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Dave Brandstetter #4
The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of
Police Chief Ben Orton had a gift for making enemies. When his body was found, head smashed in, the people of his seaside domain were shocked--less because of the gruesome murder than because someone had finally dared to cross Ben Orton.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
41 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Hansen
133 books157 followersJoseph Hansen (1923–2004) was an American author of mysteries. The son of a South Dakota shoemaker, he moved to a California citrus farm with his family in 1936. He began publishing poetry in the New Yorker in the 1950s, and joined the editorial teams of gay magazines ONE and Tangents in the 1960s. Using the pseudonyms Rose Brock and James Colton, Hansen published five novels and a collection of short stories before the appearance of Fadeout (1970), the first novel published under his own name.
The book introduced street-smart insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, a complex, openly gay hero who grew and changed over the series’s twelve novels. By the time Hansen concluded the series with A Country of Old Men (1990), Brandstetter was older, melancholy, and ready for retirement. The 1992 recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Hansen published several more novels before his death in 2004.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
The book introduced street-smart insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, a complex, openly gay hero who grew and changed over the series’s twelve novels. By the time Hansen concluded the series with A Country of Old Men (1990), Brandstetter was older, melancholy, and ready for retirement. The 1992 recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Hansen published several more novels before his death in 2004.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 29, 2017
When a small-town police chief named Ben Orton is killed, the P.D., which includes his son Jerry, wastes no time at all actually investigating the crime. Instead, they immediately arrest a gay rights activist who had threatened to kill the chief and whose tote bag was found next to the body. Case closed.
Not for insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, though. His company, Medallion insurance, is on the hook for $75,000, a fair amount of money in 1978, when this book was first published. Dave needs to know that the police have actually arrested the real killer, and he cannot afford to do as sloppy an investigation as the poice have conducted.
The case comes at a very bad time for Dave. His father is in the hospital, seriously ill and perhaps dying. Dave's love life is also something of a mess at the moment. His lover, Doug, is closing down his mother's business and putting Mom in a nursing home--an emotionally draining proposition. Doug also seems to be missing the faithful gene. But Dave has a job to do and there's really nothing he can do for his Dad, so he heads on up to La Caleta for a talk with the grieving widow.
He discovers a mother and son who insist that Ben Orton was a saint and the best lawman ever to stride across the West, possibly since John Wayne. Others, though, describe the former chief as a narrow-minded bigot who was a law unto himself and who administered "justice" as he saw fit. Orton hated hippies, gays, blacks, liberals and anyone who dared criticize him. And as soon as Dave begins his investigation, he gets a taste of the same medicine. Even in a small town like La Caleta, things can get pretty murky; people are not always who or what they appear to be, and a determined investigator like Dave Brandstetter can find himself in a whole lot of trouble.
This is a complex tale with any number of suspects. The story moves swiftly along and it's aged pretty well. Fans of classic crime fiction should enjoy it.
Not for insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter, though. His company, Medallion insurance, is on the hook for $75,000, a fair amount of money in 1978, when this book was first published. Dave needs to know that the police have actually arrested the real killer, and he cannot afford to do as sloppy an investigation as the poice have conducted.
The case comes at a very bad time for Dave. His father is in the hospital, seriously ill and perhaps dying. Dave's love life is also something of a mess at the moment. His lover, Doug, is closing down his mother's business and putting Mom in a nursing home--an emotionally draining proposition. Doug also seems to be missing the faithful gene. But Dave has a job to do and there's really nothing he can do for his Dad, so he heads on up to La Caleta for a talk with the grieving widow.
He discovers a mother and son who insist that Ben Orton was a saint and the best lawman ever to stride across the West, possibly since John Wayne. Others, though, describe the former chief as a narrow-minded bigot who was a law unto himself and who administered "justice" as he saw fit. Orton hated hippies, gays, blacks, liberals and anyone who dared criticize him. And as soon as Dave begins his investigation, he gets a taste of the same medicine. Even in a small town like La Caleta, things can get pretty murky; people are not always who or what they appear to be, and a determined investigator like Dave Brandstetter can find himself in a whole lot of trouble.
This is a complex tale with any number of suspects. The story moves swiftly along and it's aged pretty well. Fans of classic crime fiction should enjoy it.
September 4, 2019
The fourth adventure of death-claims investigator David Brandstetter. Sheriff Orton has been bludgeoned to death, but is the outrageous gay activist whose knapsack was found near the body really responsible? There are many other suspects, including the adulterous sheriff's wife, the old-school homosexual rights advocate, and the young black man the sheriff framed in a marijuana bust when he found the young man was dating his daughter. Throw in some pre-Columbian artifacts of mysterious provenance, and you've got yourself a tangle of possibilities.
As I've said before, I like these books more for Brandstetter's hardboiled persona and the Southern California gay milieu than for the plots themselves. I found this one particularly interesting for the tension it shows between traditional homosexual rights advocates (lobbying quietly, accumulating votes) and the in-your-face style of the the post-Milk age (running on to the senate floor and kissing legislators, for example). As always, Brandstetter is undemonstrative and unapologetic in his sexual orientation, and this gives the book a quiet strength.
March 3, 2022
Hansen’s fourth offering in the Dave Brandstetter insurance investigator series has him traveling to La Caleta on the Pacific to make inquiries regarding the murder of Police Chief Ben Orton. He was not a popular man! Initial evidence leads to Cliff Kerlee, the local gay-rights protester. But there are plenty of other possible suspects. Could it be the Black boyfriend of his daughter—a man he framed and sent to Soledad prison, or even Orton’s own widow. Love Hansen’s staccato writing and twisty plots.
February 12, 2015
BR with la bella Sofia.
And look, I have a copy of the actual book!
Nick is terribly excited. Terribly.
February 7, 2015
This one had Dave chasing his tail and me chasing after him. Everyone had a motive for murder, everyone had possibility and than WHAM. All done in Hansen's usual impeccable succinct style as always.
On the personal side Dave is still chasing, not so sure where he is. His relationship with his father keeps unfolding bit by bit. Not so easy to have it cut and dried. label something and put it in a box. People are complicated.
BR with Rosa
August 9, 2021
I liked this for the same reasons I liked each in the series. First off, for those interested, it worked well as a standalone, with its own self-contained mystery, while also further developing the character and life of the MC, his boyfriends and other supporting characters, and smoothly providing any explanations needed to bring a first-time reader up on previous happenings.
February 6, 2017
This is one of those mysteries where you can’t root for the mystery to be solved for the sake of the victim, a man who was a bully, a racist, and thoroughly unpleasant in almost all his interactions. Instead, the characters surrounding them need to get their hooks into you, and in this case that didn’t really work for me. Much more central was Dave’s sadness over his father’s illness, his disconnection with Doug, and the connection he does form with Cecil — one that rather surprises a reader familiar with Dave, who doesn’t seem like the type to be very appreciative of cheating, and yet does so himself.
It gets a little bit too convoluted in solving the mystery, in order to bring in a bunch of red herrings and implicate several different characters. That made it frustrating, and not quite as smooth a read for me as the earlier books. It’s still enjoyable, but not a favourite.
Originally posted here.
It gets a little bit too convoluted in solving the mystery, in order to bring in a bunch of red herrings and implicate several different characters. That made it frustrating, and not quite as smooth a read for me as the earlier books. It’s still enjoyable, but not a favourite.
Originally posted here.
December 26, 2016
It's been a while since I read the first of these mysteries but they stand alone well, although series purists will want to follow the ongoing threads of Dave Brandstetter's life that parallel the mystery. The original publication date was 1978, and the story is a reflection of the times. The civil rights era is winding down from peak intensity but racial inequality threads through the story; HIV has not yet raised its evil head; gay rights are a breath of hope, a decade after Stonewall, but far from a foregone conclusion.
Against this backdrop, we again meet Dave Brandstetter, laconic insurance investigator, out to prove that the murder of a local police chief has not been solved by the arrest of the obvious suspect. If it was one of the chief's nearest and dearest responsible, Dave can save his employer a lot of life insurance money (in 1978 dollars), but most of all, Dave loves a puzzle.
The writing style is somehow both sparse and evocative, low on emotion but with undercurrents aplenty. As Dave slogs through a complex case - investigating the death of a man with plenty of enemies, including an estranged daughter, a mistress or two, and some questionable business connections - he also is under life pressures. His father is in the hospital, and may not survive. His lover, Doug, continues to insist on an open relationship. And there are gay men whose interactions with the dead police chief were far from friendly, including the obvious suspect, meaning that this gay investigator must decide how far and with whom to sympathize in his beleaguered community.
