Coco Butternut

Hap and Leonard #9.8

by Joe R. Lansdale

Coco Butternut marks the always-welcome return of Joe R. Lansdale’s dysfunctional duo: Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. As usual, wherever Hap and Leonard go, trouble seems to already be there, awaiting their arrival. And in the case of this twisty, hilarious, and heartfelt new novella, Lansdale sends his heroes to Oak Rest mortuary and cemetery to grapple with the living and the dead—both canine and human.

When the mummified corpse of a beloved prize-winning dachshund named Coco Butternut is stolen from her final resting place, Hap and Leonard are hired by the owner to get her body back. The job is straightforward: they must simply exchange a bag full of cash for the missing pooch’s mummy. But they can feel something’s not on the up-and-up, and how right they are.

With assistance from Hap’s significant other, Brett, and his daughter, Chance, Hap and Leonard are soon embroiled in a gripping mystery tied to the dark secrets lurking beneath the hallowed ground of Oak Rest cemetery. In his inimitable style, and at the top of his game, here Lansdale gives us a highly enjoyable new entry in the ongoing adventures of Hap and Leonard.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Humor, Mystery Thriller, Novella, Thriller

88 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Champion 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.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When someone steals his mother's mummified dog, the beloved Coco Butternut, Jimmy Farmer hires Hap and Leonard to deliver the ransom. Too bad the dog won't be the only thing buried before the day is done...

I got this from Netgalley.

Coco Butternut is a Hap and Leonard novella set sometime after the events of Honky Tonk Samurai and Briar Patch Boogie: A Hap and Leonard Novelette. The boys are working for Brett at the detective agency when they catch the bizarre case of Coco Butternut.

Why would someone steal the mummified carcass of a wiener dog, you ask? Things get fairly complicated. Hap and Leonard are true to form, cracking wise and kicking ass, as are Brett and Chance.

It's a pretty slim book and I liked it but I wasn't blown away. I liked the callbacks to previous stories and the guys were in fine form but there wasn't a whole lot to the story. It felt like when you run into an old friend at the grocery store. It's fun catching up for a few minutes but then things get awkward. Do you shop alongside them? If not, what if you bump into each other again in the produce department?

Anyway. Coco Butternut was a fun Hap and Leonard novella but it was little more than an appetizer for Rusty Puppy. Three out of five stars.

[Dave Edmunds · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟's

Back again with a Hap and Leonard review. It's another action packed novella and I'm really enjoying them. They're the perfect size for a tightly paced, hilarious and highly entertaining trip with east Texas's most famous pair.

As I've been reviewing this series since the dawn of time, and you're no doubt sick to the back teeth hearing me talk about it, I'm going to skip the introduction and get straight down to it. What I will say, is that if you want a full round up on what's what in this series check out my earlier write-ups.

But before I begin, recent developments have seen the stars of this show set up as private investigators, working for Hap's girlfriend (Brett Sawyer) and no job is too dirty for this pair. Then there's been the appearance of his full grown daughter Chance, who tracked him down during Honky Tonk Samurai. Yes, that really was the title of a previous novel.

The Story

I know exactly what you're thinking...and no Coco Butternut is not the name of a stripper but in fact a deceased show dog. A dachshund to be precise. And this one opens with the pair being hired to make an exchange of a cool $100'000 for the hound's mummified corpse. Crazy, I know!This is Pet Semetary Lansdale style!

It looks like an easy enough job but you know what they say when something looks too good to be true. If you've read any of the previous installments you'll know that things never go smoothly for Hap and Leonard and the pairs heckles are up as things smell off from the start. It isn't long before they decide to do some digging, but I don't want to give the game away and tell you what they unearth. Where would be the fun in that?



Final Thoughts

So there you have it, short and sweet.

Lansdale's writing is on point in this one as always and there's some crazy situations loaded with that trademark dark humour. It's not the most detailed story, but it doesn't need to be as it's still massively entertaining and provides a perfect "palate cleanser" between some of your more demanding reads.

