Hardware

Carlotta Carlyle #6

by Linda Barnes

In her sixth spellbinding adventure, Carlotta Carlyle, the 6'1" redheaded P.I. from Boston, takes on a case that draws her into the mysterious shadova and of computer technology, where information is cheap, and privacy may be a thing of the past. Part-time cabbie Carlotta is entering the modern age of investigation. With the help of her sometime lover, mafioso, and computer-hobbyist Sam Gianelli, she invests in her first "hardware," a cheap personal computer. And at the urging of her ex-boss, Boston Police Lt. Mooney, who decries the stopping power of her .38 S&W, she decides to upgrade her arsenal. Both types of hardware come in handy when Carlotta is hired by Gloria, owner of G&W Cab, to investigate the brutal robberies that are causing her cabbies to quit in record numbers, and the violence and unanswered questions escalate. An explosion rocks G&W, killing Gloria's brother and seriously wounding co-owner Sam Gianelli. Is someone out to bankrupt G&W to acquire its invaluable cab medallions? Is the company a pawn in a Mafia vendetta, with Sam, the underboss's son, the target? And who put that tiny microphone near G&W's bathroom? Aided by a mysterious databank expert, Carlotta learns far more than she thought possible about "private" transactions. And she finds herself digging into Sam's past, exposing secrets he's kept hidden for years--secrets that begin to pull them further apart. As the investigation reaches its climax, Carlotta realizes, almost too late, that the mob may be just a fall guy in a very intimate crime.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Linda Barnes is an American mystery writer, born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from Boston University"s School of Theater. She is best known for her series featuring Carlotta Carlyle, a 6'1" redheaded detective from Boston. Carlotta Carlyle is often compared to the hard-boiled female detectives created by Sue Grafton and Sara Paretsky. Her new novel, "The Perfect Ghost," which will be published in April, 2013, is her first stand-alone mystery.

Reviews

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlotta Carlyle is hired by her boss to investigate why her cab drivers are being beaten up. Just when author Barnes had us convinced that we knew who the killer was, she threw in someone who we never suspected! Hardware was a fun and fast read. C.J. Critt storytelling made the story exciting and a fun read.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Auch beim dritten Lesen erfreue ich mich an Carlottas Unabhängigkeit und Unwillen sich, gerade von Männern, einengen zu lassen. Sie lässt die Leute reden, bildet sich ihre eigene Meinung und handelt danach. Sie holt sich Unterstützung wenn gebraucht, nur nicht nach oder in dem Maße wie gefordert. So bleibt sie frei und recherchiert auf eigene Faust und kann ihren Ergebnissen vertrauen.

Mal sehen ob ich die anderen Bände auch wieder ausbuddele.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#6 in the Carlotta Carlyle series.

Carlotta Carlyle series - When Boston-area cabbies are targeted in a series of attacks, the professional and personal lives of Carlotta Carlyle bloom with mystery. The part-time PI and part-time cab driver is hired by the Small Taxi Association to investigate the attacks. On the same day, she discovers four microphones hidden at Green & White, the company she drives for. Sam Gianelli, her ``on-again, off-again lover'' and Green & White's co-proprietor, wants the bugs left undisturbed-though he won't say why. Sam's friend Frank sells Carlotta a new computer; on the way home she and Sam are shot at. Violence edges closer to Green & White, leading to serious injury for Sam and his co-owner, Gloria. Unexpectedly, Frank the computer maven, whom even Roz, Carlotta's tenant with a lively taste for men and the bizarre, finds odd, resurfaces. Before Carlotta can sort out taxi industry troubles, the past intrudes on the present and she discovers some surprises about Sam.

[John Biddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book every bit as much as I did when AI first read it decades ago. Carlotta Carlyle is one of the best female detectives out there, along with Kinsey Milhone and V I Warshawski. Hardware, 6th in the series, is typical of Barnes' work, full of interesting, well drawn characters, lots of action and tension, and an excellent story. If you're not familiar with these books, i strongly recommend them, though reading them in order is preferable.

[Nancy]

In her sixth spellbinding adventure, Carlotta Carlyle, the 6'1" redheaded P.I. from Boston, takes on a case that draws her into the mysterious shadova and of computer technology, where information is cheap, and privacy may be a thing of the past. Part-time cabbie Carlotta is entering the modern age of investigation. With the help of her sometime lover, mafioso, and computer-hobbyist Sam Gianelli, she invests in her first "hardware," a cheap personal computer. And at the urging of her ex-boss, Boston Police Lt. Mooney, who decries the stopping power of her .38 S&W, she decides to upgrade her arsenal. Both types of hardware come in handy when Carlotta is hired by Gloria, owner of G&W Cab, to investigate the brutal robberies that are causing her cabbies to quit in record numbers, and the violence and unanswered questions escalate. An explosion rocks G&W, killing Gloria's brother and seriously wounding co-owner Sam Gianelli. Is someone out to bankrupt G&W to acquire its invaluable cab medallions? Is the company a pawn in a Mafia vendetta, with Sam, the underboss's son, the target? And who put that tiny microphone near G&W's bathroom? Aided by a mysterious databank expert, Carlotta learns far more than she thought possible about "private" transactions. And she finds herself digging into Sam's past, exposing secrets he's kept hidden for years--secrets that begin to pull them further apart. As the investigation reaches its climax, Carlotta realizes, almost too late, that the mob may be just a fall guy in a very intimate crime.

