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Hector Lassiter #1
One True Sentence
Paris, 1924. A city teeming with would-be poets, writers, and painters. Hector Lassiter, fledgling author and best friend of Ernest Hemingway, is crossing the Pont Neuf when he hears a body fall into the icy Seine — the first in a string of brutal murders of literary magazine editors that throw a shroud over the City of Light. Frantic to stop the killings, Gertrude Stein gathers the most prominent crime and mystery writers in the city, including Hector and the dark, mysterious crime novelist Brinke Devlin. Soon, Hector and Brinke are tangled not only under the sheets, but in a web of murders, each more grisly than the next. As he is drawn deeper into the hunt, Hector finds himself torn between three women with hidden agendas and dark imaginations. When Hector learns that the murders may be the work of a strange cult of writers who are targeting the literary set, Hemingway, Hector, and Brinke must scramble to find the killer before they become the next victims. A Moveable Feast meets The Dante Club in this exquisite mystery that takes readers from the cafés of Montparnasse, through the historic graveyards of Paris, to the smoky backrooms of bookstores and salons. As dark as the shadowy banks of the Seine and as addictive as absinthe, this unforgettable book will grab you and never let go.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
15 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Craig McDonald
68 books46 followersEdgar/Anthony-nominee Craig McDonald is an award-winning novelist, editor and journalist. His internationally acclaimed Hector Lassiter series includes "One True Sentence," "Forever's Just Pretend," "Toros & Torsos," "The Great Pretender," "Roll the Credits," "The Running Kind," "Print the Legend," "Three Chords & the Truth," "Write From Wrong," and "Head Games," which was a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Gumshoe and Crimespree Magazine awards for best first novel. It is being adapted as a graphic novel by First Second for release in 2015.
A standalone thriller about illegal immigration, "El Gavilan," was published in autumn 2011 to starred reviews and was also selected for several year's best lists.
A new series of direct-to-eBook thrillers featuring crime novelist Chris Lyon was launched in 2012; the series features crossovers by characters from the Hector Lassiter series; Hector himself appears in "Angels of Darkness."
A standalone thriller about illegal immigration, "El Gavilan," was published in autumn 2011 to starred reviews and was also selected for several year's best lists.
A new series of direct-to-eBook thrillers featuring crime novelist Chris Lyon was launched in 2012; the series features crossovers by characters from the Hector Lassiter series; Hector himself appears in "Angels of Darkness."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 19, 2025
Too convoluted, too much name-dropping, and the author doesn't know prepositional phrases take objective case pronouns. Could have been a third shorter with the same impact.
May 18, 2016
Ahhh, life in Paris during the Roaring 20's. At one point I was going to try and keep track of all the famous names that Prance and stumble their way through this book as either minor characters or pass by scribes, poets or painters. Then I came to the conclusion that that was just plane silly. I was a bit surprised how harshly McDonald dealt with Aleister Crowley.
As this is the third Lassiter novel it was quite refreshing to find Craig Mcdonald introduce a fascinating love interest for Lassiter, an author named Brinke Devlin, who in my opinion stole the book away from Lassiter. Another highlight was the pseudonymous writing Lassiter does is for Black Mask magazine, writing hard boiled short stories and the same it brings to him for doing so.
Lassiter's best friend is Earnest Hemingway, called "Hem" throughout the book, at the point of this novel they are both in their late twenties, "Hem" is married to his first wife, with a new baby. Lassiter is so charming and affable that every women he meets wants to have his baby. Ergo, McDonald gives us lots of hot sex scenes throughout the book.
One does not really need to know the history of all the subsequent named famous characters to enjoy this book, however a little history of the Dada and Nihilist movements is shared in the book.
I would rate the book four and one half stars, but I can't.
As this is the third Lassiter novel it was quite refreshing to find Craig Mcdonald introduce a fascinating love interest for Lassiter, an author named Brinke Devlin, who in my opinion stole the book away from Lassiter. Another highlight was the pseudonymous writing Lassiter does is for Black Mask magazine, writing hard boiled short stories and the same it brings to him for doing so.
Lassiter's best friend is Earnest Hemingway, called "Hem" throughout the book, at the point of this novel they are both in their late twenties, "Hem" is married to his first wife, with a new baby. Lassiter is so charming and affable that every women he meets wants to have his baby. Ergo, McDonald gives us lots of hot sex scenes throughout the book.
One does not really need to know the history of all the subsequent named famous characters to enjoy this book, however a little history of the Dada and Nihilist movements is shared in the book.
I would rate the book four and one half stars, but I can't.
