Nightwork

Dave Brandstetter #7

by Joseph Hansen

In a neighborhood plagued with violence, Dave Brandstetter uncovers a corporate crime

Gifford Gardens has gone to Persistent flooding has reduced the neighborhood to a slum, a battleground for rival gangs. Anyone who can afford to leave has already pulled up stakes, and Paul and Angela Myers are among those who are left. To make ends meet, Paul takes on long-haul truck driving, which is as dangerous as it is lucrative, and it’s not long before the job gets him killed.

One night, Paul’s truck flies off a cliff and explodes in midair. Did he fall asleep at the wheel, or was he murdered? Keen-eyed insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter suspects a conspiracy. While digging into Paul’s past, Dave will uncover a connection between his untimely death and the happier years of Gifford Gardens.

Nightwork is book seven in the Dave Brandstetter Mystery series, which also includes Troublemaker and The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, LGBT, Gay, M M Romance, Queer, Audiobook

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Joseph 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.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The death of a trucker on the road seems to be an accident, but Dave Brandstetter, insurance claims investigator, isn't sure. The investigation leads him to a blighted neighborhood, Black and Latino street gangs, toxic waste . . . and murder.

Not Hansen's finest, but still enjoyable.

[Rosa, really · Rating 4 out of 5]

When it comes to murder mysteries I love dead bodies. Seriously, the more the merrier. It's why I still watch Midsomer Murders even though that show is absolutely ridiculous--at least half a county gets wiped out every episode.

But by the end of Nightwork so many people were dead and so much was left unsolved I had a thought that doesn't occur to me very often--what the fuck was the point? What did we or Dave, our dogmatic PI, get out of this?

Yet Hansen's writing is just so fucking good, I don't mind that much. Just a little. Somewhat.

Okay, I mind but I still really enjoyed it. Dead bodies and detectives who smoke and drink too much, you guys! What's better than that?

Nothin'.

Thanks to my fellow BR Brandstetter Babe, Sofia!

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shrouded in secrecy, silence, fear.

Shady work done during the night, surrounded by shadowy, silent people. Hansen fit in his spare style perfectly for this one. Here we have the silent witnesses, the shadows. This silence is continuously reflected in the writing like in names, enclosed surroundings, the noise dampening presence of continual rain. Dave's discovery of a hornets nest which he was not able to disentangle in his usual bull terrier clamp jaw mode. So for once he was not able to solve all. Makes him human, makes me sad at the injustices of our world, sad and angry that I am a victim in this case too as this sort of thing is still a clear and present danger.

A different and good episode in this series. We usually have Dave wallowing in a mire of evidence with people jumping through hoops to tell him all of their story or version of. Not this time. This time silence reigns, or else half truths very grudgingly given.

Not so silently read with my Brandstatter buddy Rosa – thanks.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinnacle insurance has issued a policy on the life of Paul Myers, a truck driver. Only a couple of months later, Myers' truck flies off a cliff and Myers is killed. As a matter of routine, Pinnacle hires crack investigator Dave Brandstetter to look into the matter.

The matter turns out to be anything but routine when investigators learn that someone had planted an explosive device under the cab of the truck and that the device was detonated just before the truck went airborne. When Dave goes to visit the widow, Angela Myers, he finds that she's been recently beaten. She claims that her husband did it just before he died, but Dave isn't buying it.

Dave also quickly learns that Paul Myers' best friend, another trucker who was hard up for cash, has also just died, apparently from a heart attack, and Dave is now convinced that something sinister is definitely going on.

Of course there is, or there would be no book. And this is a pretty good one.

Dave's lover, Cecil, is still recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained at the end of Dave's last adventure, and in and around nursing Cecil back to health, Dave sets out to determine what was going on during the last few days of Paul Myers' life and why Angela Myers is so reluctant to discuss it. It seems pretty clear that Paul Myers was involved in something shady, and before too long, Dave can only hope to stay alive long enough himself to figure out what it was.

This is one of the better books in an excellent series. As always, Hansen creates memorable characters and vividly marks out his southern California territory, in the process showing why he's a worthy successor to the writers like Raymond Chandler who first claimed this region for their own.