One thing I have noticed is that the dialogue and banter between the two main characters is never as developed in these shorter entries and you need to read the full novels to experience that. But that's purely down to the size and it's just not possible to fit that in when limiting the story to eighty pages.

I've read a good number of these novellas now and this one may not quite be up to the standard set in the previous entries. But it is nonetheless a fast, furious and enjoyable read. It's not meant to be a Pulitzer prize winner, but a bit of silly and violent fun. I like almost everything about it.

For fans of the series it's a firm recommendation. And for people who aren't fans of the series, you obviously haven't read it yet. So get on board!

Thanks for reading and...cheers!

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I look for in an author that writes a series is that there is a constancy in writing so that one knows what to look forward to as the next installment appears . It brings on a certain amount of reading joy when the next installment is better than the last. It brings trepidation when the quality of the writing or the story line falls short of that expectation, epically if it’s an author that I have been enjoying for the last several years.

Admitting to being a big Hap and Leonard fan has brought about a problem. Mr. Lansdale has through his career produced some excellent books. Yet with this release of the latest entry to the series the story has pointed out just how important consistency is.

Usually the Hap and Leonard series have a certain edge to both the characters and the story. With “Coco Butternut” that edge has been filed or sandblasted smooth. This may be due to the named characters in the series needing to take a back seat for a while. The two (main) characters are now employees of Hap’s new wife who runs a detective agency and the spotlight has shifted to Hap’s newly found daughter. “Coco Butternut” is the name of a dachshund who has been stolen.

What the hell.


This leather bound copy is number 30 of 400 copies printed and is signed by Joe R. Lansdale.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

Hap and Leonard (and their two accomplices) return for another zany caper. Forever short on funds, the two agree to another weird job. The deceased body of a beloved wiener dog has gone missing from the cemetery and the dognapper wants cash or else . . . Hap and Leonard step in to make the exchange.

Sure sounds easy enough to me. All they need to do is hand over the cash, grab the dead dog and collect their pay day. Nothing is ever that easy with these two. Unable to leave well enough alone, they discover things they shouldn't know and find themselves wrapped up in a little mystery that they can’t let alone.

I’ve missed a few Hap and Leonard books somewhere along the way and now they are apparently running a PI service with Hap’s girlfriend and his grown daughter Chase (where’d she come from?!). This was a little disconcerting but it’s my fault for reading the series out of order, as I do. The characters are smart-asses as always but they didn’t seem to have that dark sarcastic edge to their insults that used to make me laugh, almost out loud. This installment was also pretty tame when it came to the violence and I never felt as if any of our leads were in grave peril.

It was entertaining but a little too tame for my expectations.

Audiobook Challenge: Book #6 Not an audio
HA Mount TBR Challenge: Book #10
HA Pages Read Challenge
2017 Horror Reading Challenge Book #8

See this and the rest of the crap I write at my blog.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coco Butternut is a fun Hap and Leonard novella in which they are working for a man trying to get back his dead, mummified dog. Yep, dead and mummified. Therein lies the Lansdale humor for which this series is known.

Hap and Leonard are now a family affair, what with Hap's partner Brett and Hap's daughter Chance. Together they try to solve the mysteries of dead dog blackmail. What a hoot!

I'm looking forward to season two of the show, as well as catching up on the Hap and Leonard books that came out before I was aware of them. It won't spoil anything to read this short novella out of order. It will definitely make you laugh out loud a few times and who can't use a little laughter in their lives?

Recommended!

*Thanks to Net Galley and the AWESOME Subterranean Press for the e-ARC of this novella in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

[Berengaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

short review for busy readers:
This Hap & Leonard short is treading slightly into Scooby Doo territory and is probably the most undercooked extra of the bunch. With the exception of an exciting backhoe-bulldozer-pickup truck multi-chase-n-crash finale, not really worth reading. Skip unless you’re a fan.

in detail:
Here we have both Leonard and Captain Hanson not behaving in character.

