I’m a little late with my Q2 list. That doesn’t mean I had
trouble finding books to recommend. On the contrary, it was a good quarter.
The
Big Empty, Robert Crais. I’ve been a fan of Crais’s work for over
twenty years. His consistency is such I’m hard pressed to say which of his
Elvis Cole books is my favorite. Until now. The Big Empty is the work of
a master of the craft at the peak of his powers. Not only is this a compelling
story with characters as well drawn as any in the literature, Crais handles with
aplomb things that cause even the best of writers to stumble, such shifting
points of view and timelines. Even if you’re not typically a fan of PI fiction,
do yourself a favor and read this one.
Mirage
City, Lev AC Rosen. A new voice to be reckoned with in the PI genre.
Rosen sets his novel in the gay community of Los Angeles in the 1950s, when
homosexuality was still a crime. The story is complex and well told, and Rosen
never stoops to preaching. The issues of the time – more than a few of which
still linger, though not officially – are described matter of factly to allow
the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Outstanding book. I’ll look for
his earlier novel.
Gray
Dawn, Walter Mosley. There aren’t any compliments for Mosley’s Easy
Rawlins novels that haven’t already been said, so I’ll leave it at this: Gray
Dawn has everything one would expect from a Rawlins novel without seeming
repetitious in any way. Easy’s family life evolves, but he still reaches back
to former acquaintances for help when needed. His name may be misleading –
things are never easy for Mr. Rawlins – but reading Mosley’s books is never a chore.
The writing flows like water over a cliff. No oner does a better job of putting
readers firmly in a place they’ve never been.
Hatchet
Girls, Joe Lansdale. Hap and Leonard ride again. I don’t know if
there’s anything exceptional about this book when compared to the rest of the
Hap and Leonard oeuvre – except maybe the premise – but the voice is so
comforting and familiar to readers of the series that you feel like you’ve
settled in with an old friend you haven’t seen for a while by the time you
finish the first page.
Crooks,
Lou Berney. This book is currently on all kinds of award lists, and deservedly
so. The story of a family of, well, crooks, who are proud of their heritage and
happy to work together to enhance it. Berney’s writing is easy on the eyes and
the story – stories, actually – each could stand alone as novellas. In Berney’s
deft hands a framing story ties everything together as the children make their
own ways after Mom and Dad had set their courses. Crooks proves a book
can be great fun and still thought-provoking.
At
Their Own Game, Frank Zafiro. Why isn’t this guy better known? He’s
worked on multiple crime series himself and collaborated on two others (that I
know of) and I’m hard pressed to say one is better than the other. Usually a
police procedural writer, At Their Own Game takes the POV of a cop
turned criminal to examine both sides. The story is complex, with several
twists I didn’t see coming until I found myself mumbling, “Of course,” though I
never felt adrift. If you’re not familiar with Zafiro’s work, you’d be wise to
take a look. Everything he writes is good.
The
Killing of the Tinkers, Ken Bruen. I picked this up at a used bookstore
shortly after I heard of Bruen’s death. Two chapters in I realized I’d read it before
but never thought of stopping. Jack Taylor is Jack Taylor, and sometimes Bruen
makes him suffer more than he should, but Bruen’s ability to tell a tragic
story with a little whimsy, and his unsurpassed control of the language, make
everything he wrote a treat. His passing is a great loss.
