Sunday, June 10, 2018

Rusty Puppy by Joe R. Lansdale

(hb; 2017: tenth novel in the Hap and Leonard series; seventeenth book in the overall series. Release-wise, this is a sequel to Coco Butternut: A Hap and Leonard Novella. It is a prequel to Cold Cotton.)



From the back cover

“While Hap, a former 60s activist and self-proclaimed white trash rebel, is recovering from a life-threatening stab wound, Louise Elton comes into Hap and Leonard's PI office to tell him that the police have killed her son, Jamar.

“Months earlier, a bully cop pulled over and sexually harassed Jamar's sister, Charm. The officer followed Charm over the course of the next couple of months, leading Jamar to videotape and take notes on the cop and his partner. The next thing Louise hears, Jamar got in a fight and is killed in the projects by local hoods. It doesn't add up: he was a straight A student, destined for better things, until he began to ask too many questions about the racist police force.

“Leonard, a tough black gay Vietnam vet and Republican, joins Hap in the investigation, and they stumble upon the racial divides that have shaped their Eastern Texas town. But if anyone can navigate these pitfalls and bring the killers to justice, it's Hap and Leonard.


Review

Tone-wise, Rusty is one of the lighter entries in the Hap and Leonard series. It is, as are the other related books, an engaging read, with its smart-aleck levity, intriguing characters, heart and violent darkness. My new, favorite character introduced in this book: Reba, a “four-hundred year old vampire”. This is, of course, worth owning.

Followed by Cold Cotton (2017, novella); Hoodoo Harry (2017, novella) and Hap and Leonard: Blood and Lemonade (2017, mosaic novel) and Jackrabbit Smile (2018).

No comments: