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Luke Fischer #2
Manistique
Luke Fischer doesn’t think he’s a detective, but he can’t stop trying to find missing people. As a favor to his friend, and fueled by a steady diet of Pacifico beer and cholula peanuts, Luke goes on a quest to solve a murder that never happened… only to find one that did.
In Manistique, Michigan, Luke teams up with the local sheriff, Sam, a tough, determined woman with a hell of a spin kick. Together they try to solve how a modern-day Johnny Appleseed spread $400,000 across Upper Michigan before ending up on the bottom of the Manistique River.
From the winding roads of perpetually raining Michigan to the sun-baked land and purple skies of New Mexico, Luke Fischer searches for the reason behind the killings, while being pursued by those who would rather he was dead. He never signed up to be a knight errant, but damned if people don’t expect him to be one.
In Manistique, Michigan, Luke teams up with the local sheriff, Sam, a tough, determined woman with a hell of a spin kick. Together they try to solve how a modern-day Johnny Appleseed spread $400,000 across Upper Michigan before ending up on the bottom of the Manistique River.
From the winding roads of perpetually raining Michigan to the sun-baked land and purple skies of New Mexico, Luke Fischer searches for the reason behind the killings, while being pursued by those who would rather he was dead. He never signed up to be a knight errant, but damned if people don’t expect him to be one.
- GenresFiction
307 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2021
38 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 17, 2021
It is 1,539.1 miles from Manistique, Michigan to Santa Fe, New Mexico. That's 24 hours driving (+ or - depending on stops for crap coffee and snacks) and the capacity of both your vehicle's tank and yours. And whether you're using freeways or byways. It's the same distance going the other way.
Luke Fischer bumps into a friend in a pub somewhere near the western 1,539 mile marker. This friend shares the story of a search for a missing wife who may be involved in a dangerous poker game in the backroom of another bar far from home. Bags of cash from skimmed proceeds are hinted. And Fischer is hooked and reeled. We're keeping this catch.
Bullets fly, someone who's supposed to be dead is not, someone who needs to be dead is also not, and some who need not be dead are. 1,539 miles later and we're in Manistique, Michigan on the hunt for the woman's kin and the missing loot. Sam is the local Schoolcraft County sheriff. I think her last name is something like Galliard, but it may be only mentioned once, which is too bad.
More bullets, more people who are dead but maybe not, and a drive from Manistique through the UP west to Ontonagon and environs. Excellent scene descriptions of that remote and ghosty Michigan.
Fischer is a good leading man - he has an intriguing backstory hinted (maybe in a future book?). Sam is written well - she doesn't do any of the stupid stuff crime novels make women do. Competent, steely, not angelic or needy. Franko Toledo is cool. Phil is cooler. The bad guys are satisfyingly creepy, the muscle is big and not too bright. Same for the guns and the half-tons. Hits all the touchstones of a good seeker-for-hire story.
What keeps this book from 5 stars is Youper. It's Yooper. And there are a distacting number of whole words missing.
And, yes, it rains in the UP. A lot.
Since Yoopers would like to be known as forgiving, eh, I put the other star back.
Luke Fischer bumps into a friend in a pub somewhere near the western 1,539 mile marker. This friend shares the story of a search for a missing wife who may be involved in a dangerous poker game in the backroom of another bar far from home. Bags of cash from skimmed proceeds are hinted. And Fischer is hooked and reeled. We're keeping this catch.
Bullets fly, someone who's supposed to be dead is not, someone who needs to be dead is also not, and some who need not be dead are. 1,539 miles later and we're in Manistique, Michigan on the hunt for the woman's kin and the missing loot. Sam is the local Schoolcraft County sheriff. I think her last name is something like Galliard, but it may be only mentioned once, which is too bad.
More bullets, more people who are dead but maybe not, and a drive from Manistique through the UP west to Ontonagon and environs. Excellent scene descriptions of that remote and ghosty Michigan.
Fischer is a good leading man - he has an intriguing backstory hinted (maybe in a future book?). Sam is written well - she doesn't do any of the stupid stuff crime novels make women do. Competent, steely, not angelic or needy. Franko Toledo is cool. Phil is cooler. The bad guys are satisfyingly creepy, the muscle is big and not too bright. Same for the guns and the half-tons. Hits all the touchstones of a good seeker-for-hire story.
What keeps this book from 5 stars is Youper. It's Yooper. And there are a distacting number of whole words missing.
And, yes, it rains in the UP. A lot.
Since Yoopers would like to be known as forgiving, eh, I put the other star back.
July 27, 2021
Much like the first Luke Fischer adventure, SURF CITY ACID DROP, Craig Terlson's follow-up, MANISTIQUE, can be read in one of two ways. Either you can use a whiteboard to track everybody in the cast, along with their announced allegiances, their shadow allegiances, and their duplicitous double-crosses (or maybe it just takes a mind sharper than mine to remember who is doing what to who, and why). Or you can let this traveling circus roll through you with backfiring aplenty and sweep you up in its sheer shambling, rambling glory, and sweep you up in its irresistible path of piled-up bodies and pithy one-liners and pleasurable mayhem. I always try for the first and wind up with the latter, and the last page left me happily exhausted.