Dave is an interesting character. He's come to terms with being gay, and yet he expresses discomfort with the more flamboyant members of the gay community at times. He's in a relationship that isn't satisfying to him, but he still inclines toward monogamy. And Doug is also in a bit of crisis, dealing with an aging mother and immediate pressures, yet neither of them is quite present for the other in the simultaneous crises.
Dave wants to see justice done, as he faces a case where irredeemable injustice has already deeply damaged more than one player. The interactions of the personal and the puzzle make a fascinating but low-key read.
Against this backdrop, we again meet Dave Brandstetter, laconic insurance investigator, out to prove that the murder of a local police chief has not been solved by the arrest of the obvious suspect. If it was one of the chief's nearest and dearest responsible, Dave can save his employer a lot of life insurance money (in 1978 dollars), but most of all, Dave loves a puzzle.
The writing style is somehow both sparse and evocative, low on emotion but with undercurrents aplenty. As Dave slogs through a complex case - investigating the death of a man with plenty of enemies, including an estranged daughter, a mistress or two, and some questionable business connections - he also is under life pressures. His father is in the hospital, and may not survive. His lover, Doug, continues to insist on an open relationship. And there are gay men whose interactions with the dead police chief were far from friendly, including the obvious suspect, meaning that this gay investigator must decide how far and with whom to sympathize in his beleaguered community.
Dave is an interesting character. He's come to terms with being gay, and yet he expresses discomfort with the more flamboyant members of the gay community at times. He's in a relationship that isn't satisfying to him, but he still inclines toward monogamy. And Doug is also in a bit of crisis, dealing with an aging mother and immediate pressures, yet neither of them is quite present for the other in the simultaneous crises.
Dave wants to see justice done, as he faces a case where irredeemable injustice has already deeply damaged more than one player. The interactions of the personal and the puzzle make a fascinating but low-key read.
August 15, 2018
Some rambly thoughts on the 4th Brandstetter novel.
This is a good series. I don't know why it took me so long to start reading it despite being aware of it for decades and the general lack of non-self-pitying lgbt fic back in the day. That said, this is by far the cheesiest installment in the series so far.
By the end of the novel, which in the kindle edition I read comes along surprisingly at 85%, it seems practically the entire population of whatever rando town this takes place in must have simultanously decided to come have it out with our dead police chief in the interval between his murder and the police finding his body. It's completely absurd and unbelievable.
Another absurd thing is the tendency of gay detectives to always end up solving gay crimes. An argument might be made that this is a pleasant exception to that. I don't think this is too spoilery but I'll tag it just in case,
This series is definitely on the gay side of the gay vs m/m divide with many of the attitudes toward relationships and monogamy that are advanced as "gay" in arguments about gay lit vs m/m. Some readers may be put off by some of that in this book in particular as there's pretty clear "cheating", though it's not super hidden.
I like that Brandstetter has a real life outside of his work, but especially that it doesn't really intrude into the story. I can't stand when writers claim to be writing mysteries but the detective's personal drama overshadows any actual crime or investigation they're nominally investigating. Hansen strikes a good balance as far as I'm concerned, which is to say it's almost all investigation, and very little personal drama, though he manages to clearly advance the character's personal life as the series progresses.
There's a noticeable linearity in these books. By which I mean the investigation follows a clear path, scene/interview A leads directly to B, which leads directly to C, and so on. That sounds kind of bad in the abstract, but I don't think it is at all. And offhand I'm not sure what it being so noticeable to me in this series says about the genre in the whole.
This is a good series. I don't know why it took me so long to start reading it despite being aware of it for decades and the general lack of non-self-pitying lgbt fic back in the day. That said, this is by far the cheesiest installment in the series so far.
By the end of the novel, which in the kindle edition I read comes along surprisingly at 85%, it seems practically the entire population of whatever rando town this takes place in must have simultanously decided to come have it out with our dead police chief in the interval between his murder and the police finding his body. It's completely absurd and unbelievable.
Another absurd thing is the tendency of gay detectives to always end up solving gay crimes. An argument might be made that this is a pleasant exception to that. I don't think this is too spoilery but I'll tag it just in case,
This series is definitely on the gay side of the gay vs m/m divide with many of the attitudes toward relationships and monogamy that are advanced as "gay" in arguments about gay lit vs m/m. Some readers may be put off by some of that in this book in particular as there's pretty clear "cheating", though it's not super hidden.
I like that Brandstetter has a real life outside of his work, but especially that it doesn't really intrude into the story. I can't stand when writers claim to be writing mysteries but the detective's personal drama overshadows any actual crime or investigation they're nominally investigating. Hansen strikes a good balance as far as I'm concerned, which is to say it's almost all investigation, and very little personal drama, though he manages to clearly advance the character's personal life as the series progresses.
There's a noticeable linearity in these books. By which I mean the investigation follows a clear path, scene/interview A leads directly to B, which leads directly to C, and so on. That sounds kind of bad in the abstract, but I don't think it is at all. And offhand I'm not sure what it being so noticeable to me in this series says about the genre in the whole.
September 7, 2016
Hansen's Brandstetter mysteries are highly enjoyable, easy to read, complex tales of social issues in the face of rich WASP male dominated Californian society. Much like Mosley's Rawlins series these books are about crimes committed against minorities by the WASP types as well as by the minorities in reaction to their treatment by those despicable rich white dudes who have made the world such a shit place to live for everyone else. That is the road Hansen has trodden almost by rote in his first three entries but, thankfully, this fourth one mixes things up a bit; the bigotry and crimes against minority is still present, but this time it's a WASP on WASP crime that's the focus of the insurance investigation. That his protagonist passes for a straight rich WASP type is a nice touch from Hansen, allowing him to observe the abhorrent behaviours from a position of trust, and adds a layer of discomfort for the reader as you are left empathising with Brandstetter who's only reaction is to brush this behaviour aside despite knowing the insults and assumptions would also be aimed at him. It's strong stuff if you allow it be but due to Hansen's obvious skill at writing a compelling mystery can be read by the unobservant/unaware as a straight detective piece. This is why I keep coming back to this series.
January 15, 2015
4,4 stars!
As always, a superb writing and a good done mystery.
May 14, 2023
There are moments of atmosphere and certain turns of phrase that are stellar in every single one of these novels, but I'm starting to worry that the ones I really enjoyed were a fluke and not the other way around. Cecil -- one of Dave's boyfriends from later in the series, who I really like in those books -- is introduced here, but doesn't actually have a personality yet, which was disappointing. And this is yet another Hansen mystery that implausibly requires multiple people to have been at the murder site at the time of the crime, yet not be guilty -- as if engraved invitations were sent out.
Appreciate the underlying ACAB theme, though.
Appreciate the underlying ACAB theme, though.
June 23, 2024
A good mystery thriller from an insurance investigator who happens to be gay. His sexuality is discussed and his relationship is explored but in an everyday kind of way, This is the way it should be done but this book was written in a time when this type of representation was not around. One of the better Brandstetter books.
March 15, 2023
When Joseph Hansen is at his best, his books pull off a totally unique and impressive balancing act of having the poetic craft and incredible attention to character and language of a great literary novelist, the terrifically-plotted and balanced structure of a great mystery novelist, and the complete disinterest in pandering to heteronormative readership of a great queer novelist.
Then, other times -- like in this book -- he just misses the mark, or focuses on one element more than the others, and ends up with something that's less good or just less enjoyable to read than it should be. Hansen's magnificent craft is still on display, but the book ends up reading more tediously than it should; its plot seems broad but feels too tight and insular, and doesn't fully explore the interesting post-countercultural dynamics that it teases.
Plus (and I have to say it), while I've read and ignored literally a million unconvincing relationships in straight novels, there's just something about it happening in gay novels that bothers me ten times more. In that regard, The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of joins Michael Nava's Goldenboy in being an alright gay mystery in every other regard that just happens to totally tank its credibility by forcing the protagonist to have a random, ill-conceived romance with a character that's half his age, is either underdeveloped or completely uninteresting, and who he has barely any chemistry with. I'm glad the authors are rooting for these ridiculous couplings, because the rest of us are cringing like hell at them.
Then, other times -- like in this book -- he just misses the mark, or focuses on one element more than the others, and ends up with something that's less good or just less enjoyable to read than it should be. Hansen's magnificent craft is still on display, but the book ends up reading more tediously than it should; its plot seems broad but feels too tight and insular, and doesn't fully explore the interesting post-countercultural dynamics that it teases.
Plus (and I have to say it), while I've read and ignored literally a million unconvincing relationships in straight novels, there's just something about it happening in gay novels that bothers me ten times more. In that regard, The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of joins Michael Nava's Goldenboy in being an alright gay mystery in every other regard that just happens to totally tank its credibility by forcing the protagonist to have a random, ill-conceived romance with a character that's half his age, is either underdeveloped or completely uninteresting, and who he has barely any chemistry with. I'm glad the authors are rooting for these ridiculous couplings, because the rest of us are cringing like hell at them.
