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Victor Carl #8
Bagmen
Victor Carl is back, and back in trouble. At a low point in his lowly career, Victor finds himself skulking through the streets of Philadelphia carrying a bag full of money for an ambitious politician. It is a rotten job on the wrong side of anyone’s line, but with bag in hand Victor is suddenly hobnobbing with the city’s elite, filling his bank account, and having sex with the politician’s gorgeous and deranged sister. But just when Victor begins to think he’s got a future in the political game, one of his payoffs ends up in the pocket of a dead woman, and Victor goes from bagman to fall guy. Now Victor’s only way out might lie with a brotherhood of shady characters with sacks full of cash, bad fedoras, and their own twisted set of rules. Will Victor’s new friends help him find a killer or bury him deep?
396 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2014
111 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
William Lashner
49 books303 followersWilliam Lashner is a former criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His novels have been published world-wide and have been nominated for two Shamus Awards, a Gumshoe Award, an Edgar Award, and been selected as an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times Book Review. When he was a kid his favorite books were The Count of Monte Cristo and any comic with the Batman on the cover.
Under the pseudonym Tyler Knox he wrote the noir novel, Kockroach.
Series:
* Victor Carl Mystery
Under the pseudonym Tyler Knox he wrote the noir novel, Kockroach.
Series:
* Victor Carl Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 20, 2014
When lawyer Victor Carl is, once again, down on his luck and prowling the courthouse for clients, any clients (“DUI’s, half-price”) he bumps into an old law school friend. A friend with a lucrative offer: her employer, who shall remain anonymous, needs a bagman for the campaigning Senator DeMathis. Victor would stand to make a lot of money, with an expense account, no less. Then he could afford a new tux and the astronomically overpriced leather shoes with bows that Timothy at Boyd’s proclaims will make him “The belle of the ball”. How can a man say no?
And everything is going just dandy, until a woman is found hammered to death in an alley. Unfortunately it is a woman that Victor had, just that day, slipped a huge envelope of money in exchange for her silence. Knowing the police, specifically the intrepid Detective McDeiss, are watching him closely, Victor continues to make the senator’s constituents very happy with the contents of his fancy new brown leather bag recommended by Timothy at Boyd’s.
This book, Bagmen, was such an enjoyable treat. The quick-witted smartass Victor, the snappy dialogue, and the memorable characters were a significant draw for me. There’s Timothy at Boyd’s, the crazed, but gorgeous senator’s sister, the desiccated horny old bat who would love to get into Victor’s pants but settles for “donating” to the senator’s campaign, but the best characters are the members of the Brotherhood. Also known as the Order of the Sazerac, the Guild, the Club of Kings, these hard-drinking, chain-smoking bagmen who frequent Rosen’s and consistently stick Victor with the check, have invited him into their fold. With a list of rules passed down from father to son, Victor is taught the fine art of “taking care of things for a price”. With Miles of the infamous comb-over and Hump from New Orleans (“Indeed”) and Stony Mulroney with his thermoses, these scenes the bagmen are the best.
As Victor gets deeper and deeper into the political cow dung surrounding Senator DeMathis, he starts to learn some very disturbing secrets that bring out Victor’s inner integrity, previously buried under said cow dung and his corrupt, but oh-so-fun, career as a bagman. The question is: does he want to return to his former life as a lawyer who can’t keep a client list, can barely pay his bills, and must face judges who ask him if he actually has client or is he “just here for a hope?” Or, will he follow Bagman rule number 8 and keep his grip with his big brown bag ready to open for business?
The number of times the writer uses the word "stinking" makes me think he created a drinking game for reader. Read the word, take a shot, see who is left standing at the end: you or the bagmen?
Because this book was so enjoyable, I am definitely going to check out the author’s seven other books starring the dauntless Victor Carl.
