Saturday, September 26, 2009

Vanilla Ride, by Joe Lansdale

I came across Joe Lansdale's work years ago, I don't even remember how now. I suspect I was looking for someone who wrote stories similar to John MacDonald's Travis McGee series. Tough guy mysteries, but the tough guy has a buddy, and they're both deep down good people trying to do the right thing. Corney? Hell yes. Entertaining? Hell yes.

Anyway I took to Lansdale's Hap Collins & Leonard Pine immediately. The mysteries were decent, nothing great but entertaining enough. But the conversations between Hap & Leonard, and the narrative by Hap... that's where these books excelled. I don't laugh out loud at many books, but I've laughed numerous times through everyone of these books. Even when some pretty horrific things were happening. The narration, Hap Collins, is just so damn entertaining.

About 2 weeks ago I found out via Lansdale's website that another book in the series had come out, Vanilla Ride. I put a hold on it at the public library and picked it up a day or two later. The story was probably the worst of the series, but the characters of Hap & Leonard rise above the story, fun as ever. I don't know if there will be any more books in this series but if there are, I'll read them.

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