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The Highly Effective Detective #4
The Highly Effective Detective Crosses the Line
In this fourth installment of Rick Yancey’s touching and funny Highly Effective Detective Series, lovable but bumbling PI Teddy Ruzak is out of his league again, and this time, things are getting serious.
Farrell, one of Teddy’s old friends, is in desperate need of Teddy’s help. His daughter Isabella’s ex-boyfriend, locked up for assault, is days away from being released from jail, and Farrell knows his first stop out of the slammer will be at his daughter’s door. Farrell enlists Teddy to keep any eye on Isabella.
But when the bad seed ex-boyfriend turns out to have associates even more alarming than he is,Teddy finds himself dealing with truly dangerous criminals. To make matters worse, Felicia, his secretary, is being threatened by mysterious men whom she can’t seem to shake.
Can Teddy keep Felicia getting hurt while still protecting Isabella? And do his strong feelings towards Felicia run deeper than just a friend looking out for a friend? This funny and engaging mystery starring Teddy Ruzak will delight and entertain his many devoted fans.
Farrell, one of Teddy’s old friends, is in desperate need of Teddy’s help. His daughter Isabella’s ex-boyfriend, locked up for assault, is days away from being released from jail, and Farrell knows his first stop out of the slammer will be at his daughter’s door. Farrell enlists Teddy to keep any eye on Isabella.
But when the bad seed ex-boyfriend turns out to have associates even more alarming than he is,Teddy finds himself dealing with truly dangerous criminals. To make matters worse, Felicia, his secretary, is being threatened by mysterious men whom she can’t seem to shake.
Can Teddy keep Felicia getting hurt while still protecting Isabella? And do his strong feelings towards Felicia run deeper than just a friend looking out for a friend? This funny and engaging mystery starring Teddy Ruzak will delight and entertain his many devoted fans.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2011
2 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 20, 2014
Very well written. I will never read another Rick Yancey book. He kills Archie. Slaughters him. The dog. A mobster cuts off his paw and ear. Slits him open and his intestines spill out. His beautiful brown eyes stare sightlessly at you. Literary license be damned. I am done with Rick Yancey. I cried for 2 hours. I can get this shit in the news. Fuck you Rick Yancey.
May 16, 2023
Yancey made some interesting author choices in his final book and I don't know how I feel about it.
There is a VERY graphic animal cruelty description in this one that was incredibly shocking, and it made me tear up literally.
In this book, our lovable idiot P.I. is asked to keep an eye on an old co-worker's daughter (Isabella). Her old boyfriend is out after he was jailed for beating her up. Except, she claims she hasn't talked to him in months and REALLY doesn't want a babysitter. So Ruzak decides to look for the boyfriend instead and finds himself in a very dangerous situation with some white supremacists and the FBI.
There is a lot of character work in the book and we see Ruzak changing as one does with trauma.
It's a really heavy book with some really interesting concepts about choice and justice. The old: do you destroy someone to stop a POSSIBLE crime, or do you give them the chance to grow and change? It's a question that's seen in the character along with the plot.
The end of the book was a little lackluster. It falls a little flat for me. I needed a little bit more to satisfy the full Ruzak arc across the series. Maybe some reflection or thought on where he will go from where he's at with his P.I. business and all that happened in this book especially.
This book is SO heavy and the philosophy is thoughtful and deep. I just upped my star count because of the way this book made me think outside of the box. Also, man. I liked the whole series with Teddy Ruzak, but I really came to LOVE Charlie.
This book is DEFINITELY not for everyone. TW: violence, racist discussions, language, gore, animal cruelty. Not to mention- I think the majority of people would call this book along with the series mediocre at best. As mentioned before-I'm a Yancey fan, so I'm always going to see his books with a shade of rose-colored glasses.
There is a VERY graphic animal cruelty description in this one that was incredibly shocking, and it made me tear up literally.
In this book, our lovable idiot P.I. is asked to keep an eye on an old co-worker's daughter (Isabella). Her old boyfriend is out after he was jailed for beating her up. Except, she claims she hasn't talked to him in months and REALLY doesn't want a babysitter. So Ruzak decides to look for the boyfriend instead and finds himself in a very dangerous situation with some white supremacists and the FBI.