As such, I would be hard-pressed to describe the plot. Luke shows up at a New Mexico card game, ostensibly to back up a buddy. Several bodies later, he turns up in the title town — a small lakefront community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he teams up with the sexy local sheriff for more mortal mayhem, then the action returns to New Mexico for brief regrouping and a fresh round of blood rodeos.
It's a lot yet light on its feet, with the occasional great hardboiled-tradition line: "Manistique. Now there was a d*mn exotic name. A town with a name like that should be hugging the coast of southern France, soaked in syrupy sun, string bikinis, guys in berets and striped shirts, Vespas on the street, street musicians in black chinos, and gulls just happy to be circling in the wine-soaked air above Manistique. Problem was, it was p*ssing rain, and I was in northern Michigan."
A series — now that it's a series — is only as strong as its hero. Luke Fischer seems to live for the next distraction (and the next bottle of Pacifico beer in a Puerto Vallarta bar), and seems content to do a muscle job whether he's getting paid or not. He makes friends, and he's capable of taking orders, and isn't averse to the occasional roll in the sack with the occasional female. We get glimpses into his past, but have at best a patchy window into what makes Luke tick. He's a little like Jack Reacher, who famously proclaimed that we didn't so much like the little guy as he hated the big guy, Luke seems to define himself more by what he's against, and what he isn't, than what he is. In MANISTIQUE, he unpacks this, just a little: "I'm not a private detective, or a dick, or anything." And, when pressed near the end of the novel to reveal himself, we get this masterpiece passage of the oblique (edited a bit to avoid spoilers):
“I heard you’re some sort of private dick. So now you’re a dick with a broken heart and a shot-up body. And my buddy wants to put the last one in you. Saddest story ever. So again, I ask you, why?”
“Guys like you p*ss me off,” I said. My hand felt the handle tip of the long knife, but then I lost strength. I couldn’t grasp it.
“And what are guys like me?” he asked.
“The jokers behind the scene, pulling the levers like in Oz. You never get your hands dirty.”
Luke gets his hands plenty dirty. But, I find I want to know, what gets his heart dirty? I look forward to further peeks behind the curtain of his soul in future adventures. I like his mystique, but I like he's only about ninety percent fog, too. Maybe further adventures could peel back another five perent or so at a time.
As such, I would be hard-pressed to describe the plot. Luke shows up at a New Mexico card game, ostensibly to back up a buddy. Several bodies later, he turns up in the title town — a small lakefront community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he teams up with the sexy local sheriff for more mortal mayhem, then the action returns to New Mexico for brief regrouping and a fresh round of blood rodeos.
It's a lot yet light on its feet, with the occasional great hardboiled-tradition line: "Manistique. Now there was a d*mn exotic name. A town with a name like that should be hugging the coast of southern France, soaked in syrupy sun, string bikinis, guys in berets and striped shirts, Vespas on the street, street musicians in black chinos, and gulls just happy to be circling in the wine-soaked air above Manistique. Problem was, it was p*ssing rain, and I was in northern Michigan."
A series — now that it's a series — is only as strong as its hero. Luke Fischer seems to live for the next distraction (and the next bottle of Pacifico beer in a Puerto Vallarta bar), and seems content to do a muscle job whether he's getting paid or not. He makes friends, and he's capable of taking orders, and isn't averse to the occasional roll in the sack with the occasional female. We get glimpses into his past, but have at best a patchy window into what makes Luke tick. He's a little like Jack Reacher, who famously proclaimed that we didn't so much like the little guy as he hated the big guy, Luke seems to define himself more by what he's against, and what he isn't, than what he is. In MANISTIQUE, he unpacks this, just a little: "I'm not a private detective, or a dick, or anything." And, when pressed near the end of the novel to reveal himself, we get this masterpiece passage of the oblique (edited a bit to avoid spoilers):
“I heard you’re some sort of private dick. So now you’re a dick with a broken heart and a shot-up body. And my buddy wants to put the last one in you. Saddest story ever. So again, I ask you, why?”
“Guys like you p*ss me off,” I said. My hand felt the handle tip of the long knife, but then I lost strength. I couldn’t grasp it.
“And what are guys like me?” he asked.
“The jokers behind the scene, pulling the levers like in Oz. You never get your hands dirty.”
Luke gets his hands plenty dirty. But, I find I want to know, what gets his heart dirty? I look forward to further peeks behind the curtain of his soul in future adventures. I like his mystique, but I like he's only about ninety percent fog, too. Maybe further adventures could peel back another five perent or so at a time.
October 28, 2023
For those of you out there who by some misfortune has missed this author you should rectify this at once. Manistique by Craig Terlson is his second book about Luke Fischer a man who just wants some peace and quiet and a lot of Pacifico beers. The third book was just released so now there is three books about this mans adventures from Mexico to Canada and back. These stories are wild and filled with great characters and should be read in order, not only to support the author but to give more sense to the timeline. If you could talk about making sense in these stories. I for one is glad I found these books and this author.
July 25, 2023
Luke Fischer and his Drifter Noir vibe is back, wandering a little less aimlessly this time around, but still mostly clueless about the mess he's got himself into. We've got a wonderful new traveling partner, too, the formidable Sam, who is every bit as lethal but a lot more pleasant than Mostly Harold from Surf City Acid Drop. (I'd love to put Sam and Harold in the same room--talk about an explosion waiting to happen!)