August 2, 2021
4.5*
Although 'One True Sentence' is the fourth Hector Lassiter novel published, chronologically it's the first in the series.
Now the final episode [#10], has been published, readers can read them in chronological order.
This is the order:
One True Sentence: Hector Lassiter #1
Forever's Just Pretend: Hector Lassiter #2
Toros & Torsos: Hector Lassiter #3
The Great Pretender: Hector Lassiter #4
Roll the Credits: Hector Lassiter #5
The Running Kind: Hector Lassiter #6
Head Games: Hector Lassiter #7
Print the Legend: Hector Lassiter #8
Death in the Face: Hector Lassiter #9
Three Chords & the Truth: Hector Lassiter #10
Although 'One True Sentence' is the fourth Hector Lassiter novel published, chronologically it's the first in the series.
Now the final episode [#10], has been published, readers can read them in chronological order.
This is the order:
One True Sentence: Hector Lassiter #1
Forever's Just Pretend: Hector Lassiter #2
Toros & Torsos: Hector Lassiter #3
The Great Pretender: Hector Lassiter #4
Roll the Credits: Hector Lassiter #5
The Running Kind: Hector Lassiter #6
Head Games: Hector Lassiter #7
Print the Legend: Hector Lassiter #8
Death in the Face: Hector Lassiter #9
Three Chords & the Truth: Hector Lassiter #10
June 6, 2015
One True Sentence was not published first but chronologically it does introduce the main character, Hector Lassiter, and the friendship he has with Hemmingway. This story takes place in Paris in the 1920s when struggling American writers in the "City of Lights" were desperate for acceptance. Craig McDonald's series are set in the places Hemmingway lived, but the stories are pure writer meets detective. In One True Sentence someone is killing publishers and Hem and Lasso are in the thick of finding "who-done-it."
July 13, 2011
I loved this book. Fast-paced action, great sex scenes, and an unforgettable setting. Hector Lassiter never lets me down - Craig McDonald makes sure of that. Highly recommended!
November 23, 2017
A handful of mystery writers, including Max Allan Collins with his Nathan Heller series and Stuart Kaminsky with his Toby Peters books, specialize in mixing the real and the unreal, by having their detectives rub shoulders with celebrities of bygone days who become integral parts of the storyline. I really enjoy this type of book when done right, as Collins and Kaminsky do. More recently, I have discovered another author, Craig McDonald, who shows in One True Sentence that he also knows how to do justice to this sub-genre,
McDonald’s hero is Hector Lassiter, and, unlike Heller and Kaminsky, he’s not a gumshoe, although crime and death seem to find him very easily. Instead, he’s a writer, a hardboiled crime novelist straight out of Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. The chronology of the Lassiter novels is a bit odd. McDonald introduced his character in Head Games, a book chronicling the adventures of a middle-aged Lassiter, and then the author hopscotched around a bit chronologically in his next couple of books. One True Sentence, however, goes back to Lassiter’s youngest writing days, in Paris in the 1920’s. There, he rubs shoulders with literary luminaries like Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas (whose brownies help fuel a rather bizarre romantic encounter for Lassiter), William Carlos Williams, and Ford Maddox Ford.
Of course, the Paris scene wouldn’t be complete without Ernest Hemingway, and Hemingway and Lassiter (whom Hem calls “Lasso”) are drinking buddies. Ironically, Lassiter, who has had some stories published by pulp detective magazines, is more successful than Hemingway, leading to a tad bit of jealousy and allowing Hemingway to serve as Lassiter’s wing man in the detective arena. Lassiter’s detective skills are put to the test in One True Sentence when the Paris literary scene is rocked by a series of brutal murders, mostly of publishers of small literary magazines (of which there seem to be an infinite supply in Paris). As the body count rises, the killings seem to be the work of a bizarre cult led by a disciple of noted Satanist Aleister Crowley (who also shows up and winds up on the business end of a Lassiter fist). Lassiter tries to track the cult leader down but also wonders if there’s more to these killing than first meets the eye.
What does meet the eye a lot in One True Sentence is blood and guts. I actually lost track of the number of killings in the book, certainly far more than there were in Head Games. These killings, and the mystery behind them, are actually the weakest aspect of the book. As a mystery, One True Sentence is somewhat routine. But, as a glance at the Lost Generation, the book is much better. Hemingway, Stein, and the rest come to life, and the world they inhabit seems detached from reality, consisting of days of drinking, talking, and, eventually and occasionally, writing, with no real sense of urgency. McDonald shares with his readers a strange but fascinating experience.