There is a lot of character work in the book and we see Ruzak changing as one does with trauma.
It's a really heavy book with some really interesting concepts about choice and justice. The old: do you destroy someone to stop a POSSIBLE crime, or do you give them the chance to grow and change? It's a question that's seen in the character along with the plot.
The end of the book was a little lackluster. It falls a little flat for me. I needed a little bit more to satisfy the full Ruzak arc across the series. Maybe some reflection or thought on where he will go from where he's at with his P.I. business and all that happened in this book especially.
This book is SO heavy and the philosophy is thoughtful and deep. I just upped my star count because of the way this book made me think outside of the box. Also, man. I liked the whole series with Teddy Ruzak, but I really came to LOVE Charlie.
This book is DEFINITELY not for everyone. TW: violence, racist discussions, language, gore, animal cruelty. Not to mention- I think the majority of people would call this book along with the series mediocre at best. As mentioned before-I'm a Yancey fan, so I'm always going to see his books with a shade of rose-colored glasses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2018
I didn't get too far into this. The secretary has gotten her PI license, instead of Ruzak, but their relationship doesn't seem to reflect that. The plot was convoluted and not convincing, and I gave up.
August 16, 2022
I enjoyed the previous Highly Effective Detective books and this one if the best one so far! The characters are still funny and witty, but this time they've been given more depth. The plot is more complex and very suspenseful! Kudos!
Want to read
December 20, 2018Synopsis: loveable but bumbling PI Teddy Ruzak is out of his league again. He has to keep an eye on the ex-con daughter of an old friend.
November 10, 2019
Better than I anticipated when I started reading.
February 14, 2012
Teddy Ruzak, Memphis private detective, has a new case. His old friend, Farrell, wants Ruzak to guard his daughter from her ex-boyfriend, who spent three months in prison for beating her. The daughter, Isabella, wants no part of the plan. Is she in touch with him? Still in love with him? Ruzak's investigation reveals the boyfriend is a psychopath with ties to white power groups. In addition, Ruzak is in counseling trying to deal with being in love with his secretary/boss.
The blurb describes the book as funny and Ruzak as wry, rambling, and self-reflective. The books are described as wacky and similar to Donald Westlake and Carl Hiassen. I was lured in partly by the cover, a sketch that wouldn't have been out of place in a 1940's screwball comedy. This is the fourth book in the series and the first one I read.
There are humorous elements in the book; Ruzak can't pass the private investigator's examination, his secretary could, so he works for his secretary. Come to think of it, that may be the only humorous element. In my opinion, private detective books are frequently morality plays, where the detective is more concerned with right and wrong than legal or illegal. There's talk about whether a one percent risk of something happening is acceptable if the consequences are negative enough. I didn't get a feel for Memphis from the book and couldn't tell what Ruzak looked like, although I had the impression he was large and older, but I couldn't tell if that meant over 40 or over 50.
The lead character has one major trait of a Mary Sue – everybody seems to spend all their time thinking about him, why he acts the way he does, what he should do, etc. It's a little over the top.
There was also a lot more blood than I expect from a comedy. I don't mind blood in a black comedy (I like a lot of things in the Dexter books) but in a book that's billed as it is, it's out of place and a little jarring. Ruzak also attacks someone for sitting in the wrong bar stool. A demonstration that he's tough? To impress a girl? It was out of place.
I wasn't that impressed with the book. As one in a series, I may check out another one to see if this is an aberration.
3 stars, but it's on the low side of three.
The blurb describes the book as funny and Ruzak as wry, rambling, and self-reflective. The books are described as wacky and similar to Donald Westlake and Carl Hiassen. I was lured in partly by the cover, a sketch that wouldn't have been out of place in a 1940's screwball comedy. This is the fourth book in the series and the first one I read.
There are humorous elements in the book; Ruzak can't pass the private investigator's examination, his secretary could, so he works for his secretary. Come to think of it, that may be the only humorous element. In my opinion, private detective books are frequently morality plays, where the detective is more concerned with right and wrong than legal or illegal. There's talk about whether a one percent risk of something happening is acceptable if the consequences are negative enough. I didn't get a feel for Memphis from the book and couldn't tell what Ruzak looked like, although I had the impression he was large and older, but I couldn't tell if that meant over 40 or over 50.