Fischer begins and ends his adventure in New Mexico, but most of it takes place in the small towns and backwoods of the Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) of Michigan, and this is the first book I've ever read set in this strange region of the world.
Manistique is a book filled with Characters (with a capital C) that Fischer meets during his travels. Character creation is one of Terlson's strengths, and I get the feeling that he loves introducing them to his readers as much as we love reading about them. Of the dozen or so eccentric and colorful characters Fischer stumbles into in this story, I particularly enjoyed the mysterious and untrustworthy Phil, a grizzled Vietnam vet with dubious morals and his own agenda. And I hope we haven't seen the last of the wise and mellow Franko and his delightful sister, Cecily, both of whom almost make me want to move to New Mexico, or at least spend some extended time there. But my favorite encounter was the one with Leroy, the inscrutable Motel Prophet. There's definitely a story there waiting to be told.
There's plenty of slam-bang action in this story, and a good dose of surprising twists and turns. I love the way Terlson writes the action from Fischer's limited perspective: shadows flick in and out of his field of vision, bullets fly by from nowhere and with no warning, pain comes from unknown sources, bodies emerge and vanish. It's all a blur to Fischer, who responds and reacts to immediate stimuli without ever getting a view of the larger picture. The effect is to put the reader in the middle of a maelstrom with no control over the situation and leave us as dazed and befuddled as Fischer himself. That's quality writing!
Highly recommended for fans of noir crime drama with unforgettable characters. And isn't that all of us?
Fischer begins and ends his adventure in New Mexico, but most of it takes place in the small towns and backwoods of the Upper Peninsula (the U.P.) of Michigan, and this is the first book I've ever read set in this strange region of the world.
Manistique is a book filled with Characters (with a capital C) that Fischer meets during his travels. Character creation is one of Terlson's strengths, and I get the feeling that he loves introducing them to his readers as much as we love reading about them. Of the dozen or so eccentric and colorful characters Fischer stumbles into in this story, I particularly enjoyed the mysterious and untrustworthy Phil, a grizzled Vietnam vet with dubious morals and his own agenda. And I hope we haven't seen the last of the wise and mellow Franko and his delightful sister, Cecily, both of whom almost make me want to move to New Mexico, or at least spend some extended time there. But my favorite encounter was the one with Leroy, the inscrutable Motel Prophet. There's definitely a story there waiting to be told.
There's plenty of slam-bang action in this story, and a good dose of surprising twists and turns. I love the way Terlson writes the action from Fischer's limited perspective: shadows flick in and out of his field of vision, bullets fly by from nowhere and with no warning, pain comes from unknown sources, bodies emerge and vanish. It's all a blur to Fischer, who responds and reacts to immediate stimuli without ever getting a view of the larger picture. The effect is to put the reader in the middle of a maelstrom with no control over the situation and leave us as dazed and befuddled as Fischer himself. That's quality writing!
Highly recommended for fans of noir crime drama with unforgettable characters. And isn't that all of us?
June 13, 2021
Luke Fischer is good at finding people, but he refuses to call himself a detective. It's more like a hobby. When his detective friend Franko asks for a favor finding a missing woman, they find her just in time to see her killed and Franko seriously wounded. In search of answers, Luke follows the clues to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. When those clues lead to a cold case of a man that skimmed money off the bad guys and ended up drowned in the Manistique River, he and local sheriff Sam follow the money trail staying just ahead of the bad guys.
I picked up this book because it's set in one of my favorite places. The descriptions of the scenery, the dialogue between characters, and the constant action kept me hooked.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I picked up this book because it's set in one of my favorite places. The descriptions of the scenery, the dialogue between characters, and the constant action kept me hooked.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 10, 2022
Intrigue, greasy spoon diners, uppercuts, romance, one-liners, and Pacíficos. Need I say more? This one doesn't let up.
June 21, 2021
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Manistique is an entertaining thriller that should be paired with a Pacifico while watching the pinks and purples of a beautiful southwestern sunset to ensure maximum enjoyment.
Make sure to check out the full review
Manistique is an entertaining thriller that should be paired with a Pacifico while watching the pinks and purples of a beautiful southwestern sunset to ensure maximum enjoyment.
Make sure to check out the full review
September 17, 2024
🎶The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Symbolically speaking.
I wasn't going to let Craig lead me by my nose, up and down the garden path, so I studied up on Manistique. Fat lot of good it did me.
The Plot.
Luke, the Main Character, goes to Michigan to finish some business for a friend who has been shot. It isn't that simple. But then, neither you or I thought so, fellow reader. In fact, this story is a train wreck. Or, rather a full blown ship wreck of a tale. No-one gets out unscratched. A lot of people die. I do mean a lot. I can't tell without spoiling it for you.
The Characters.
There are no good guys in this story. There is one, or maybe two who are ambigious. There are sympathetic people, and there are 'us' and 'them', but don't make any bets on who is who. This includes the Law.
If you are "🎶 searching for a heart of gold", you have come to the wrong place. If you are "🎶 Looking for trouble. You've come to the right place".
Sadly, Mostly Harold is not in this book.
The Telling.
The repartee leaves nothing to wish for. It is very good in the dialoges, and even better in Luke's inner monologe. This is about Greed & Violence. Murder & Mayhem. Sin & Misery. Blood & Thunder, except it is often Thud & Blunder, as Poul Anderson said so well. Vanitas vanitatus et omnita vanitas.