Leonard, who we know loves dogs, has nothing good to say about dead show dog Coco Butternut – or Coco Butterbutt, as he calls it – simply because he thinks the son of the owner is an asshole, and thus the dog an asshole by proxy.

Is this the same Leonard who has killed and nearly killed people a number of times throughout the series for abusing, neglecting and killing dogs? (And armadillos. Let’s not forget Bob the Armadillo, rest his soul.)

And did Hanson really just ask our heroes to do some illegal b&e to help out the police in their investigation? As often as he’s wanted to wring their necks for actually helping the police clean up LaBorde, TX through exactly that kind of illegal footwork?

I’m not buying it.

What I am buying is the fabulous Lansdale chase-n-crash involving a backhoe, a bulldozer and Leonard’s pickup. That’s the best part, the most Lansdale part, of an otherwise skippable extra.

Shame.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. When did Hap and Leonard books become cozy mysteries? In this new novella, Hap, Leonard, and Brett, are hired to deliver a ransom to the kidnappers of the prized mummified remains of a dead weenie dog named Coco Butternut.

I was hoping that this might be a quick, humorous but engaging story with our heroes but it was pretty forgettable and disheartening. It's sad that the quality of the Hap and Leonard books haven't really held up in the later ones. I loved the earlier books but I think it was a big mistake to make them private investigators. The decline happened sometime after the sixth book. Now the stories have a safe, comfortable feeling, which is the complete OPPOSITE of what I look for when reading. I don't want a cozy mystery.

I miss the danger, irreverent humor, hi-jinks, and heart of books like Savage Season and The Two-Bear Mambo, back when the characters acted in the gray area of the law, struggled for work and love, fighting rabid squirrels and getting themselves into other dangerous situations. But now that they work as boring-ass detectives and Hap has found love and a daughter, I'm just not interested anymore. Why should I care? They have everything they want so the story is over.

Hap and Leonard are obviously still lovable and I love Lansdale's work but right after reading this, I immediately forgot about what happened. And this is one of four or five Hap and Leonard books that Lansdale is coming out with this year, I'm sure to capitalize off the popularity of the Sundance show. I MIGHT read the Rusty Puppy novel because I'm intigued by the police brutality concept, but I fear that these books that are being churned out will just be more of the same mediocrity.

*Recieved an advance copy from Netgalley and Subterranean Press in exchange for an honest review*

[Tony Vacation · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received this from Netgalley, so here's my honest review. Lansdale is a talented writer, and the Hap and Leonard series had a lot of moxie all the way up to the downbeat and flawed, but satisfying, Captains Outrageous. Since then all of the entries have been entertaining to a degree but feel more rushed, haphazard and cartoonish than the earlier entries. A lot of the offbeat grunginess that made the 90's entries so appealing has been replaced with endless banter and super teams of serial killers, and all of it feels a bit phoned in. This one may not have super teams of serial killers, but it is all too-brief and light to feel like a story well worth the read. The mystery element is also about as tacked on as tacked on can be. Meh, I say. Meh.

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oak Rest Cemetery is the final resting place for not only humans, but also beloved pets. When a prized dachshund is exhumed and dog-napped the cemetery owner hires Hap Collins and Leonard Pine to make a money exchange for the mummified dog. PI intuition makes the team believe there is more to it than just a cash exchange for the dead dog. With a little bit of investigation it makes this new novella a short, fun read. Just another chapter in the long run of Landsdale's mystery detectives Hap and Leonard.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The saga of Hap and Leonard continues with this barely-a-novella, Coco Butternut. In case you are wondering, Coco Butternut is a dead dachshund. Its body has been dug up and held for ransom to be paid by the previous owner of the dog. To be more precise, the son of the previous owner who was his deceased mother. It seems like a simple task for the lads; pay the ransom and collect the coffin and the canine "pickled"corpse ("Embalmed and wrapped like a mummy..Not pickled" says the dog owner's son Farmer to Leonard). But something doesn't seem right and when they complete the deal, it becomes obvious to them why it doesn't seen right...

