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Amos Walker #31
City Walls
A new Amos Walker novel from a Grand Master. “Loren D. Estleman is my hero.”—Harlan Coben
When a search for a fugitive embezzler leads Amos Walker to Cleveland, fellow visitor Emmett Yale, a leading figure in the electric-car industry in Detroit, hires the private detective to investigate the death of his stepson, Lloyd Lipton, in a random freeway shooting. Yale believes Clare Strickling, a former employee, arranged the killing to silence Lipton, who is suspected of selling illegal inside-trader information to Strickling.
Walker shadows Strickling to a private airfield, where he believes his quarry has made arrangements to fly out of the country, and witnesses Strickling’s killing—by way of a murder weapon unique to Detroit. From there, the trail twists and turns through Major Jack Flagg, an elderly barnstormer, Palm Volker, the attractive aviatrix who runs the airfield, Candido, a surly maintenance worker employed by Palm, and Gabe Parrish, the retired boxer in charge of security at Yale Mobility. Naturally, all have secrets to keep; and naturally, discovering them can be detrimental to Walker’s health.
THE AMOS WALKER SERIES:
Poison Blonde / Retro / Nicotine Kiss / American Detective / The Left-handed Dollar / Infernal Angels / Burning Midnight / Don't Look for Me / You Know Who Killed Me / The Sundown Speech / The Lioness is the Hunter / Black and White Ball / When Old Midnight Comes Along / Cutthroat Dogs / Monkey in the Middle
THE PAGE MURDOCK SERIES:
The High Rocks / Stamping Ground / Murdock's Law / City of Widows / White Desert / Port Hazard / The Book of Murdock / Cape Hell / Wild Justice
THE PETER MACKLIN SERIES:
Something Borrowed, Something Black / Little Black Dress
THE VALENTINO MYSTERIES:
Frames / Alone / Alive! / Shoot / Brazen / Indigo
Other books by Loren D. Estleman:
Aces & Eights
The Ballad of Black Bart
Black Powder, White Smoke
The Book of Murdock
The Branch and the Scaffold and Billy Gashade
The Confessions of Al Capone
The Eagle and the Viper
Gas City
Jitterbug
Journey of the Dead and The Undertaker's Wife
The Long High Noon and The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion
The Master Executioner
Paperback Jack
Ragtime Cowboys
The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association
Roy & Lillie: A Love Story
Thunder City
When a search for a fugitive embezzler leads Amos Walker to Cleveland, fellow visitor Emmett Yale, a leading figure in the electric-car industry in Detroit, hires the private detective to investigate the death of his stepson, Lloyd Lipton, in a random freeway shooting. Yale believes Clare Strickling, a former employee, arranged the killing to silence Lipton, who is suspected of selling illegal inside-trader information to Strickling.
Walker shadows Strickling to a private airfield, where he believes his quarry has made arrangements to fly out of the country, and witnesses Strickling’s killing—by way of a murder weapon unique to Detroit. From there, the trail twists and turns through Major Jack Flagg, an elderly barnstormer, Palm Volker, the attractive aviatrix who runs the airfield, Candido, a surly maintenance worker employed by Palm, and Gabe Parrish, the retired boxer in charge of security at Yale Mobility. Naturally, all have secrets to keep; and naturally, discovering them can be detrimental to Walker’s health.