And everything is going just dandy, until a woman is found hammered to death in an alley. Unfortunately it is a woman that Victor had, just that day, slipped a huge envelope of money in exchange for her silence. Knowing the police, specifically the intrepid Detective McDeiss, are watching him closely, Victor continues to make the senator’s constituents very happy with the contents of his fancy new brown leather bag recommended by Timothy at Boyd’s.
This book, Bagmen, was such an enjoyable treat. The quick-witted smartass Victor, the snappy dialogue, and the memorable characters were a significant draw for me. There’s Timothy at Boyd’s, the crazed, but gorgeous senator’s sister, the desiccated horny old bat who would love to get into Victor’s pants but settles for “donating” to the senator’s campaign, but the best characters are the members of the Brotherhood. Also known as the Order of the Sazerac, the Guild, the Club of Kings, these hard-drinking, chain-smoking bagmen who frequent Rosen’s and consistently stick Victor with the check, have invited him into their fold. With a list of rules passed down from father to son, Victor is taught the fine art of “taking care of things for a price”. With Miles of the infamous comb-over and Hump from New Orleans (“Indeed”) and Stony Mulroney with his thermoses, these scenes the bagmen are the best.
As Victor gets deeper and deeper into the political cow dung surrounding Senator DeMathis, he starts to learn some very disturbing secrets that bring out Victor’s inner integrity, previously buried under said cow dung and his corrupt, but oh-so-fun, career as a bagman. The question is: does he want to return to his former life as a lawyer who can’t keep a client list, can barely pay his bills, and must face judges who ask him if he actually has client or is he “just here for a hope?” Or, will he follow Bagman rule number 8 and keep his grip with his big brown bag ready to open for business?
The number of times the writer uses the word "stinking" makes me think he created a drinking game for reader. Read the word, take a shot, see who is left standing at the end: you or the bagmen?
Because this book was so enjoyable, I am definitely going to check out the author’s seven other books starring the dauntless Victor Carl.
March 4, 2015
Victor Carl returns in the eighth entry in this series, with which for some reason I had no familiarity until this novel. But I certainly plan to read anything this author writes in future: it is simply terrific, and was a complete change of pace for this reviewer.
Carl is an attorney; well, more accurately he is a lawyer-with-actual-clients wannabe. As he states in this first-person narrative,, one day “a political opportunity had fallen into my lap and I was running with it. Suddenly I had impressive people to impress and impressive places to go to, including a formal ball that would be packed with everyone who was anyone in Philadelphia politics. A rental tux would no longer do.” And he is on an expense account to boot.
It seems he has just become a bagman. And the opening scene is at a black-tie Governor’s Ball, a place where “all about the room were little electromagnetic fields of power and money.” Before the evening is over, however, he is escorted out of the affair by a couple of cops, taking him to the scene where a young woman has been brutally murdered, a woman with whom Victor had met only hours earlier to give her what is only the first of huge bags full of money, in service of a local Congressman, one with a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, with whom she had been involved. And this is only the first of similar transactions, and the first where a woman is killed.
To say that the writing is pithy is not to do it justice. But beyond that, I defy the reader not to smile and nod with recognition throughout this book - - I know I did, frequently! Nominally a mystery, with murders to be solved, the book is filled with humor and recognizable portraits of politics and politicians, corruption, sex, all those things that make up our society, today and for years past. Besides the iconic protagonist, there is a determined cop and a political reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, in addition to a regular group of old-time bagmen to round out the cast, with a terrific conclusion to it all. The novel is highly recommended.
Carl is an attorney; well, more accurately he is a lawyer-with-actual-clients wannabe. As he states in this first-person narrative,, one day “a political opportunity had fallen into my lap and I was running with it. Suddenly I had impressive people to impress and impressive places to go to, including a formal ball that would be packed with everyone who was anyone in Philadelphia politics. A rental tux would no longer do.” And he is on an expense account to boot.
