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Leather Maiden
A masterly new thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer who has “a folklorist’s eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur’s sense of pace” (The New York Times Book Review).
After a scandalous affair costs him his job in Houston, Cason Statler—Gulf War veteran and Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist—returns home to the small east Texas town of Camp Rapture. Cason is a wreck. He drinks too much, he’s stalking his ex-girlfriend, and he’s wallowing in envy of his successful older brother. To get back on his feet, he takes a job at the local paper, and when he stumbles across his predecessor’s notes on a cold case murder file, he thinks he’s found the thing that’ll keep him out of trouble. No such luck. The further he digs into the case, the more certain he is that the unsolved crime is connected to a series of eerie, inexplicable events that have recently occurred in town. And he knows his suspicions are right on when he finds himself dragged into a deadly game of blackmail and murder that clearly has evil as its only goal.
Leather Maiden is a brash amalgam of suspense, raw humor, and mystery that unfolds in the vividly rendered shadowy lowlands of eastern Texas. It’s country noir as only Joe Lansdale can do it.
After a scandalous affair costs him his job in Houston, Cason Statler—Gulf War veteran and Pulitzer Prize–nominated journalist—returns home to the small east Texas town of Camp Rapture. Cason is a wreck. He drinks too much, he’s stalking his ex-girlfriend, and he’s wallowing in envy of his successful older brother. To get back on his feet, he takes a job at the local paper, and when he stumbles across his predecessor’s notes on a cold case murder file, he thinks he’s found the thing that’ll keep him out of trouble. No such luck. The further he digs into the case, the more certain he is that the unsolved crime is connected to a series of eerie, inexplicable events that have recently occurred in town. And he knows his suspicions are right on when he finds himself dragged into a deadly game of blackmail and murder that clearly has evil as its only goal.
Leather Maiden is a brash amalgam of suspense, raw humor, and mystery that unfolds in the vividly rendered shadowy lowlands of eastern Texas. It’s country noir as only Joe Lansdale can do it.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
40 people are currently reading
1019 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
818 books3,892 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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November 26, 2025
BRIVIDI D'ESTATE
Caddo Lake, East Texas.
Un’altra storia di e da questo raccontatore eccellente che io ho “scoperto” solo di recente, ma ho imparato subito a frequentare assiduamente.
Racconti che prendono, mettono voglia di andare avanti, di non abbandonare le pagine, neppure metterle giù, chiuderle. Appiccicano la voglia di sapere che succede, come e perché, dove va a parare, come finisce.
Lettura scorrevole, senza intoppi né inciampi, ben cadenzata e calibrata, evitando zone mosce ma anche zone esagerate. Il tutto sempre infarcito e accompagnato da senso dell’ironia, da umorismo, da personaggi che vien voglia di frequentare, di farsi una birra insieme, chiacchierando ridendo ma lasciando anche pause di silenzio senza imbarazzo. E dopo qualche sorso di birra, magari anche un dito di bourbon, condividendo ricordi e speranze.
Bouton Lake, East Texas.
Uno scrittore che questo editore italiano ha saputo far suo, far conoscere, addirittura arrivando a pubblicare questo titolo nella traduzione italiana prima che uscisse l’originale in inglese (almeno così sembrerebbe: 2007 in Italia, 2008 negli US).
E questa quindi dovrebbe essere la prima uscita di The Leather Maid che in italiano diventa la ragazza dal cuore d’acciaio. E quindi la cameriera di o in pelle, nel senso di cuoio, diventa una ragazza dal cuore d’acciaio dal titolo di un componimento del poeta Jerzy Fitzgerald, alias dello stesso Lansdale.
Una poesia che:
Parla della vita come gioco e di una donna che usa le persone come pedine degli scacchi, pronta a sacrificare qualche pezzo pur di vincere la partita della vita. Quella ragazza ha un cuore d’acciaio, un cuore “in cui non scorre sangue” o qualcosa del genere. C’è persino un verso che ci invita a essre pronti a uccidere le cose che ci stanno a cuore, persino le cose che amiamo.
Big Cypress Bayou River Ranch, vicino al Caddo Lake.
Lansdale mi ha fatto conoscere ed esplorare l’East Texas che non sapevo neppure esistesse: ho sempre pensato al Texas come a quello che c'è a ovest.
Un’aria carica degli odori del Texas orientale: erba tagliata da poco e caprifoglio, l’aroma pungente dei pini. È un posto che gli stranieri fanno una gran fatica a capire. Non si sposa con l’immagine che la gente si è fatta del Texas. Non ci sono deserti e non ci sono montagne. Non ci sono pianure. Ci sono alberi enormi e in abbondanza. C’è un sacco d’acqua e si tratta di un posto pieno di fragranze diverse. Ci si può scordare di montagne, deserte, e clima secco. Differenza del West, che è più in là, distante come un’ex moglie, questo è un posto vivo e appiccicoso e pieno di tutta la vita di questo mondo.
Peccato che questa volta l’ultima parte del romanzo, finale incluso, sia un po’ troppo esagerata, un po’ troppo elaborata. Un po’ poco credibile.