THE AMOS WALKER SERIES:
Poison Blonde / Retro / Nicotine Kiss / American Detective / The Left-handed Dollar / Infernal Angels / Burning Midnight / Don't Look for Me / You Know Who Killed Me / The Sundown Speech / The Lioness is the Hunter / Black and White Ball / When Old Midnight Comes Along / Cutthroat Dogs / Monkey in the Middle
THE PAGE MURDOCK SERIES:
The High Rocks / Stamping Ground / Murdock's Law / City of Widows / White Desert / Port Hazard / The Book of Murdock / Cape Hell / Wild Justice
THE PETER MACKLIN SERIES:
Something Borrowed, Something Black / Little Black Dress
THE VALENTINO MYSTERIES:
Frames / Alone / Alive! / Shoot / Brazen / Indigo
Other books by Loren D. Estleman:
Aces & Eights
The Ballad of Black Bart
Black Powder, White Smoke
The Book of Murdock
The Branch and the Scaffold and Billy Gashade
The Confessions of Al Capone
The Eagle and the Viper
Gas City
Jitterbug
Journey of the Dead and The Undertaker's Wife
The Long High Noon and The Adventures of Johnny Vermillion
The Master Executioner
Paperback Jack
Ragtime Cowboys
The Rocky Mountain Moving Picture Association
Roy & Lillie: A Love Story
Thunder City
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2023
18 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
314 books279 followersLoren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 5, 2023
Although mainly set in present day Detroit....the Amos Walker private detective books are set firmly in a nostalgic world..
With hardly a word or nod to modern day events Amos wanders from one dead body to another trying to figure out whodunnit in sarcastic asides..
In this one he encounters Palm a feisty ,leggy fly girl who as is mentioned a few times.....far too young for him.
It's a nice shirt read....by process of elimination the killer pretty easy to deduce.
With hardly a word or nod to modern day events Amos wanders from one dead body to another trying to figure out whodunnit in sarcastic asides..
In this one he encounters Palm a feisty ,leggy fly girl who as is mentioned a few times.....far too young for him.
It's a nice shirt read....by process of elimination the killer pretty easy to deduce.
January 20, 2023
Amos Walker is back in City Walls by Loren D. Estleman. This series is one of few remaining hard boiled detective stories in the style of Hammett and Chandler, the author has made a great choice when writing this series as the years go on. Amos is the only thing not evolving into a modern era apart from having a cell phone he is the same as when he started. It is a very interesting style as he lives in our modern world. I have been a sucker for this kind of detective story for more than forty years now and will never grow tired of it. I also have been a fan of the works of Estleman for many more years than I'm comfortable to mention. The setting and the characters are always great fun in his books. Thanks to Forge Books and Macmillan for giving me this advance copy through Edelweiss.
August 21, 2023
This one started off well for me but kind of fizzled out towards the end. I wanted it neater, a bit more "tied together" and well - sometimes a coincidence is a coincidence. What ties together and what doesn't is kind of the point of the whole thing but kind of left me with a bit of a blah feeling at the end. Basically I wanted it to be cleverer that it actually was. But as always, the sense of place is pitch perfect and Amos continues to feed me my old school fix.
July 27, 2023
Detroit P.I. Amos Walker first appeared forty-three years ago in Motor City Blue. He now returns for the thirty-first time in City Walls When we first met him, Walker was in his middle thirties and for the first twenty years or so, the author let him age naturally until Walker appeared to be somewhere in his middle fifties. He has remained somewhere in that neighborhood ever since, which is a very good thing. Otherwise, he would now be somewhere around eighty, which would be a pretty advanced age for a detective as hard-boiled as Walker.
Also, when he first appeared, Walker was driving a battered but souped-up 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The car became something of a character as well, but as time passed, there were fewer and fewer references to it. Walker spends a lot of time driving from one place to another in the new book, but I noticed only one reference to the car itself, and it's still the Cutlass! I assume that the reference is largely for sentimental reasons and is a nod to long-time fans of the series. But the car is now fifty-three years old and apparently still running like a champ. One suspects that if a real Cutlass ran half that well, the brand would not have been retired nearly twenty-five years ago.
Although the story is set in the present day, Walker remains decidedly a detective of the old school. He's had the same downtown office since the inception of the series; he has reluctantly bought a cell phone, but most often forgets to turn it on; and he avails himself of few other modern conveniences like computers, iPads, etc.
In this instance Walker is hired by an extremely wealthy man who has started his own electric car company in Detroit. The man's stepson was shot to death while driving on a freeway and the legal system has allowed the man who fired the shot to suffer only minimal consequences. The executive, a man named Emmet Yale believes that the killing may have been orchestrated by a disgruntled ex-employee whom Yale also suspects of making a fortune by insider trading of the company's stock.
Yale wants Walker to find the link that the authorities are missing that will tie the ex-employee to the death of his stepson. Inevitably the case will become increasingly complex and additional bodies will fall--at least one in an extremely unconventional way. It's always fun to watch Walker in action, even if he is moving a bit more slowly than when he was in his prime. The plot is serviceable, even though there are a couple of developments that may lead some readers to be shaking their heads in disbelief.
As is the case with many long-running series, some of the later books do not measure up to some of the earlier entries, and my personal feeling is that this is the case here. But this is a venerable and long-running series that started at a very high level. If some of the more recent books are not up to the standards of the originals, they're still pretty good, and reading a new Amos Walker novel is always like catching up with a very old and valued friend.
Also, when he first appeared, Walker was driving a battered but souped-up 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The car became something of a character as well, but as time passed, there were fewer and fewer references to it. Walker spends a lot of time driving from one place to another in the new book, but I noticed only one reference to the car itself, and it's still the Cutlass! I assume that the reference is largely for sentimental reasons and is a nod to long-time fans of the series. But the car is now fifty-three years old and apparently still running like a champ. One suspects that if a real Cutlass ran half that well, the brand would not have been retired nearly twenty-five years ago.
Although the story is set in the present day, Walker remains decidedly a detective of the old school. He's had the same downtown office since the inception of the series; he has reluctantly bought a cell phone, but most often forgets to turn it on; and he avails himself of few other modern conveniences like computers, iPads, etc.
In this instance Walker is hired by an extremely wealthy man who has started his own electric car company in Detroit. The man's stepson was shot to death while driving on a freeway and the legal system has allowed the man who fired the shot to suffer only minimal consequences. The executive, a man named Emmet Yale believes that the killing may have been orchestrated by a disgruntled ex-employee whom Yale also suspects of making a fortune by insider trading of the company's stock.
Yale wants Walker to find the link that the authorities are missing that will tie the ex-employee to the death of his stepson. Inevitably the case will become increasingly complex and additional bodies will fall--at least one in an extremely unconventional way. It's always fun to watch Walker in action, even if he is moving a bit more slowly than when he was in his prime. The plot is serviceable, even though there are a couple of developments that may lead some readers to be shaking their heads in disbelief.
As is the case with many long-running series, some of the later books do not measure up to some of the earlier entries, and my personal feeling is that this is the case here. But this is a venerable and long-running series that started at a very high level. If some of the more recent books are not up to the standards of the originals, they're still pretty good, and reading a new Amos Walker novel is always like catching up with a very old and valued friend.
Currently reading
April 23, 2023I began reading mystery novels written by Loren Estleman back in the early 80's when my late sister, who lived in Ann Arbor and was familiar with the author, sent me copies of "The Glass Highway" and "Motor City Blue." I was hooked immediately and have read every one of the books in the Amos Walker series along with a few of Estleman's "Detroit" series and one of his westerns. I've always enjoyed them.
I've just finished reading his latest publication in the Amos Walker Detroit detective series, "City Walls." As usual, the story was compelling, though I pretty much figured out who the final perpetrator was about 3/4 way though the book. The final chapters contained a few somewhat contradictory events. If Palm Volker was the shooter at Walker's office building and she only owned a restored Indian motorcycle for transportation, how did she manage to sling a .30-30 rifle over her shoulder and make the trip undetected? Nearly all .30-30 cartridges are "rimmed" and intended for use in a tubular magazine on a lever action rifle. There is one model, the Winchester Trail's End Take-down, that could be separated between the stock and the receiver and placed in a back pack - Estleman makes no mention of this. And that would also contradict the reason for Volker hiding a single piece weapon behind the tilted wooden propeller on her trailer office wall. Oh well, still a good compelling read.