As far as Hap and Leonard stories go, this is a barely inconsequential one. I am tempted to call it my least favorite book but my least favorite Lansdale work is still better than 90% of other writer's best works. It is short, sweet and simple...and doesn't really give us any new insight to the duo and their extended family. We now have Chance, Hap's daughter, in the gang but nothing is really added here except maybe that Chance is spending too much time around Leonard and picking up a little attitude. There is nothing amiss with the story either, except we really do not learn much of what happened after Hap's flirtation with death in the last substantial novel, Honky Tonk Samurai. I think we may need to wait for the next substantial novel, Rusty Puppy for the details.

Basically, the Hap and Leonard novellas that has recently bridged the gap between novels are diversions. They are entertaining and well written as is anything Lansdale puts to paper. But they are not essential. This one may be the least essential of them all. It still merits three stars. I love this series and can't even think of rewarding it less but I really hope no Hap and Leonard novice starts with this book. That would be dismaying.

[Kenneth McKinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coco Butternut is the name of a prize-winning dachshund that was mummified by it's eccentric owner after it died and the body was stolen and held for ransom. It is also the title of Lansdale's latest short Hap and Leonard novella. The mystery is something out of The Hardy Boys, i.e. Not very hard to figure out, but that's not why you read a Hap and Leonard tale. You read them for the banter back and forth between the two. I do have to admit this one is a very vanilla offering amongst the catalog, but a quick read nonetheless. Think of it as Lansdale fast food. It gets the job done, but there's not a lot of substance.

3 1/2 Pickled Wieners out of 5


*This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


You can also read my other reviews and author interviews at:

https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com

http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

COCO BUTTERNUT by Joe R. Lansdale finds Hap and Leonard once again dragged into a case that gets ugly right away, and how can it miss with the duo hired to locate a stolen deceased dachshund affectionately named "Coco Butternut"?

Solid novella written by Lansdale that does a fine job of including most of what has worked for the Hap and Leonard franchise (especially Leonard's variations on the name "Coco Butternut" along the way), and they once again go out of their way to piss off just about everyone they come in contact with, as we've come to know and love about their unique method of private investigation.

4 stars.

[Buddy Scalera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining read. You get just enough story and character banter to make it fun.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death, extortion, mayhem, and general insanity are on the menu. Hap & Leonard get paid to recover the corpse of a champion show dog, Coco Butternut. But wow that seems like a lot of money...something is definitely up and things start to unravel (in a good way.) Entertaining.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was traumatized by the end of Honky Tonk Samurai, and though rationally I was sure everything would be fine with our heroes there was enough doubt to make me angry at Joe Lansdale while eagerly awaiting (hopefully?) another Hap and Leonard book.

With a new novel forthcoming I can breathe a sigh of relief, and as an appetizer we have this new novella. It takes place after Honky Tonk Samurai but doesn't address the events at the end of the book, so I assume it takes place after the new novel. This is all nerdism of the highest order; Coco Butternut is a standalone short adventure that does not require any prior knowledge of the series.

This is a welcome return for Hap and Leonard and their supporting cast, and it feels like visiting old friends. The crime is inventive with just enough silliness to keep it from being too serious. I would recommend Coco Butternut to anyone and eagerly await their upcoming new full length adventure. 5 stars.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Trina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this arc from Netgalley.

I never thought I'd see the day when this series became uninteresting. The only thing that made it bearable to read was that it was short. I don't recommend this at all.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“He had all the personality of the Ebola virus. I hadn’t liked him on sight, and I wasn’t sure why.”

Yes! Hap and Leonard are back for another crazy adventure! In this novella we have short, sharp dose of Hap and Leonard along with Brett, Chance and police detective Marvin. As usual they solve the crime but get into a whole lot of trouble along the way.