It seems he has just become a bagman. And the opening scene is at a black-tie Governor’s Ball, a place where “all about the room were little electromagnetic fields of power and money.” Before the evening is over, however, he is escorted out of the affair by a couple of cops, taking him to the scene where a young woman has been brutally murdered, a woman with whom Victor had met only hours earlier to give her what is only the first of huge bags full of money, in service of a local Congressman, one with a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, with whom she had been involved. And this is only the first of similar transactions, and the first where a woman is killed.
To say that the writing is pithy is not to do it justice. But beyond that, I defy the reader not to smile and nod with recognition throughout this book - - I know I did, frequently! Nominally a mystery, with murders to be solved, the book is filled with humor and recognizable portraits of politics and politicians, corruption, sex, all those things that make up our society, today and for years past. Besides the iconic protagonist, there is a determined cop and a political reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, in addition to a regular group of old-time bagmen to round out the cast, with a terrific conclusion to it all. The novel is highly recommended.
November 29, 2017
Many years ago William Lashner stated in a postscript on I think, book seven of this extraordinarily good legal thriller series that he was ending the series featuring his quite unique protagonist, Philadelphia lawyer Victor Carl. I was disappointed because Victor Carl is my all time favorite fictional lawyer and was ecstatic to see his 2014 return to print in "Bagmen". A down at the heels Philadelphia lawyer with few clients, Victor has no prospects and is reduced to working court appointed cases for short money. He meets a law school classmate in court one day and gets recruited to act as a middleman, or Bagman, for her law firm representing a US Congressman in his reelection campaign. Bagmen are basically dodgy characters who move untraceable cash from person A to person B for the benefit of person C - you get the idea. So, what makes this an exceptionally good novel is the author's brilliant mastery of dialogue and monologue. Lashner's Victor Carl exudes a cynically sharp Northeast wit together with a streak of integrity he sometimes forgets he has, making for a starkly original, well written novel. I very much hope to see Victor Carl returning in print every year or so. He's way too compelling a protagonist to disappear forever!
August 29, 2014
He's back!!!! He's back!!!! Victor Carl is back!!!! And better than ever. Lashner's hiatus from this series allowed him to sharpen his wit and up the cleverness quotion. This is a story of urban, political corruption (we know about bagmen in Chicago) which echoes raincoat and hat noir, Shakespeare, the movie Chinatown, and Dickens in the indelible characters of Victor's fellow bagmen and others (such as the snake-like Ossana, Victor's temporary squeeze). Yes Victor becomes a bagman to a sleazy politician and he is all excited about the cut of the salad that will be coming to him. But as always, Victor's better demons take over and he helps round up the bad guys who include the mastermind of all corruption, Big Butter. When is the next one?
September 6, 2014
And there I was, humble little Victor Carl—legal lemur, low man on anyone’s totem pole, the pride of, well, nothing and no one—sipping champagne amidst this gaudy display, wearing my ruby slippers painted black, with an inexplicable force field of my very own.
Not counting the very enjoyable appetizer novella, “A Bite of Strawberry,” issued earlier this year, it’s been 7 years since William Lashner has allowed his overanxious readers a Victor Carl novel. (The last series novel A Killer’s Kiss was published in 2007). Fortunately, that has ended with the entertaining Bagmen. Victor Carl’s practice has not being doing well and he stoops to hanging around the courthouse looking for work. That’s where his old law school classmate, Melanie Brooks, finds him to help her get off a client of hers, Colin Frost. Victor Carl not only gets Frost off, but his success leads to even more work with Melanie Brooks and what appears to be a key client, US Congressman Peter J. DeMathis, and ultimately Victor finds himself replacing Colin Frost as what appears to be DeMathis’ bagman.
Stony Mulroney, an experienced Philadelphia bagman, finds Victor and invites him to Rosen’s bar, where Victor ultimately gets to meet other Philadelphia bagmen. Victor is told, sometimes in a friendly way and sometimes in a somewhat threatening way, what he should and shouldn’t be doing in his new role. It is mostly through these characters that Lashner provides the humorous dialogue that is part of what makes the Victor Carl books so good. Of course the funniest parts are when Victor goes to Boyd’s to get some proper menswear.