I've just finished reading his latest publication in the Amos Walker Detroit detective series, "City Walls." As usual, the story was compelling, though I pretty much figured out who the final perpetrator was about 3/4 way though the book. The final chapters contained a few somewhat contradictory events. If Palm Volker was the shooter at Walker's office building and she only owned a restored Indian motorcycle for transportation, how did she manage to sling a .30-30 rifle over her shoulder and make the trip undetected? Nearly all .30-30 cartridges are "rimmed" and intended for use in a tubular magazine on a lever action rifle. There is one model, the Winchester Trail's End Take-down, that could be separated between the stock and the receiver and placed in a back pack - Estleman makes no mention of this. And that would also contradict the reason for Volker hiding a single piece weapon behind the tilted wooden propeller on her trailer office wall. Oh well, still a good compelling read.
September 29, 2023
I haven’t read too many Amos Walkers, but I’m gonna bet they’re all a lot like this. Very noir, so noir that you hear Leslie Nielsen’s voice-over from the Naked Gun movies. So noir that sentences are pastiches of pastiches, and you like it anyway. I’ll bet they’re all short and light with stings of heaviness and of existentialism and of Marlowe tough guy-ness. And that’s why you read these. And that’s why you’ll like this one.
The mystery isn’t very mysterious. There’s a limited number of options, so you’ll guess the killer right away. A new one is thrown at you towards the end, but you’ll know who’s pulling his strings. The ending is very well conceived and very well-written, and you’ll maybe feel bad at the end, as I did. Like a good noir, you’re reading more for the feel of the journey than for any actual mystery or whodunit. You’re gonna know whodunit. But you’re also gonna like the wintry, icy and slushy journey to the end of the whodunit. There are so many great, truly great, noir sentences and metaphors that never seem to try too hard, that you’ll enjoy the read, if you’re that kind of reader. And of course you are, which is why you’ve picked up this book to read to begin with.
Just one example of maybe literally a hundred noir sentences that I speak of: I got that foolish feeling a tree gets when it falls in the forest and there’s no one to hear it. Page 158. But really you can pick your own. Either way, enjoy.
The mystery isn’t very mysterious. There’s a limited number of options, so you’ll guess the killer right away. A new one is thrown at you towards the end, but you’ll know who’s pulling his strings. The ending is very well conceived and very well-written, and you’ll maybe feel bad at the end, as I did. Like a good noir, you’re reading more for the feel of the journey than for any actual mystery or whodunit. You’re gonna know whodunit. But you’re also gonna like the wintry, icy and slushy journey to the end of the whodunit. There are so many great, truly great, noir sentences and metaphors that never seem to try too hard, that you’ll enjoy the read, if you’re that kind of reader. And of course you are, which is why you’ve picked up this book to read to begin with.
Just one example of maybe literally a hundred noir sentences that I speak of: I got that foolish feeling a tree gets when it falls in the forest and there’s no one to hear it. Page 158. But really you can pick your own. Either way, enjoy.
April 5, 2023
Harlan Coben says that Loren D Estleman is his hero. Estleman is mine, too, because he still writes Amos Walker on a manual typewriter, and Walker remains the tough guy, old-fashioned private detective he always has been. They don't come better than Amos Walker, especially these days. There is nothing flashy or New Age about Walker, there never has been. Oh, Walker has aged, who hasn't, but his heart is still in the right place.
I despise spoilers, so I will not give any. Curious? Read the blurb. I will say that the plot is very interesting, and Walker never lets up.
Time for a categorical statement: you will not find a better private detective series than this one, period. Each book can be read as a standalone, but if you haven't read any others of Estleman's Walker, after you read this excellent book pick up the first in the series, Motor City Blue, and prepare yourself for real pleasure. I envy you.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
I despise spoilers, so I will not give any. Curious? Read the blurb. I will say that the plot is very interesting, and Walker never lets up.
Time for a categorical statement: you will not find a better private detective series than this one, period. Each book can be read as a standalone, but if you haven't read any others of Estleman's Walker, after you read this excellent book pick up the first in the series, Motor City Blue, and prepare yourself for real pleasure. I envy you.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
August 24, 2023
Amos is another character that is slowing ageing. His profession is for younger men & women so as he grows older, the action is less physical and more intellectual. He was always a thinker, taking the clues and pondering their meaning. But he also was a hard detective in a tough town which as the books describe - gets tougher and meaner as it ages and falls apart. But he now is slowing down, trying to take cases where he projects less action will occur. But as Estleman has the habit of doing, twists and turns in his detective and western tales often place the lead character in strenuous situations.
April 24, 2023
Although I prefer the earliest Amos Walker stories, these later ones have a particular interest and charm of their own because Walker is old and slower than he was, but wily and good at simply avoiding problems he would have walked into in the past. Plus, his relationship with Allerdyce is doing better these days.
Walker is hired to find out of the murder of a fictitious auto magnate's step son was planned or just a random event. After several bodies hit the floor, Walker puts together what is going on, but will it be in time?
Walker is hired to find out of the murder of a fictitious auto magnate's step son was planned or just a random event. After several bodies hit the floor, Walker puts together what is going on, but will it be in time?
April 14, 2023
Always fun to spend an afternoon with Amos Walker. He operates in the area where I grew up so always some places I used to know. This time he has to travel to Cleveland and eventually in an airplane. If you've enjoyed Amos you'll have fun with this one. New to Amos Walker? There are only 30 others to read before this one!!!
April 25, 2023
Noir? Not quite.
Another attempt at noir by Loren Estleman falls flat. You can throw in some patter, a long- legged femme and a not quite shady dick, but if it isn't mixed right the ingredients don't count. How many stars? Maybe a 2-1/2.
Another attempt at noir by Loren Estleman falls flat. You can throw in some patter, a long- legged femme and a not quite shady dick, but if it isn't mixed right the ingredients don't count. How many stars? Maybe a 2-1/2.
May 30, 2023
Another Amos Walker gem
Don't let the sappy cliches get in your way of enjoying this book. Just like a bowl of Italian gelato, you know you should savor it....but it's too good to go slowly. Enjoy!
Don't let the sappy cliches get in your way of enjoying this book. Just like a bowl of Italian gelato, you know you should savor it....but it's too good to go slowly. Enjoy!
May 22, 2024
Finished several of the Amos Walker mysteries prior to this one. Looks like,it was the last, from 2023. I’m all done with Amos. No way could he have survived as much damage visited upon his noir self…he gets beaten, shot, dropped from airplanes, boats and numerous other bits of violence.
June 11, 2024
I haven't hard or read the word "skinflint" in over 20 years and Loren D. Estleman's "Amos Walker" is such an anachronism and I enjoy that since it transports me to the 80's having coffee and pie at Denny's, reading pulp fiction in set in offbeat places with gumshoes in exciting predicaments.
August 31, 2025
A so-so effort despite an intriguing plot, made confusing by stilted and stiff dialog. Dated references are scattered throughout -- how many of the Good Reads reviewers recognized the name Clem Kadiddlehopper? Quick fare for an end-of-summer read.
April 1, 2023
Recommended.
Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:
https://www.tzerisland.com/bookblog/2...
Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:
https://www.tzerisland.com/bookblog/2...
April 11, 2023
Always good value but this one’s case doesn’t cohere and the patter isn’t as gaudy as usual; the ending is over the top.
April 18, 2023
classic Amos walker always great
June 8, 2023
A 'who done it" book. Entertaining but forgettable.
June 9, 2023
Have read everyone
Of the Amos books and will keep doing so. Read and make your own decision.
I don’t have five more words.
Of the Amos books and will keep doing so. Read and make your own decision.
I don’t have five more words.
June 12, 2023
A perfect hard boiled detective story
December 31, 2023
#31 in the Amos Walker series. 2023 series entry by author Loren D. Estleman.
May 2, 2024
Not one of his best but still entertaining.
September 21, 2024
Perfect classic hardboiled P.I book, short and sweet. Number 31 in the Amos Walker series, now to go back and read 1-30!
November 19, 2024
Same grit; same wit.
June 20, 2025
For another detective this would be a 4.5 star, seemed to lack some descriptive language and dialogue.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews