Craig Larson wrote:
>One of the books I read while I was away for a
two-week
>vacation was Pete Hautman's _Rag Man_. The blurbs on
the
>book led me to expect a rollicking, comedic story
along
>the lines of Carl Hiaasen, but this was a pretty
downbeat
>and ultimately depressing story that really doesn't
seem
>that out of place for a mention on this list. Has
anyone
>else read it? Other Hautman titles?
I've also recently finished Hautman's "Rag Man". I've read 4
other books by him, and I think "Rag Man" is the weakest of
his that I've read, though there are still good scenes in it,
most of which occur when MacWray stops being meek.
The other 4 I've read by Hautman are in a more
Hiaasen/Leonard vein, unlike
"Rag Man" which strays into definite noir territory by the
end. 3 of them have a poker-playing ex-cop named Joe Crow as
the main character:
Drawing Dead. The first published Hautman novel. A great
con-job story involving comic books and poker playing. Not
really noir, but lots of fun.
Short Money. The second Hautman book, though I suspect it was
written first, as it's set before Drawing Dead and the
writing isn't as good. The story involves an unpleasant
plastic surgeon (shades of Hiaasen) and some dangerous
hunters who are after him. A bunch of misunderstandings drive
the plot, which gets tedious. A weaker effort, but worth
reading if you've already read his better books.
Ring Game. A long book involving the crazy founders of a cult
and the various people at Joe Crow's gym. The most
Hiaasen-ish of Hautman's books, this one is a bit ridiculous.
It's still fun to read though.
As well as the Crow books, there's The Mortal Nuts, which has
Crow's dad's best friend as its main character. This book is
Hautman's best. The plot involves a taco stand at a fair, and
an attempted robbery of another stand. The book succeeds
because of great characterisation and slow-building
suspense.
Paul
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