As typical of the Victor Carl books, his early success is short lived as he quickly finds himself in trouble with Detective McDeiss (an old favorite character from past books) when he is found to be involved with a Jessica Barnes, a woman found dead that McDeiss is investigating. Carl finds himself in even more trouble and enlists the help of his fellow bagmen, most of whom are more interested in their own interests than Victor Carl’s. What follows is a great and entertaining book full of memorable dialogue and terrific scenes.
I’ve mostly just read William Lashner’s Victor Carl book, although I did read and enjoy The Barkeep that was published earlier this year. I’m hoping for more Victor Carl books that hopefully will occur more than every 7 years, but in the mean time, I’m going back to read some of the non-series books that I haven’t read by William Lashner.
August 25, 2014
I can't tell you what a relief it is to finish an awful, awful book. I couldn't wait until I finished it and I only did it as I was reviewing it for Amazon. I could not believe it was popular enough to have a series. Who read this stuff? It is a direct rip-off of Michael Connolly's Lincoln Lawyer series but done very badly. Here are some of the examples of the writing:
"She bent her neck back, exposing her long pale neck. I had the bright vampiric urge to take a bite, a large one, a real mouthful."
and
"He is worth almost a billion dollars, and that is enough to keep him warm at night."
The set-up is Victor Carl, an impoverished lawyer, becomes a bagman for a company that owns a Congressman. People get killed, Carl gets double crossed, there is an incredibly yucky incest relationship and people are betrayed. Yawn. There were no surprises, the writing was bland, the plot clichéd and I have absolutely no reason to recommend it. If you like this type of book try Michael Connolly.
"She bent her neck back, exposing her long pale neck. I had the bright vampiric urge to take a bite, a large one, a real mouthful."
and
"He is worth almost a billion dollars, and that is enough to keep him warm at night."
The set-up is Victor Carl, an impoverished lawyer, becomes a bagman for a company that owns a Congressman. People get killed, Carl gets double crossed, there is an incredibly yucky incest relationship and people are betrayed. Yawn. There were no surprises, the writing was bland, the plot clichéd and I have absolutely no reason to recommend it. If you like this type of book try Michael Connolly.
August 5, 2014
Bagmen by New York Times bestselling author William Lashner is the eighth book in the lawyer Victor Carl series following #1 Hostile Witness, #2 Veritas, #3 Fatal Flaw, #4 Past Due, #5 Falls the Shadow, #6 Marked Man, and #7 A Killer’s Kiss. In the interval between Bagmen and A Killer’s Kiss, the author delighted fans with a Victor Carl novella entitled, A Bite of Strawberry.
Fans who have been closely following lawyer Victor Carl series will know the type of guy that he is. Always down on his luck but proud and witty, nothing good ever seems to come his way. So, it’s a surprise when an old friend made an offer that would change his life. And so enters Victor Carl into the world of politics and corruption as a bagman for Senator DeMathis. You can just imagine Victor’s smug smile on his face as he strikes deals on behalf of the Congressman..And it is too good to last! A woman with whom he dealt with is found hammered to death in an alley and Victor finds himself at the wrong end of the law.
Willian Lashner’s Victor Carl is an extraordinary character who has endeared himself to countless readers through his wit, dialogue, self-deprecation and uncanny ability to turn everything into a disaster. Following his predicament through Bagmen is a chance not to be missed. The author has written another enjoyable story full of likeable and sleazy characters. Will Victor Carl survive his latest ordeal?
Fans who have been closely following lawyer Victor Carl series will know the type of guy that he is. Always down on his luck but proud and witty, nothing good ever seems to come his way. So, it’s a surprise when an old friend made an offer that would change his life. And so enters Victor Carl into the world of politics and corruption as a bagman for Senator DeMathis. You can just imagine Victor’s smug smile on his face as he strikes deals on behalf of the Congressman..And it is too good to last! A woman with whom he dealt with is found hammered to death in an alley and Victor finds himself at the wrong end of the law.