Melvin is killed, Sam's brother is the bad guy.

[Nd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another funny Carlotta Carlyle escapade. I thought I had read all of these a long time ago, but looked at my list and may have missed some. This was funny, serious, quirky, and she's a great protagonist: an exceptionally tall redheaded daughter of a former policeman who, after losing her job as a policeman herself, became a private investigator and moonlighted for Green and White Taxi. In this episode, she did both. She worked as a PI for Green and White co-owner and day-in-day-out manager, Gloria, who was losing drivers at an unusual rate and felt fairly certain they were being roughed up and threatened to get them to leave. Sam Gianelli, Carlotta's lover and Gloria's G&W partner was the son of Boston mafia faction head, though Sam made every effort to cut himself off from his family and its affiliation. He took Carlotta to see an old friend who set her up with a great computer system, but things took a turn from there. Situations and actions Carlotta makes weren't always well fleshed out, but they definitely made for riveting reading as she tried to get to the bottom of multiple unexplained events (murder, disappearance, identity theft, and much more).

It's dated with the computer issues, but is as intriguing as it is improbable as Carlotta unravels the overlapping mess.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best book I've read this year. It's not the first time I've read "Hardware" but I suspect I probably felt the same all those years ago. Carlotta Carlyle is a great detective character and this book takes it to the next level. The plot sees Carlotta back driving with Green and White cabs but with other drivers quitting it looks like someone is attempting intimidate them out of business. When bomb goes off at the cab office Carlotta's boss Gloria and on-off mob son boyfriend Sam Gianelli are rushed to hospital. The story is frantic and a real page turner complete gripping finale. The most enjoyable thing is that I didn't remember any of the plot so it was like reading it for the first time over again.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't love this series, but I am enjoying it. The library didn't have any more audiobooks so I had to switch mediums and go to the ebook and I found that I actually enjoy reading these more than listening to them. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because I can kind of skim through what isn't interesting.

Carlotta is investigating some strange haps in the cabby industry. Cabbies are getting beaten up and forced to leave their jobs. Gloria needs Carlotta's help figuring out what's going on when her brother gets hurt.

We get to know Sam some more in this book. In the first books he was mostly just a name with no personality.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardware is number 6 in the Carlotta Carlyle series by Linda Barnes. It is my first book by Barnes, and I hope it will not be my last!

The story was both fun and fast with lots of subtle humor. Carlotta Carlyle is a very enjoyable character, and the supporting cast is wonderful!

The background is gritty featuring the seedy side of Boston. The plotline was exciting and kept the pages turning.

Although this is part of a series, I found the book worked well as a standalone although Carlotta has a history that I would like to know more about!

[David Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of noir detectives, I moved on to more modern detectives. For some reason I overlooked Linda Barnes novels until recently. I lived in Boston in the 1970s so the location intrigued me so I just read the series in order. All of the novels are excellent and Carlotta is an appealing character...tough but with a sweet side. I can't say that one book stands out....the entire series is well worth reading. Sadly, it appears that like me Carlotta has retired. But she leaves a strong legacy of work.

[Leisha Wharfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, I care a lot about the character Carlotta, remembered and eulogized by the author in an elegant criticism of Boston for its lasting segregation, and her overt admission regarding a city that is still racially exclusive: "In Boston, movie theaters cater to black crowds or white crowds. Restaurants rarely attract racially mixed gatherings . . . " It still takes exceptional individuals to cross racial lines. Why is that? Let's mix it up, people!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been trying to read the Carlotta Carlyle series as she wrote them but I've had some trouble finding the ones that she wrote earlier. In sequence they start as her being a cop in Boston, then leaving that after she shot someone and becoming a P.I.
Well written and detailed descriptions.

[rebecca O. webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book six in the Carlotta Carlyle series and grittier than the others. I do like the evolution of the characters and the different relationships. I really enjoyed this one even if certain personal things in her life didn’t make me happy.

[Julie Butcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

.Drey kenen haltn a sod as tsvey zaynen meysim, my grandmother used to say. Translated from the Yiddish: 'Three can keep a secret if two of them are corpses.' I’m tempted to print it on my business cards.

I love Carlotta Carlyle. This one was particularly good IMHO.

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 1 out of 5]

My type of plot line, but a really bad book.

[Mad Leon · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you need a dull mystery that is sure too put you to sleep, plus leaving the book out in a rainstorm won't upset you, this is it. Ugh

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, easy read. Might be worth reading more of the series when I'm looking for something light.

[Russ Leavitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really liking this series. Excellent.