The lead character has one major trait of a Mary Sue – everybody seems to spend all their time thinking about him, why he acts the way he does, what he should do, etc. It's a little over the top.
There was also a lot more blood than I expect from a comedy. I don't mind blood in a black comedy (I like a lot of things in the Dexter books) but in a book that's billed as it is, it's out of place and a little jarring. Ruzak also attacks someone for sitting in the wrong bar stool. A demonstration that he's tough? To impress a girl? It was out of place.
I wasn't that impressed with the book. As one in a series, I may check out another one to see if this is an aberration.
3 stars, but it's on the low side of three.
August 1, 2015
I couldn't finish it. In the middle was an entirely unasked for, and unneeded scene that changed the entire feel of the characters and the storytelling. It took the book from a relaxed pleasant mystery series to a darker series. I don't mind dark mystery series, those more true to life. But such an abrupt change wasn't something I was ok with. And there wasn't really an reason for it.
****Spoiler alert****
Why do authors seem to think it is perfectly fine to destroy animals violently? Especially when that isn't the way the people in their books are dying? It just seems like a cheap and dumb way to try to generate sympathy for someone. Instead, it just makes me want to throw the book across the room. Or, as in this case, shut it and not open it again. Even to find out how the mystery was solved, or who did it.
****Spoiler alert****
Why do authors seem to think it is perfectly fine to destroy animals violently? Especially when that isn't the way the people in their books are dying? It just seems like a cheap and dumb way to try to generate sympathy for someone. Instead, it just makes me want to throw the book across the room. Or, as in this case, shut it and not open it again. Even to find out how the mystery was solved, or who did it.
November 22, 2011
A "detective" who can't pass the PI test is asked to guard his buddy's daughter--who doesn't wish to be supervised.
During the writing of this book, the author, Richard Yancey, must have gone through some dark, troubling times. He tries to incorporate slapstick humor in inappropriate places, has his main character try to deal with unrequited love, a maimed animal, foreboding predictions and seems to try to make a strong argument for segregation.
Yancey wrote this novel in a "true life" style rather than the 'wacky-get-away-from-reality' mystery book I was promised on the back cover.
During the writing of this book, the author, Richard Yancey, must have gone through some dark, troubling times. He tries to incorporate slapstick humor in inappropriate places, has his main character try to deal with unrequited love, a maimed animal, foreboding predictions and seems to try to make a strong argument for segregation.
Yancey wrote this novel in a "true life" style rather than the 'wacky-get-away-from-reality' mystery book I was promised on the back cover.
June 14, 2012
Much darker than the previous Teddy Ruzak books. This one had a crime scene that was really difficult for me, personally, to read--very gory and emotionally draining.
I felt the author "grow up" as a writer in the previous book (the ending of that one was beautifully written and moving) but this feels like a bit of a step back. It spun its wheels a LOT in the beginning before finally picking up around the middle. I think it could have gotten where it was going much more quickly, although the twists near the end were handled pretty well.
I felt the author "grow up" as a writer in the previous book (the ending of that one was beautifully written and moving) but this feels like a bit of a step back. It spun its wheels a LOT in the beginning before finally picking up around the middle. I think it could have gotten where it was going much more quickly, although the twists near the end were handled pretty well.
April 19, 2012
I would actually give this 2.5 stars. This is #4 in the Highly Effective Detective series. I really enjoyed #3; it was clever, funny and entertaining. This one was dark and disturbing, out of character for Teddy Ruzak, not touching and funny as the previous book. I started reading it and put it aside because I didn't like the direction it was going. Picked it back up when it was almost due back at the library.
I did like the developing relationship with Felicia though. Now I am in the process of hunting down the first and second books, because I really, really liked #3.
I did like the developing relationship with Felicia though. Now I am in the process of hunting down the first and second books, because I really, really liked #3.