Willian Lashner’s Victor Carl is an extraordinary character who has endeared himself to countless readers through his wit, dialogue, self-deprecation and uncanny ability to turn everything into a disaster. Following his predicament through Bagmen is a chance not to be missed. The author has written another enjoyable story full of likeable and sleazy characters. Will Victor Carl survive his latest ordeal?
June 23, 2014
BLACK & BLUE
After a seven year hiatus Philadelphia attorney Victor Carl is back in his 8th adventure. Victor brings a new meaning to “opportunistic sleazy lawyer”, but is a likeable protagonist nonetheless, mainly because of his self-awareness/deprecation. In Bagmen he has sunk to a new, but extremely lucrative low. As the title implies Victor is now the go between, trouble-shooting, money wielding guy for a US Congressman – “solving” problems under the table with cash. Early on – after a young woman he paid off is murdered - Victor realizes that he is in over his head – way over his head – yet as long as the money keeps flowing he shoulders on.
There is an extraordinary supporting cast here – the scheming politicos, a “Jeevesian” haberdashery clerk, a James Bond bad guy – and girl - the police and The Brotherhood of Bagmen – including one woman – who adopt Victor for his own good and their reputation. The convoluted plotting would make Chandler proud – as well as the metaphors. (For instance there’s a priceless description of a comb over.) And the dialogue is excellent. Even at 400 pages this book never lags.
(As an aside this reader is curious as to whether the author had a bet with someone as to how many times he could use the word “stinking” in this book.)
There is one caveat. Being a Victor Carl book – and also dealing with the world of politics – Bagmen is dark, jaded and cynical – very much so. It is also poignant and very, very funny, but Lewis Black funny – not Jimmy Fallon funny. (Nothing against Mr. Fallon.)
Bottom line is I thoroughly enjoyed Bagmen.
After a seven year hiatus Philadelphia attorney Victor Carl is back in his 8th adventure. Victor brings a new meaning to “opportunistic sleazy lawyer”, but is a likeable protagonist nonetheless, mainly because of his self-awareness/deprecation. In Bagmen he has sunk to a new, but extremely lucrative low. As the title implies Victor is now the go between, trouble-shooting, money wielding guy for a US Congressman – “solving” problems under the table with cash. Early on – after a young woman he paid off is murdered - Victor realizes that he is in over his head – way over his head – yet as long as the money keeps flowing he shoulders on.
There is an extraordinary supporting cast here – the scheming politicos, a “Jeevesian” haberdashery clerk, a James Bond bad guy – and girl - the police and The Brotherhood of Bagmen – including one woman – who adopt Victor for his own good and their reputation. The convoluted plotting would make Chandler proud – as well as the metaphors. (For instance there’s a priceless description of a comb over.) And the dialogue is excellent. Even at 400 pages this book never lags.
(As an aside this reader is curious as to whether the author had a bet with someone as to how many times he could use the word “stinking” in this book.)
There is one caveat. Being a Victor Carl book – and also dealing with the world of politics – Bagmen is dark, jaded and cynical – very much so. It is also poignant and very, very funny, but Lewis Black funny – not Jimmy Fallon funny. (Nothing against Mr. Fallon.)
Bottom line is I thoroughly enjoyed Bagmen.
November 16, 2014
The gritty streets of Philadelphia come alive in this story of Victor Carl, a downtrodden defense lawyer who turns to politics in an attempt to breathe life into his career. He quickly discovers that politics can be dirtier and more amoral than bottom-of-the-barrel legal defense work. Carl's new work as a political bagman quickly intersects with a homicide, for which he becomes the chief suspect. His choice is clear: Solve the case, or face arrest. Enter a loose confederacy of oddball colleagues who also "deliver the salad" for crooked politicos. Lashner, a former prosecutor, writes in a whimsical, first-person style which buttresses strong plotting with humor and irony. This eighth entry in the Victor Carl series is a most entertaining read.