Of course, in the middle of all this is Lassiter himself, and the book gives readers some idea of what led to his maturation as a writer. There’s love, or at least sex, involved, with a fellow mystery writer who pens novels under a man’s name. Lassiter is far younger, fitter, and less world weary than in Head Games, and, although this younger Lassiter isn’t quite as interesting as the move mature one, it’s interesting to see a bit of his innocence wear off here as One True Sentence progresses.
As a mystery, One True Sentence reminds me of a nice hot bath that someone leaves running until it overflows. There are simply too many killings and too much plot, especially when the mystery takes a backseat to Lassiter’s romantic and literary interludes. This actually improves the book, as Sentence is much more successful as an exploration of the Parisian scene and the burgeoning career of one Hector Lassiter. McDonald brings all these people to life and creates vivid memories of the bygone era. The title of the book derives from a famous quote by Hemingway that figures into Lassiter’s efforts to finish his latest work, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” In this book, Craig McDonald has written a whole bunch of true sentences.
McDonald’s hero is Hector Lassiter, and, unlike Heller and Kaminsky, he’s not a gumshoe, although crime and death seem to find him very easily. Instead, he’s a writer, a hardboiled crime novelist straight out of Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. The chronology of the Lassiter novels is a bit odd. McDonald introduced his character in Head Games, a book chronicling the adventures of a middle-aged Lassiter, and then the author hopscotched around a bit chronologically in his next couple of books. One True Sentence, however, goes back to Lassiter’s youngest writing days, in Paris in the 1920’s. There, he rubs shoulders with literary luminaries like Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas (whose brownies help fuel a rather bizarre romantic encounter for Lassiter), William Carlos Williams, and Ford Maddox Ford.
Of course, the Paris scene wouldn’t be complete without Ernest Hemingway, and Hemingway and Lassiter (whom Hem calls “Lasso”) are drinking buddies. Ironically, Lassiter, who has had some stories published by pulp detective magazines, is more successful than Hemingway, leading to a tad bit of jealousy and allowing Hemingway to serve as Lassiter’s wing man in the detective arena. Lassiter’s detective skills are put to the test in One True Sentence when the Paris literary scene is rocked by a series of brutal murders, mostly of publishers of small literary magazines (of which there seem to be an infinite supply in Paris). As the body count rises, the killings seem to be the work of a bizarre cult led by a disciple of noted Satanist Aleister Crowley (who also shows up and winds up on the business end of a Lassiter fist). Lassiter tries to track the cult leader down but also wonders if there’s more to these killing than first meets the eye.
What does meet the eye a lot in One True Sentence is blood and guts. I actually lost track of the number of killings in the book, certainly far more than there were in Head Games. These killings, and the mystery behind them, are actually the weakest aspect of the book. As a mystery, One True Sentence is somewhat routine. But, as a glance at the Lost Generation, the book is much better. Hemingway, Stein, and the rest come to life, and the world they inhabit seems detached from reality, consisting of days of drinking, talking, and, eventually and occasionally, writing, with no real sense of urgency. McDonald shares with his readers a strange but fascinating experience.
Of course, in the middle of all this is Lassiter himself, and the book gives readers some idea of what led to his maturation as a writer. There’s love, or at least sex, involved, with a fellow mystery writer who pens novels under a man’s name. Lassiter is far younger, fitter, and less world weary than in Head Games, and, although this younger Lassiter isn’t quite as interesting as the move mature one, it’s interesting to see a bit of his innocence wear off here as One True Sentence progresses.
As a mystery, One True Sentence reminds me of a nice hot bath that someone leaves running until it overflows. There are simply too many killings and too much plot, especially when the mystery takes a backseat to Lassiter’s romantic and literary interludes. This actually improves the book, as Sentence is much more successful as an exploration of the Parisian scene and the burgeoning career of one Hector Lassiter. McDonald brings all these people to life and creates vivid memories of the bygone era. The title of the book derives from a famous quote by Hemingway that figures into Lassiter’s efforts to finish his latest work, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” In this book, Craig McDonald has written a whole bunch of true sentences.
March 20, 2011
Hector Lassiter or “Lasso” as his best friend Ernest Hemingway calls him, is an American crime writer in 1920’s Paris. Gertrude Stein solicits Hector’s aid in solving a series of murders of literary magazine editors. He becomes a part of her team of sleuths, composed of crime and mystery writers. Lassiter interacts with many notables of the day—Sylvia Beach, Man Ray and Aleister Crowley all make appearances, which adds historical interest to the story.