Coco Butternut is a long deceased beloved prize-winning dog who is stolen from the graveyard and held for ransom. The owner of the grave yard wants to pay the blackmailer and so he hires Hap and Leonard to help him ensure that dog is returned when the ransom is paid. All goes smoothly but not smooth enough for our detecting duo who sense that something is off and as is usual for them they decide to investigate and suddenly bodies start to appear.

This is a great story with our madcap heroes and their clandestine and humorous ways of investigating. I got through it quite quickly but it went down like a cup of espresso. Just the right H and L kick and a nice prep for the latest full length novel.

Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Scott Butki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #17 - Coco Butternut - The latest in Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard mystery series. As with most of his books it's fun, almost silly, banter and good plot twists. This one starts out with the two hired to pay the ransom to get a mummified corpse of a dog back. Only after paying and getting it back they realize that under the dog is a dead human, which makes things mighty complicated. 8 out of 10.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time Hap and Leonard are hired to pay off a blackmailer and retrieve the mummified carcass of a funeral director. Mayhem ensues. Hilarious novella. Highly recommended.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hap and Leonard are kind of an odd couple in the realm of Joe Lansdale’s swamp noir, Hap an aging white hippie with an aversion to guns and Leonard a gay black war vet with a fiery temper. But despite their differences they couldn’t be closer friends, and together they solve mysteries and do dirty jobs with Hap’s girlfriend Brett, his daughter Chance, and their rescued dog Buffy. Their current job is definitely shady, and a bit crazy, but nothing too far out of the ordinary: a man hires the duo to exchange a sack full of money for the hijacked, mummified corpse of Coco Butternut, a show dog that belonged to the client’s mother. It seems like an easy, if odd, way to make some money, but as usual Hap and Leonard dig a little too deep into the case and discover that it may not be as simple as it sounds…

I think that some of Lansdale’s best Hap and Leonard stories have been these novellas—they’re tight, fast-paced, funny, and developed enough to have an interesting and engaging plot without any excess or padding. The characters are their usual oddball selves, exchanging witty banter and one-liners, while Leonard gave a voice to my incredulity of naming a dog “Coco Butternut” by mocking it incessantly. They’re also not afraid to get their hands dirty, though they always remain good guys fighting for a good cause—Lansdale isn’t afraid to delve into social issues, and has dealt with issues like racism and abuse in previous stories. Coco Butternut is a slim volume that may not be as deep or complex as the novels, but it’s still entertaining as hell to see the characters banter while solving an inventive mystery. My only complaint is that it doesn’t address the cliffhanger ending of Honky-Tonk Samurai, so I guess we must wait for the forthcoming novel Rusty Puppy.

Coco Butternut is a good way to hold yourself over while waiting for the release of Rusty Puppy (and season two of the hit Sundance TV series based on the books). In a way it’s like hanging out with old friends, only where those friends are crass but lovable private investigators who always get stuck with the weird cases. It’s violent, it’s silly, it’s irrelevant, and it’s damn good entertainment, which is really all I ask for from the series. Fans will appreciate it as another solid entry in a series that’s never dull; newcomers can start off here without really missing a beat, but with all the history and backstory that’s gone on, those who like Coco Butternut may benefit from going back and reading the series from the beginning.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story with mv favorite characters from Lansdale's universe: Hap&Leonard and all their family.
Dead dogs, cemeteries, money and much action for a divertissement to help me waiting for the next book, that's out tomorrow.

Una novella con i miei personaggi preferiti nell'universo costruito da Lansdale: Hap & Leonard, piú tutta la loro strampalata famiglia. Cani morti, cimiteri, soldi e tanta azione per un piccolo divertissement che mi ha aiutato a superare questo ultimo giorno prima dell'uscita del nuovo libro che li vede protagonisti.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meeting people in a graveyard to swap money for a corpse. Murder. Arson. Bad language from my father and uncle, a stakeout."

