The Four Last Things

Simeon Grist Mystery #1

by Timothy Hallinan

Fans of Robert B. Parker's Spenser books should try this one. Hallinan began his six-book Simeon Grist series with this white-knuckle mystery. Simeon Grist knows L.A. inside and out--the sex for sale, the chic seductions, every rip-off from City Hall to Venice. So when he's hired by a Hollywood recording company to shadow one Sally Oldfield, suspected of embezzlement, Grist discovers she's entangled in The Church of the Eternal Moment--a million-dollar religious scam built around a 12-year-old channeler and the voice of a man who has been dead for a millennium. When Sally turns up dead, Simeon knows he's become the next target of a very flesh-and-blood entity waiting in the back alleys of sin and salvation to give him a brutal look at the four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell--revelations he could definitely live without...

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Noir, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks, Thriller, Adventure

488 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good prose, good characterization, good world building, decent story, no theme.

Not without a few hiccups. For example, the info dump on the Burnt Counties. Why?

But the chief reason to read this is the banter. Both in the dialog and the narrative (told in first person). It was a joy to read.

[Wyckliffe Howland · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of his Simeon Grist series, I was looking forward to it. Hallinan can write, but his Thai series (Poke Rafferty) I love, as well as his Junior Bender series. So, having read all the PR novels, I opened this one with optimism. It was good, and I'll seek out the next. Lots of twists and turns, this book deals with cult religions in California and corruption beneath the surface. Some Hallinan humor, but also suspense, loss, redemption.

[Nigel Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simeon Grist is a Private Eye operating in the colourful world of California. He has a need to protect the vulnerable and a quick sharp wit that he uses at every opportunity. How’s this for a description of a rainstorm?
‘Everybody was standing in doorways looking like bums, except for the real bums, who were using the shower to get clean.’
In ‘The Four Last Things’ Grist is working 2 cases, one for the shady security chief of a record company and another where he’s trying to locate the cat belonging to his sour landlady.
For the record company, he’s to follow a lovely lady called Sarah Oldfield. Not that we’re left in any doubt about Sarah’s fate, even from the opening lines:
‘I was just beginning to like her when she got killed.’
His investigation involves plenty of opportunity for a typically hard-boiled exploration of LA.
It’s not long before Grist is working on Sarah’s murder investigation gratis, fuelled by the need to find justice for her. This takes him into the world of a wealthy religious sect working out of Big Sur.
Overall, the detective work, the one-liners and the action prove to be very satisfying. Some of the explorations of the bigger questions of life dilute the power from time-to-time, but for anyone looking for new dimensions for their detective fiction, they can certainly find them here.
Rather fun.

[Carol Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tightly plotted and cleverly written, with a real "coffee out the nose" finale! Lots of fun!

[Jim Di Silvio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Timothy Hallinan’s other character thief turned detective Junior Bender but with Simeon Grist I just couldn’t like it. The writing was very fluid and all over the place. I lost interest and I’m a big detective fan. It almost seemed like 2 different people write the books. Anyway, give Junior a try.

[JDK1962 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but I don't (yet) have a good fix on the main character, or what his skill set(s) and motivations might be. We'll see if he gets better with the next entry in the series. Well plotted, which is pretty standard for Hallinan.

[Jennifer Kepesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timothy Hallinan does the L.A. private detective noir stories very well, and I always have fun with his books. Simeon Grist is living in 80s-ish L.A., and gets mixed up with a success-based cult not unlike Scientology.

[Sami Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather Chandler-esque in style, but not as hard boiled.

[Renee Rasak keogh · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, it is a modern-ish twist on the old detective novels I use to read as a kid. Enjoyed it immensely!

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This early work by Timothy Hallinan has the feel of Robert Parker at his best.

[Paul Close · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good read

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as this author’s “Junior Bender” books. But still a lot of fun to read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Glen U · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Four Last Things" is Timothy Hallinan's first published novel featuring Simeon Grist. It is actually his second written novel to feature the hard boiled but well educated P. I. but due to publisher's concerns, his initial Grist novel, "Skin Deep" was pushed back for public consumption. Hallinan's writings are fast paced, clearly imaginative, and, stylistically, a cut above most detective novels. Simeon Grist, his protagonist, is a gritty but philosophical investigator, and a font of literary information. Able to quote F. Scott Fitzgerald and Kierkegaard while discussing Joseph A. Smith or the Millerites, the reader perceives a more intellectual Travis McGee. Altogether, a most satisfying read and the start of another fine Hallinan series.