The mystery was well done—a generally enjoyable read, it kept me turning the pages to see what came next. But, I thought the sexual liaisons and nearly constant drinking were over done and detracted from the flow of the story line—a case of too much seasoning interfering with the flavor of the main ingredient. Overall, a good, but not great book.
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The mystery was well done—a generally enjoyable read, it kept me turning the pages to see what came next. But, I thought the sexual liaisons and nearly constant drinking were over done and detracted from the flow of the story line—a case of too much seasoning interfering with the flavor of the main ingredient. Overall, a good, but not great book.
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
April 21, 2013
This audio book was read by an actor who adds his dimension to this intriguing take on 1920s Paris and the literary scene. His pronunciation of French names was close but could have been better. Clever use of famous writers such as Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway as well as using the poet William Carlos Williams as a doctor, which he was (altho I didn't think he spent any time in Paris but I haven't read a full bio so maybe he did). Also good that the author didn't glamorize Paris. Recommended for mystery fans who enjoy historical pastiche.
June 27, 2025
The Hector Lassiter books by Craig McDonald get points for innovation if nothing else. Lassiter, a pulp crime writer living in Paris during the 1920s, is an invention wholly of McDonald’s own, but the cast of supporting characters are drawn from real life literary figures from the era. Gertrude Stein, Alistair Crowley, Ford Maddox Ford, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound—they all make appearances in the novel. Ernest Hemingway is even cast as Hector’s sidekick, a sure bit of revisionist Hagiography if I’ve ever heard of it. For his part, Hector is a gruff, hard nosed Texan and a veteran of conflict with Poncho Villa in Mexico—kind of like meta-life (the character of Hector) imitating meta-art (the fictional pulp fiction he writes in the book). One True Sentence is the fourth in the Hector Lassiter series. I really enjoyed the story, but there were also some… things. Instead of handing you a bulleted list right of the bat, let’s start off with the plot summary and allow the bitching to make itself known when the mood feels right. It’s more organic that way.
So a group of nihilist artists—self-styled worshipers of “Nada”—have begun killing editors and publishers of the little literary magazines that inundate Paris during the time period. Gertrude Stein, the epicenter of artistic grandiosity for the large contingent of American artists living in gay Paris, convenes an assembly of mystery writers to ferret out the murderer of her “dear friends” in the publishing industry. Composing the little task force are Hector, Brinke Devlin (author of witty mysteries under the name Connor Templeton), and Estelle Quartermaine (who writes mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie). Lassiter is reluctant to stick his nose into the case, and, indeed, through approximately the first half of the novel he doesn’t investigate a damned thing. He talks with other writers, does some writing himself, witnesses a murder or two, and screws Brinke’s brains out during the intermissions. Did I mention that last bit before now? Sorry. Hector and Brinke become an item on the way over to Gertrude’s parlor for the initial gathering of the minds. I guess that’s just how those writers roll. Or how they’re supposed to, at any rate.
Now’s probably as good a time as any to tell you something about Hector that you will probably find important. His penis is made of 24 karat gold. Not really, but it might as well be for all the ladies that want to get a piece of it (giving a new meaning to the term “gold digger”). Seriously, it seems as though every eligible and attractive young woman in the book wants Hector to bone them but good. Even those that don’t come right out and say it eventually succumb to the need. And the only reason that hector doesn’t have to beat the women off with a stick is because half of the women he knows seem to be lesbians—and if we were privy to their thoughts, I betcha they at least would have thought twice about it. While the reincarnation of Casanova himself might work as the protagonist for an erotic mystery, an erotic mystery this ain’t. At least, it’s not supposed to be. For his part, McDonald works in enough character motivations and plot intricacies to make the circumstances somewhat plausible, but Hector needed a tire iron to beat all those ladies off of him.
Anyhow, Hector and Brinke’s flowering romance is soon complicated by another of Hector’s acquaintances, Molly, who it is found out has a thing for Hector as well, having actually tried to kill herself months before over his unrequited love (see what I mean?). Being the freethinking Parisian hipsters they are, the only rational solution for this little impediment, of course, is a threesome. You may think I’m joking here, but I’m not. Well, mostly not. Regardless, love triangle drama ensues. McDonald lends the conflict some extra panache by seeding the subsequent murders with clues that point to both of his lady loves. This, of course, induces Hector to get off his duff and start investigating, but just when he finds some definitive evidence, McDonald stuffs it all in a Cuisinart and hits the “puree” button until everything is again a confusing soupy mess.