This is very noir. In fact, depressing. You might call it pointless, except that it is a fine study of human nature. Human nature at its worst.
Background music cortesy of the Rolling Stones "🎶 You can't always get what you want".
I recommend it wholly. Except if you want anxiety and soul searching. The characters are grown-up, they are past that stage. Except Luke, he does a little pondering on the meaning of it all. A very little.
On maps. At least I needed a map. And I have a question. Had the people who drew up the border between Michigan and Wisconsin mislaid the ruler? I learned while looking up Manistique that Michigan has more history than the rest of the US, but still, that is a very strange border.
Medical view on violence.
I am 67. I am a retired oral surgeon. I have treated many fractures of the jaws and other facial bones. Contrary to common belief, you don't need martial arts training to break a jaw. A middle strong man can do it with one punch, if he is 'lucky'. When a jaw is broken, the fighting stops. A few professional boxers might be able to go on. Of course, there can still be more battery. If you kick someone in the head, then it is often murder. At the least attempted murder. Only John Wayne and James Bond get up and fight after that.
I realise that this is fiction. Still. Boys and girls. Don't try this at home.
I wasn't going to let Craig lead me by my nose, up and down the garden path, so I studied up on Manistique. Fat lot of good it did me.
The Plot.
Luke, the Main Character, goes to Michigan to finish some business for a friend who has been shot. It isn't that simple. But then, neither you or I thought so, fellow reader. In fact, this story is a train wreck. Or, rather a full blown ship wreck of a tale. No-one gets out unscratched. A lot of people die. I do mean a lot. I can't tell without spoiling it for you.
The Characters.
There are no good guys in this story. There is one, or maybe two who are ambigious. There are sympathetic people, and there are 'us' and 'them', but don't make any bets on who is who. This includes the Law.
If you are "🎶 searching for a heart of gold", you have come to the wrong place. If you are "🎶 Looking for trouble. You've come to the right place".
Sadly, Mostly Harold is not in this book.
The Telling.
The repartee leaves nothing to wish for. It is very good in the dialoges, and even better in Luke's inner monologe. This is about Greed & Violence. Murder & Mayhem. Sin & Misery. Blood & Thunder, except it is often Thud & Blunder, as Poul Anderson said so well. Vanitas vanitatus et omnita vanitas.
This is very noir. In fact, depressing. You might call it pointless, except that it is a fine study of human nature. Human nature at its worst.
Background music cortesy of the Rolling Stones "🎶 You can't always get what you want".
I recommend it wholly. Except if you want anxiety and soul searching. The characters are grown-up, they are past that stage. Except Luke, he does a little pondering on the meaning of it all. A very little.
On maps. At least I needed a map. And I have a question. Had the people who drew up the border between Michigan and Wisconsin mislaid the ruler? I learned while looking up Manistique that Michigan has more history than the rest of the US, but still, that is a very strange border.
Medical view on violence.
I am 67. I am a retired oral surgeon. I have treated many fractures of the jaws and other facial bones. Contrary to common belief, you don't need martial arts training to break a jaw. A middle strong man can do it with one punch, if he is 'lucky'. When a jaw is broken, the fighting stops. A few professional boxers might be able to go on. Of course, there can still be more battery. If you kick someone in the head, then it is often murder. At the least attempted murder. Only John Wayne and James Bond get up and fight after that.
I realise that this is fiction. Still. Boys and girls. Don't try this at home.
May 14, 2021
I'll preface this review by admitting I didn't read the first book in the series. I didn't even know it existed before hopping on Goodreads to indicate I was reading this book. And while I will continually advocate for people to read books in series order and not skip books, I do not feel like I missed out on anything by having not read the first book. It can be done! This book starts with a quick look back and there are a few references throughout Manistique to the events in the prior book but at no point in time did I feel like there was something I had missed.
Luke Fischer says he is not a detective or private investigator but the story reads like an old fashioned gum shoe noir. No subtlety. Just straight forward writing, good or bad depending on what you like to read. There are no moments of deep consideration. Fischer just moves forward. After reading the book, I am still not really sure what Fischer actually is other than a guy who happens to be there when needed. I am also still not sure exactly why he let himself get dragged so deep in to the situation. Is he bored or does he have some deep sense of justice and the need to complete tasks he has taken on regardless of any attachment to them? In many ways, he felt like Sam Axe from the tv series Burn Notice (which I will admit I only peripherally watched). Just there to do what needed to be done. I do feel like there were several unanswered questions, like those I have about Fischer. I question the availability of his partners throughout the adventure. How does a sheriff just wander off to chase leads in something that isn't even a case? And of course, will we see her again? Because, like Fischer, Sam was an interesting character that we didn't get to know well enough.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Luke Fischer says he is not a detective or private investigator but the story reads like an old fashioned gum shoe noir. No subtlety. Just straight forward writing, good or bad depending on what you like to read. There are no moments of deep consideration. Fischer just moves forward. After reading the book, I am still not really sure what Fischer actually is other than a guy who happens to be there when needed. I am also still not sure exactly why he let himself get dragged so deep in to the situation. Is he bored or does he have some deep sense of justice and the need to complete tasks he has taken on regardless of any attachment to them? In many ways, he felt like Sam Axe from the tv series Burn Notice (which I will admit I only peripherally watched). Just there to do what needed to be done. I do feel like there were several unanswered questions, like those I have about Fischer. I question the availability of his partners throughout the adventure. How does a sheriff just wander off to chase leads in something that isn't even a case? And of course, will we see her again? Because, like Fischer, Sam was an interesting character that we didn't get to know well enough.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
May 9, 2021
Manistque by Craig Terlson is his 2nd book featuring Luke Fischer. A kind of private investigator but he’s not, as he says.