January 10, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
At a low point in his lowly career, Victor finds himself skulking through the streets of Philadelphia carrying a bag full of money for an ambitious politician. It is a rotten job on the wrong side of anyone’s line, but with bag in hand Victor is suddenly hobnobbing with the city’s elite, filling his bank account, and involved with the politician’s gorgeous and deranged sister. But just when Victor begins to think he’s got a future in the political game, one of his payoffs ends up in the pocket of a dead woman, and Victor goes from bagman to fall guy. Now Victor’s only way out might lie with a brotherhood of shady characters with sacks full of cash, bad fedoras, and their own twisted set of rules. Will Victor’s new friends help him find a killer or bury him deep?
*3.5 stars*
Let me tell you what I didn't like first - the plot was pretty boring. Cliched situations and run-of-the-mill antagonists. Nothing that stands out and makes me want to read more. Except...
The writing style is quite fresh and clever. The dialogue is often sharp and witty, the humour is quite often and keeps you reading with a smile on your face. The characters are well-drawn (the good guys, anyway) and you feel really engaged with Victor and his ways. Is this enough to make me go back and read more? Probably.
Paul
ARH
At a low point in his lowly career, Victor finds himself skulking through the streets of Philadelphia carrying a bag full of money for an ambitious politician. It is a rotten job on the wrong side of anyone’s line, but with bag in hand Victor is suddenly hobnobbing with the city’s elite, filling his bank account, and involved with the politician’s gorgeous and deranged sister. But just when Victor begins to think he’s got a future in the political game, one of his payoffs ends up in the pocket of a dead woman, and Victor goes from bagman to fall guy. Now Victor’s only way out might lie with a brotherhood of shady characters with sacks full of cash, bad fedoras, and their own twisted set of rules. Will Victor’s new friends help him find a killer or bury him deep?
*3.5 stars*
Let me tell you what I didn't like first - the plot was pretty boring. Cliched situations and run-of-the-mill antagonists. Nothing that stands out and makes me want to read more. Except...
The writing style is quite fresh and clever. The dialogue is often sharp and witty, the humour is quite often and keeps you reading with a smile on your face. The characters are well-drawn (the good guys, anyway) and you feel really engaged with Victor and his ways. Is this enough to make me go back and read more? Probably.
Paul
ARH
April 22, 2018
I was excited to see a new Victor Carl books after several years - the first 7 were outstanding.
In Bagmen, Carl finds himself hauling suitcases of money for a congressman. A dirty job, but he is making good money and believes he has a future in politics and the Philadelphia elite. The, as it happens, Carl turns into the fall guy when a payoff is linked to a dead woman.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat. Carl lost his edge, the dialogue was more stilted, and the story was not as deep as his prior thrillers. Perhaps a lot of my disappointment was that it didn't measure up to prior Victor Carl novels, but it kind of felt like Lashner was going through the motions on this one.
In Bagmen, Carl finds himself hauling suitcases of money for a congressman. A dirty job, but he is making good money and believes he has a future in politics and the Philadelphia elite. The, as it happens, Carl turns into the fall guy when a payoff is linked to a dead woman.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat. Carl lost his edge, the dialogue was more stilted, and the story was not as deep as his prior thrillers. Perhaps a lot of my disappointment was that it didn't measure up to prior Victor Carl novels, but it kind of felt like Lashner was going through the motions on this one.
April 10, 2019
This one is a bit loopy. I haven't read any in this
series before, but I suspect the protagonist is usually
a lawyer throughout his novels. He is not in this one.
The dialogue is rather glib but I enjoy the repartee
up to a point. The story is somewhat clever although
I think the plot drags on for a bit too much.
series before, but I suspect the protagonist is usually
a lawyer throughout his novels. He is not in this one.