The plotting, the characters, and dialogue are top notch. Don’t let my bellyaching make you think different. One True Sentence is actually a really good book. The setting, though, is where it really stands out. A deep and engaging setting is a must for good historical fiction, and McDonald delivers. You can tell he did his homework. The historical details, the layout of the city, the real authors and personas that populate the novel—all of it is detailed and spot on, more than enough to suck me into the narrative and see, smell, and feel the setting in my mind’s eye. He also incorporates the theme of aliases or nom de plumes very effectively, a brilliant plot element as there were so many authors living and writing under assumed names during this time period. The mystery kept me guessing, too, but in the end I felt that McDonald cheated.
This is the point in the blog where I plaster SPOILER all over the place in big block letters, so if you’re thinking of reading the book and still want to be surprised, just skip over the big block of italicized text below. On the other hand, if you don’t give a hoot and still want to pollute as of yet untainted minds with spoilers of Herculean proportion, then by all means read on
[SPOILER]During the entire novel we operate under the assumption that the murders are the work of one group of people. McDonald seeds the narrative with both viable clues and red herrings, some of which implicate Brinke as one of the Nada-ists, some of which implicate Molly. Hector is faced with the agonizing quandary of deciding who is guilty, which, to the reader, intrinsically means that one of them is innocent and Hector has only to make the right choice and everything will wind up hunky-dory . But it’s a setup. They’re both innocent and they’re both guilty at the same freaking time. Neither one of them did the Nada murders, but both have killed people before (Brinke as vigilante acts in other countries, and Molly because she an editor she was sleeping with reneged his promise to publish her work. Oh yeah, and there was her brother, too, but that was only after she found out he killed a crap-ton of people as the leader of the Nada-ists). While McDonald didn’t technically do anything wrong, his mystery was so convoluted and the salient details so late in their appearance that determining the murderer through careful examination of the clues was essentially impossible. In short, he didn’t play fair, and while that isn’t a novel-killing faux pas, it still made me wrinkle my nose and sneer.[/SPOILER]
There were some other minor nuisances too, such as McDonald’s aversion to personal pronouns (Hector went to a bar. Hector had a drink. Hector got sick. Hector barfed in an old lady’s hat and put it back on her head). And then there were the two or three unnecessary “boiler scenes” at the beginning of the book. You know, those intermittent scenes depicting the murderer(s) as he kills some people or does something nasty. I call them boiler scenes because authors use them to stoke the tension in the narrative and get the reader interested in the story. And for the most part, they’re wholly unneeded. But alas, no one listens to me, and boiler scenes are par for the course these days.
Overall I give One True Sentence four stars. It’s a begrudging four stars, though. I know, I know. With as much pissing and moaning as I’ve done for this post, I’m sure you were expecting something a little lower than that. Despite the flaws, I really did enjoy the book. Yeah, there were some things that could have been better stylistically, but McDonald is a talented writer, and his tale had me absorbed from the word go. In the end, that’s what makes or breaks a book for me, and One True Sentence definitely made it—though, the way there was a bit rocky.
So a group of nihilist artists—self-styled worshipers of “Nada”—have begun killing editors and publishers of the little literary magazines that inundate Paris during the time period. Gertrude Stein, the epicenter of artistic grandiosity for the large contingent of American artists living in gay Paris, convenes an assembly of mystery writers to ferret out the murderer of her “dear friends” in the publishing industry. Composing the little task force are Hector, Brinke Devlin (author of witty mysteries under the name Connor Templeton), and Estelle Quartermaine (who writes mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie). Lassiter is reluctant to stick his nose into the case, and, indeed, through approximately the first half of the novel he doesn’t investigate a damned thing. He talks with other writers, does some writing himself, witnesses a murder or two, and screws Brinke’s brains out during the intermissions. Did I mention that last bit before now? Sorry. Hector and Brinke become an item on the way over to Gertrude’s parlor for the initial gathering of the minds. I guess that’s just how those writers roll. Or how they’re supposed to, at any rate.
Now’s probably as good a time as any to tell you something about Hector that you will probably find important. His penis is made of 24 karat gold. Not really, but it might as well be for all the ladies that want to get a piece of it (giving a new meaning to the term “gold digger”). Seriously, it seems as though every eligible and attractive young woman in the book wants Hector to bone them but good. Even those that don’t come right out and say it eventually succumb to the need. And the only reason that hector doesn’t have to beat the women off with a stick is because half of the women he knows seem to be lesbians—and if we were privy to their thoughts, I betcha they at least would have thought twice about it. While the reincarnation of Casanova himself might work as the protagonist for an erotic mystery, an erotic mystery this ain’t. At least, it’s not supposed to be. For his part, McDonald works in enough character motivations and plot intricacies to make the circumstances somewhat plausible, but Hector needed a tire iron to beat all those ladies off of him.
