OK, I'm behind on these. I actually read this one a couple
months ago, but have been too busy to write it up. So here
goes.
One thing I like about the Walker series is the cynical sense
of humor. In THE MIDNIGHT MAN, it really shines through.
Before he even starts the story, Estleman is quoting from
DOCTOR FAUSTUS, both to set up the story and, possibly, to
get in a dig at Robert Parker, who seems overly fond of
Shakespeare and TS Eliot.
The opening scene is one of sweet revenge for any who's ever
taken a phone call that starts with the words, "Please hold
for..."
The book starts off as a case about hijacked trucks. During a
chase, Walker is pulled over by a cop Stutevant, whom he
accidentally pulls a gun on. It's a misunderstanding, and
Sturtevant realizes it. No harm done. Only at the end of the
first chapter do you find out what the real story is. As
Walker jacks his client around (justifiably) on the phone, we
learn Sturtevant was shot not long after his encounter with
Walker by a young man named Roscoe LaRue. By the end of the
day, Walker is working for Mrs. Sturtevant.
Estleman walks a fine line here in a story involving black
militants. They aren't quite cariacatures, but they are
vicious in dealing with any opposition, including
Walker.
Some of the finer points from my fading memory...
- Alderyce. I think it's here the relationship between him
and Walker gets extremely hostile. In the first two books,
there's a degree of professional hostility, but not personal.
Later on, Estleman cools things off as the screaming black
lieutenant has become rather cliche thanks to several LETHAL
WEAPONesgue movies. Here, though, there's a rhyme and reason
to Lt. Alderyce's dislike of Walker. A police officer has
been shot. Hell hath no fury like a wounded or murdered
officer's department. To Alderyce, Walker is in the way and a
major nuisance, which Estleman portrays nicely.
- Iris. I always liked Iris, but she's a difficult character
to sustain. As in MOTOR CITY BLUE, Walker is testing her
patience, having her come to his aid only to find out she has
a stubborn patient she didn't want in the first place. She
was a junkie and a hooker in MCB (so far, my favorite in this
series). Here, the hooker angle is downplayed, letting Iris
be Iris. Though with friends like Walker, it's easy to see
why she got out of the life.
- Bum Bassett. I probably liked this character the least in
the book. Somehow, Texas cowboy types just don't work for me
most of the time. And Estleman even minimizes the phonetic
speech. Still, he's big and I can see the ten-gallon hat,
even when there isn't one.
- Walker himself - Amos Walker has been described as a grouch
who's too young to be an old curmudgeon and has absolutely no
use for anything invented since WWII. He's in fine form
here.
Sorry this one's not as in depth as usual, but I left it
sitting on my nightstand for about two months. Will do better
next time, I promise.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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