January 12, 2016
I keep reading this light murder mystery series, but I can't quite decide why. It is VERY WORDY, the author likes to play around with words, and some of that is very amusing but other parts I find fairly annoying. I guess this will be the last Yancey I read. I do like the premise though, an overweight intelligent nerd who wants to be a detective, and who does solve crimes, but can't manage to pass his detective test and has many challenges in his interpersonal skills.
November 5, 2011
A pretty straight forward mystery. Not a lot of twists and turns. The protagonist is hired to protect a friend's daughter from a sociopathic ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend is out of jail and "missing." The daughter does not want protecting. The protagonist seeks for the boyfriend anyway, to the peril of others.
Much of the book is about psychoanalyzing the protagonist.
The book is well written, sometimes witty, but not real deep.
Much of the book is about psychoanalyzing the protagonist.
The book is well written, sometimes witty, but not real deep.
March 12, 2011
I don't quite know what to say about this one. I love this series and Teddy Ruzak is one of my favorite characters. But right after an account of one of the funniest dinner parties ever comes two horrifyingly violent incidents that really upset me. I'm hoping the series continues but I don't know if it can regain the light-heartedness of the first three books.
May 7, 2011
I didn't realize this was a series. I picked it up on the new books shelf at the library. I was in stitches with the conversations! Very humorous, but not a cozy mystery. Rather a disturbing event happened and there were quite a few F bombs. I would like to read the first book and get to know Ruzak. The dialog is priceless!
June 27, 2011
Enjoyable. The main detective character is a little rambly in his thinking, but in rather a fun way. It did take a while to get into the book- and I was starting to think about abandoning it- but the second half picks up action. A rather sensitive guy trying to be a hardboiled detective who's in love with his secretary who's rather more "in tune" with the way the world works than he is.
August 16, 2011
A lot of the reviews mention that this book "turns really dark" and goes to a bad place, and while I do think it's a bit dark at some point, it is a mystery/crime-ish novel, so I"m not sure what people expect. It's no where near as dark as a mystery novel could be, yet it's not quite as cheery as the first few books. It's still a good book, and a quick and entertaining read.
June 10, 2013
Teddy Ruzak, a former policeman and security guard turned private investigator, is anything but effective in this story. He is also highly self-absorbed which is always a problem with a first person narrator. It is hard to find anything to recommend about the book. The villains are particularly nasty and brutal and characters that are likeable tend to turn into victims.
August 12, 2014
The series has gotten progressively darker with each book, but this crossed the line (as the title says) in more ways than one. Teddy's motivation made no sense. He's smart enough to out think the police and FBI, but he can't see the response his actions will provoke? Uh-huh. The clever word play is not enough to make me keep reading this series.
June 14, 2016
I enjoyed this book and I think it is the best one out of the series. I have always enjoyed Teddy Ruzak. He is much smarter than he comes across. The back and forth dialogue is very smart and clever. I, too, was very upset with what happened to Archie. I am sorry that this happened.
I guess this series has come to a close. I will miss Teddy Ruzak.
I guess this series has come to a close. I will miss Teddy Ruzak.
April 30, 2011
Definitely a more serious turn for the series. Good, but I miss the humor.
June 11, 2011
Still good but much sadder.
June 22, 2011
The previously quirky, fun series gets dark and ugly. I commend the writer for not writing the same book over and over again like some do, but to take it to this dark place was the wrong choice.
June 29, 2011
I thought this was a humorous series, but the humor ended with this book. Muliple tragic things happen and the main character seems unable to deal with any of it. The series took too dark of turn.
July 15, 2011
I enjoyed this, but not enough to want to continue with the series. A tad bit depressing.
January 1, 2012
I enjoyed it but found the violen ce to be a little har to take. I turn to this series for lighter mystry entertainment but this istallment was sufficiently dark for any taste
July 7, 2012
Yancey needs to visit Dr. Fredericks.
December 15, 2012
don't like this one. hate the section in which Archie (the dog) was murdered and died. book has strange ending.
April 11, 2013
Many comments indicate that this book is much darker than the other. I don't disagree and found it a welcome evolution to Theron character. Over all I found this book quite engaging.
January 22, 2013
Very disappointed in this book. not like the others. Really depressing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews