BUZZ CUT

Thorn Mystery #5

by James W. Hall

Buzz Cut Hall, James W.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Horror, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

373 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.

He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.

Reviews

[Labijose]

First time that I read anything from this author. I found the plot well placed, but the characters a bit weak, not at all convincing. The dialogues are Ok, though. In short, a fast-paced thriller, but a forgettable one too.

[Glen]

Thorn is seeing a hippie, and is having a good time with that, but everything else in his life is going bad. His tied flies don't work, his friend stops talking to him, and so forth.

Meanwhile, said friend is working on a cruise ship, where he needs Thorn's help. Thorn eventually gets onboard, and we get a cruise ship mystery.

Not bad, but not as action packed as some of the other novels in the series, I think.

[Nigeyb]

I'm working my way through the Thorn series and so have come to Buzz Cut, the fifth instalment of the Florida noir series.

The previous novels established Thorn as a solitary figure content to stick to his Key Largo locale however Buzz Cut thrusts him into a high octane, claustrophobic, sea bound disaster movie, yet this doesn't feel jarring and fits perfectly with the vibe of the series so far.

James W. Hall writes a good villain but he surpasses himself here. Butler Jack is a creative driven antagonist who is unpredictable, chillingly meticulous, ruthless, insane, and obsessed with language.

We also get the return of the iconic Thorn and Sugarman partnership giving the story an emotional core that helps anchor the relentless pace aboard a hijacked cruise liner.

For readers tracking the evolution of the series, Buzz Cut bridges the gap between intimate, swampy noir and blockbuster thriller. It takes everything that made the early books work, like Hall's sharp, poetic prose, atmosphere, and moral grit, and supercharges it with a cinematic adrenaline.

Very, very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to Red Sky At Night (Thorn #6).

5/5

[Pop]

I have to say the villains were really evil and the good guys were great. Lot of Sugarman in this thriller alongside Thorn.

[Nancy]

I finished this book because I couldn't figure out where the plot was going, but finishing didn't help. Who was involved in the scam? Did Butler doublecross Lola? What on Earth was wrong with the lot of them? Can batteries generate enough current to kill?...and on and on...loose ends, ridiculous premises, longwinded philosophical screeds...and on and on!

[Jonathan]

So looking back on my reviews of the previous 2 or 3 books in the Thorn series, it seems I wasn't too crazy about them. For one thing, I prefer my mystery series to be first person, and this one is the omniscient narrator, telling the story from multiple sides, including the perp, so Thorn solving mysteries isn't part of the reason you would read one of these.

So why would you read these? Great action. A central (but not singular) character like Thorn who is kind of broken but kind of cool. Interesting side characters. And a crime with panache.

Well, this book has all that and more! It jumps into the action early and never lets up, as it tells the story of a twisted mind taking control of an ocean liner and Thorn and his lifelong friend Sugar (hired to crack the case) try to figure out what is going on and how to stop it before the liner crashes.

There's plenty of pop psychology, which can be annoying. But the villain in this book isn't as wacky as in previous books. I mean, he's a real psychopath, but his plan isn't as far fetched as in previous books and he seems to have it under control.

So I really enjoyed this one. Glad I already have the next one (Red Sky at Night) already in hand!

[Nigel]

The great James W Hall! Haven't read one of his in AGES and this is one I've read before, but I always liked the the story, a clever but unstable young man targets a cruise ship for sabotage and sheningans. Thorn gets dragged in when his friend Sugerman gets injured, there's also a (beautiful of course, ah the 80s trope of even less chauvanistic writers to dwell lovingly on the beauty of their female characters even when, as in this case the beauty is a curse, getting close to the idea that it's not her or anyone's looks it's bloody men) runaway heiress, tricked on board by the unstable guy who has an unhealthy fixation on her. Remember Speed 2, the one set on a boat? Pity they didn't give Hall a truck full of cash for the rights to this and used the plot, easily ooomphed up for cinema with some explosions and shootouts. Ah well.

[Barbara Meyers]

I scanned a lot of this one. The villain is into etymology and his long explanations of words became burdensome. Just excessive. The author also went off into narratives to express his own observances about various subjects or into the character's back stories well past the point in the story that made it of any interest. There was just too much disconnect that had nothing to do with the plot (compelling plot!).

[Don Gorman]

good fun

(3 1/2). I had read one of the Thorn series prior to this and thought it was decent. His book is much better. A wonderful bad guy, truly nasty, evil and super intelligent really makes this one stand out. Trying to stop him takes up the entire story, with just a few minor diversions. And it works. Thorn and his friend Sugar have their hands full and nothing comes easy. Good stuff.

[M. Sprouse]

I read the previous four novels in the Thorn series and this one is definitely the best. It starts a bit slow, but its worth the wait. The Villain is top-notch. I usually don't like it when authors such as James Lee Burke or even James W. Hall spend too many words on the bad guy, but for this novel it worked. Still Thorn and Sugar are not in it nearly enough. It is a nice thrill ride with several good twists.

[Jan]

Okay read. Pretty far fetched. Thorn breaks up with one woman he was living with and jumps right into bed with another. Not my kind of man. This is my first by this author. I won't seek out his other books in the series. This is book #5.

[RBReichart]

Coincidence rains (sic!) on my life: Sept 9, 2017 brought hurricane Irma and

Key Largo into history, and both words imoortant in the beginning of this book! It also yields some real character development along with a wildly braided plot and a wonderful etymological decoration.

[Pete Ffrench]

Well thought out and written story with justice done at the end and a happy ending for Thorn and Sugarman with the ladies. Rover will come round and trust him again eventually. Sugarman's family really should work on their relationships though.

[Donald Burns]

A messed up family

A tale with a lot of rabbit holes. Wealthy family tree with madness in the branches. Pretty people, Bobby traps, and murder. You'll enjoy reading and trying to figure it out

[Chris]

A Little Bit

confusing at times, or I'd have given 5 stars. I was very lost in more than one spot. Sometimes, an author just overdoes it! Too much detail where less said would have been better.

[False]

Sociopaths, cruise liners, television personalities, extortion, corruption, dysfunctional families, what more can you ask for?

[Mark Bassignani]

Interesting. Different.

[Bob Box]

Read in 2001. Suspenseful and steamy.

[Susan Dennis]

Another GREAT addition to the Thorn series. Mystery.

[Dewey Carroll Brackett]

Too much profanity

The story was ok but the profanity was awful. I do not recommend this book. God's last name is not damn.

[Bruce Davidson]

This book had an amusing premise, but the execution is deeply flawed. Hall’s writing is too wordy, and his chaotic sentences take away from the book’s potential.

[Daniel Rasmussen]

Boring

It is really hard to come up with something more than that. Not a single likeable person in the entire book. Nothing more to say!

[Robert James]

The story was great but the ending was a little convoluted. The villain was very well written but came on as a little like Frankenstein's monster in the end. The dude just kept coming back.

[RALPH BURDICK]

A couple of close shaves!

A good read, not exceptional but definitely I’m worth the read. A great story line that kept my interest until the end. I’m sure Mikey liked it!

[Marilyn Ruttan]

Was good

The storyline and the characters kept me guessing and totally hooked. The only thing that I didn't like was reading that the poor dog was abandoned.

[Brand Meyer]

Excruciating

I finished the book (finally) so I didn’t rate it a 1. While the story line was interesting, the book just went on and on and on…..

[Lee]

Another page turner, Thorn is a tough but caring protagonist. Jim Hall can write a thriller, and I'm sure glad he does .......

[Nancy]

Not very good. I expect more from James Hall.

[RonMele]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable read, plenty of suspense, action and intrigue to keep your interest. Interesting cast of characters. I would read this author again.

[Jessica Trounson]

This gets a 2.5 from me. I’ve definitely read much worse but this was nothing particularly special or gripping. The villain of the story was sufficiently creepy though!