Fischer gets caught up in helping pal Franco hunt for a married woman who’s gone missing. The hunt takes them to a dive bar and a back room poker game being played by suitably shifty goons and bad guys.
When the poker game descends into chaos and missing woman ends up in trouble this sets a trail of events off that sends Luke to Manistique in Michigan in hunt of the perpetrators.
In Manistique, Fischer starts an acquaintance with local sheriff Sam, a tough as boots female seemingly with a bit of a chip on her shoulder..
From here the story becomes a fast paced and often chaotic chase across the country in search of a bag of cash, coming across several characters of less than reputable ways in the process.
The chemistry builds through the story between Luke and Sam, often it feels combustible but other times also very comfortable as these two people thrown together working for a common goal.
Fischer is a likeable protagonist, usually found with a bottle of beer or a bourbon near by, there is a brooding feel to Fischer, like something is there in the background..
There is so much to like about this something of a road trip crime caper, from the compelling protagonists and the settings, to the cold beers and razor sharp wit, and a backing cast of characters who you will no doubt leave a lasting impression on you, as Floyd and Sig did on me.
Atmospheric, Moody and Super Slick writing, Terlson has an extremely readable prose, and the dialogue is as sharp as a knife and packed full of an almost mischievous humour.
Best enjoyed with an icy cold beer, this gets All the Fire and a massive recommendation for this sizzling slice of American Crime at its finest.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Fischer gets caught up in helping pal Franco hunt for a married woman who’s gone missing. The hunt takes them to a dive bar and a back room poker game being played by suitably shifty goons and bad guys.
When the poker game descends into chaos and missing woman ends up in trouble this sets a trail of events off that sends Luke to Manistique in Michigan in hunt of the perpetrators.
In Manistique, Fischer starts an acquaintance with local sheriff Sam, a tough as boots female seemingly with a bit of a chip on her shoulder..
From here the story becomes a fast paced and often chaotic chase across the country in search of a bag of cash, coming across several characters of less than reputable ways in the process.
The chemistry builds through the story between Luke and Sam, often it feels combustible but other times also very comfortable as these two people thrown together working for a common goal.
Fischer is a likeable protagonist, usually found with a bottle of beer or a bourbon near by, there is a brooding feel to Fischer, like something is there in the background..
There is so much to like about this something of a road trip crime caper, from the compelling protagonists and the settings, to the cold beers and razor sharp wit, and a backing cast of characters who you will no doubt leave a lasting impression on you, as Floyd and Sig did on me.
Atmospheric, Moody and Super Slick writing, Terlson has an extremely readable prose, and the dialogue is as sharp as a knife and packed full of an almost mischievous humour.
Best enjoyed with an icy cold beer, this gets All the Fire and a massive recommendation for this sizzling slice of American Crime at its finest.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
May 16, 2025
What can I tell you but that I love how this man writes!
This is the second in the Luke Fischer novel series, but the third one I've had the pleasure of reading. There's apparently no specific order to the books, but I think they tie together best in the order they've been published. I'm certainly looking forward to the newest one, number 4 (Sayulita Sucker), which was just released yesterday.
If you haven't read any of Craig Terlson's work yet, you're really missing out on some terrific storytelling, and the kind of smart, gritty, yet extremely well-drawn characters who will undoubtedly find their way into your heart.
The back-cover blurbs give me just enough of a thumbnail sketch to draw me into each book, and certainly other reviewers are much better gifted at giving a sense of structure and theme and depth to be found in Terlson's writing than I am able to. However, I can tell you that the author always is able to place me in the heart of the scenes he describes, right there alongside his characters, whose voices speak clear and true on the journey they're on.
I've grown extremely fond of Luke Fischer, and of his band of cohorts, not the least of which is his erstwhile employer Benno, or the ofttimes thorn in his side Mostly Harold. In this book, however, I quite enjoyed being introduced to the character Sheriff Sam, and their interaction with Luke. They're good together, those two. Of course, there's great witty banter, and action aplenty to keep the pages turning and me wondering what next may be coming down the road that Luke has to navigate.
Do yourself a favour and dive into this, and all the Luke Fischer novels. You're in for a treat!
This is the second in the Luke Fischer novel series, but the third one I've had the pleasure of reading. There's apparently no specific order to the books, but I think they tie together best in the order they've been published. I'm certainly looking forward to the newest one, number 4 (Sayulita Sucker), which was just released yesterday.
If you haven't read any of Craig Terlson's work yet, you're really missing out on some terrific storytelling, and the kind of smart, gritty, yet extremely well-drawn characters who will undoubtedly find their way into your heart.
The back-cover blurbs give me just enough of a thumbnail sketch to draw me into each book, and certainly other reviewers are much better gifted at giving a sense of structure and theme and depth to be found in Terlson's writing than I am able to. However, I can tell you that the author always is able to place me in the heart of the scenes he describes, right there alongside his characters, whose voices speak clear and true on the journey they're on.