[Ekaser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd seen mention of Mr. Hallinan's latest book, "The Queen of Patpong," in a e-mail from Amazon, and it sounded quite promising. Seeing that it was part of a series, I decided to look up the earlier books in the series, and was very disappointed that the publisher had chosen to set a $9.99 price for the e-book edition of the first book, "A Nail Through The Heart," which was originally published in 2007. I wrote to both the publisher and to Mr. Hallinan, expressing my extreme disappointment at that, and was pleased to receive a very nice response from Mr. Hallinan explaining what I already knew: the publisher sets the prices and the author has no control. But it never hurts to apply pressure. But in his reply to me, Mr. Hallinan also pointed out that his first two novels, "The Four Last Things" and "Everything But The Squeal" were available from Amazaon for $2.99 each. At such a good price, I thought it was worth trying.

I'm glad I did. A VERY fun read, well written, excellent characters, a terrific first novel. I look forward to reading many more (although, unfortunately, his later books will have to wait until the publisher sees reason and offers the e-book versions at a reasonable price...)

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those "finds" from having a Kindle. The second in the series popped up on one of those free ebook daily deal emails, and I was able to get this one, the first, through Amazon Prime Lending Library. Published in 1989 or 1990, depending on which source you look at, this is a decent hard-boiled sort of PI novel. Lots of sarcasm and quips from our clever narrator. Typical plot elements, stereotypical characters to a great extent (e.g., smart Asian American girlfriend and African American dialect-spouting sidekick). What was interesting (to me) was all the mentions of AIDS and the detail of the technology. Yes, this is one where the bad guys break in and steal answering machine tapes! His approach to securing his answering machine after the bad guys break in so that he can still call in and remotely retrieve his messages, though, was pretty good. Makes me glad we have cell phones now, though.

[Tom V · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first stab at a Hallinan book, but I will be bellying up for more. This first in the Simeon Grist series had me wondering if Grist was so tough (and sarcastic) because he had been punched around as a kid because of his first name. I mean, really, Simeon?

The plot moved along nicely, and I kind of felt for Grist when he lost his not-to-be "possible" love interest to a vicious murder. The revenge angle was played, since no PI worth his/her salt works for free. Old girlfriend, playing Charlie Chan to our hero's Sam Spade, a cop who I saw as Ward Bond, jiving homeboy sidekick, some sadistic cult figures and lots of greed to go around...well, you get the picture.

The last fourth of the book took some real effort to wade through. I just couldn't suspend disbelief quite enough, but I was pleased with the ending, and I'll be looking up Mr. Grist in the future.

3 stars; you'll like it.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, I just really like how Hallinan writes. There are so many sentences that seem worth preserving and returning to. This is darker than the Junior Bender series, but still fast-paced and sometimes funny. Like that other series, this one is speckled with references to literature; the characters, even ones in passing, are a well-read bunch. The discussion of the history of religion in America is interesting and though it's a bit shoe-horned in here, as an extended friendly lecture over wine with the protagonist's perpetual-student friend, there are some insightful observations and fascinating tidbits. Hallinan (or maybe Grist) seems to have a strange obsession with weight in this book -- fat being bad, bad, bad -- and I'm not a fan of writing in dialect, even when it's tongue-in-cheek. Those two distractions aside, this is an entertaining read with some show-stopper bits of writing sprinkled throughout.

[Douglas Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

First paragraph, "I was just beginning to like her when she got killed. One of the interesting things about surveillance—make that the only interesting thing about surveillance—is the relationship between watcher and watched. Study the outside of anybody's life long enough and you'll develop some sort of emotional reaction. Sometimes you feel like an entomologist looking at a particularly loathsome new insect; you wish you could do it from farther away. Sometimes you fall in love. I wasn't in love with Sally Oldfield yet, but I knew I'd like to get closer than across the street."

Hallinan, Timothy (2010-06-26). The Four Last Things (Simeon Grist Mystery) (p. 11). Hallinan Consulting. Kindle Edition.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often made me think of the Mentalist's episodes with the "cult" religion, Visualize (which should be noted that Hallinan's story came first). I kept picturing Malcolm McDowell as Merryman, although Simon Baker is a bit too clean for Simeon Grist.

For one of the first books, I enjoyed it. The beginning was slow moving as you had to wade through a lot of backstory to get to the resolution to main plot. But after page 200, it really moved and I think the ending was quite enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to trying the Poke Rafferty seriess next. I will read other Grist books, but the Rafferty series takes place in Asia, which I find more interesting.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff! The fascinating, completely riveting story involves a dangerous L.A.-based cult called the Church of the Eternal Moment, corruption among the cult's leaders, and murder. There's plenty of action and suspense, quite a lot of comic relief, a couple of cats, and a cast of wonderfully portrayed characters (including a delightful, hilarious fellow named Dexter). This is either the first or second book in Timothy Hallinan's Simeon Grist series, and I'm definitely going to read the other five, which I've already downloaded, plus his Junior Bender books. I've already read and enjoyed the author's Poke Rafferty thrillers, a series that should not be missed!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this story. The main character, Simeon, is a wisecracking investigator who is hired by a record company to follow an employee who then ends up murdered. It seems like that whole job was a setup, but along with many other things that happen to Simeon along the way, it is never clear why he is allowed to carry on his investigation by the bad guys who have ample opportunity to deal with him early on. The murder investigation and the story that unfolds is interesting, but some of Simeon's adventures along the way (like his trip through the sewer system) left me with my attention wandering. Overall a good story and I will probably try another in the series.

[Jen Blood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in the Simeon Grist hard-boiled PI series. Overall, an enjoyable read with interesting characters and an engaging plot. As first-person narrator, Simeon Grist occasionally tends to get lost in how clever he is, and there are a few places in the book that I felt could have been cut, since they were long on pithy humor and completely irrelevant to the plot. In general, however, I found this to be a fun, well-written book that I would recommend, and I look forward to reading the others in the series.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bored during a long summer cold, I found this on the kindle to borrow for free and read it in a day. Pretty satisfying for a mystery! One really funny black character, who wasn't in it enough for my taste. The secondary characters actually were the most interesting. Inventive crime surrounding an LA cult religion, all plot-driven of course but it held my interest. A great plane or beach book for those times when you just want to be diverted and don't have to think. Hallinan has moved on but there are a couple more with this detective, which I might read. Really should be 3.5 stars.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second book I had read by Timothy Hallinan. It was his first novel, start of Simon Grist series, which was discontinued for some reason. The author tried to construct a complex plot dealing with a fake church and its financial complexities while dealing with these oddball characters. The book was a drag to read, long to finish, and the last 30 pages were not worth the slogfest. It was not a bad book but certainly not a book that would cause me to be a lifetime follower reading each of his books as they came out, I will probably move on to more interesting authors.

[Liz Needle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a freeby download from Amazon, so wasn't expecting much. I am so glad I downloaded it as I loved it. The plot is fast paced and engaging, the characters are very likeable and very well portrayed. Some of the minor players are brilliant The author has a great turn of phrase and I found myself rereading many of the passages because they were so well written.

I will certainly be reading more by Timothy Hallinan.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "Crashed" by Timothy Hallinan and enjoyed it. This is my first in this series. His writing is very similar for both novels. A smart detective who mentions that homeless people in LA probably bathed more than people in Louis XIV's court, so he should pretend he is at the Versailles. The underlying story is good prevails over evil even through a quirky, run of the mill detective like Simeon Grist. Smart dialog.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simeon Grist, a detective by default, is hired to follow Sally Oldfield. When she ends up tortured and murdered, and the person who hired him isn't the person who hired him, Grist decides to investigate on his own. Dark enough in places to make you squirm, and laugh-out-loud funny in others, this is a rollicking good start to this series.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 3 out of 5]

First novel, free ebook, not bad, bit dated - written and set in the late 80s I think, so similar to the early Elvis Cole books, but with more annoying wise-cracks. It took me a long time to finish it, so I kept forgetting who the various characters were but I enjoyed the 2nd half more once the action got going.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned this book for over two years and I'm so sorry I just got around to reading it. There's pretty much nothing to dislike about it; Simeon Grist has all the characteristics a heroic investigator must have: he's intelligent (very), has a sense of humor, integrity, determination and compassion. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Stan · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big Hallinan fan, I have been checking out his various series. This one fell short for me. The witty dialogue wasn't funny, the characters didn't grab me. Maybe it just shows that in the 20 years between this book and the start of the Bangkok series, Hallinan became a much better writer. I will continue to seek out his other books, but not more of this series.