"The door behind me opened while I was standing there and a face poked itself out. It was a woman's face, about forty years older and not too much longer than Seabiscuit's. The face stared at me, probably wondering if I'd brought the hay. I stared back. Finally the woman grunted and went away." pg 94

This is a pitch perfect hard-boiled noir and I don't even mind that it's dated with old ideas about race, gender, sex, and psychology. Though our hero is calloused his hard shell is made of the kind of irony that makes this genre sing. It also gives enough distance between old notions and today that the reader doesn't have to take any of it with solemnity. ( )

"The door behind me opened while I was standing there and a face poked itself out. It was a woman's face, about forty years older and not too much longer than Seabiscuit's. The face stared at me, probably wondering if I'd brought the hay. I stared back. Finally the woman grunted and went away." pg 94

This is a pitch perfect hard-boiled noir and I don't even mind that it's dated with old ideas about race, gender, sex, and psychology. Though our hero is calloused his hard shell is made of the kind of irony that makes this genre sing. It also gives enough distance between old notions and today that the reader doesn't have to take any of it with solemnity. ( )

If you gobble up hardboiled tales like they are Halloween candy, you'll chomp this one to bits. Yes, it is purposefully filled with all the cliches about a down on his luck PI who is holding a torch for an ex who descended into a downward spiral of trampiness and chasing the next high. But, it is simply a terrific read. Fannin slings the one liners like any great PI and stays just friendly enough with the police to stay out of the clink - barely. Cathy is the one who slipped through his fingers, but she stumbled back into his life, desperately seeking his help. She's still so lovely that poor Harry can't even think straight. And now she's brought danger and knives and tough punks into Fannin's life.
This book is just plain old fashioned over the top hardboiled PI fun. Every page is an absolute joy to read. ( )