I've grown extremely fond of Luke Fischer, and of his band of cohorts, not the least of which is his erstwhile employer Benno, or the ofttimes thorn in his side Mostly Harold. In this book, however, I quite enjoyed being introduced to the character Sheriff Sam, and their interaction with Luke. They're good together, those two. Of course, there's great witty banter, and action aplenty to keep the pages turning and me wondering what next may be coming down the road that Luke has to navigate.
Do yourself a favour and dive into this, and all the Luke Fischer novels. You're in for a treat!
May 29, 2021
There’s a lot to love in Craig Terlson’s Manistique, his second Luke Fischer novel, after the awesomely-titled Surf City Acid Drop. First, for me, is atmosphere. Terlson paints such a vivid picture of both the American Southwest (with its scorching sunlight) and upper Michigan (and the perpetual drizzle) that you’d swear you’d just vacationed (or escaped from) there yourself. A second thing to cherish is the characterization, especially of the protagonist Fischer, the de facto gumshoe who swears he’s not a detective, and of the (female) Michigan sheriff, Sam, who gives as good as she gets with a nasty occasional roundhouse kick. The story is also populated by easy-to-hate thuggish bad guys, for whom life is pretty damn cheap. A third shining feature of the book is the overall noirish/hardboiled feel of it, with its eruptions of violence, deliciously spare descriptions, and razor-sharp dialogue. The book is reminiscent of its classic forebears such as John D. MacDonald or Donald E. Westlake, but not in any kind of derivative way. Terlson updates the noir conventions for the new millennium in his own unique way. We can only hope that Terlson’s hard at work on the third Luke Fischer installment.
July 16, 2021
"Are you some sort of cops?"
"Only on the side," Sam said.
"Not even on the side," I said.
That gives you a sense of where we are as readers in Craig Terlson's novel Manistique. We're in a world on the margin between criminals and the law, in classic hard-boiled territory, where a slug from a hand-cannon Desert Eagle pistol or a roundhouse kick to the head is likely to follow a quip delivered in stripped-down language. This is the second of Terlson's Luke Fischer crime novels and he provides hints of more to come, which will be welcomed by readers of Jon Lonsdale's Hap and Leonard books or indeed any fan of the "knight in tarnished armour" school of crime fiction. One of Terlson's virtues is that he moves the usually urban genre into unexpected locales, in this case the rain-soaked and economically moribund Michigan Upper Peninsula. Fischer's a fascinating character and there are hints of character revelations to come that will flesh out how a Canadian tough guy came to be solving crimes in small town USA and hanging out on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. I'm looking forward to following him to his next haunts.
"Only on the side," Sam said.
"Not even on the side," I said.
That gives you a sense of where we are as readers in Craig Terlson's novel Manistique. We're in a world on the margin between criminals and the law, in classic hard-boiled territory, where a slug from a hand-cannon Desert Eagle pistol or a roundhouse kick to the head is likely to follow a quip delivered in stripped-down language. This is the second of Terlson's Luke Fischer crime novels and he provides hints of more to come, which will be welcomed by readers of Jon Lonsdale's Hap and Leonard books or indeed any fan of the "knight in tarnished armour" school of crime fiction. One of Terlson's virtues is that he moves the usually urban genre into unexpected locales, in this case the rain-soaked and economically moribund Michigan Upper Peninsula. Fischer's a fascinating character and there are hints of character revelations to come that will flesh out how a Canadian tough guy came to be solving crimes in small town USA and hanging out on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. I'm looking forward to following him to his next haunts.
May 12, 2021
Terlson crafts an amazing sequel to the first Luke Fischer book in Manistique. The story takes Luke from the sunny south to the moody midwest, and the story seems to ebb and flow with the changing weather (not that anything that happens in New Mexico for Luke is particularly "sunny").
Luke is a protagonist you absolutely want to root for, and he picks up a ragtag group of sidekicks along the way. From Franko Toledo and his carefree approach to sleuthing, to Sam's no nonsense tactics of investigation, the characters build around Luke's strengths (and vice versa) to give this all the feels of the next big MCU adventure (this may be a mild exaggeration. We may have to wait for Peter Parker to join before that happens).
The mystery at the center of it all is a guy named EJ, and I couldn't help but turn pages as Luke and Sam kept pulling at threads to get to the end of the line. An excellent book, and I can't wait for the next story!
Luke is a protagonist you absolutely want to root for, and he picks up a ragtag group of sidekicks along the way. From Franko Toledo and his carefree approach to sleuthing, to Sam's no nonsense tactics of investigation, the characters build around Luke's strengths (and vice versa) to give this all the feels of the next big MCU adventure (this may be a mild exaggeration. We may have to wait for Peter Parker to join before that happens).
The mystery at the center of it all is a guy named EJ, and I couldn't help but turn pages as Luke and Sam kept pulling at threads to get to the end of the line. An excellent book, and I can't wait for the next story!
May 15, 2021
Manistique is a worthy follow-up to Surf City Acid Drop, albeit one that shifts gears for a bit more octane. Fischer finds himself in the mix right from the get-go and when he gets his teeth into something he doesn’t want to let go.
Surf City Acid Drop and Manistique share a few things in common such as, road trips off the beaten trail, bad coffee and dust-ups. However, Manistique has more of an edge and a shift in tone than Fischer’s debut.
Fischer has more revealed about his but in some ways still remains as much a mystery to the reader, as to himself. He doesn’t take kindly to being labeled a PI, but won’t let sleeping dogs lie. When it comes to violence, Fischer seems adverse at times and then all too comfortable. I suspect he will continue to grow as Terlson sees fit.
Terlson spins a yard that sucks you into the world he created. His ear for dialogue, easy style and well-paced/plotted tale make the pages fly by. If you’re a fan of noir, I think this will be right up your alley.
Surf City Acid Drop and Manistique share a few things in common such as, road trips off the beaten trail, bad coffee and dust-ups. However, Manistique has more of an edge and a shift in tone than Fischer’s debut.
Fischer has more revealed about his but in some ways still remains as much a mystery to the reader, as to himself. He doesn’t take kindly to being labeled a PI, but won’t let sleeping dogs lie. When it comes to violence, Fischer seems adverse at times and then all too comfortable. I suspect he will continue to grow as Terlson sees fit.
Terlson spins a yard that sucks you into the world he created. His ear for dialogue, easy style and well-paced/plotted tale make the pages fly by. If you’re a fan of noir, I think this will be right up your alley.
May 22, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this. I reminded me of Phillip Marlo, though I have no idea why. Though it is set in the wrong decade, I kept expecting Luke, the main character, to think something like, ‘I knew the broad was lying, but I followed her anyway’. Maybe it’s because the author has done such a great job of putting Luke’s thoughts down on paper that they come to life and I was able to picture everything in my head. The story line keeps you wanting to read more and isn’t predictable and the book is filled with interesting characters. But the thing I like most about this book is Luke. Most characters which are private investigators are egotistical, full of themselves and their abilities. Luke is the exact opposite. He’s humble, down to earth, realistic and even denies that he is a PI. I hope there are more books with him in that I can read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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June 1, 2021Having not read the first Luke Fischer novel, I am going into this getting to know Fischer for the first time. Also not being an avid reader of crime/mystery fiction, this may have been a first for me. Manistique details a broad spectrum of American landscape, culture, and dialect, all while riding its smooth slithering highways and bumpy back roads. Fischer is an enigmatic figure whose do-gooder motivations are often hidden from the reader. The keyhole of vision the reader gets into the pub-crawling protagonist is his accumulation of catch-phrases, spin kicks, and Pacifico’s slammed back on various porches. All of the characters seem to be running always from some indecipherable pursuant, which according the Sage-like Leroy from Wisconsin, is death. Terlson’s writing catapults readers into a mystery book that ends up being a gritty romance with a side of tostados.
August 15, 2021
This is my first Craig Terlin book, but it won't be my last. Luke Fischer is a character you can't help but like, moved by his loyalty to friends and his need to set things right. This story starts in Santa Fe, moves to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, then returns to New Mexico for the turbo-charged action that completes Luke's quest. He agrees to find a woman who may or may not be missing, may or may not need rescuing. Along the way, he partners with a local sheriff named Sam--short for Samantha -- who more than holds her own. The dialogue is just what I want from modern noir, and the characters, humor and vivid action carried me along. Think J.D. MacDonald, with a dash of Jim Harrison's UP vibe thrown in. A really fun read.
August 16, 2024
This is the second book I’ve read by Craig Terlson but the first Luke Fischer novel and—oof!—this author has range! Manistique—a story about a maybe-murder investigated by Luke (a not-so-much detective)—includes Terlson’s vivid scenic imagery and interesting characters, but the pace flies, the dialogue bites, and the crimes keep coming. This book is packed with personality. You can’t read more than a chapter without tripping over a body. The romance and humour riddled throughout lighten the story without diminishing its atmosphere. Luke is a hero you don’t really want to root for, but the conflict is so dense—and tense—you cheer him on no matter what.
And you wish you could buy him a Pacifico for kind-of saving the day.
And you wish you could buy him a Pacifico for kind-of saving the day.
January 20, 2024
My first dive into the Terlson-verse, and what a fun ride! Luke Fischer is a Travis McGee-esque knight is tarnished armor. He makes sure everyone knows he's NOT an investigator as he cooly investigates for the entire novel. There's hot women with nice round house kicks, bad guys with a penchant for blowing off heads, and plenty of coffee, beer and diner food, both awful and delectable. The story sprawls across the wooded fishing towns of the U.P. down to the baked desserts of New Mex. Terlson keeps the pedal to the metal and the windows down on the road trip of mystery and intrigue that doesn't let up until the final shootout. By the end, those cold Pacificos hit the spot! Read it!
June 30, 2023
A wonderfully woven story with action and heart
This author does an amazing job of weaving a multifaceted story of a missing girl, a murder, and transnational action while getting the reader truly invested in the main characters. There are funny moments, poignant moments, and hold-your-breath tense moments. It's the kind of book that makes you forget how long you've been reading!
This author does an amazing job of weaving a multifaceted story of a missing girl, a murder, and transnational action while getting the reader truly invested in the main characters. There are funny moments, poignant moments, and hold-your-breath tense moments. It's the kind of book that makes you forget how long you've been reading!
