoyed
I enjoyed reading this book, I liked the characters. It's was a good little mystery, not too serious and didn't quite end the way I thought,but looking forward to see what Tubby gets into next
I enjoyed reading this book, I liked the characters. It's was a good little mystery, not too serious and didn't quite end the way I thought,but looking forward to see what Tubby gets into next
August 23, 2021
Tubby Dubonnet:
A very large cast of characters. Unusual to say the least. Made fun of lawyers, judges and politicians. I finished this one, but not really interested in reading another. Just not my cup of tea!
A very large cast of characters. Unusual to say the least. Made fun of lawyers, judges and politicians. I finished this one, but not really interested in reading another. Just not my cup of tea!
May 6, 2022
This just was not for me.
I found the story to be disjointed and with far too many characters thrown at m.
The plot was ponderous and just dragged on.
Not often I give one star but I would suggest giving this a miss.
I found the story to be disjointed and with far too many characters thrown at m.
The plot was ponderous and just dragged on.
Not often I give one star but I would suggest giving this a miss.
May 16, 2017
I liked it. Funny book about life in New Orleans.
July 25, 2017
As usual, enjoyable, interesting easy read. Tubby Dubonnet is a star!
August 7, 2017
Lawyer, Tubby Dubonnet's best friend is murdered and Tubby has sworn he will find
the killer. What he doesn't realize this will lead him into politics and there is
where he finds the killer!!
the killer. What he doesn't realize this will lead him into politics and there is
where he finds the killer!!
January 5, 2018
Fun Read
Maybe because I started reading the series in midstream. The plot was good but the story layout seemed a little dry
Maybe because I started reading the series in midstream. The plot was good but the story layout seemed a little dry
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