The Bone Polisher

Simeon Grist Mystery #6

by Timothy Hallinan

In this next entry in Timothy Hallinan's highly praised series, private investigator Simeon Grist trails a serial killer whose methods appear to be based on an ancient Chinese legend.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

I'm a thriller and mystery novelist with 22 published books in three series, all with major imprints. I divides my time between Los Angeles and Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand, where I've lived off and on for more than twenty years. As of now, My primary home is in Santa Monica, California.

I currently write two series, The Poke Rafferty Bangkok Thrillers, most recently FOOLS' RIVER, and the Junior Bender Mysteries, set in Los Angeles, Coming up this November is NIGHTTOWN. The main character of those books is a burglar who works as a private eye for crooks.

The first series I ever wrote featured an overeducated private eye named Simeon Grist. in 2017 I wrote PULPED, the first book in the series to be self-published, which was actually a lot of fun. I might do more of it.

I've been nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity, the Shamus, and the Left, and won the Lefty in 2015 (?) for the Junior Bender book HERBIE'S GAME. My work has frequently been included in Best Books of the Year roundups by major publications.

Reviews

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good prose, good characterization, good world building, good story, maybe a theme. 4-skulls.

Of the six original entries this was the best. Be sure to read Hallinan's preface, so you'll know where he got his material.

Grist gives a nice speech about labeling someone as queer. I've always detested labeling, because obviously a person is so much more. And now we have folks labeling themselves within a rainbow of letters as though it were their defining characteristic. Never trust those who label.

[Carol Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very frightening and occasionally funny mystery/thriller set among the gay scene in Hollywood. Some very quotable quotes, including my favorite: ""Max's bunch won, and look where it's gotten them. The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name has become The Love That Cannot Shut Its Trap."

[Glen U · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Bone Polisher" is the 6th book in the Simeon Grist series by Timothy Hallinan. Written in 1993, it was the last sighting of the over educated private eye until he was reincarnated by Hallinan in 2017. In my opinion, "The Bone Polisher" was one of the series better stories. The setting was the early nineties gay scene in Los Angeles and shows an accurate and telling atmosphere of those times. Full of wit and verve, the tale follows Grist on a convoluted journey to solve a murder. Hallinan's Grist series has always been critically acclaimed and has developed almost a cult following, but was never commercially successful. Perhaps a bit too much like the numerous TV series detectives of the 80's, Hallinan's books were always well written and entertaining but never sold like some of his more profitable contemporaries. That being said, the series and, more specifically, this book are good reads and I am looking forward to seeing the 24 years older Simeon Grist in "Pulped".

[Paul Close · Rating 3 out of 5]

good mystery and characters

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ll written and creative narrative

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoy Hallinan's current series, set in Bangkok, with Poke Rafferty; but first met him as an author in his Simeon Grist series, written in the 90s. Books are set in LA - sometimes I wonder how/why all the investigators/police/consultants in LA don't run into one another - . But for this series, the city and the interesting variety of its citizens are important. Like Simeon as a character - and although the series is a bit grim, enjoy the books. There are characters that are deeply flawed but still capable of drawing you in. If you haven't read Hallinan, I urge you to give him a try - wherever his books are set.

[Ekaser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simeon Grist, in his fifth outing, fights the good fight, of course.

Simeon is asked to help save the life of an aging homosexual, someone who doesn't think their life is in danger. Unfortunately, the victim-to-be proves to be mistaken, and Simeon is soon
entangled in the police investigation and the attempt to track down the killer before any more people die. Written in the early 1990s, this book still reads very fresh, even with the large
changes in society's attitude about gay issues over the past 20 years. The book is filled with living, breathing, FASCINATING characters, and they will carry you throught the story effortlessly.

An excellent hard-boiled detective series!

[Jim Willse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallinan has three protagonists working in three series -- Poke Raferty, set in Bangkok ... Junior Bender, LA burglar with a high moral sense ... and Simeon Grist, complicated LA private eye. I'm a big fan of the Junior Bender series, not so much of Poke Raferty. The Simeon Grist series, of which The Bone Polisher is one, is somewhere in the middle in terms of engagement. It's not breaking any new ground -- the conventions include a horrific crime perpetrated by a horrific criminal, lots of bleak LA cityscape, wiseass repartee -- but it's generally well done and I'll be back for another installment.

[Sally Bisbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simeon Grist is on the trail of a brutal killer who is preying on Los Angeles's gay community. The murderer is called the Bone Polisher, the ancient Chinese name for those who returned the dead to their homes, because all his victims are killed in the same gruesome way.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, not as good as the poke series

[Candi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, comedy, action, mystery and it kept me guessing

[Peter Rosset · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent

[Brucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story.

[Jim]

Never finished, lost interest

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find myself connecting with Mr. Hallinan's books from the preface. I enjoy reading about his background he uses to build his stories. He shows a part of himself in it.