[Cora Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good yarn that kept me trying to figure out the red herrings and detours. It was a fun book.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are likable even while screwing up as humans do. You definitely want to rad more than one book in the series, but it us okay to read them out of order.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turned out to be better than the first chapter seemed to be. Rather enjoyed it.

[Cathy Nunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still like bold Carlotta.

[Spuddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

#6 Carlotta Carlyle mystery. Winter's approaching in Boston, and someone is beating up cab drivers. Carlotta, who drives cab part time to help pay the bills when her PI business doesn't do well enough (which is most of the time) is approached by two different people to investigate--an official in the local Hackneys association, and her boss and friend Gloria, who is part owner of G&W cabs.

Gloria isn't sure whether someone is targeting just her small company or cab drivers in general, and can't quite figure out what they would stand to gain by intimidating drivers. Is it something personal or something to do with the politics of the cab medallions--the license issued by the city to own and run a cab, of which there are a fixed number.

Meanwhile, Carlotta's on-again, off-again lover Sam Gianelli, son of a mob boss though not involved in mob business himself, has been spending a lot of time away from Boston in recent weeks and Carlotta's wondering why. Sam owns the other half of G&W, and would prefer that she not investigate at all, which also puzzles her. He also insists that she needs to get into the computer age and introduces her to an old friend who gets her set up with a state of the art system for next to nothing. Once again, Carlotta's puzzled as to the motivation for this move.

I've come to really enjoy this series a lot and this one was quite enjoyable with an ending I didn't expect and more plot twists than I could count. Very much looking forward to the next in the series.

[Cameron Wiggins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good, quick Barnes’ read starring the part-time Private Detective/Cab Driver, Carlotta Carlyle. As usual, Barnes does do her research. This time, Boston-based Carlotta gets involved with a case at her own work-place Green and White Taxi. Carlotta discovers four bugs in the restroom. Is it the FBI – they use the same type of archaic bugs? If not the FBI, then who could it be, and why?
The FBI is systematically eliminated as the culprit. So, next on the list is the largest taxi company in town. The case definitely appears to be about taxi medallions. The main owner is begrudgingly eventually eliminated and his number two man no matter how good he looks for it does not appear to be the bugger. This leaves the mob? Which family, though, would be interested in the medallion and taxi racket? True, Sam Ginanelli, son of the leader of the famed Ginanelli family is a partner in the G&W Taxi business, but when the home shop is blown up with murder and mob hit dripping from it, motive is complicated. It surely was not for insurance reasons? He was not planning on selling the business and thus, the cabs and the medallions? Oh, yes, and Sam is almost killed in the bombing. Yep, it reeks of a mob hit.
The case becomes very dangerous quickly and Carlotta’s old partner on the police force, Mooney, talks Carlotta into purchasing a more current hand weapon to replace her old .38. She buys a used S&W .40 (10mm) like the FBI has gone to. Carlotta buys the gun partly to soothe Mooney. Carlotta has no idea just how badly she needs to make this purchase.

Cam

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good mystery concerning a taxi company (or two), a mafia family including the estranged youngest son, a private investigator dating the taxi owner (said estranged mafia son), and a friend from his past.

I listened to the abridged audiobook of this title and am not sure whether the abrupt conclusion was the author's writing style or due to the revision. I just seemed to me that Carlotta all of a sudden just knew who, what, when, where and why with no real explanation as to how she came to this conclusion. Again, I'm sure if I read the book instead of listened to the audio tape all of this would have been explained properly and seemed more believable.

[Robert Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished 07/08/2014. Carlotta is approached about finding who is purchasing cab medallions for Boston. & then confronted by the person who was accused of doing so. She decides to upgrade to modern technology & get a computer. Sam Gianelli who has been scarce lately offers to get her a good deal on a used computer. She meets his friend Frank who is in fact James Fabrizzi. Then she stands in for Gloria's brother when he is attacked while driving a G & W cab w/o a license. Then S & G & the bro. are blown at the G & W garage & office. Roz helps with the computer & with the investigation. S's brother is the person behind all the mayhem. Best CC mystery so far.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Barnes's Carlotta Carlyle series is one of the very few that I can keep reading back-to-back. I really, really like Carlotta and her attitude and the unique people in her orbit. This reader really likes how they are all developing in each installment. Her fraught relationship with her little "sister", Paolina, is one that any parent can understand with the exception that legally she can do so little. Carlotta has many love temptations and not all are temptation only. And, throw in computers--who does know what each other is doing? And, who is hiding information? And, always there is a climatic, threatening denouement.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this; I just wasn't that concerned about who did it or why. The heroine jumped to one conclusion that really didn't sit well with me and that made me question her judgment from that point on.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the grittiest Carlotta Carlyle mystery yet. Still continuing with the series. The characters are great. I love how there is a continuing story woven underneath the main case. It holds the series together but a reader can still pick up a book at any point in the series and not feel lost.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book -- I like Carlotta and Gloria - but I don't think I really understand what happened, or rather how the two threads of the story fit together. So it was a page turner for me that left me scratching my headat the end.