The dialogue is rather glib but I enjoy the repartee
up to a point. The story is somewhat clever although
I think the plot drags on for a bit too much.
August 3, 2017
Great read!
This book is funny, sarcastic, sobering, sad, disgusting...I could go on. I loved it - except for the disgusting part but that was integral to the story. The sarcasm reminds me of Grisham. This is my first Lashner book but it won't be my last!
This book is funny, sarcastic, sobering, sad, disgusting...I could go on. I loved it - except for the disgusting part but that was integral to the story. The sarcasm reminds me of Grisham. This is my first Lashner book but it won't be my last!
July 15, 2020
Another good read
Lashner never disappoints. While this is not his best, you can count on the same wit, dark humor and on learning something you didn't know or weren't sure of about human nature and the world's turning. You may come out more trusting, but most likely not!
Lashner never disappoints. While this is not his best, you can count on the same wit, dark humor and on learning something you didn't know or weren't sure of about human nature and the world's turning. You may come out more trusting, but most likely not!
April 5, 2021
If you love reading about the dirty underbelly of politics that keep the wheels of a country in motion, combined with murder suspense - you’ll love this. I loved everything about victor carl, from his nonchalance to success to his fear of failure - made for a very interesting read!
July 31, 2017
Truly entertaining
I read this book very fast. And enjoyed it quite a bit. I reccomend it to ley the time fly
I read this book very fast. And enjoyed it quite a bit. I reccomend it to ley the time fly
September 24, 2017
Typical book from the series. Readable but nothing special.
October 25, 2017
In general, I liked the book. The Victor Carl character was unique. However, I felt the book could have been wrapped up sooner. It was, to me, about 50-100 pages to long.
March 28, 2018
Not so great
I have read a few of his other books that I have enjoyed. Do not ignore the author just this book IMO
I have read a few of his other books that I have enjoyed. Do not ignore the author just this book IMO
February 13, 2020
Loved the writing and complex plot. I will read more by this guy.
February 2, 2021
Good start for a series.
Vincent Carl is a very interesting character. He is a good cross between the cynical and the idealist. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
Vincent Carl is a very interesting character. He is a good cross between the cynical and the idealist. I will definitely read the next book in the series.
September 3, 2023
3 1/2 stars ... as much as I love the Victor Carl series... this one went on a little bit too long..
October 19, 2014
This is the latest and (of the ones I've read) least of the Victor Carl series. Victor's still the conflicted, weaselly, bottom-feeder Philadelphia shyster he's always been, still driven in the end by an idealism he refuses to acknowledge, but a hell of a lot less interesting and creative, on Lashner's part, than he used to be. I'm sure Victor still sells, but it may be time for Lashner to find somebody else to write about.
The book really deserves about 3.5 stars. I'm giving Lashner the benefit of the doubt in hopes he does better next time. The writing here gets too cutesy, too giggle-up-the-sleave. The Philadelphia that Lashner always presented with tasty specifics and a sense of genuine place has pretty much disappeared. The plot has nasty holes where the reader can easily twist a mental ankle. By the end, I didn't much care who had done what to whom – if I could figure what had been done and how.
His creation of a sub-culture of seamy bagmen – who slouch around to keep local government working by directing the flow of small-time cash under the counter – is clever, fun, some of the best parts of the book, but not for minute either believable or workable as an alternate social reality. Will I read the next of Victor's adventures? Not too sure.
The book really deserves about 3.5 stars. I'm giving Lashner the benefit of the doubt in hopes he does better next time. The writing here gets too cutesy, too giggle-up-the-sleave. The Philadelphia that Lashner always presented with tasty specifics and a sense of genuine place has pretty much disappeared. The plot has nasty holes where the reader can easily twist a mental ankle. By the end, I didn't much care who had done what to whom – if I could figure what had been done and how.