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love gay mysteries and romances, and this has been one of the best series combining both, and in the process rightfully became for Joseph Hansen a classic in gay literature. This seventh in the series was as good as the ones before and continued to build the story.

[LenaRibka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe not my favourite book in the series.

But quite Hansen-ish(or Brandstetter-ish?) in its style.
A solid mystery with a great writing and a typical for Joseph Hansen abrupt ending. What was not totally typical, and what I really enjoyed - to see Dave being happy in his private life. Cecil became not only a very important human being in his life, but also his very personal lifesaver. Thank you, Cecil, to be on the right place in the right time!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

NIGHTWORK
Joseph Hansen

Never have read any of Joseph Hansen, in fact, had never heard of him before. But I liked his book. LA is always a great location to set a crime in, I think it is believable.. LOL.

A PI trying to shore up a death benefit pay out on a truck that blew up... this brings on more than expected. I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions. The plot was detailed enough and had some interesting twists.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this installment, Dave is finding a little happiness in his private life. It's fun to see him interacting in a way that is warmer and less aloof than we have to date. I liked Cecil a lot, and he has enough complexity to be interesting. Although this was not my favorite of the mystery plots it did pull in a crime that is probably more common, and more relevant to all our lives, than we realize.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restrained. Hansen is short to the point, never waivers too far from the journey he sets Brandstetter on. Nightwork is a controlled, mastered journey into how Brandsetter goes around to solving cases, reflects on his personal life and how his 'way' of doing things impacts those he loves, especially Cecil, his young lover.

Hansen also offers a very rational view of violence, gun violence especially, street gangs, which when written in the early 80's reflected the times and it's disconcerning to realize not much has changed.

Hansen also brings fully formed and interesting secondary characters that even though they are plot point, they still have a colour, a voice that goes beyond the usual paper thin, interchangeable character created to advance the plot. I'm thinking of the reverend here and his wife, who despite being there essential to advance the plot the reader is offered fully dimensional characters even if they are there for only a few pages. That's how good Hansen is.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hansen writes with a sparsenesss that paints pictures that resonate in the reader's mind. He is the model for less is more. Another good mystery keeps Dave moving. I was so happy that Cecil is still a part of his personal life in this book. I hope he stays involved with Dave. (I did not like Doug.) A good story. A good mystery. Great characters and great writing.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Warning, there will be mild spoilers*

Nightwork easily has my favorite pacing out of the Dave Brandstetter series so far. I loved how each chapter moved the main case along, yet Hansen still made sure to give his subplots and historical framing enough of a nudge to reflect several things. Cecil's characterization was a stark contrast to the confidence I saw from him in his previous books. Shaken up over the events at the end of Gravedigger, the reader gets to see him in a more vulnerable state, worried about being put in danger's crossfires again (*coughs*). However, what happened seems to have brought him and Dave closer in ways we didn't see from the latter and Doug. The interactions amidst the investigation were uplifting and enjoyable.

The social commentary did cover a lot of ground, from environmental damage, racism (in housing and how Gene Molloy refers to BIPOC individuals), shredded innocence, and Dave's decisions starting to be contemplating by people around him, and ultimately, himself. Skinflick showed Hansen struggling to give each topic equal footing, but with this installment, I was able to see how they played a role in the overarching plot. It leads to a satisfying culprit reveal that mystery fans will hold their breath during. The approach Hansen uses often falls flat on its face, but not here. A few hints are effective enough.

The only issue I had with this book was the transphobic coding of how De Witt Gifford dressed. He had on some traditionally feminine clothing items during Dave's encounters with him that are not looked at well by the third person narrator. Other than that, Nightwork was another satisfying case, and continues to prove its continued relevance with its ongoing republication.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much of a mystery, but a great story of Cecil in recovery, gang violence, whether to carry a gun or not, racism among police officers, whether truckers get paid enough, government regulations, environmental choices, Ramon Novarro, and a big brother character that you love even though he never gets Dave’s name right. Not the place to start, but solid.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid, spare entry in the Dave Brandstetter series. These are still gritty and noirish, but not so overwhelmingly depressing as the first entry in the series, which was so bleak I almost didn't continue. I like Cecil a lot, and in general Hansen's characters tend to feel like real people. Another smash cut of an ending, but I didn't mind.

