I'm afraid the word "crummy" was used by me. :)
The one Healey novel I've read -- and it's been awhile, so I
don't remember the title, only that it involved the search
for a child, had the following:
-- a Boston location
-- an overly-sensitive PI hero
-- a "Susan"-like female with whom he has a Very Mature and
Understanding Relationship (I remember the book begins with
the two of them taking scuba-diving lessons together)
-- food talk. No, not as much as Parker, but it's
there.
-- and a tone very reminiscent of Parker, in my opinion: the
whole "how does one act like a tough PI in this Very
Confusing World" kind of thing.
True, not much wisecracking (that I remember) but I don't see
that as a plus -- I don't care for Robert Crais's early
"Spenser knockoff" books either, but at least they're
amusing.
Hey, if people like Healey each his/her own -- I won't
begrudge anyone their tastes. But I remember disliking this
particular book a great deal and I doubt I'll read another
Healey anytime soon.
Re Greenleaf comparisons -- I admire Stephen Greenleaf's work
immensely, am very sorry that most of it has slipped out of
print, and wish he was better known. But based on my
experience, nah, I don't see much basis for comparison
between him and Healey. Greenleaf seems to me to be more in
the Ross Macdonald mold.
doug
--- Dick Lochte <
dlock@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> In the discussion of Robert Parker,
somebody
> referred to Jeremiah Healey's
> books as crummy, or a word to that effect.
The
> implication was that Healey's
> books were Parker knock-offs. I don't see it.
The
> authors may both call
> Boston home, but the similarity ends there.
Healey's
> sleuth is less physical
> and considerably less of a wiseguy than Spenser.
He
> works alone; no
> sociopathic sidekick needed. There's not much
food
> talk. His lady friends
> are all dead. And the novels are
extremely
> well-plotted, filled with
> detection and intelligent interrogations. If
there's
> any literary influence,
> it seems to come from Stephen Greenleaf. What's
not
> to like?
===== Doug Bassett
dj_bassett@yahoo.com
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