His creation of a sub-culture of seamy bagmen – who slouch around to keep local government working by directing the flow of small-time cash under the counter – is clever, fun, some of the best parts of the book, but not for minute either believable or workable as an alternate social reality. Will I read the next of Victor's adventures? Not too sure.
January 28, 2015
I put three stars because I didn't know what to put. I discovered William Lashner about 6 weeks ago, and have read all the Victor Carl novels in order now. I'll just review this last one.
There are things I love about this series and things I hate about this series. There is some (deliberately) funny writing, some great dialogue, some satisfying characters. It's entertaining enough that I could overlook the contrived plots, the groaning bits of overwrought prose, the over-egged wisecracks. But the misogyny is killing me.
I want to like Victor, the way I like many anti-heroes who are too smart for their own good and who have an incurable allergy to success. But the way he talks about women, the way he treats women, it's just too much. I don't think I can read one more page of it.
There are things I love about this series and things I hate about this series. There is some (deliberately) funny writing, some great dialogue, some satisfying characters. It's entertaining enough that I could overlook the contrived plots, the groaning bits of overwrought prose, the over-egged wisecracks. But the misogyny is killing me.
I want to like Victor, the way I like many anti-heroes who are too smart for their own good and who have an incurable allergy to success. But the way he talks about women, the way he treats women, it's just too much. I don't think I can read one more page of it.
January 7, 2015
3.5 stars
Sad sack lawyer Victor Carl attaches himself to the underbelly of the election campaign of a PA congressman. He’s a “bagman” carrying illegal payoffs from one place to another. A woman to whom he just gave a blackmail payoff ends up dead with Carl as the fall guy.
Strangely enough this is the 3rd book in a row with the locale as Philadelphia. Apparently this is a series and this book the eighth. It certainly validates the opinion that government at any level is corrupt and in business “of the politician, by the politician and for the politician”. It provides insight into the role of a bagman and had colorful characters. The ending was a bit off the wall with the Big Butter.
Sad sack lawyer Victor Carl attaches himself to the underbelly of the election campaign of a PA congressman. He’s a “bagman” carrying illegal payoffs from one place to another. A woman to whom he just gave a blackmail payoff ends up dead with Carl as the fall guy.
Strangely enough this is the 3rd book in a row with the locale as Philadelphia. Apparently this is a series and this book the eighth. It certainly validates the opinion that government at any level is corrupt and in business “of the politician, by the politician and for the politician”. It provides insight into the role of a bagman and had colorful characters. The ending was a bit off the wall with the Big Butter.
November 14, 2014
There are elements of this mystery that are entertaining, but the storyline is far too complicated, and is compounded by the book being at least 100 pages too long. Fans of the series will no doubt welcome the return of its central character, but first time readers may not give him another chance. Read our full review, here: http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/myst...
August 26, 2014
I always enjoy this series, mostly due to the fact it's one of the few author's that get Philly right. Luckily, so does narrator Patrick Lawlor. This one has a satirical noir feel with an overly complicated plot and over the top characters.
October 15, 2014
Thank you goodreads for sending me this book. It's the first book I've read by Lashner and I thought it a very solid 3+. It was highly entertaining. Nothing is purely black or white in this story. It moved along swiftly, was a little convoluted, and it contains a wrapped up ending.
December 2, 2014
I am a huge fan of William Lashner and his Victor Carl character. I liked this book, but I found Victor to be more successful and more ethical than he usually is = not as much fun! Also I thought the plot was a little predictable. Enjoyed the view of corruption in Philadelphia.
February 4, 2015
Fun to read!
A delightful tale by a competent writer. Liked the wry wit, the cynical attitudes of an idealist and the interesting characters. Will read more of the Victor Carl series. Fun.
A delightful tale by a competent writer. Liked the wry wit, the cynical attitudes of an idealist and the interesting characters. Will read more of the Victor Carl series. Fun.
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