[Jilles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crips, tight, well written. The first gay detective published by a mainstream publisher.

[IslandRiverScribe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid Joseph Hansen novel. Dealt with gang rivalries of the 1980s, racial problems of that same period and the abuses involved with toxic waste disposal, all in the guise of one very explosive murder (literally) and one supposed heart attack.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raymond Chandler doesn't give Marlowe much by way of consequences, as far as I can remember. Hansen gives Dave (and his friends and family) plenty. I wasn't sure about the continued inclusion of Cecil, at first: now I am. I care about Cecil, I hurt for him and for Dave because of him. I love Amanda, too. I love how important they are to the plot, that Dave has family and friends and they're impacted by his work -- he's not isolated, and nor is his work.

My only quibble with this book was the wrap-up: we don't get to see if Dave does go up against the polluting companies. Maybe that's one of the things that will continue to the next book, I don't know. But it felt so abrupt -- it wasn't really a resolution, in my opinion.

[Elvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was interesting. Some case study stuff on environmental changes and how desperation can make you sacrifice yourself and your morals. It was fun, well written, again not a fully closed ending but you get used to it.

[Molli B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Another excellent mystery. This guy really knows how to tug on the heartstrings in ways you wouldn't expect. This one was a bit grittier than some of the others, I think. I love how in all the PI fiction I read, some character inevitably says, "I didn't know PIs really existed—I thought that was just in movies." Now that Dave's a legit PI, it was only a matter of time :)

Now I've read more than I have left. Boo /o\

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadn't read any Joseph Hansen in a while. What a great, underappreciated crime author. These Dave Brandstetter books are set in LA through the 70s to the 90s. Excellent snapshot of L.A. and a very human and nuanced portrayal of a gay death claims insurance investigator. Top notch stuff. Nightwork in particular was a great read, nice and twisty plot line and solid writing.

[Jeremy Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow dialog and plot. Feels like it needs an editor. At least it's short.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. The mystery wasn't particularly compelling, and it felt less thoughtful than some of the other books. The ending was at least a little less abrupt.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the early 1980s when LA was dealing with pollution, gangs, and deteriorating neighborhoods, Nightwork is the story of Gifford Gardens, a fictional LA neighborhood quickly developed after World War II but in a flood zone. Now, the cute cottages are badly deteriorated from persistent floods, and the streets are dangerous because rival gangs have taken control of them. Only those people unable to escape remain in the Garden. Among them are Paul and Angela Myers, but now Paul is dead.

At the suggestion of his friend, Ozzie Bishop, Paul, a long-haul truck driver, had taken on night work to help make ends meet. But then, late one night, Paul’s truck left one of the winding canyon roads surrounding LA and took Paul to his fiery death. It seems the young man had fallen asleep at the wheel of his rig.

Not long before his tragic end, Paul had taken out a life insurance policy. Before paying Paul’s widow, however, Pinnacle Insurance calls on private investigator, Dave Brandstetter, to confirm nothing was amiss.

It does not take long before Brandstetter learns that someone planted a bomb in Paul’s truck. Paul was murdered. Not only is Paul dead, but his friend Ozzie died just weeks earlier following a terrible—and suspicious--illness. With meticulous and painstaking process-work, Brandstetter uncovers corporate deceit, greed, and crime that contributed to the deterioration of Gifford Gardens and beyond.

As a side note, readers may find some of the racist language of this novel uncomfortable. However, it is good to keep in mind that Brandstetter, a middle-aged white man, is devoted to his lover, Cecil, a younger Black man. The racist language, instead, comes from a few of the residents of Gifford Gardens. At one point in the story, one of those persons using the language stops himself when he realizes Brandstetter does not approve.