Caddo Lake, East Texas.
Un’altra storia di e da questo raccontatore eccellente che io ho “scoperto” solo di recente, ma ho imparato subito a frequentare assiduamente.
Racconti che prendono, mettono voglia di andare avanti, di non abbandonare le pagine, neppure metterle giù, chiuderle. Appiccicano la voglia di sapere che succede, come e perché, dove va a parare, come finisce.
Lettura scorrevole, senza intoppi né inciampi, ben cadenzata e calibrata, evitando zone mosce ma anche zone esagerate. Il tutto sempre infarcito e accompagnato da senso dell’ironia, da umorismo, da personaggi che vien voglia di frequentare, di farsi una birra insieme, chiacchierando ridendo ma lasciando anche pause di silenzio senza imbarazzo. E dopo qualche sorso di birra, magari anche un dito di bourbon, condividendo ricordi e speranze.
Bouton Lake, East Texas.
Uno scrittore che questo editore italiano ha saputo far suo, far conoscere, addirittura arrivando a pubblicare questo titolo nella traduzione italiana prima che uscisse l’originale in inglese (almeno così sembrerebbe: 2007 in Italia, 2008 negli US).
E questa quindi dovrebbe essere la prima uscita di The Leather Maid che in italiano diventa la ragazza dal cuore d’acciaio. E quindi la cameriera di o in pelle, nel senso di cuoio, diventa una ragazza dal cuore d’acciaio dal titolo di un componimento del poeta Jerzy Fitzgerald, alias dello stesso Lansdale.
Una poesia che:
Parla della vita come gioco e di una donna che usa le persone come pedine degli scacchi, pronta a sacrificare qualche pezzo pur di vincere la partita della vita. Quella ragazza ha un cuore d’acciaio, un cuore “in cui non scorre sangue” o qualcosa del genere. C’è persino un verso che ci invita a essre pronti a uccidere le cose che ci stanno a cuore, persino le cose che amiamo.
Big Cypress Bayou River Ranch, vicino al Caddo Lake.
Lansdale mi ha fatto conoscere ed esplorare l’East Texas che non sapevo neppure esistesse: ho sempre pensato al Texas come a quello che c'è a ovest.
Un’aria carica degli odori del Texas orientale: erba tagliata da poco e caprifoglio, l’aroma pungente dei pini. È un posto che gli stranieri fanno una gran fatica a capire. Non si sposa con l’immagine che la gente si è fatta del Texas. Non ci sono deserti e non ci sono montagne. Non ci sono pianure. Ci sono alberi enormi e in abbondanza. C’è un sacco d’acqua e si tratta di un posto pieno di fragranze diverse. Ci si può scordare di montagne, deserte, e clima secco. Differenza del West, che è più in là, distante come un’ex moglie, questo è un posto vivo e appiccicoso e pieno di tutta la vita di questo mondo.
Peccato che questa volta l’ultima parte del romanzo, finale incluso, sia un po’ troppo esagerata, un po’ troppo elaborata. Un po’ poco credibile.
April 26, 2015
Cason Statler has come home to the small east Texas town of Camp Rapture. He saw military action in the Gulf War and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize at a newspaper in Houston. He pissed his chance at the big time away when he was bonking his editor's wife and step-daughter (she was of age). So he applies for a job at the local newspaper and is hired on. Cason has a tad bit of a problem with being obsessed with an ex-girlfriend who live in town.
"I'm obsessed. That I have problems from the war. That and a buck fifty might get me a ride on the horsey out in front of the Wal-Mart."
Once on the job Cason starts going through his predecessors old notes and finds notes on Butterfinger pies, types of bugs and a missing person case involving a beautiful young college student.
He starts poking his nose into the case and discovers it involves way more than he bargained for.
His "best" (and I used the term best loosely because Cason is kinda scared of him) friend from the war keeps checking in with Cason also. I want a BFF like Booger.
He's the kind of guy who's not averse to scratching his privates in public or beating a smartass near to death with a car antenna, which he nearly did once. No one remembers the source of the disagreement that led to the beating, not even Booger, though he has a faint memory about an argument over a game of horseshoes.
"Hey man," Booger said. "hold your goddamn water till I get my pants on. Me and Mr. Lucky are going with you."
Mr. Lucky was Booger's .45. It was one of his small circle of friends.
These characters are like-able. Cason is a sarcastic asshole and at times his humor wore thin, I think that the characters in the book even thought so. I still adored him.
This is my third Joe Lansdale book and I'm very impressed by his scope of writing. The other two books The Bottoms and A Fine Dark Line were both coming of age tales that differed enough to impress me. This one is dark, funny, thriller material. I can not wait to read more of his work.
"I'm obsessed. That I have problems from the war. That and a buck fifty might get me a ride on the horsey out in front of the Wal-Mart."
Once on the job Cason starts going through his predecessors old notes and finds notes on Butterfinger pies, types of bugs and a missing person case involving a beautiful young college student.