March 30, 2017
The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of by Joseph Hansen (Henry Holt and Company 1978)
My respect for Hansen deepens with every volume of his Dave Brandstetter series. Brandstetter wasn't the first openly gay protagonist in a mystery series, but in many ways he's still the best. This, his fourth volume, deals with the murder of a publicly admired but privately hated chief of police whose record as a defender of public decency is marred by his behind-the-scenes vigilantism. Every Brandstetter tale is a watercolour of the California scene, painted to perfection, but with something malevolent hidden at its heart. By the book's end, the watercolour has become a deftly interlocking puzzle, wherein every character has an overlapping motive for having wanted the victim dead, but it's not till the last piece is inserted that we realize who actually had the guts to go through with it.
Of course, Hansen had a personal motive for creating the series which, in his words, was to "right some wrongs" when it came to public perception of homosexuals. But unlike many gay writers who followed, he let the message be secondary to the story, thereby ensuring the integrity of the work. That Brandstetter is also an individual of rare integrity is beside the point. Hansen was telling us what most of us know: gays are no different from anyone else when it comes to portioning out vices and virtues. No pity necessary, no applause required. If we want to be respected for what we are, he seems to be saying, it will have to be because we aren't different, rather than because we are.
My respect for Hansen deepens with every volume of his Dave Brandstetter series. Brandstetter wasn't the first openly gay protagonist in a mystery series, but in many ways he's still the best. This, his fourth volume, deals with the murder of a publicly admired but privately hated chief of police whose record as a defender of public decency is marred by his behind-the-scenes vigilantism. Every Brandstetter tale is a watercolour of the California scene, painted to perfection, but with something malevolent hidden at its heart. By the book's end, the watercolour has become a deftly interlocking puzzle, wherein every character has an overlapping motive for having wanted the victim dead, but it's not till the last piece is inserted that we realize who actually had the guts to go through with it.
Of course, Hansen had a personal motive for creating the series which, in his words, was to "right some wrongs" when it came to public perception of homosexuals. But unlike many gay writers who followed, he let the message be secondary to the story, thereby ensuring the integrity of the work. That Brandstetter is also an individual of rare integrity is beside the point. Hansen was telling us what most of us know: gays are no different from anyone else when it comes to portioning out vices and virtues. No pity necessary, no applause required. If we want to be respected for what we are, he seems to be saying, it will have to be because we aren't different, rather than because we are.
May 25, 2019
This one repeats a couple of detection points from another in the series, and, really, how many people accidentally show up at a murder scene? Is five too many? But other than those issues, this is an awesomely tight detective story with very subtle discussions of race, sexuality, class, and power. Plus, Cecil appears for the first time!
June 13, 2022
I really liked the book until the end. The end is stupid silly. I think I have picked up on Hansen's writing style and structure. The next mystery I read of his, I am going to pick the most tangential character that is connected to the murder victim and assume the murder has something to do with either art or books or something like that, because like Stephen King, Hansen enjoys putting in writers and artists into his books. It also frustrates me that characters with strong motives and the opportunities to kill the victim are set up only for some other dude, usually portrayed as a bit hapless or insignificant, is the actual murder victim.
What was really interesting to me was all the background politics going on. Gay rights were slowly making traction in local and state politics. 1978 was a wild and brutal year for gay people and gay rights. Harvey Milk was assassinated that year. Protests were also held against Anita Bryant (noted homophobe who once got decked in the face with a pie on live television). This was the year that the first pride flag was flown, which is very different from today's more popular version.
The Stonewall Riots and Pride Marches, still in their infancy, are even mentioned, though Dave, a quiet homosexual who isn't part of the larger movement has to ask:
I am no expert on gay history or the social/political history of the 1970s. But, what I think Hansen lays out very well are those two groups of homosexual men. There is the one group that comes across as very pragmatic and thorough. They do not prefer marching in the streets or being "loud and proud." Rather, they go through the bureaucratic system and move slowly, often painfully, (they come at you with dull castration knives) to change laws that are discriminatory against gay and lesbian people. Then you have the second group who are queer, loud, in your face, proud, showy - this counterculture group that can accidentally wreck things by being loud and obnoxious. In this book, that group demonstrates their style of activism by running into a legislature that is about to pass a bill that is favorable toward gay people (the contents of the bill are never spelled out, or if it was I missed it) and make such a scene that the guy who was working to advance the bill, by meeting and dealing with lawmakers and the politically important in the town, is convinced their actions killed the bill. One of the characters says:
A source of contention within the book is a gay activist, Kerlee, getting a petition together to get a gay man on the police force. Getting gay men and lesbian women into positions that held social and political power seemed to be a massive goal for many LGBT and their allies, much more so back then. In the last presidential race, we had a gay man (a very whitebread gay man, who probably worked for the CIA, but nonetheless) run for the president's seat. The Onion was able to run a headline in 2013 (35 years after this book was published) titled: Area Teen Quickly Running Out Of Chances To Be First Openly Gay Anything. By the 2010s becoming the first gay anything was a fun joke, but back then it was serious eff you see kay-ing business. Ben Orton, the murder victim that no one is really going to cry over, is totally against it, saying to a news crew:
The original setup of the murder, with a gay activist being accused of killing a super conservative cop, is kind of forgotten about for awhile until it is picked back up at the end. Another guy ends up confessing to planting evidence to get the guy thrown in jail because he is pissed that he threw away a chance of making meaningful legislation. But the original suspect never talks to Dave Brandstetter or is even shown as being sprung out of jail, which is a missed opportunity. In previous books, there was a chapter where this is shown but for whatever reason Hansen did not write it or include it in the book.
Ben Orton is a very interesting and hateful figure. I think we have all met someone like this or have seen this man on television. Hansen clearly had a lot of thoughts about the police and police corruption and it shows. It is really interesting to me how much of the same language about cops and how a part of society loves/worships them and another part loathes and fears them is the same then as it is now. This book could easily be adapted for a TV show or movie and the only things that would have to change are the technology, the cars, and the fashion. Just about everything else could stay the same. The book also deals with racism and how cops were and still are attacking black men for existing.
A young black man, Lester Green, was going to marry the victim's father, Anita. Okay, that name could not have been coincidental. Anita was a known homophobe (see above) who started out as a singer but became a noted anti-gay bigot who worked hard to stop the progress of gay rights from advancing. Hansen knew what he was doing when he named the daughter character - and it is interesting that Anita never gets a single line of dialogue in the book and most, if not all, the characters who actually know seem to loathe her to a certain extent, excluding her fiance. I was waiting for the chapter on her but it never showed up. Again, kind of a missed opportunity.
Anyway, back to Lester. When Ben Orton found out his white daughter was going to marry a black man, he had some dirty cops plant weed on Lester's car that put him away from two years. When Lester got out, he and Anita got back together and tried to get money out of Ben Orton ($25,000-which was a lot back then) in a bullshit ransom demand. The plot thread is resolved by the end, but since the two tried to stick up a liquor store and then immediately got caught by the police, they will both be in jail for awhile.
Ben Orton is a racist, bigoted, philandering p.o.s. that would totally be a Trump supporter today. I hazard to say he would have joined the January 6 riot on the Capitol. Hansen describes Orton through other characters:
Dave on Ben Orton:
Police wives/LEO wives were, of course, a thing back then too. Before the internet, before Facebook or Instagram or Reddit", the police wives community would be small and close-knit, united by their husband's occupation. One character, the wife of a cop and the daughter-in-law of Ben Orton, says to Dave:
I have heard that some exact sanctimonious whining since I was in grade school in the 1990s! Cops were using the same arguments since before I was born. There is nothing new in what they say - they just keep complaining about the same old crap while getting millions upon billions in funding while whining about how not everyone loves and respects cops. It is incredible.
Hansen was really onto some hot social issues in this book. That is the reason I am ranking this book higher but the mystery and the reveal of the true murderer is such a limp letdown. I wish he could have delved into it more and maybe have the murder be like the ending in , which would have broke his pattern and I think been a solid twist. But, alas, that is not how it goes down.
What was really interesting to me was all the background politics going on. Gay rights were slowly making traction in local and state politics. 1978 was a wild and brutal year for gay people and gay rights. Harvey Milk was assassinated that year. Protests were also held against Anita Bryant (noted homophobe who once got decked in the face with a pie on live television). This was the year that the first pride flag was flown, which is very different from today's more popular version.