Pretty much sums this one up! The corpse is a dog, named Coco Butternut (or Butterbutt, as Leonard calls her), and H&L are hired to exchange a bag of money for her body. Easy, huh? Well, nothing ever goes easy for these boys. And hence, this story.

Probably the best H&L short story I've read to date! Has everything I enjoy in their books, including Hap checking out the young woman who owns the bicycle shop below their office. That always makes me smile!

[Kevin Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect length for a Hap & Leonard story. Space to let the personalities come out and wind themselves around the plot, and short enough for an easy "at one sitting" digestion.

(Not that I haven't been known to read the full-length novels at one sitting)

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coco Butternut has been abducted and is being held for ransom. Coco Butternut is a dachshund. A show dog. A dead show dog to be precise. It's okay, the dog was already dead when it was abducted. The owner still wants to pay the ransom and get the dead dog back. Sound strange? Welcome to the world of Hap and Leonard.

The money is good and the job seems easy enough so Hap and Leonard take the case. All they have to do is meet someone in a graveyard, at night, pay a ransom, and retrieve a dead dog. What could possibly go wrong? Remember, we're talking about Hap and Leonard here.

Coco Butternut is a fun, mildly weird novella featuring the unlikely duo of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. It's got witty dialogue, a decent amount of action, and can be read in a single (short) sitting.

I highly recommend it to all readers of witty crime fiction especially those, like myself, with a taste for stories that feature eccentric or quirky characters.

***Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Coco Butternut' by Joe R. Lansdale is another kooky adventure with Hap and Leonard. They always manage to find their way into the strangest circumstances.

This time around, the strangeness revolves around the mummified corpse of a prized family pet that is being ransomed. Hal and Leonard are brought in to help with the transaction. In typical Hal and Leonard fashion, things don't go as expected, which leads to death, dead bodies, and a trip to the pet cemetary to dig up more corpses.

I've only read a few stories with these two, but they are really great characters. I enjoyed this one, and while the solution wasn't all that great, it was all about the journey.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Subterranean Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Hap and Leonard. Of course I enjoyed the hell out of it. This is one of their more bizarre mysteries. A mummified best-in-show dog gets stolen, and the boys are hired by the owner to pay off the dog-napper and get the corpse back. That's pretty weird on it's own. Naturally, since it *is* Hap and Leonard, things get a lot darker because nothing is as it seems. Plus it's good to see that Hap's daughter is fitting into things pretty nicely. I am so happy that this is the first of three H&L books we're getting in just as many months. Plus the show is coming back for season two. I'm pretty sure I'll be in Hap and Leonard heaven for quite some time!

[Jeanette "Josie" Cook M.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another page turning story from this author.

However, the end was a bit weak by more telling than showing, rushing to the conclusion of this crime...

I did enjoy the weaved tale of this one and the unveiling of the crime, as I looked for clues while reading.

The characters were a bit weak compared to other characters in this writer's books. Maybe, because this is a novella instead of a novel. Jackie was not developed well for me. She was a little shallow and not revealed as well rounded character. Her son was more developed than her.

I did like the interaction between Hap and Leonard. It was the main part of this story for me.

[Alex C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another romp with Hap and Leonard

Hap and Leonard are like good friends, even when they’re not at their best they’re fun to be around.
Here’s another funny situation that turns harrowing, exciting and then funny again.
It’s a quick read and made me laugh out loud in several places the way Lansdale’s writing does.
If you’re a fan of these two you’ll be getting what you expect. It’s not the most detailed case they’ve ever taken on but still a satisfying story.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy Hap and Leonard. I thought I wa Ted a little less mayhem and more plot, but I was wrong. The detective agency , while it gives a rational explanation for their exploits, feels too “small” for Hap and Leonard. They are a force of nature. Some humor , as always, outlandish plot involving pet cemetery and battles involving backhoes

[Niels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a short Hap and Leonard tale of murder, blackmail, and the kidnapping of the mummified remains of a awarding winning dog named Coco Butternut. If you like the other Hap and Leonard tales, then you will enjoy this.