He starts poking his nose into the case and discovers it involves way more than he bargained for.
His "best" (and I used the term best loosely because Cason is kinda scared of him) friend from the war keeps checking in with Cason also. I want a BFF like Booger.
He's the kind of guy who's not averse to scratching his privates in public or beating a smartass near to death with a car antenna, which he nearly did once. No one remembers the source of the disagreement that led to the beating, not even Booger, though he has a faint memory about an argument over a game of horseshoes.
"Hey man," Booger said. "hold your goddamn water till I get my pants on. Me and Mr. Lucky are going with you."
Mr. Lucky was Booger's .45. It was one of his small circle of friends.
These characters are like-able. Cason is a sarcastic asshole and at times his humor wore thin, I think that the characters in the book even thought so. I still adored him.
This is my third Joe Lansdale book and I'm very impressed by his scope of writing. The other two books The Bottoms and A Fine Dark Line were both coming of age tales that differed enough to impress me. This one is dark, funny, thriller material. I can not wait to read more of his work.
August 3, 2011
For me, a Joe Lansdale novel is like a visit from that foul-mouthed uncle your parents wish you wouldn't talk to when he comes to family gatherings. The stories he tells are outside your normal sphere and often make you uncomfortable.
Leather Maiden is about an Iraq war veteran who returns to his home town and starts a job writing for the local paper. He finds out about an unsolved missing person case that happened while he was gone and writes a story about it. Not long after, a mysterious envelope shows up, containing a dvd with his brother and the missing girl engaged in adult situations. Things spiral from there.
Leather Maiden is vintage Joe Lansdale: black humor, gore, interesting characters, and an intriguing story. What else do you need from a mystery novel?
Aside from the selling point of being a Joe Lansdale novel and all that entails, this story has another big thing going for it: I had no idea where things were going until they were 7/8s of the way there. I love that in a book.
Leather Maiden is about an Iraq war veteran who returns to his home town and starts a job writing for the local paper. He finds out about an unsolved missing person case that happened while he was gone and writes a story about it. Not long after, a mysterious envelope shows up, containing a dvd with his brother and the missing girl engaged in adult situations. Things spiral from there.
Leather Maiden is vintage Joe Lansdale: black humor, gore, interesting characters, and an intriguing story. What else do you need from a mystery novel?
Aside from the selling point of being a Joe Lansdale novel and all that entails, this story has another big thing going for it: I had no idea where things were going until they were 7/8s of the way there. I love that in a book.
July 3, 2014
After loving the badassitude of Cold In July, I figured I’d go straight to the movie’s source and read a novel by Joe Lansdale. But Leather Maiden was not the brutally violent and slick redneck neo-noir that I was hankering for. Besides loving the book’s cover, I found the rest of the reading experience like waiting for an undercooked meal to get better. There were a lot of promising ingredients piled into the proverbial crock pot—a haunted Iraq veteran returning to his small town hometown, his sociopathic war buddy, racial tensions involving white supremacists and a Jesse Jackson analog/douchebag, a mystery involving a missing girl, and a pair of sadistic freaks, and a possibly diabolical book written by an obscure hack writer—but it felt like the cook got tired of making my meal and decided to go ahead and serve it to me anyway. Or rather, it felt like Lansdale got 230 pages into writing this book and then said, “Damn I better go ahead and end this shit so it doesn’t get longer than 300 pages.” Plotwise, not a thing develops satisfyingly or even really makes a lick of sense. Add in unnecessary baggage like an obligatory romance, plus a hohummer of a climax, and what you get is an oversalted but still bland meal. At least the book was funny.
October 13, 2024
Some folks sure do have some strange (blood-permeated) hobbies, and this tale here tells you aaaaall about a couple of them. Oh, the wanton evil that lost souls do...
LET THE ICHOR FLOW, YO!!!
Lansdale crafted another dark one here, but, per usual, he also let a couple rays of sunshine in.
3 1/2 Skinned and Salted Stars
LET THE ICHOR FLOW, YO!!!
Lansdale crafted another dark one here, but, per usual, he also let a couple rays of sunshine in.
3 1/2 Skinned and Salted Stars
September 9, 2016
Joe R. Lansdale is one of the greatest writers alive. He's a genre all his own, and LEATHER MAIDEN is another excellent entry into his diverse canon of work. The protagonist (Cason Statler) is an emotionally-wounded, self-sabotaging Iraq war vet who's a good deal smarter and tougher than the reporters, professors, and lowlifes he encounters. Until, that is, he encounters a couple of villains so diabolical that you begin to fear for Cason and everyone he loves. There's hilarious dialogue, a truly memorable confederate, a little girl that'll break your heart, and a love story that makes you long for the two folks involved to be together.
Oh, and there's a twist near the very end that'll make you gasp for breath.
So check out LEATHER MAIDEN. It's not my favorite Lansdale, but then again, my favorite Lansdales would require a new 6-out-of-5 star rating system on Goodreads. So I'll settle for five stars for this one because any less would imply I didn't love it. Which I did. Every damned word.