The Stonewall Riots and Pride Marches, still in their infancy, are even mentioned, though Dave, a quiet homosexual who isn't part of the larger movement has to ask:
“What parade?”
“You know, man. Gay Pride Week? Every year. To celebrate 1969 when those drag queens threw their purses at the New York police."
I am no expert on gay history or the social/political history of the 1970s. But, what I think Hansen lays out very well are those two groups of homosexual men. There is the one group that comes across as very pragmatic and thorough. They do not prefer marching in the streets or being "loud and proud." Rather, they go through the bureaucratic system and move slowly, often painfully, (they come at you with dull castration knives) to change laws that are discriminatory against gay and lesbian people. Then you have the second group who are queer, loud, in your face, proud, showy - this counterculture group that can accidentally wreck things by being loud and obnoxious. In this book, that group demonstrates their style of activism by running into a legislature that is about to pass a bill that is favorable toward gay people (the contents of the bill are never spelled out, or if it was I missed it) and make such a scene that the guy who was working to advance the bill, by meeting and dealing with lawmakers and the politically important in the town, is convinced their actions killed the bill. One of the characters says:
“What really needed doing wasn’t parades and picket lines and protests. It was changing the laws. For twenty years we tried single-handed. Now and then some new assemblyman still wet from the egg would flitter into the lion’s den with a timid little bill. They always ate him.”This is a really fascinating look at gay culture and how it dealt with the politics and politicians at the time that doesn't come from a non-fiction source.
A source of contention within the book is a gay activist, Kerlee, getting a petition together to get a gay man on the police force. Getting gay men and lesbian women into positions that held social and political power seemed to be a massive goal for many LGBT and their allies, much more so back then. In the last presidential race, we had a gay man (a very whitebread gay man, who probably worked for the CIA, but nonetheless) run for the president's seat. The Onion was able to run a headline in 2013 (35 years after this book was published) titled: Area Teen Quickly Running Out Of Chances To Be First Openly Gay Anything. By the 2010s becoming the first gay anything was a fun joke, but back then it was serious eff you see kay-ing business. Ben Orton, the murder victim that no one is really going to cry over, is totally against it, saying to a news crew:
“People wouldn’t sign these petitions if they knew what homosexuals are really like. Police officers know that - how these weirdos lives their lives. Alleys. Public toilets. Back rows of dirty theaters. What they do - with men they never saw before. Anybody. It’s not just that they’re mentally sick. They spread germs. You get people like that in your police department locker rooms - you could have your police force down with venereal disease. Is that what the people want that are signing these petitions? Well, I can tell you, it’s not what the police officers want - or their wives.”
The original setup of the murder, with a gay activist being accused of killing a super conservative cop, is kind of forgotten about for awhile until it is picked back up at the end. Another guy ends up confessing to planting evidence to get the guy thrown in jail because he is pissed that he threw away a chance of making meaningful legislation. But the original suspect never talks to Dave Brandstetter or is even shown as being sprung out of jail, which is a missed opportunity. In previous books, there was a chapter where this is shown but for whatever reason Hansen did not write it or include it in the book.
Ben Orton is a very interesting and hateful figure. I think we have all met someone like this or have seen this man on television. Hansen clearly had a lot of thoughts about the police and police corruption and it shows. It is really interesting to me how much of the same language about cops and how a part of society loves/worships them and another part loathes and fears them is the same then as it is now. This book could easily be adapted for a TV show or movie and the only things that would have to change are the technology, the cars, and the fashion. Just about everything else could stay the same. The book also deals with racism and how cops were and still are attacking black men for existing.
A young black man, Lester Green, was going to marry the victim's father, Anita. Okay, that name could not have been coincidental. Anita was a known homophobe (see above) who started out as a singer but became a noted anti-gay bigot who worked hard to stop the progress of gay rights from advancing. Hansen knew what he was doing when he named the daughter character - and it is interesting that Anita never gets a single line of dialogue in the book and most, if not all, the characters who actually know seem to loathe her to a certain extent, excluding her fiance. I was waiting for the chapter on her but it never showed up. Again, kind of a missed opportunity.
Anyway, back to Lester. When Ben Orton found out his white daughter was going to marry a black man, he had some dirty cops plant weed on Lester's car that put him away from two years. When Lester got out, he and Anita got back together and tried to get money out of Ben Orton ($25,000-which was a lot back then) in a bullshit ransom demand. The plot thread is resolved by the end, but since the two tried to stick up a liquor store and then immediately got caught by the police, they will both be in jail for awhile.
Ben Orton is a racist, bigoted, philandering p.o.s. that would totally be a Trump supporter today. I hazard to say he would have joined the January 6 riot on the Capitol. Hansen describes Orton through other characters:
“We take - took - an intense interest in Ben Orton. This is salt-of-the-earth country. Ben Orton was it’s hero. Ben Orton wasn’t just a police chief - he was also a man.”
“What Ben Orton wanted kept secret was kept secret. He had what’s politely called power. There are nastier words for it.”
Dave on Ben Orton:
“He was protecting his image, the myth of Ben Orton, champion of law and order, the family, the flag - the things, as his wife told me this morning, that make America great. Which did not include adult movies, homosexual police officers, and most especially not an underground paper.”
Police wives/LEO wives were, of course, a thing back then too. Before the internet, before Facebook or Instagram or Reddit", the police wives community would be small and close-knit, united by their husband's occupation. One character, the wife of a cop and the daughter-in-law of Ben Orton, says to Dave:
“I have advice for women seeking husbands - with a law-enforcement officer, what you see is what you get.”This is the same shit that Lt. Col Grossman peddles - he just picked it up and gave a new spin on it.
“Including indifference to laws that don’t suit him,” Dave said. “Minor ones…slashing the tires of an unwanted stranger in town. Or major ones, like burning down the local radical newspaper.”
She cleared her throat and gave a recitation. “The courts don’t understand the problem. The legislators don’t understand the problem. The police officer has to deal with the problem, face to face, day in, day out. It’s often a matter of his life, a split-second decision. The judgment as to what he has to do can’t wait for laws to be written and pass a string of courts to make up their minds. He has to protect himself and the public who depend on him. Whether they like it or not.” Her mouth twitched. “End of creed.”
I have heard that some exact sanctimonious whining since I was in grade school in the 1990s! Cops were using the same arguments since before I was born. There is nothing new in what they say - they just keep complaining about the same old crap while getting millions upon billions in funding while whining about how not everyone loves and respects cops. It is incredible.
Hansen was really onto some hot social issues in this book. That is the reason I am ranking this book higher but the mystery and the reveal of the true murderer is such a limp letdown. I wish he could have delved into it more and maybe have the murder be like the ending in , which would have broke his pattern and I think been a solid twist. But, alas, that is not how it goes down.
August 27, 2022
Unlisted LGBA - throughout … boring, constant whine in text form. 1/2 way through couldn’t endure further - DNF and cannot refer to others.
November 7, 2019
I found this in an out-of-the-way library and sat down to have a read. Two hours later, I realized I did not have time to get to my next class and ended up being twenty minutes late. Long story short, this is basically the gay version of your average (het) detective story-- it was compelling, fast-paced, twisty, and the romance was understated and sweet. Really, really happy I stopped to check out the LGBT section.
August 25, 2016
Bad people and sad people. The melancholic mood reminds me a bit of the Scandinavian mysteries I used to read.
August 14, 2021
It is August 2021. The Covid Delta variant is causing another surge of illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. Half of Ohio’s eligible population is not vaccinated, and many persons loudly refuse to be vaccinated for the deadly virus.
The state legislature is preparing to pass a bill to prohibit all schools, businesses, and organizations from requiring any vaccination or even asking if employees and patrons are vaccinated.
Another bill will forbid Ohio schools from requiring faculty, staff, and students to wear a mask to protect from Covid.
In California, after a teacher followed his school district’s policy and requested a student put on her mask, the girl’s father beat the teacher so badly he required hospitalization.
The Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization just released a community alert about an increase in violent crimes against LGBTQ persons in Central Ohio.
All this does not take me more than ten minutes away from home. So much else is happening around the country and the world.
The world seems very dark.
I have lately been on a noir mystery “kick.” I like the darkness of the genre and its implied, rather than directly shown, violence. But I also like watching how a world-weary, fatalistic, alienated detective restores justice to the world despite the emotional pain it costs him.
In Hansen’s fourth Dave Brandstetter mystery, Cecil, a young and idealistic journalist following the gay, middle-aged insurance investigator as he scrutinizes the death of a disliked and corrupt police chief asks, “What can a person do to earn a living that doesn’t hurt anybody?”
Brandstetter replies, “Look out for that word earn…What it probably means is take. In the kinds of jobs you’d want, that’s what it’s likely to mean.”
“And you,” the young man tells Brandstetter.
“And me. So what we do is to give, every chance we have—right?”
Though the noir genre presents a bleak, oppressive, and menacing world, it also reminds readers that there are some people who feel called to restore balance and protect the rest of us even though it means they must live in the darkness.
In The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of, Los Angeles Medallion Life Insurance investigator, Dave Brandstetter is sent to the small village of La Caleta to investigate the murder of a conservative police chief.
Ben Orton was a “law and order” cop who often ignored the law even as he came down hard on anyone else who did not. People feared the man, and few had the courage to go against him.
However, Cliff Kerlee, a gay right’s activist, had the courage to protest and collect petitions to force the police chief into hiring someone from the gay community. When Orton publicly attacked the man as he tried to deliver signed petitions, the activist said in ear shot of television reporters that he would kill the police chief.
Days later, the police chief lay dead with his head bashed in by a terracotta pot likely from Kerlee’s garden nursery. Police quickly arrest and incarcerate Kerlee.
Already facing a grim time as his father was nearing death and his relationship with his partner was unraveling, Dave Brandstetter travels north from LA to investigate the murder before his father’s insurance company can release a life insurance payment. What he finds is a sloppy and incomplete police investigation that offered only scant circumstantial evidence that led to the activist’s arrest.
Despite several wrong moves, the distracted and tired Brandstetter eventually exposes a case involving family drama, adultery, planted evidence, racism, homophobia, a fake kidnapping, and more.
Having now read four of Hansen’s novels I understand that “what seems to be is often not.” But with his dedication to the finding truth and restoring justice, Brandstetter logically and methodically follows every thread of the case until he uncovers the truth and exposes evidence that explains the criminal’s motive and opportunity.
Though this novel is now forty-three years old, it is still socially relevant as it explores the intersections of conservatism, racism, and homophobia. Either Hansen wrote novels that could stand the test of time, or the times have not changed as much as we might think.
I enjoyed the first three Brandstetter mysteries but with this novel Hansen took a large step forward with his skill as a writer. A recommended book.
April 10, 2024
I’ve been reading Brandstetter mysteries for a few years now. There have been ups (Fadeout & Death Claims) and downs (Troublemaker), but it’s largely remained consistent. You know what you’re getting. There’s a comfortable formula taking shape that’s both cozy and easy. After the middling third novel, I was cautiously curious going into this next story. While not earthshatteringly brilliant, it was certainly a come up. There were themes that, while not fully fleshed out, were complex and interesting. The plot felt a little more cohesive this time around which was a nice cherry on top. In all honesty, at this point I’m in it more for Brandstetter’s hardboiled noir detective persona than for the actual plot itself.
In this mystery, Brandstetter sets out to investigate the murder of a police chief that everyone hated, but that doesn’t stop the police department from quickly throwing the book at a radical gay activist who was petitioning the city to accept gay policemen. Brandstetter doesn’t believe it’s that cut and dry (spoiler, it never is) as he tracks down the dead police chief’s missing daughter and her ex-convict boyfriend newly released from jail.
One thing that this novel confronts that its predecessors skirt around is the gay rights movement in 1970s California. I found it an interesting juxtaposition between the traditional gay rights activists (slowly building consensus toward legislation) and the radical post-Milk era gay activists (who run into the state capital and start openly kissing legislators). Each feels that what they’re doing is right, but diametrically opposed to the other’s tactics. While this theme isn’t written deeply about, I still thought it was a quite intriguing point in the novel.
The major flaw that’s been a hallmark of Brandstetter mysteries is the ultimately convoluted endings Brandstetter finds himself in. For most mysteries that would be a dealbreaker, but for whatever reason these stories have conditioned me for lackluster endings so it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I’m convinced you actually can’t solve the murder along with Brandstetter with the information the reader has in front of them. It all remains quite hazy until the end when you’re presented with too many possibilities until it gets whittled down to the most random of people who committed the slaying.
I used to really like the subtle hints and quick chapters that give glimpses into Brandstetter’s personal life. His steely detective persona melts away, if only slightly, when dealing with his souring relationship with Doug, Doug’s ailing mother, or even his own steely father who’s recovering from a heart attack. However, at this juncture it’s starting to get frustrating that Brandstetter’s personal life feels as opaque as it was in the first novel. That could be why the character of Cecil felt so jarring and hard to reconcile.
On the whole, however, it was an enjoyable and much more memorable read. There were more interesting themes at play in this mystery that made the slightly mundane plot more interesting. Just when I thought I had lost the appetite for insurance claims, this novel did an adequate job of piquing my interest for the next mystery. I’m sure I’ll be seeing Brandstetter sooner rather than later.
In this mystery, Brandstetter sets out to investigate the murder of a police chief that everyone hated, but that doesn’t stop the police department from quickly throwing the book at a radical gay activist who was petitioning the city to accept gay policemen. Brandstetter doesn’t believe it’s that cut and dry (spoiler, it never is) as he tracks down the dead police chief’s missing daughter and her ex-convict boyfriend newly released from jail.
One thing that this novel confronts that its predecessors skirt around is the gay rights movement in 1970s California. I found it an interesting juxtaposition between the traditional gay rights activists (slowly building consensus toward legislation) and the radical post-Milk era gay activists (who run into the state capital and start openly kissing legislators). Each feels that what they’re doing is right, but diametrically opposed to the other’s tactics. While this theme isn’t written deeply about, I still thought it was a quite intriguing point in the novel.
The major flaw that’s been a hallmark of Brandstetter mysteries is the ultimately convoluted endings Brandstetter finds himself in. For most mysteries that would be a dealbreaker, but for whatever reason these stories have conditioned me for lackluster endings so it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I’m convinced you actually can’t solve the murder along with Brandstetter with the information the reader has in front of them. It all remains quite hazy until the end when you’re presented with too many possibilities until it gets whittled down to the most random of people who committed the slaying.
I used to really like the subtle hints and quick chapters that give glimpses into Brandstetter’s personal life. His steely detective persona melts away, if only slightly, when dealing with his souring relationship with Doug, Doug’s ailing mother, or even his own steely father who’s recovering from a heart attack. However, at this juncture it’s starting to get frustrating that Brandstetter’s personal life feels as opaque as it was in the first novel. That could be why the character of Cecil felt so jarring and hard to reconcile.
On the whole, however, it was an enjoyable and much more memorable read. There were more interesting themes at play in this mystery that made the slightly mundane plot more interesting. Just when I thought I had lost the appetite for insurance claims, this novel did an adequate job of piquing my interest for the next mystery. I’m sure I’ll be seeing Brandstetter sooner rather than later.
January 9, 2025
Eine Stadt an der kalifornischen Pazifikküste in der Nähe von Monterey, Ende der siebziger Jahre; Genre: Detektivkrimi.
Ein ganz typischer Fall für die Serie mit dem Versicherungsdetektiv Dave Brandstetter, bei dem deren Stärken gut erkennbar sind. Er eignet sich deshalb gut fürs Einsteigen. Allerdings sind ein paar Absonderlichkeiten, von denen Hansen fast nie lassen konnte, auch hier wieder zu merken. Um sehr schnell ins Knäuel mehrerer, sich überlagernder Vorgeschichten hinein zu kommen, werden dem Versicherungsdetektiv viel, viel später erst wichtig werdende Fingerzeige manchmal wie von göttlicher Vorsehung in die Hand gedrückt. Hier geht das so weit, dass Dave nach seinem ersten Gespräch mit der Witwe des erschlagenen Polizeichefs Ben Orton, sie hat frostig reagiert und sich entzogen, auf dem Absatz Kehrt macht, von hinten, über einen Patio, wo die Leiche lag, in Ortons Haus und Büro eindringt, während die Frau immer noch im Haus ist. Und schon nach kurzem Stöbern gibt es Hinweise dafür, dass Polizeichef Orton im Zusammenhang mit der Entführung seiner Tochter erpresst wurde. Und auch, dass dieser Polizist zu Hause öfters mit Fischerbooten gefunkt hat. Und dann finden sich Indizien, als hätte der beinharte Cop sich hin und wieder mal als Hippie verkleidet. Wieder viel Holz für den Anfang!
Wir sind in dieser Folge der Reihe dort angekommen, wo der immer ��lter werdende Dave seinen viel jüngeren, dazu sehr großen und dünnen und außerdem schwarzen Freund Cecil Harris zum ersten Mal trifft, den ich ja schon kannte, weil ich die Bücher nicht in der Reihenfolge ihres Erscheinens gelesen habe. Hier zeichnet sich zuerst noch der kommende Bruch mit dem bisherigen Freund Doug ab, dessen größtes Manko seine Ähnlichkeiten mit Daves langjähriger Lebensliebe, einem am Krebs Verstorbenen, sind. Immer sah Dave den Vorgänger in Doug, aber er war es halt nicht. Dave wurde ihm nicht gerecht. Auch Daves altem Vater, dem Eigentümer der Versicherung, für die er in Zweifelsfällen ermittelt, geht es gesundheitlich schlecht.