Anyhow, Hector and Brinke’s flowering romance is soon complicated by another of Hector’s acquaintances, Molly, who it is found out has a thing for Hector as well, having actually tried to kill herself months before over his unrequited love (see what I mean?). Being the freethinking Parisian hipsters they are, the only rational solution for this little impediment, of course, is a threesome. You may think I’m joking here, but I’m not. Well, mostly not. Regardless, love triangle drama ensues. McDonald lends the conflict some extra panache by seeding the subsequent murders with clues that point to both of his lady loves. This, of course, induces Hector to get off his duff and start investigating, but just when he finds some definitive evidence, McDonald stuffs it all in a Cuisinart and hits the “puree” button until everything is again a confusing soupy mess.
The plotting, the characters, and dialogue are top notch. Don’t let my bellyaching make you think different. One True Sentence is actually a really good book. The setting, though, is where it really stands out. A deep and engaging setting is a must for good historical fiction, and McDonald delivers. You can tell he did his homework. The historical details, the layout of the city, the real authors and personas that populate the novel—all of it is detailed and spot on, more than enough to suck me into the narrative and see, smell, and feel the setting in my mind’s eye. He also incorporates the theme of aliases or nom de plumes very effectively, a brilliant plot element as there were so many authors living and writing under assumed names during this time period. The mystery kept me guessing, too, but in the end I felt that McDonald cheated.
This is the point in the blog where I plaster SPOILER all over the place in big block letters, so if you’re thinking of reading the book and still want to be surprised, just skip over the big block of italicized text below. On the other hand, if you don’t give a hoot and still want to pollute as of yet untainted minds with spoilers of Herculean proportion, then by all means read on
[SPOILER]During the entire novel we operate under the assumption that the murders are the work of one group of people. McDonald seeds the narrative with both viable clues and red herrings, some of which implicate Brinke as one of the Nada-ists, some of which implicate Molly. Hector is faced with the agonizing quandary of deciding who is guilty, which, to the reader, intrinsically means that one of them is innocent and Hector has only to make the right choice and everything will wind up hunky-dory . But it’s a setup. They’re both innocent and they’re both guilty at the same freaking time. Neither one of them did the Nada murders, but both have killed people before (Brinke as vigilante acts in other countries, and Molly because she an editor she was sleeping with reneged his promise to publish her work. Oh yeah, and there was her brother, too, but that was only after she found out he killed a crap-ton of people as the leader of the Nada-ists). While McDonald didn’t technically do anything wrong, his mystery was so convoluted and the salient details so late in their appearance that determining the murderer through careful examination of the clues was essentially impossible. In short, he didn’t play fair, and while that isn’t a novel-killing faux pas, it still made me wrinkle my nose and sneer.[/SPOILER]
There were some other minor nuisances too, such as McDonald’s aversion to personal pronouns (Hector went to a bar. Hector had a drink. Hector got sick. Hector barfed in an old lady’s hat and put it back on her head). And then there were the two or three unnecessary “boiler scenes” at the beginning of the book. You know, those intermittent scenes depicting the murderer(s) as he kills some people or does something nasty. I call them boiler scenes because authors use them to stoke the tension in the narrative and get the reader interested in the story. And for the most part, they’re wholly unneeded. But alas, no one listens to me, and boiler scenes are par for the course these days.
Overall I give One True Sentence four stars. It’s a begrudging four stars, though. I know, I know. With as much pissing and moaning as I’ve done for this post, I’m sure you were expecting something a little lower than that. Despite the flaws, I really did enjoy the book. Yeah, there were some things that could have been better stylistically, but McDonald is a talented writer, and his tale had me absorbed from the word go. In the end, that’s what makes or breaks a book for me, and One True Sentence definitely made it—though, the way there was a bit rocky.
February 24, 2022
In Paris in 1924, Hector is part of the Lost Generation. He spends time writing in bars or meeting Ernest Hemingway and others there or at salons at Gertrude Stein's place. A string of murders of literary magazine editors occurs. Stein has decided to have the mystery writers gathering at her salons discover who is committing the murders especially since one murder occurred at one of her salons. Who did it? Who finds the murderer?
I enjoyed this book. It started slow for me since it is part of a series and was not the first story so I had to do a little catch up. It picked up a lot as the story started going with the murders and the Nada movement getting involved. I liked how Hector started following clues and how he checked with Hemingway on his (Hector's) love life. That was a bit messy. Hector's train of thought was interesting to follow as he was putting the clues together as to who was guilty. He looked at everyone. The police followed his line of thinking as well as Simon, the detective, who consulted with him.