Joe R. Lansdale is a national treasure. If you haven't read him yet, you need to. And if you, for whatever reason, decide you're not going to give his stuff a chance, you deserve a good kick in the nether regions.
Oh, and there's a twist near the very end that'll make you gasp for breath.
So check out LEATHER MAIDEN. It's not my favorite Lansdale, but then again, my favorite Lansdales would require a new 6-out-of-5 star rating system on Goodreads. So I'll settle for five stars for this one because any less would imply I didn't love it. Which I did. Every damned word.
Joe R. Lansdale is a national treasure. If you haven't read him yet, you need to. And if you, for whatever reason, decide you're not going to give his stuff a chance, you deserve a good kick in the nether regions.
February 18, 2009
A brutal redneck crime story with memorable villians and plenty of dark humor. In other words, another Joe Lansdale book.
September 14, 2015
Cason Statler hat den Tiefpunkt seines Lebens erreicht: traumatisiert von seinem Einsatz als Soldat im Golfkrieg kehrt er in sein Elternhaus zurück, ein von der Freundin verlassener Trinker, der durchaus seine Chance hatte; als Reporter war er für den Pulitzer Preis nominiert, doch dann ging er mit der Frau seines Chefs und dessen Tochter ins Bett und damit endete seine Karriere, bevor sie überhaupt begann. Cason findet sich als Reporter eines Kleinstadt-Käseblatts wieder und ist hier für den nicht besonders spannenden Tratsch und Klatsch zuständig. Das Leben hat den ehemaligen Starreporter genügsam gemacht, doch dann kommt er einer Story auf die Spur, die Potenzial hat: eine junge Frau ist spurlos verschwunden, und Cason nimmt die journalistischen Ermittlungen auf, unterstütz von seiner neuen Kollegin…
Nachdem ich zwei gelungene Romane von Lansdale gelesen hatte, die jeweils aus der Sicht eines jugendlichen Erzählers geschrieben waren (DIE WÄLDER AM FLUSS und EIN FEINER DUNKLER RISS), hat mich hier der trockene Humor und die oft drastische bildhafte Ausdrucksweise eines Gestrandeten von Anfang an sehr eingenommen. Lansdale ist ein gewiefter Erzähler, der unterhaltsam schreibt, ohne ins Triviale abzurutschen, und dessen sympathische Helden mir schnell ans Herz wachsen.
GLUTHITZE ist ein Roman, der im Laufe der Handlung immer mehr Fahrt aufnimmt, und auch wenn der Aufbau recht klassisch ist, steigert sich die Spannung zum Ende hin enorm und ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.
Trotzdem hat mich GLUTZHITZE nicht so überzeugt wie die vorgenannten Romane, und das liegt vor allem daran, dass GLUTHITZE zum Ende hin äußerst brutal wird. Folterszenen und grausam zugerichtete Leichen sind Elemente, auf die ich verzichten kann; diese grausamen Schilderungen waren für meinen Geschmack unnötig und teilweise überzogen brutal und stellten einen Bruch zu den ersten 300 Seiten des Romans dar, der anfänglich seine Spannung aus der sehr gut erzählten Story alleine beziehen kann. Aber mir ist bewusst, dass „der Leser“ von Thrillern eine immer härtere Gangart erwartet und ich vermutlich zu einer verschwindend kleinen Minderheit zähle, die an der expliziten Schilderung von Grausamkeiten Anstoß nimmt, denn auf dem Buchmarkt wird nicht an den Interessen des Lesers vorbei geschrieben.
Schade ist aus meiner Sicht, dass ein Erzähler wie Lansdale diese Exzesse gar nicht nötig hat und damit leider auch qualitative Einbußen damit einhergehen. Die Motivation der Figuren war teilweise schlicht nicht mehr nachvollziehbar oder zu konstruiert. Dabei hätte ich bis Seite 300 noch fünf Sterne vergeben und das Buch bedenkenlos weiter empfohlen.
Wer gerne Krimis liest, die in Texas spielen, und sich an drastischen Szenen nicht stört, wird diesen Roman trotzdem mögen, denn Lansdale ist ein Erzähltalent, wie es nicht viele gibt.
Nachdem ich zwei gelungene Romane von Lansdale gelesen hatte, die jeweils aus der Sicht eines jugendlichen Erzählers geschrieben waren (DIE WÄLDER AM FLUSS und EIN FEINER DUNKLER RISS), hat mich hier der trockene Humor und die oft drastische bildhafte Ausdrucksweise eines Gestrandeten von Anfang an sehr eingenommen. Lansdale ist ein gewiefter Erzähler, der unterhaltsam schreibt, ohne ins Triviale abzurutschen, und dessen sympathische Helden mir schnell ans Herz wachsen.
GLUTHITZE ist ein Roman, der im Laufe der Handlung immer mehr Fahrt aufnimmt, und auch wenn der Aufbau recht klassisch ist, steigert sich die Spannung zum Ende hin enorm und ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen.
Trotzdem hat mich GLUTZHITZE nicht so überzeugt wie die vorgenannten Romane, und das liegt vor allem daran, dass GLUTHITZE zum Ende hin äußerst brutal wird. Folterszenen und grausam zugerichtete Leichen sind Elemente, auf die ich verzichten kann; diese grausamen Schilderungen waren für meinen Geschmack unnötig und teilweise überzogen brutal und stellten einen Bruch zu den ersten 300 Seiten des Romans dar, der anfänglich seine Spannung aus der sehr gut erzählten Story alleine beziehen kann. Aber mir ist bewusst, dass „der Leser“ von Thrillern eine immer härtere Gangart erwartet und ich vermutlich zu einer verschwindend kleinen Minderheit zähle, die an der expliziten Schilderung von Grausamkeiten Anstoß nimmt, denn auf dem Buchmarkt wird nicht an den Interessen des Lesers vorbei geschrieben.
Schade ist aus meiner Sicht, dass ein Erzähler wie Lansdale diese Exzesse gar nicht nötig hat und damit leider auch qualitative Einbußen damit einhergehen. Die Motivation der Figuren war teilweise schlicht nicht mehr nachvollziehbar oder zu konstruiert. Dabei hätte ich bis Seite 300 noch fünf Sterne vergeben und das Buch bedenkenlos weiter empfohlen.
Wer gerne Krimis liest, die in Texas spielen, und sich an drastischen Szenen nicht stört, wird diesen Roman trotzdem mögen, denn Lansdale ist ein Erzähltalent, wie es nicht viele gibt.
March 25, 2014
Do not read this if your favorites are cozy mystery. This is probably closer to the exact opposite in the overall mystery genre. It's a man's story, a troubled Iraq vet comes home to Texas. And there are a few characters in this one that do not even think in a language that does not contain 5 bleeps a sentence. So it will certainly not be for anyone who cannot tolerate that for a good story.
And beyond that, the violence is also horrific. Closer to a Scandinavian or mob mess than to a shoot em up. But put into East Texas and sublimely belonging there. Great locale feel, very real authentic protagonist with his own special problems in Cosan. And one of the worse sociopath personalities I have come across is the perp in this one. Different, not a run of the mill bad guy wanderer.
The very ending (after the climax in which you THOUGHT was the ending)was contrived and beyond my suspension of believability. BUT, it was highly entertaining and had enough other superior realistic crossover qualities to be a 4 star. Especially within the descriptive writing of simile and metaphor! I've said it before- but Joe. R. Lansdale is just superlative in human, animal, natural description. With humor.
There is also a "good guy" bad guy in this one called Booger that is scary, scary, scary. I'm sure he will be returning in other Lansdale Cosan works.
And beyond that, the violence is also horrific. Closer to a Scandinavian or mob mess than to a shoot em up. But put into East Texas and sublimely belonging there. Great locale feel, very real authentic protagonist with his own special problems in Cosan. And one of the worse sociopath personalities I have come across is the perp in this one. Different, not a run of the mill bad guy wanderer.
The very ending (after the climax in which you THOUGHT was the ending)was contrived and beyond my suspension of believability. BUT, it was highly entertaining and had enough other superior realistic crossover qualities to be a 4 star. Especially within the descriptive writing of simile and metaphor! I've said it before- but Joe. R. Lansdale is just superlative in human, animal, natural description. With humor.
There is also a "good guy" bad guy in this one called Booger that is scary, scary, scary. I'm sure he will be returning in other Lansdale Cosan works.
July 27, 2018
The book got interesting at about page 96 then went character bizarre a-la a Dan Brown novel by page 124. Tarzan shows up around the time the Zombie vampires put in an appearance. I think it would have worked better if Cheeta' had called Tarzan instead of him just showing up. It could have been a good mystery without the over-the-top freakish personages.
August 5, 2008
Reading this book was a peculiar experience for me. It was a page-turner. There was a really clever mystery that was solved. But in the end, I felt more that a little less than satisfied. I'm not entirely sure why though.
I think I'm going to have to let my thoughts simmer a little bit and write more later.
* OK, I took a shower (I do some of my best thinking in there) and I think that I have it. *
** Possible SPOILERS **
When I finished this book, I felt hollow inside. I had witnessed a fast-paced and unique adventure, but I didn't feel very good about it. It wasn't that I needed a Hollywood ending; the ending wasn't even the problem. I had already pretty much figured that out anyway. What I didn't have was a sense that I had experienced anything. I didn't really care much about these people. When I got to the last page, my thought was "Well, there you go."
Perhaps this was intended to show what it feels like for a returning Vet (Cason, the main character/narrator served in Iraq) or what it can feel like to have a certain set of emotional issues. Maybe it was meant to show that there is very little difference between the races, or people of different social backgrounds. There are just good people and bad people. Sometimes good people do bad things and sometimes the good things some people do are to cover up bad things.
Maybe it's all just a game.
I suppose that there could be another issue at work here; it's a matter of personal taste. There was a time when I read a lot of comics. I was hosting a radio show on which I interviewed many comic creators and we reviewed and discussed as wide a variety as possible. So, as a matter of research, I read a lot of books I might not normally have picked up. Some of them I liked and continued to read. Others - not so much.