Cecil ist Student und noch keine 21 Jahre alt, gute 35 Jahre jünger als Brandstetter. Er fängt sofort mit Flirten an, während Dave der Sache selbstverständlich nicht traut. Das nun auch so ein Bestandteil der Serie, den man irgendwann vielleicht nicht mehr mögen wird: dass, obwohl Dave so durch und durch von Gestern ist und keinen Zentimeter Veränderungsbereitschaft an den Tag legt, er von den jungen Schwulen in mehreren Fällen zum Bleiben über Nacht gedrängt wird. Dave ist wertkonservativ, glaubt an Treue, er isst gerne gut und teuer, trinkt jeden Tag nach dem Job mehrere Gläser Hochprozentigen, zu jedem Essen Wein, er raucht viele Zigaretten, macht keinen Sport, geht ins Theater, zu Ausstellungen, fährt erst einen alten Benzinfresser, dann für viele Jahre einen roten Playboy-Jaguar, den er in den ärmeren Stadtteilen stehen lässt, bis ihn ein Radkappendiebstahl dazu bringt, sich vor solchen Fahrten immer erst einen Mietwagen zu besorgen. Vor allem: Dave sagt niemandem, auch nicht seinem Freund, auch nicht uns, seinen Lesern, welche Theorien er sich gerade zusammenreimt. Er lässt sich aber niemals mit Lügen und Ausflüchten abspeisen und kehrt so oft an den Schauplatz der Kriminalität zurück, bis er seinen Mann hat – und hin und wieder auch wegen einer Kugel umklappt.
Überraschend dieses Mal, dass Hansen, der drei Jahre vorher (in „Troublemaker“) Spitzen gegen den lockeren Lebensstil schwuler Hippies am Stand platziert hatte, hier, gut und gern zehn Jahre nachdem es Top war, sein Hippie-Buch offeriert. Dass die weiße Weste des Law-and-Order-Paschas Orton, des Mannes, der gefürchtet war, nicht nur von den Bösen, sondern von seinen Untergebenen, von Medienleuten, von Frauen, Künstlern, Mexikanern, Schwulen, nach Daves vielen Gesprächen mit Leuten, die ihm begegnet sind, noch weiß sein wird, ist unwahrscheinlich. Kein Wunder, dass die Witwe nicht reden wollte.
Schnell zeigt sich, dass man in dieser sauberen Stadt schon auch oppositionelle Zeitungen abfackelt oder jungen Mexikanern, wenn sie mit der eigenen Tochter rummachen, Drogenpäckchen unterschiebt. Allerdings ist dieser Freund der Tochter vor Kurzem entlassen worden und somit ein Mordverdächtiger. Zumal der Sohn des Alten, Jerry Orton, als Chef-Vertreter in übergroßen Schuhen durch die Gemeinde irrt. Natürlich wird Dave, der Fremde aus L.A., ständig überwacht. Oder ist das Cecil, der nicht von ihm lassen will?
Wie üblich hat Joseph Hansen in kurzer Zeit einen farbigen Strauß von Vorgeschichten beieinander, die jeweils wenigstens ein Motiv für eine der Figuren liefern. Wer diese Reihe über ein paar Bücher verfolgt hat, weiß es: Fast jeder hat sich irgendwie verdächtig gemacht, aber Autor Hansen setzt seinen Ehrgeiz daran, im letzten Kapitel noch eine Überraschung aus dem Hut zu ziehen. Polizeichef Orton hatte mehr oder weniger intime Kontakte zu mehreren Frauen, die sich zum Teil spinnefeind sind. Die Anchor-Woman der Fernsehstation, bei der Cecil gerade jobbt, gierte eher danach, ihn öffentlichkeitswirksam in die Pfanne zu hauen. Weder Frau noch Tochter mochten den Ermordeten. Die Entführung der Tochter mag eine einvernehmlich inszenierte Finte gewesen sein, um Orton Geld abzuknöpfen.
Die Polizei hat ihren Täter natürlich und – was auch nicht ungewöhnlich für die Serie ist – der Detektiv glaubt so wenig daran, dass er den Mann nicht mal zu einem Gespräch besucht. Dieser Verdächtigte ist Cliff Kerlee, der die Polizei gegen sich aufgebracht hatte, indem er im Fernsehen Ortons Truppe Homophobie vorwarf. Kerlee wiederum ist mit einem dieser selbsternannten Weltverbesserer und Therapeuten zusammen, die es in Hansens Romanen auch immer wieder gibt und die oft ziemlich dubios wirken. Mittlerweile scheint aus der Therapie eine Sommerkolonie für Jungschwule geworden zu sein. Die zwei älteren Glucken scheinen ihre Küken für ganz irdische Genüsse zu benutzen.
Der verschiedenen, immer überzeugend gezeichneten Charaktere sind es in solchen Brandstetter-Fällen aus den siebziger Jahren immer ziemlich viele. So gäbe es hier auch noch einen alten, alkoholkranken Maler, der, bevor er überraschend schnell zu Tode kommt, in den Bars herum posaunt, nachdem er ein Leben lang gestümpert habe, hat er jetzt den Weg zur ganz großen Kunst entdeckt. Und für deren Vertrieb wie überhaupt für die meisten Finanzen seines traurigen Daseins ist eine Galeristin verantwortlich, die einerseits mit einem Kunstwissenschaftler, andererseits mit dem toten Orton in Verbindung steht.
Bei Joseph Hansen kommt man sich in den ersten Kapiteln lange verschaukelt und an der Nase durch die Gegend gezogen vor. Würde er bitte zum Mord und zur Action kommen! Dann, wie gesagt, verdächtigt man überhaupt alle, die es nicht waren, und ganz am Ende überzeugt einen die Auflösung nicht so ganz. Und so merkt man schließlich, dass die wahre Meisterschaft des Autors darin liegt, wie er, sehr leicht erscheinend, diese kleinen Bilder und diese vielen Menschen gemalt hat. Blühende Bäume, müffelnde Wohnungen, Stühle in Cafés, rostige Autos, das Meer, die indianischen Kunstgegenstände in der Galerie, ein paar witzige Bemerkungen in den Dialogen, Hansens immer dezent tief gestapeltes, fast unterkühltes Engagement für die schwule Sache.
Ein ganz typischer Fall für die Serie mit dem Versicherungsdetektiv Dave Brandstetter, bei dem deren Stärken gut erkennbar sind. Er eignet sich deshalb gut fürs Einsteigen. Allerdings sind ein paar Absonderlichkeiten, von denen Hansen fast nie lassen konnte, auch hier wieder zu merken. Um sehr schnell ins Knäuel mehrerer, sich überlagernder Vorgeschichten hinein zu kommen, werden dem Versicherungsdetektiv viel, viel später erst wichtig werdende Fingerzeige manchmal wie von göttlicher Vorsehung in die Hand gedrückt. Hier geht das so weit, dass Dave nach seinem ersten Gespräch mit der Witwe des erschlagenen Polizeichefs Ben Orton, sie hat frostig reagiert und sich entzogen, auf dem Absatz Kehrt macht, von hinten, über einen Patio, wo die Leiche lag, in Ortons Haus und Büro eindringt, während die Frau immer noch im Haus ist. Und schon nach kurzem Stöbern gibt es Hinweise dafür, dass Polizeichef Orton im Zusammenhang mit der Entführung seiner Tochter erpresst wurde. Und auch, dass dieser Polizist zu Hause öfters mit Fischerbooten gefunkt hat. Und dann finden sich Indizien, als hätte der beinharte Cop sich hin und wieder mal als Hippie verkleidet. Wieder viel Holz für den Anfang!
Wir sind in dieser Folge der Reihe dort angekommen, wo der immer ��lter werdende Dave seinen viel jüngeren, dazu sehr großen und dünnen und außerdem schwarzen Freund Cecil Harris zum ersten Mal trifft, den ich ja schon kannte, weil ich die Bücher nicht in der Reihenfolge ihres Erscheinens gelesen habe. Hier zeichnet sich zuerst noch der kommende Bruch mit dem bisherigen Freund Doug ab, dessen größtes Manko seine Ähnlichkeiten mit Daves langjähriger Lebensliebe, einem am Krebs Verstorbenen, sind. Immer sah Dave den Vorgänger in Doug, aber er war es halt nicht. Dave wurde ihm nicht gerecht. Auch Daves altem Vater, dem Eigentümer der Versicherung, für die er in Zweifelsfällen ermittelt, geht es gesundheitlich schlecht.
Cecil ist Student und noch keine 21 Jahre alt, gute 35 Jahre jünger als Brandstetter. Er fängt sofort mit Flirten an, während Dave der Sache selbstverständlich nicht traut. Das nun auch so ein Bestandteil der Serie, den man irgendwann vielleicht nicht mehr mögen wird: dass, obwohl Dave so durch und durch von Gestern ist und keinen Zentimeter Veränderungsbereitschaft an den Tag legt, er von den jungen Schwulen in mehreren Fällen zum Bleiben über Nacht gedrängt wird. Dave ist wertkonservativ, glaubt an Treue, er isst gerne gut und teuer, trinkt jeden Tag nach dem Job mehrere Gläser Hochprozentigen, zu jedem Essen Wein, er raucht viele Zigaretten, macht keinen Sport, geht ins Theater, zu Ausstellungen, fährt erst einen alten Benzinfresser, dann für viele Jahre einen roten Playboy-Jaguar, den er in den ärmeren Stadtteilen stehen lässt, bis ihn ein Radkappendiebstahl dazu bringt, sich vor solchen Fahrten immer erst einen Mietwagen zu besorgen. Vor allem: Dave sagt niemandem, auch nicht seinem Freund, auch nicht uns, seinen Lesern, welche Theorien er sich gerade zusammenreimt. Er lässt sich aber niemals mit Lügen und Ausflüchten abspeisen und kehrt so oft an den Schauplatz der Kriminalität zurück, bis er seinen Mann hat – und hin und wieder auch wegen einer Kugel umklappt.
Überraschend dieses Mal, dass Hansen, der drei Jahre vorher (in „Troublemaker“) Spitzen gegen den lockeren Lebensstil schwuler Hippies am Stand platziert hatte, hier, gut und gern zehn Jahre nachdem es Top war, sein Hippie-Buch offeriert. Dass die weiße Weste des Law-and-Order-Paschas Orton, des Mannes, der gefürchtet war, nicht nur von den Bösen, sondern von seinen Untergebenen, von Medienleuten, von Frauen, Künstlern, Mexikanern, Schwulen, nach Daves vielen Gesprächen mit Leuten, die ihm begegnet sind, noch weiß sein wird, ist unwahrscheinlich. Kein Wunder, dass die Witwe nicht reden wollte.
Schnell zeigt sich, dass man in dieser sauberen Stadt schon auch oppositionelle Zeitungen abfackelt oder jungen Mexikanern, wenn sie mit der eigenen Tochter rummachen, Drogenpäckchen unterschiebt. Allerdings ist dieser Freund der Tochter vor Kurzem entlassen worden und somit ein Mordverdächtiger. Zumal der Sohn des Alten, Jerry Orton, als Chef-Vertreter in übergroßen Schuhen durch die Gemeinde irrt. Natürlich wird Dave, der Fremde aus L.A., ständig überwacht. Oder ist das Cecil, der nicht von ihm lassen will?
Wie üblich hat Joseph Hansen in kurzer Zeit einen farbigen Strauß von Vorgeschichten beieinander, die jeweils wenigstens ein Motiv für eine der Figuren liefern. Wer diese Reihe über ein paar Bücher verfolgt hat, weiß es: Fast jeder hat sich irgendwie verdächtig gemacht, aber Autor Hansen setzt seinen Ehrgeiz daran, im letzten Kapitel noch eine Überraschung aus dem Hut zu ziehen. Polizeichef Orton hatte mehr oder weniger intime Kontakte zu mehreren Frauen, die sich zum Teil spinnefeind sind. Die Anchor-Woman der Fernsehstation, bei der Cecil gerade jobbt, gierte eher danach, ihn öffentlichkeitswirksam in die Pfanne zu hauen. Weder Frau noch Tochter mochten den Ermordeten. Die Entführung der Tochter mag eine einvernehmlich inszenierte Finte gewesen sein, um Orton Geld abzuknöpfen.
Die Polizei hat ihren Täter natürlich und – was auch nicht ungewöhnlich für die Serie ist – der Detektiv glaubt so wenig daran, dass er den Mann nicht mal zu einem Gespräch besucht. Dieser Verdächtigte ist Cliff Kerlee, der die Polizei gegen sich aufgebracht hatte, indem er im Fernsehen Ortons Truppe Homophobie vorwarf. Kerlee wiederum ist mit einem dieser selbsternannten Weltverbesserer und Therapeuten zusammen, die es in Hansens Romanen auch immer wieder gibt und die oft ziemlich dubios wirken. Mittlerweile scheint aus der Therapie eine Sommerkolonie für Jungschwule geworden zu sein. Die zwei älteren Glucken scheinen ihre Küken für ganz irdische Genüsse zu benutzen.
Der verschiedenen, immer überzeugend gezeichneten Charaktere sind es in solchen Brandstetter-Fällen aus den siebziger Jahren immer ziemlich viele. So gäbe es hier auch noch einen alten, alkoholkranken Maler, der, bevor er überraschend schnell zu Tode kommt, in den Bars herum posaunt, nachdem er ein Leben lang gestümpert habe, hat er jetzt den Weg zur ganz großen Kunst entdeckt. Und für deren Vertrieb wie überhaupt für die meisten Finanzen seines traurigen Daseins ist eine Galeristin verantwortlich, die einerseits mit einem Kunstwissenschaftler, andererseits mit dem toten Orton in Verbindung steht.
Bei Joseph Hansen kommt man sich in den ersten Kapiteln lange verschaukelt und an der Nase durch die Gegend gezogen vor. Würde er bitte zum Mord und zur Action kommen! Dann, wie gesagt, verdächtigt man überhaupt alle, die es nicht waren, und ganz am Ende überzeugt einen die Auflösung nicht so ganz. Und so merkt man schließlich, dass die wahre Meisterschaft des Autors darin liegt, wie er, sehr leicht erscheinend, diese kleinen Bilder und diese vielen Menschen gemalt hat. Blühende Bäume, müffelnde Wohnungen, Stühle in Cafés, rostige Autos, das Meer, die indianischen Kunstgegenstände in der Galerie, ein paar witzige Bemerkungen in den Dialogen, Hansens immer dezent tief gestapeltes, fast unterkühltes Engagement für die schwule Sache.
March 16, 2021
This is one of these cases in which I have zero sympathies for the victim or his family. Ben Orton was a hypocrite and a bigot, nothing lost. And his family? They tried to cover up all his sins and make a saint of him. Yeah, they all truly deserved each other.
And having a gay's rights activist as a scapegoat with close to nothing when it comes to evidence made it all even worse.
The case comes in a very difficult time for Dave; his father is hospitalized and probably dying; his relationship with Doug isn't at his best point, and Doug is going through similar issues with his mom. And he keeps asking for an open relationship, which is not something with which Dave is comfortable.
So, what does he do? He submerges himself in his work, of course! And he has a lot of suspects to go through, as the sheriff wasn't the most loved person in town. I like how we are slowly understanding the damage that the victim has caused to lots of people, how we are made aware of complex social issues like racism, misogyny and homophobia that are rampant in the town (and everywhere, TBH) but all is done almost in a subdued tone, in a very matter-of-fact way.
I was a little surprised by Dave's connection with Cecil, mostly because he has always been against cheating, and yet... Not very sure about how I feel about it, although given Dave's mood maybe isn't so surprising.
Nevertheless, this was, as always, a great book and I loved it. The narration by Keith Szarabajka is good... except when it comes to women voices.
And having a gay's rights activist as a scapegoat with close to nothing when it comes to evidence made it all even worse.
The case comes in a very difficult time for Dave; his father is hospitalized and probably dying; his relationship with Doug isn't at his best point, and Doug is going through similar issues with his mom. And he keeps asking for an open relationship, which is not something with which Dave is comfortable.
So, what does he do? He submerges himself in his work, of course! And he has a lot of suspects to go through, as the sheriff wasn't the most loved person in town. I like how we are slowly understanding the damage that the victim has caused to lots of people, how we are made aware of complex social issues like racism, misogyny and homophobia that are rampant in the town (and everywhere, TBH) but all is done almost in a subdued tone, in a very matter-of-fact way.
I was a little surprised by Dave's connection with Cecil, mostly because he has always been against cheating, and yet... Not very sure about how I feel about it, although given Dave's mood maybe isn't so surprising.
Nevertheless, this was, as always, a great book and I loved it. The narration by Keith Szarabajka is good... except when it comes to women voices.
April 20, 2023
I am loving this reissued series. The kinds of details Joseph Hansen notices in his settings and in the attributes and personal style of his characters -- the way he words those observations -- make me think he is as much a poet as a novelist.
Hansen's protagonist, Dave Brandstetter, investigates violent deaths for his father's insurance company to make sure the beneficiaries didn't cause the death. Along the way he rights wrongs. In this case, a small California town's bent constabulary has pinned their chief's murder on an out-there gay activist they hated anyway. Brandstetter thinks their 'investigation" was laughable.
Hansen's plots are loaded with possible perps, especially this one, as the people who resented or hated the police chief are countless. Brandstetter goes where angels fear to tread, coming up with an array of possible motives that confuses him, preoccupied as he is with his father's illness and his lover's estrangement.
Hansen likes to have numerous characters be observed near a body by someone who doesn't fess up because they themselves have a motive to kill.
Why was the activist's bag found near the body? Why did one witness notice a gun and another insist there was no gun? And was the destroyed pottery a flower pot? A roof tile? What?
Hansen will keep you guessing until the denouement.
Hansen's protagonist, Dave Brandstetter, investigates violent deaths for his father's insurance company to make sure the beneficiaries didn't cause the death. Along the way he rights wrongs. In this case, a small California town's bent constabulary has pinned their chief's murder on an out-there gay activist they hated anyway. Brandstetter thinks their 'investigation" was laughable.
Hansen's plots are loaded with possible perps, especially this one, as the people who resented or hated the police chief are countless. Brandstetter goes where angels fear to tread, coming up with an array of possible motives that confuses him, preoccupied as he is with his father's illness and his lover's estrangement.
Hansen likes to have numerous characters be observed near a body by someone who doesn't fess up because they themselves have a motive to kill.
Why was the activist's bag found near the body? Why did one witness notice a gun and another insist there was no gun? And was the destroyed pottery a flower pot? A roof tile? What?
Hansen will keep you guessing until the denouement.
July 15, 2023
*Warning, there will be mild spoilers*
The Dave Brandstetter series continues to fascinate and immerse me with its lineup. Hansen's cinematic and humorous writing lends well to a fast-paced case (that goes both ways). Who killed revered police chief Ben Orton isn't clear at first. Hansen unravels how the man was a pillar and threat to the community as the book continues. It reminded me of White men nowadays who are able to establish strong footholds because of their dynamism and open views against progress. His reach was felt in several areas of La Caleta, which sets Dave up for his toughest mystery mentally. I'm impressed he didn't crack.
A big part of The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of is its emotional hollowness. We don't get as much of a back and forth between Dave's detective and personal life this time (a pro and a con), but he feels isolated from several aspects of the book's plot. His father isn't breathing down his neck, there's tension brewing in the relationship with his partner, Doug, and the case he's working continues to get sabotaged. Even the littlest pinch of romantic hope doesn't look like it'll last. Hansen's putting a queer person's fears at the time, and modern day, out there: Are we fated to live lives where we end up romantically alone because of our sexualities? It makes for a harrowing read.
The Dave Brandstetter series continues to fascinate and immerse me with its lineup. Hansen's cinematic and humorous writing lends well to a fast-paced case (that goes both ways). Who killed revered police chief Ben Orton isn't clear at first. Hansen unravels how the man was a pillar and threat to the community as the book continues. It reminded me of White men nowadays who are able to establish strong footholds because of their dynamism and open views against progress. His reach was felt in several areas of La Caleta, which sets Dave up for his toughest mystery mentally. I'm impressed he didn't crack.
A big part of The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of is its emotional hollowness. We don't get as much of a back and forth between Dave's detective and personal life this time (a pro and a con), but he feels isolated from several aspects of the book's plot. His father isn't breathing down his neck, there's tension brewing in the relationship with his partner, Doug, and the case he's working continues to get sabotaged. Even the littlest pinch of romantic hope doesn't look like it'll last. Hansen's putting a queer person's fears at the time, and modern day, out there: Are we fated to live lives where we end up romantically alone because of our sexualities? It makes for a harrowing read.
Read
August 5, 2023This 1978 novel is the fourth David Brandstetter story. He is an investigator for the Medalion Life Insurance Company. He is gay. He is investigating the murder of Polic Chief Ben Orton in La Caleta, California. A gay activist is charged with his murder.
Orton is a reactionary cop who has made his name by attacking liberals and gays. Brandstetter uncovers his messy family life, including a wife who he was cheating on, a daughter who hates him and a son who worships him.
He gets involved in the seedy bohemian side of the town and eventually figures out who murdered the chief.
These novels were pioneering studies of gay life. Brandstetter struggles to maintain a relationship. He tries to maintain his dignity in a homophobic world.
These are not only gay novels. Hansen is brilliant on seedy California. He captures small town California, the marginal arty types trying to get by with a rundown gallery and the burned-out dreamers hanging on in backwater coastal settlements.
He also is a master of melancholy. Brandstetter never seems happy. He is always just trying to get by. Most of the people he meets are run down by life and just trying to get by. Even his bad guys don't seem to really relish being bad guys.
There is a sun shined desperate California spirit in these books.
Orton is a reactionary cop who has made his name by attacking liberals and gays. Brandstetter uncovers his messy family life, including a wife who he was cheating on, a daughter who hates him and a son who worships him.
He gets involved in the seedy bohemian side of the town and eventually figures out who murdered the chief.
These novels were pioneering studies of gay life. Brandstetter struggles to maintain a relationship. He tries to maintain his dignity in a homophobic world.
These are not only gay novels. Hansen is brilliant on seedy California. He captures small town California, the marginal arty types trying to get by with a rundown gallery and the burned-out dreamers hanging on in backwater coastal settlements.
He also is a master of melancholy. Brandstetter never seems happy. He is always just trying to get by. Most of the people he meets are run down by life and just trying to get by. Even his bad guys don't seem to really relish being bad guys.
There is a sun shined desperate California spirit in these books.
August 4, 2023
These are getting better.
The mystery was compelling and convoluted in the best possible way - the follow-up of probable suspects was really interesting, especially near the end. () I also like, that even though Brandstetter was not up to his best investigative self, due to certain personal issues, he still noted every vital detail - merely didn't figure it out immediately.
And especially, the ending was not so abrupt. Now, that's a huuuge plus.
The mystery was compelling and convoluted in the best possible way - the follow-up of probable suspects was really interesting, especially near the end. () I also like, that even though Brandstetter was not up to his best investigative self, due to certain personal issues, he still noted every vital detail - merely didn't figure it out immediately.
And especially, the ending was not so abrupt. Now, that's a huuuge plus.
June 26, 2025
3.25 stars
Not sure why, but I felt less engaged with this installment than the previous ones. It took me over a week to finish this less-than-200-page book because I had a hard time getting into the story. Plus, the victim was the kind of guy who was better off dead than alive, so I wasn’t too invested in finding out whodunit. It was good to see where Dave and Doug’s relationship was heading and to meet Dave’s new (not-yet) boyfriend, though the new boy’s character was barely half-fledged at this point.
Joseph Hansen seems to rely a bit too heavily on the same structure in his mysteries, and after four books, it’s starting to feel a bit stale. I’m hoping for something new in the rest of the series.
Not sure why, but I felt less engaged with this installment than the previous ones. It took me over a week to finish this less-than-200-page book because I had a hard time getting into the story. Plus, the victim was the kind of guy who was better off dead than alive, so I wasn’t too invested in finding out whodunit. It was good to see where Dave and Doug’s relationship was heading and to meet Dave’s new (not-yet) boyfriend, though the new boy’s character was barely half-fledged at this point.
Joseph Hansen seems to rely a bit too heavily on the same structure in his mysteries, and after four books, it’s starting to feel a bit stale. I’m hoping for something new in the rest of the series.
July 14, 2022
2.5 stars. I think I’m kind of over this series, so will take a pause on it. (The library only has one more book in the series, anyway.)
The stories are always solid, but I feel like they are also always the same. I don’t plan to read Book 5, but if I did, I’m sure there would be some kind of down-and-out family involved, and a collection of gay men—half of whom are down-and-out and half of whom are solid, nice guys. There will also be a few paragraphs about Dave’s love life, but not enough to really make me feel connected to that relationship. Anyway, I’ve read this same basic structure 4 times now, and I think that’s going to be enough.
The stories are always solid, but I feel like they are also always the same. I don’t plan to read Book 5, but if I did, I’m sure there would be some kind of down-and-out family involved, and a collection of gay men—half of whom are down-and-out and half of whom are solid, nice guys. There will also be a few paragraphs about Dave’s love life, but not enough to really make me feel connected to that relationship. Anyway, I’ve read this same basic structure 4 times now, and I think that’s going to be enough.
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