I liked the mixture of real people with fictional ones. I liked Hector and Brinke. Molly was a little aloof. Hemingway and Stein gave flavor to the story as Hector and Brinke were very involved with them. As the story concluded, I did not figure out who did all the murders until most of it was explained to me. With the last scene of the book, I wonder what happened with Hector. Did he fulfill his promises?
I enjoyed this book. It started slow for me since it is part of a series and was not the first story so I had to do a little catch up. It picked up a lot as the story started going with the murders and the Nada movement getting involved. I liked how Hector started following clues and how he checked with Hemingway on his (Hector's) love life. That was a bit messy. Hector's train of thought was interesting to follow as he was putting the clues together as to who was guilty. He looked at everyone. The police followed his line of thinking as well as Simon, the detective, who consulted with him.
I liked the mixture of real people with fictional ones. I liked Hector and Brinke. Molly was a little aloof. Hemingway and Stein gave flavor to the story as Hector and Brinke were very involved with them. As the story concluded, I did not figure out who did all the murders until most of it was explained to me. With the last scene of the book, I wonder what happened with Hector. Did he fulfill his promises?
August 11, 2020
This twisty mystery follows in the tradition of classic, involved whodunits, not really one constructed for unraveling clues as for traveling along with a cast of characters worth knowing. Many are historical figures, writers and artists from the City of Lights in the 1920s. It is difficult for me to grasp that a century has passed between the world on the pages and our own. For me, Pound and Ford and Hemingway and Stein were mostly older artists rather than historical figures. Now they are all gone except for that residue of their work and the glimmers in reconstructions such as one finds here.
The 20s. In Paris. Cigarettes. Booze. Sex. Writing, eating, painting, name dropping, hoping for success and fame. No mention of TB. One practically sees the characters drop one by one from cancer and heart disease. The world is not as carefree as it once was. We are more responsible in some ways.
Good times described and a good time had by today's readers.
Recommended.
The 20s. In Paris. Cigarettes. Booze. Sex. Writing, eating, painting, name dropping, hoping for success and fame. No mention of TB. One practically sees the characters drop one by one from cancer and heart disease. The world is not as carefree as it once was. We are more responsible in some ways.
Good times described and a good time had by today's readers.
Recommended.
January 15, 2022
This is a murder mystery set in Paris in the 1920s. It includes fictitious characters as well as fictional renderings of real writers and artists. In fact, some of the main characters are Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas and Ernest Hemingway. Someone is murdering small press publishers using methods mimicking fictional ones. Lassiter (Lasso) is a crime story writer who sets about trying to solve the mysteries along with Hemingway, Hem's wife and Lasso's girlfriend Brinke. Like many Agatha Christie novels, this one has multiple suspects, some of whom are close to Lasso. I liked the references to real people of that period of rich creativity. The story was suspenseful and kept me guessing which I like in a mystery.
December 22, 2020
Nicely imagined adventure about a crime-writing pulp fictioneer living as an expat in Paris after WW1, encountering the legendary foundation-builders of Modern literature: Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Ford Madox Ford, and more. All this Lost Generation encounter a series of murders among the Little Magazine community, and McDonald's storytelling skills are well-displayed as his cast of characters seek inspiration, pleasure, love, and a good cheap meal while tracking down a killer. Hemingway fans will find a number of fun Easter Eggs, as will readers of Simenon's Inspector Maigret tales.
January 20, 2021
There was so much sex in this book I sometimes wondered if I were reading erotica instead of a mystery.
I'm also disappointed all I reviews I found left out any warning about a drugging to rape scene. Just because it's a man doesn't mean it's not rape. Furthermore, the after effects of that rape didn't seem physiologically sound, which changed my four star rating to three. The plot is good and the characters and setting are interesting, but rape is a serious matter and as such ought to be wrote about seriously.
I'm also disappointed all I reviews I found left out any warning about a drugging to rape scene. Just because it's a man doesn't mean it's not rape. Furthermore, the after effects of that rape didn't seem physiologically sound, which changed my four star rating to three. The plot is good and the characters and setting are interesting, but rape is a serious matter and as such ought to be wrote about seriously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2018
Set in Paris in the 1920s amongst the literary set of Hemingway and Stein, this didn’t do it for me on either a crime or a historical basis. Mostly the characters mooch around between bars. When not doing that they attend salons at various houses. Some editors get killed and our main character and Hemingway muddle around( without a lot of success) to find the killer or killers.