I love Batman; I'm not crazy about The Punisher. This book is more like the latter. Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered, but Batman doesn't kill; Frank Castle's family was killed and there is a major dad guy body count when The Punisher comes to town.
The Leather Maiden is also filled with colorfully vulgar language and gruesome details of crime scenes. I'm not even close to being a prude, but seriously, how many times do we have to be reminded that a person will lose control of their bowels when they die?
But, that's just me.
Hmm... I just went back to proof what I had written and I had a couple more thoughts. First, that one of the best things about reading is that it makes you think. The optimistic part of my nature tells me at least this book made me think.
Finally, I was reminded of a passage in the book. A character remarks that the race-agitating minister is likely to "go home, pop in a DVD of the news coverage, and jerk himself off while he watches what he has stirred up." My cynical side thinks that, perhaps, this book's author could be doing the very same thing.
I'm pretty sure that I am wrong about that last part though.
I think I'm going to have to let my thoughts simmer a little bit and write more later.
* OK, I took a shower (I do some of my best thinking in there) and I think that I have it. *
** Possible SPOILERS **
When I finished this book, I felt hollow inside. I had witnessed a fast-paced and unique adventure, but I didn't feel very good about it. It wasn't that I needed a Hollywood ending; the ending wasn't even the problem. I had already pretty much figured that out anyway. What I didn't have was a sense that I had experienced anything. I didn't really care much about these people. When I got to the last page, my thought was "Well, there you go."
Perhaps this was intended to show what it feels like for a returning Vet (Cason, the main character/narrator served in Iraq) or what it can feel like to have a certain set of emotional issues. Maybe it was meant to show that there is very little difference between the races, or people of different social backgrounds. There are just good people and bad people. Sometimes good people do bad things and sometimes the good things some people do are to cover up bad things.
Maybe it's all just a game.
I suppose that there could be another issue at work here; it's a matter of personal taste. There was a time when I read a lot of comics. I was hosting a radio show on which I interviewed many comic creators and we reviewed and discussed as wide a variety as possible. So, as a matter of research, I read a lot of books I might not normally have picked up. Some of them I liked and continued to read. Others - not so much.
I love Batman; I'm not crazy about The Punisher. This book is more like the latter. Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered, but Batman doesn't kill; Frank Castle's family was killed and there is a major dad guy body count when The Punisher comes to town.
The Leather Maiden is also filled with colorfully vulgar language and gruesome details of crime scenes. I'm not even close to being a prude, but seriously, how many times do we have to be reminded that a person will lose control of their bowels when they die?
But, that's just me.
Hmm... I just went back to proof what I had written and I had a couple more thoughts. First, that one of the best things about reading is that it makes you think. The optimistic part of my nature tells me at least this book made me think.
Finally, I was reminded of a passage in the book. A character remarks that the race-agitating minister is likely to "go home, pop in a DVD of the news coverage, and jerk himself off while he watches what he has stirred up." My cynical side thinks that, perhaps, this book's author could be doing the very same thing.
I'm pretty sure that I am wrong about that last part though.
July 12, 2022
Heartbroken, tortured and too-fond-of-drink war vet Cason Statler's journalism career crashes and burns after he lets his dick get him in trouble and he's forced to return to his small hometown. Fortunately there's a mystifying missing persons case for him to get obsessed with in the course of covering it for his new gig in the form of a young woman who disappears without a trace, leaving behind only her car and an unopened bag of Taco Bell. What follows is classic Lansdale; lots of humor, great characters, Texan grand guignol, and enough twists and turns to satisfy any mystery addict plus a little romance to top it off. As anyone who follows my reviews will know I'm a big fan of truly awful antagonists and villains and Lansdale hasn't let me down with this one...there are some thoroughly creepy, bone-chilling motherfuckers in this book. Recommended, but it's kind of hard to overstate how gruesome this one gets.
March 13, 2010
The first Lansdale book I read was The Bottoms. That book doesn’t contain much of the author’s signature humor, so I was glad to see it in this book. Unfortunately it pretty much peters out after the first 50 pages or so. The story was good though, if a bit predictable at times. It’s essentially the story of a mysterious murder that has ever-widening aftershocks for the townspeople of Camp Rapture, TX, and for the protagonist, in particular. Cason is an ex-writer, ex-soldier who has come home searching for some stability in his life. He lands a job at a local paper and comes across his predecessor’s notes on a local disappearance. Thinking he can translate this story into attention in the journalistic world beyond his small town, Cason begins to investigate. And that’s when it starts to hit the fan. There are some interesting characters in this book, chief among them (in my mind) is Booger. For me he’s kind of a conglomerate character of a few different guys I know, at least one of whom I suspect is a sociopath, all of whom I avoid. I honestly don’t know if this is a great introductory book to Joe Lansdale’s work, but it is easier to find than many of his others.