Like the other books in the series, Nightwork stands on its own. However, I recommend starting with the first book, Fade Out. With that book we learn Dave had been living with his earlier lover for twenty-two years but that he had died of cancer. In Nightwork, Dave mentions that not a day goes by when he does not think of the man. In other words, Hansen shows with his novels that committed relationships are not confined to straight couples.

Other books in the series introduce Cecil and his interracial, intergenerational relationship with Brandstetter and build on the idea that gay men do have loving relationships even when much of the world disapproves. In fact, the most likeable, loving, and moral of the characters in Hansen’s series are Dave and Cecil.

Finally, like other books in the series, Nightwork has some of the best description of setting I have found anywhere. These are books that place the story in the context of real social problems, and they engage the senses and take readers to a specific place and time. They are books to savor.

[CarolineFromConcord · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love the cinematic level of detail in Joesph Hansen's settings. You see the sheriff shake out a cigarette, reach in a pocket for a lighter, light the cigarette, and return the lighter to the pocket -- all as if you were there.

Here's one of his many descriptions of California: "The tidy rows of round and glossy orange trees looked as if Grant Wood had painted them. Sprinkler pipes worked among the avocado trees, whose branches drooped and tangled. Beneath them the light was undersea light. On tilting, sunswept pastures, Rainbird sprinklers cast sparkling arcs, strewing the grass with emeralds under the hoofs of stocky black cattle that browsed and did not look up as the van passed."

Dave Brandstetter, an insurance company's death-claims investigator, doesn't need to work since his father left him a fortune, but he loves the thrill of unraveling crimes. He loves the danger and making sure the right people get the insurance. What he doesn't love is putting the people he cares about in danger, including his father's young widow Amanda and his lover Cecil. No wonder Cecil keeps threatening to go back to the TV news business, where "whatever happens, happens to somebody else."

In this episode a trucker has died in circumstances related to his secretive night job hauling some new cargo, but what is it? That is part of what Brandstetter needs to figure out. There are also rival street gangs to deal with and a sharpshooter pretending to be a colleague from the insurance company.

The conclusion was disappointing. Although one perp is exposed, others seem to escape to sin another day. However, the journey to that ending was, as usual, lots of fun.

[Klaus Mattes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los Angeles und abgelegene Canyons in den östlich gelegenen Bergen, Anfang der achtziger Jahre; Genre: Detektivkrimi; der Serienheld Dave Brandstetter ermittelt für eine Lebensversicherung in Los Angeles.

Es gibt in der Serie von Mordkrimis um den schwulen Versicherungsermittler Dave Brandstetter immer wieder ein paar heikle Klippen, die es vielleicht nie gebraucht hätte, auf die er aber doch zusteuert, um ein mehr oder weniger geniales Buch gegen Ende mit etwas wie „Film-Action“ zu verderben. Da ist dann auch diese gewisse gönnerhafte Überheblichkeit der alten Löwen, wie Brandstetter mit jungen, vor allem femininen Schwulen oder Frauen umgeht. Davon gibt es hier zum Glück nicht viel. Damit zusammenhängend, Daves Selbstüberschätzung und Risikospielerei, die den mittlerweile Über-60-Jährigen in ein menschenfern gelegenes Mörderversteck tappen lässt, ohne für Rückendeckung zu sorgen. Das umschifft er bei diesem Abenteuer, indem er Cecil, seinen jungen, schwarzen Freund, zur Hilfe kommen lässt.

Da wäre noch jene anderen zwei Merkmale der Brandstetter-Serie: Immer wird man am Anfang sehr neugierig gemacht, im Mittelteil kommt aber ein Gefühl auf, wie um den roten Faden zu verstecken warte Hansen mit zu vielen Nebenfiguren und Parallelgeschichten auf, die nur noch leidlich interessant sind. Regelmäßig bemerkt man erst am Schluss, dass in Wahrheit die „ein bisschen langweiligen“ Mittelteile für die Hansen-Qualitäten stehen. Er versteht es, ohne je gehetzt zu wirken, die Lebensläufe ganz verschiedener Menschen knapp zu umzirkeln und umgibt das alles noch mit einer sehr fein gezeichneten Bühne, einer zeitgemäßen Atmosphärenschilderung des Metropolenraums Los Angeles.

Nicht immer sind diese Versuche, private Geschichten mit den öffentlich umstrittenen Themen seiner Zeit zu verquicken, einen alten Privatdetektiv noch mal glücklich dem Krieg ums schmutzige Geld entweichen zu lassen, tatsächlich auch aufgegangen. Im nächsten Buch nach diesem wird Hansen sich an der Iran-Contra-Affäre verheben, im darauf folgenden sich als Schwuler in der Reagan-Ära der AIDS-Krise annehmen und noch mal ein erstaunlich zeitfestes Dokument abliefern. Im Buch vor diesem ist es ein an den Massenmörder und Religionsgründer von Guyana erinnernder Mädchenmörder gewesen. Davor waren es Pornos mit Minderjährigen, die Hansen keck mit dem Born-Again-Bewegung der Reaktionäre verknüpfte. Und hier nun, was spät erst herauskommt, wir allerdings früh schon ahnen können, haben wir es mit der Umweltkatastrophe zu tun und mit gewissenloser Müllverklappung, die von Mafiosi organisiert wurde. Wieder übertreibt Hansen ein wenig: Ghetto-Kriege zwischen Schwarzen und Hispanics müssen samt Drive-by-Shootings auch noch ins Buch!

Ein anderes Problem ist stets gewesen, dass Joseph Hansen als ganz normaler Mystery-Autor auftreten konnte, auch ziemlich erfolgreich war und ein großes heterosexuelles Publikum für sich gewann, dass sein alternder Detektiv nun aber mal als Schwuler angelegt war und in jedem dieser zwölf Bücher auch noch eine Geschichte für schwule Leser drin sein sollte. Es wäre einfacher, einen Mord mit illegaler Müllabfuhr zu verbinden, wenn es dabei nicht auch noch ein schwules Drama zu geben hätte.

Dramaturgisch betrachtet ist „Nachtarbeit“ (für die deutsche Erstübersetzung im Goldmann-Verlag hieß es „Mondschein-Trucker“) ein rundum vergnügliches Buch. Die verschiedenen Elemente sind sehr ökonomisch und unaufdringlich miteinander verbunden worden. Und dabei wirkt es so, als habe dieser alte Mann alle Zeit der Welt.

30 Seiten vor Schluss konnte ich mich nur unter höchster Willensanstrengung dazu überreden, das Buch noch mal eine Nacht auf seine Auflösung warten zu lassen. Wie doch jedes Mal geht es auf den letzten Seiten bei Hansen ziemlich schnell und heftig zur Sache und ist dann, ohne weitere Sentimentalitäten, auch schon wieder vorbei. Da störte es mich dann doch, dass man nicht mehr erfährt, ob die Witwe des toten Lkw-Fahrers Myers jetzt die Lebensversicherungsprämie für ihren Mann bekommt oder nicht. Nun wegen dieser Frage ist der im Auftrag der Versicherung agierende Dave zum Mordfall entsandt worden.

Der unbefriedigende Schluss verhindert, dass ich das Buch zu den besten der Serie zähle. (Es bleibt dabei, für mich sind die Besten: „Fadeout“, „Death Claims“, „Tyrannenmord“ und „Frühe Gräber“, der AIDS-Fall.)

Hier noch ein wenig zur Handlung: Mit einer Sprengladung wurde der Lkw-Fahrer Paul Myers getötet, vorher fuhr er in Schwarzarbeit und bei Nacht geheimnisvolle Ladungen in die Berge. Der Witwe, Angela Myers, hat man das Gesicht zerschlagen, worüber sie sich zu sprechen weigert. Es ist nicht anzunehmen, dass es der Mann war, mit dem sie ihren Gatten betrogen hatte, wenn er nachts gearbeitet hat. Der Neue ist der Lehrer ihrer Kinder und schon sehr aufgeregt, weil wegen des Tods demnächst 100.000 Dollar kommen werden. War es Versicherungsbetrug? Die Police ist erst vor vier Wochen unterschrieben worden. Und welche Krankheit hatte Myers, hätte er sowieso sterben müssen? Myers' bester Freund, ein Schwarzer, ist eines seltsamen Todes gestorben. All das trägt sich in einer Siedlung zu, die man in den Nachkriegsjahren für eine Art Paradies gehalten hatte, die jetzt aber zum Ghetto geworden ist. Oben am Berg liegt immer noch die Villa der Familie, der all das hier einst gehört hatte. Und dort trifft Dave dann seinen Schwulen, einen verrückten Greis, der Damenkleider trägt, gesuchte Kriminelle versteckt und auf Eindringlinge schießt.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Older Work. It Shows.
I didn't realize when I picked this book up that this was the 7th in a series, although there were times in the story when I knew I was missing something. But I will say it didn't halt the enjoyment of the story or cause any confusion as far as the plot of this novel.

The storyline itself is an older concept, though still valid. But it had the slightly preachy quality of a book that's attempting to break ground. Regardless, it is a compelling story with interesting characters.

The author's predilection for a particular culture is blatant, however, with a high percentage of characters being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Even though there were no sex scenes to make this an unpalatable read for me, some of the characters' preferences were too outside the norm for me. But that's my issue, and certainly won't be everyone's.

Many of the characters were interesting and nicely developed. The pacing of the story was also well-done. Fans of suspense reads, especially those with a social justice message, may find this older read to be to their liking.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, we have yet another issue that seems to have been written today and not more than 35 years ago, and isn't it sad that the world has changed so little in all that time?

Street gang's violence, contamination by toxic waste, greedy corporations and indifference to the consequences of their acts is the background to the investigation that soon proves to be, of course, very dangerous.

And, while trying to untangle this mystery, Dave is trying to nurse Cecil who is still dealing with the consequences (physical and emotional) of his gunshot from the last book.

I liked a lot the interactions between the characters here, between Dave and Cecil (yes, I'm slowly warming to him) and between Dave and Amanda. We get to see more of Dave's compassion and kindness through them.

I'm still enjoying these books a whole lot :D

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pinnacle Insurance underwrote a life insurance policy on Paul Myers, a truck driver. Paul must have been prescient because a few months later his truck goes off the road in flames, undoubtedly due to the bomb stuck beneath the vehicle. Enter David Brandstetter, insurance claim adjuster, who is adept at investigating cases in which motives are murky and nothing is ever as simple as it first appears.

Hansen is adept at staccato pacing with his short, pithy sentences. He creates memorable characters reflective of southern California in the 1970s and 80s. Hansen’s writing is often compared to that of Raymond Chandler and his Brandstetter series is clearly a ‘winner’.

[Rose]

I've been enjoying the series, but this one is not working. Hansen can write effectively about the casual homophobia that gay men experience, and use homophobic slurs, and it feels like an Own Voices thing - he's portraying an experience that he owns. It really works, and it's really thought-provoking. But when he writes about the casual racism of 80s LA, and uses racial slurs in the mouths of his white characters, it lands completely differently. I don't think it works. Anyway, I don't want to spend 5 hours listening to these characters talk this way.

I felt the same way about Raymond Chandler's 2nd Philip Marlowe book, Farewell, My Lovely. Unreadable.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story; Dave is aging, but he is aging happier and with more company than I feared he might. In this one, bad people are dumping toxic chemicals all over Southern California and a lot of people die and Dave almost does; and although we know who the bad guy/gal is, they aren't yet under arrest (or dead as far as we know.) More loose ends, less homophobia in this one.

Still really happy I found about these books; they have inspired, I think, some of the current queer mysteries that are now being written and published.

Note/CW: these books do have some dated language that people may find offensive.

[Brian Kovesci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this because I found a signed copy at an amazing thrift store in SF where I find a lot of signed books for super cheap.

This may be my first mystery, at the very least it has been years since I read a mystery. And it's not my genre. It feels like it relies heavily on cleverness and subtlety, and I just don't pay close enough attention to pick up on details that cumulatively weave together the conflict and resolution.

But I do love queers, so it got 2 stars.