February 28, 2021
This mystery has a clever premise, a group of ex-pat Americans in 1920s Paris investigate the murder of a number of editors and owners of literary journals. All suspect each other and others not in the immediate circle of friends. It evens features Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein in the group of would be sleuths. It was a little slow at times on the pacing for my liking but it was alright.
June 14, 2017
This is a damned good read -- a blend of noir thriller, history, sex, murder, booze and more set in the literary community of Paris in the 1920s.
For more on this book, see my blog:
https://stevegoblefiction.wordpress.c...
For more on this book, see my blog:
https://stevegoblefiction.wordpress.c...
July 25, 2020
I like the character of Hector Lassiter and the writing is crisp and clean. McDonald sometimes irritates me with some of his in jokes and references but he is a capable novelist. This just fell on its arse a little bit for me at the end.
June 18, 2023
This did not take me long to read, I couldn’t put it down. I loved this series!
February 10, 2015
Set in 1924 Paris amidst a circle of expatriate American novelists and poets, including Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, McDonald's ONE TRUE SENTENCE is one true original. The novel's hard-drinking, pleasure-seeking protagonist Hector Lassiter is a pulp writer cum sleuth, searching for a serial killer who targets literary editors. Hector is a compelling hero, flawed but with a solid moral center. He understands there is not always a true right or wrong, and even when there is, it may not mean sh*t.
I often hear the term "smart mystery" bandied about. *This* is a smart mystery. Rather than presenting the historical characters and events as a series of cliches as do most novels of this ilk, McDonald brings 1924 Paris alive and allows the reader a vivid, albeit brief, glimpse into the Lost Generation while providing a cleverly constructed mystery, brimming with twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
I often hear the term "smart mystery" bandied about. *This* is a smart mystery. Rather than presenting the historical characters and events as a series of cliches as do most novels of this ilk, McDonald brings 1924 Paris alive and allows the reader a vivid, albeit brief, glimpse into the Lost Generation while providing a cleverly constructed mystery, brimming with twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
March 24, 2011
From the moment I began reading this book, the only thing I thought of was "The Sun Also Rises". I had previously read that book a few months ago and enjoyed it very much, so of course i felt the same about this book. While the writing to me seemed simple it definitely did the job, drawing me in to read page after page. I am not usually big on crime novels and had i not won this i never would've thought to pick it up. Glad I got to read it though, because it really was a good read, kept me on edge throughout. My only scruple: would've liked an epilogue.
September 15, 2011
Fun little mystery, enjoyed the characters (protagonist is a crime writer who's best friends with Hemingway in 1924 Paris), interesting twists. It has made me want to read the others in the series (this is the 4th), as well as The Paris Wife (new novel about Hadley Hemingway). I just have to say, though, that this book had TERRIBLE proofreading--mixing up "your" and "you're" and repeating the misspelling "Madamoiselle" several times, among other sins? The firing of copy editors is not a good reflection on the publishing profession.
December 6, 2011
Absolutely brilliant. This is the 3rd novel in a series, and I can't wait to read the first two. Bohemian Paris...all the great writers...Hemingway, Stein, the list goes on. It is a bit racy, but a fun read. Craig McDonald keeps you guessing. If you like historicals...this should be on your list.
June 4, 2016
Love Lassiter
This is my fourth Hector Lassiter book by Craig McDonald and I have loved them all. This is the first book, chronologically, in the series. While not my favorite so far , it is still a cut above other mystery fiction. Read this entire series. Unlike anything g else. Will become a classic.
This is my fourth Hector Lassiter book by Craig McDonald and I have loved them all. This is the first book, chronologically, in the series. While not my favorite so far , it is still a cut above other mystery fiction. Read this entire series. Unlike anything g else. Will become a classic.
June 26, 2011
This is Craig's masterpiece if you ask me, but go back & grab Head Games and then read all the Hector Lassiter's. When you're done go find Craig's book of interviews "Rogue Males" & "Art in the Blood" to see inside some of the best writers of our time.
October 8, 2015
an average murder plot with a load of characters, much of whom swing between names, nicknames and aliases, it was quite hard to follow at times. I really didn't like the main characters and had to make myself finish the book.
November 25, 2010
Great mystery, and McDonald is a superb writer. Definitely pick this one up and be transported to 1920s Paris.
August 22, 2013
It started a bit slow, but ended up being very entertaining. I will probably read more of McDonald in the future.
August 20, 2014
My favorite Craig McDonald story, and it has made me a big fan of Hector Lassiter!
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