April 5, 2021
I'm pretty sure that I used to be a huge Lansdale fan. This was one that I didn't read previously, saw it online and the cover grabbed me. I opted to go for audio, and I have to admit that listening to it was not the treat that I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, the voice was okay, but it did cause me to fall asleep a few times.
It's weird how our memories can remember one thing, but when we revisit them, it was totally off. I'm pretty sure that I remembered Lansdale as one that was somewhat shocking and fun and gory. Maybe it was just this one book that didn't fall into those qualifications.. but with that cover I was expecting more.
The story was fine. A typical thriller type deal. A soldier returns home, gets a job for a newspaper and digs up some dirt on an old murder case.
There was nothing wrong with the story, but for me it was just okay
It's weird how our memories can remember one thing, but when we revisit them, it was totally off. I'm pretty sure that I remembered Lansdale as one that was somewhat shocking and fun and gory. Maybe it was just this one book that didn't fall into those qualifications.. but with that cover I was expecting more.
The story was fine. A typical thriller type deal. A soldier returns home, gets a job for a newspaper and digs up some dirt on an old murder case.
There was nothing wrong with the story, but for me it was just okay
August 31, 2008
Normally I enjoy Lansdale’s books, but this one disappointed me. It was too gruesome in some places, and I’m afraid the psychotic “friend” who loves weapons and pops up just in time to help the protagonist has been done to death in crime fiction books. Also the author’s excessive use of "down-home" similes was getting to me after a while. The story itself was fine, but I don’t think the author developed the main characters enough. Good enough for a quick read if you like this type of story, but definitely not a keeper.
September 20, 2013
This is Lansdale at his very best: gritty, barbaric, funny, shocking and compulsive. Lansdale is head and shoulders above his peers and in this novel he has created another dark slice of pure Texas mayhem.
The characters are believable and the dialogue crackles along like a bush-fire with some of the funniest lines ever to be printed.
This is the perfect example of what Lansdale does best and is the perfect example of why, in my opinion, he's currently the best crime writer in the States.
Highly recommended.
The characters are believable and the dialogue crackles along like a bush-fire with some of the funniest lines ever to be printed.
This is the perfect example of what Lansdale does best and is the perfect example of why, in my opinion, he's currently the best crime writer in the States.
Highly recommended.
February 23, 2024
Lansdale's up to his usual tricks and a few fresh ones
This one hovered for a while between 3 and 4 stars, as the first half is a slower burn for a Lansdale mystery/crime/action thriller, sometimes feeling like it could just as easily have settled into a more laid back slice of life/character-study story...which would be fine, except at some point it feels like Lansdale "finding his way" to several options for what/where the real story is headed, and things meander for a while before he finds the right one. Once it does, the reader is solidly in Lansdale country, with an extra dose of Weird/Gothic flavorings. There's a final twist of the knife that I sort of saw coming, though in other ways was completely thrown by the devils in the details and the sneakiness of it all. Once things kick into high gear, Lansdale makes some of his best use of his knack for grounding action-thriller daring-do in humanist psychological/emotional realism. Cason makes for an affable flawed hero, while the MVP is clearly his old war buddy Booger, an entertainingly deranged lunatic with no apparent moral redeeming qualities beyond his unshakable loyalty to a friend in need.
This one hovered for a while between 3 and 4 stars, as the first half is a slower burn for a Lansdale mystery/crime/action thriller, sometimes feeling like it could just as easily have settled into a more laid back slice of life/character-study story...which would be fine, except at some point it feels like Lansdale "finding his way" to several options for what/where the real story is headed, and things meander for a while before he finds the right one. Once it does, the reader is solidly in Lansdale country, with an extra dose of Weird/Gothic flavorings. There's a final twist of the knife that I sort of saw coming, though in other ways was completely thrown by the devils in the details and the sneakiness of it all. Once things kick into high gear, Lansdale makes some of his best use of his knack for grounding action-thriller daring-do in humanist psychological/emotional realism. Cason makes for an affable flawed hero, while the MVP is clearly his old war buddy Booger, an entertainingly deranged lunatic with no apparent moral redeeming qualities beyond his unshakable loyalty to a friend in need.
March 26, 2017
One of the reasons I like a series is that there is an understanding, for the most part, that the good guys will still be alive at the end of the book. When you read a standalone like this there is a sense of dread that anything can happen, anyone can die. At least with a first-person narrator there's one guy you feel sure will make it. It it's still scary. I enjoyed this, sense of dread notwithstanding. Not quite as funny as other Lansdales, but just as disturbed.
August 5, 2011
Joe writes up a pretty good mystery with The Leather Maiden. Stir that in with plenty of very dry and sometimes biting humor and this one comes out like a nice Frito pie. And just like Frito pie, Joe himself is a Texas specialty that may rub some folks in the wrong way. I happen to enjoy his writing style and really enjoyed the easy smooth pace of this tale. Some things may be a bit obvious and the ending may be a bit scripted but I am always happy to sit down to a nice big helping of Lansdale pie. Too bad he does not write a nice 1200 page novel so that I could spend more time with him. However this may be too much of a good thing. For mystery fans and Lansdale fans this one is a winner winner chicken fried steak Texas style dinner.