November 17, 2023
If you liked the first one, then you’ll love this one because it’s better. Luke’s on the road, looking for something, and that’s okay. He meets some locals, who nearly steal the show. But that’s alright, because it’s better. Luke falls for a girl, who takes the stage, but that’s alright, because Luke is the masculine for today. We can aspire to be manly, but no one is like Luke, but that’s alright, because Luke’s a man for today.
June 25, 2021
Luke Fischer is on the road again. Get in the car with him and enjoy the trip!
This time, the detective that isn’t one, is roaming the Upper Peninsula, mostly in the rain. A favor for a friend. Fischer doesn’t ride alone in this second installment (it can be read separately from “Surf City Acid Drop”). Sheriff Sam is tough and opinionated, and she’s a crack shot. Considering what the two are getting into, it’s useful! Sam’s presence colors the story as much as the dreadful weather and the gut-piercing coffee the two accidental partners consume on the road. The book is moody, fun, unexpectedly tender in machine gun bursts and the secondary characters dance on the page. Craig Terlson has got another wham-bam yarn under his belt.
This time, the detective that isn’t one, is roaming the Upper Peninsula, mostly in the rain. A favor for a friend. Fischer doesn’t ride alone in this second installment (it can be read separately from “Surf City Acid Drop”). Sheriff Sam is tough and opinionated, and she’s a crack shot. Considering what the two are getting into, it’s useful! Sam’s presence colors the story as much as the dreadful weather and the gut-piercing coffee the two accidental partners consume on the road. The book is moody, fun, unexpectedly tender in machine gun bursts and the secondary characters dance on the page. Craig Terlson has got another wham-bam yarn under his belt.
May 9, 2024
Craig Terlson's second Luke Fisher novel is as great as the first. Terlson's hard-boiled, deeply thoughtful style is a match for the master crime novelists of old. There are few out, if any, there who do it better than Terlson. The highest recommendation.
October 6, 2025
3.75-4
Lovely little noir, with nods to westerns, but I was waiting for more (or bigger) of a “tah-dah” kind of reveal or a double cross that tied it all together. Overall, a good novel that clearly comes from a place of love for the genre.
Lovely little noir, with nods to westerns, but I was waiting for more (or bigger) of a “tah-dah” kind of reveal or a double cross that tied it all together. Overall, a good novel that clearly comes from a place of love for the genre.
September 27, 2021
A fun, nicely paced read with great description and intrigue.
July 9, 2023
Good thriller
This story kept you on your toes until the end. Lots of drama. Loved the main characters Luke and Sam. Can't wait to see what Luke gets into in the future.
This story kept you on your toes until the end. Lots of drama. Loved the main characters Luke and Sam. Can't wait to see what Luke gets into in the future.
March 28, 2024
This was a strange story in several ways. It's basically a kind of hard-boiled detective story, although the protagonist, Luke Fischer, keeps claiming that he is most definitely not a private investigator. He just helps out his buddies from time to time, and he gets involved in "stories" and wants to get to the end of those stories so that he can understand why all the weird things happened. We have, of course, some of the stable parts of hard-boiled fiction, floozies, dead bodies, and, of course, too much booze.
I won't go into the story more, but it moves from Arizona up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then back to the southwest. Along the way, Luke gets involved with an Upper Peninsula sheriff, Sam Galliard, Sam short for Samantha.
But, what was weird about this story was trying to figure out the time frame. The story itself came out in 2021, but the action seemed to me to be some 40 or so years earlier. We had lots of cultural references to cars and songs form the 70s. Then too, there were no cell phones. But, there were lots of grammatical errors which have become much more prevalent in 21st century parlance than they were back in the 70s and 80s.
Anyway, I found this book a bit puzzling, but for some reason, I did rather like it. I would read another book in this series were any available from the four greater-Boston library consortia to which I have borrowing access. Alas, no such books are available.
Rather than 4*, it's more likely a 4*- book, but GoodReads won't allow + and -.
I won't go into the story more, but it moves from Arizona up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and then back to the southwest. Along the way, Luke gets involved with an Upper Peninsula sheriff, Sam Galliard, Sam short for Samantha.
But, what was weird about this story was trying to figure out the time frame. The story itself came out in 2021, but the action seemed to me to be some 40 or so years earlier. We had lots of cultural references to cars and songs form the 70s. Then too, there were no cell phones. But, there were lots of grammatical errors which have become much more prevalent in 21st century parlance than they were back in the 70s and 80s.
Anyway, I found this book a bit puzzling, but for some reason, I did rather like it. I would read another book in this series were any available from the four greater-Boston library consortia to which I have borrowing access. Alas, no such books are available.
Rather than 4*, it's more likely a 4*- book, but GoodReads won't allow + and -.
December 1, 2023
Craig Terlson really knows to hard-boil a detective novel. I suggest making yourself a good cup of coffee and buckling up for a twisty, turny ride from Michigan to New Mexico. Luke Fischer and Sam form a great pair in search of truth, murders, money, and a good cup of coffee. I was attracted to this novel by the title and great cover art both were mysterious and made me want to jump in and read. Many great characters in this novel some good folks some not so much but all with unique personas and awesome dialogue. I often found myself laughing at loud at some one-liner in the middle of the action. The author has written a tight mystery and kept me reading well into the night. highly recommended!! I will also now be catching up on Craig Terlson's other books.
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