July 16, 2016
A down and almost out newspaper journalist is looking for a job. He lost a good job in Houston as the result of his screwing up royally. He returns to his hometown in east Texas and finds a job as a reporter at the local newspaper. While going through his predecessor's notes he learns of an unsolved cold case murder. It piques his interest and as he follows the trail it leads into a quagmire of inexplicable events. Mr. Lansdale has a fertile mind and introduces us to some very interesting characters.
January 20, 2010
Aha! All the books I've read lately haven't been too great, and here I thought it was my poor attitude that made it so. Turns out I just haven't been reading the right books! I sat down with this around five in the afternoon and didn't put it down til I finished it around 10:30. This book is gruesome & hilarious, if a book can be both things simultaneously. Thank you, Joe Lansdale, for breaking my slump.
April 5, 2016
Mancanza d'amore, personalità sociopatiche e sindrome post traumatica, il tutto mescolato con la solita, tagliente scrittura di Lansdale, per costruire un thriller non scontato, anche se alla fine vincono i buoni.
Non un vero capolavoro, ma divertentissimo e con personaggi ben costruiti.
Non un vero capolavoro, ma divertentissimo e con personaggi ben costruiti.
November 25, 2012
I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I'll go with 3.5. The first 60 pages are slathered in clichés. But after that the story really starts rolling. It's a predictable story if you pay attention, but the pacing is great and it's pretty funny in spots.
August 28, 2013
I`ve listened to the audiobook. That was an breath-stealing book with psychopaths you wouldn`t believe. But it cements my opinion once more that Mr. Lansdale is an autobuy for me.
highly recommendable !
highly recommendable !
March 27, 2014
No one has mastered the sweet spot of laugh out loud funny mixed with cringe-worthy grotesquerie better than Joe Lansdale. I laughed a lot and ate this book up.
January 23, 2017
It was awesome seeing where some great side characters from Hap and Leonard (Booger being one of my favorites) came from. Great tight mystery/suspense novel.
August 11, 2025
I read this book a couple times now and it continues to be my favorite. It has EVERYTHING. Mystery, comedy, romance, horror, suspense. What more could you ask for?
March 25, 2021
I've really become a fan of Lansdale after reading most of his Hap and Leonard series as well as several of his stand alones. His novels are always hard-hitting and full of grit showing the darker side of the human experience and always touched with his sardonic humor.
In this one, Cason Statler, a reporter who was nominated for a Pulitzer, comes home to Camp Rapture, Texas to work for the local newspaper the Camp Rapture Report. He returns to his hometown because of a scandal he caused in Houston over boning his boss’ late forties wife and thirty something daughter which pretty much ended his career as a journalist. But the cranky editor of the Report gives him a chance to redeem himself even though she is unhappy that he always appears to be hung over. Cason is assigned to write local columns for the paper and based on his predecessor's notes, he decides to investigate the disappearance of a twenty-three year old history major, the beautiful Caroline Allison, who vanished while on a late night food run with her car abandoned near the old creepy Siegel place. As he makes inquiries, Cason sees a connection with some more recent odd unsolved felonies that may even involve his older brother, a history professor who knew Caroline as one of his students. So what happened to Caroline? Was she murdered or is she still out there? Is Cason's brother involved in her disappearance?
This as usual was a real page turner from Lansdale filled with unforgettable characters who often act without regard for common decency. Another strong recommendation for Lansdale...really good stuff!
In this one, Cason Statler, a reporter who was nominated for a Pulitzer, comes home to Camp Rapture, Texas to work for the local newspaper the Camp Rapture Report. He returns to his hometown because of a scandal he caused in Houston over boning his boss’ late forties wife and thirty something daughter which pretty much ended his career as a journalist. But the cranky editor of the Report gives him a chance to redeem himself even though she is unhappy that he always appears to be hung over. Cason is assigned to write local columns for the paper and based on his predecessor's notes, he decides to investigate the disappearance of a twenty-three year old history major, the beautiful Caroline Allison, who vanished while on a late night food run with her car abandoned near the old creepy Siegel place. As he makes inquiries, Cason sees a connection with some more recent odd unsolved felonies that may even involve his older brother, a history professor who knew Caroline as one of his students. So what happened to Caroline? Was she murdered or is she still out there? Is Cason's brother involved in her disappearance?
This as usual was a real page turner from Lansdale filled with unforgettable characters who often act without regard for common decency. Another strong recommendation for Lansdale...really good stuff!
September 26, 2017
L. ci ha abituato bene e questa sua ultima fatica - come d'altronde ci si deve aspettare, ogni tanto - e' superata da altre precedenti. Tuttavia, le 430 pagine scorrono che è un piacere e le figure dei comprimari (penso a due adorabili signore anziane) non fanno assolutamente rimpiangere Hap e Leonard. La storia è sufficientemente truculenta e le assonanze con alcuni thiller cinematografici si sentono. Ma avercene, di libri cosi'...
June 18, 2024
There is just something so cozy about Lansdale’s writing.
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