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mcf's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I'm glad these are back in print, because it's a pleasure to get to dive into a new 1970s detective series that is way better than those who dismiss such things as pulpy nonsense would ever guess. Ross Thomas and John D. MacDonald set the bar very high in this world and, while Dennis has a ways to go before approaching their levels, his main characters are engaging, and his detective (Jim Hardman) is comfortably three dimensional and very far from being tough or infallible. In addition, despite using racial language that's hard to read with 2019 eyes, the relationship Dennis paints between Hardman and Hump Evans, his Black sometimes-partner, is a compelling one, as is the fact that Hardman knows the world treats him and Hump differently, and sometimes takes uncomfortable advantage of it.
And the second book is free to borrow on Kindle!
I'm glad these are back in print, because it's a pleasure to get to dive into a new 1970s detective series that is way better than those who dismiss such things as pulpy nonsense would ever guess. Ross Thomas and John D. MacDonald set the bar very high in this world and, while Dennis has a ways to go before approaching their levels, his main characters are engaging, and his detective (Jim Hardman) is comfortably three dimensional and very far from being tough or infallible. In addition, despite using racial language that's hard to read with 2019 eyes, the relationship Dennis paints between Hardman and Hump Evans, his Black sometimes-partner, is a compelling one, as is the fact that Hardman knows the world treats him and Hump differently, and sometimes takes uncomfortable advantage of it.
And the second book is free to borrow on Kindle!
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 4 stars
Thanks to Brash Books for sending me this eARC through their Priority reviewers program. It is a republication of an overlooked author. His first publisher published his books as cheap men's action-adventure paperbacks. In reality, this one is book 1 in a series of hard boiled private eye stories in the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I found the plot to be well written with believable characters. Jim Hardman is an ex Atlanta policeman who was forced to resign after being falsely implicated in a corruption scandal. He now works as unlicensed PI. He has an African American sidekick, Hump, an ex football player who can ask questions where Hardman can't.
Hardman is hired by a member of the Black Mafia to find the killer of his white girlfriend, Emily Campbell.
Together Hardman and Hump follow the trail of clues as more people die. They do solve the case and there is a satisfying ending. There is a disclaimer at the beginning explaining that the book was published in 1974 and reflects the cultural and sexual attitudes of the time.
This book was an easy fast paced read --2 days.
I plan to read more books in this series.
Thanks to Brash Books for sending me this eARC through their Priority reviewers program. It is a republication of an overlooked author. His first publisher published his books as cheap men's action-adventure paperbacks. In reality, this one is book 1 in a series of hard boiled private eye stories in the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. I found the plot to be well written with believable characters. Jim Hardman is an ex Atlanta policeman who was forced to resign after being falsely implicated in a corruption scandal. He now works as unlicensed PI. He has an African American sidekick, Hump, an ex football player who can ask questions where Hardman can't.
Hardman is hired by a member of the Black Mafia to find the killer of his white girlfriend, Emily Campbell.
Together Hardman and Hump follow the trail of clues as more people die. They do solve the case and there is a satisfying ending. There is a disclaimer at the beginning explaining that the book was published in 1974 and reflects the cultural and sexual attitudes of the time.
This book was an easy fast paced read --2 days.
I plan to read more books in this series.
jimmypat's review against another edition
2.0
Admittedly, this book was much better than its peers in the “men’s adventure” genre books of the 70s and 80s. However, by the mid point I lost interest and didn’t find a lot of the action particularly interesting. I wanted to like it, but it paled in comparison to some of the greats in hard boiled crime fiction.
zzzrevel's review against another edition
2.0
I can forgive the dated material because I know it
was written long ago in the Chandler era, but
this does not come very close to the noir I love.
It was okay but just basically a bunch of jumping
around from scene to scene with shots fired in
each one.
was written long ago in the Chandler era, but
this does not come very close to the noir I love.
It was okay but just basically a bunch of jumping
around from scene to scene with shots fired in
each one.
eleellis's review against another edition
4.0
Atlanta Deathwatch by Ralph Dennis is the opening novel involving former police officer, now private investigator-slash-utility-man for-hire Jim Hardman and his close friend, ex-NFL player Hump Evans.
The series of novels were written in the 1970s and in an obvious hard-boiled style that belies that era when it comes to an urban environment. Joe Lansdale pens an excellent explanatory introduction to the series and describes how novels written by Dennis did not receive the attention they deserved, which is probably true.
The novel is a decent, rough-edged crime novel where Hardman and Evans are hired by a local crime baron nicknamed "The Man" to find out who murdered his girlfriend. The young woman is white and "The Man" is black, which adds to the complexity of the tale, especially when most are baffled of the relationship between a straight-laced woman and a crime lord.
Recommended for readers that enjoy novels as those found in the Hard Case Crime series and fans of Hap and Leonard by Joe Lansdale.
The series of novels were written in the 1970s and in an obvious hard-boiled style that belies that era when it comes to an urban environment. Joe Lansdale pens an excellent explanatory introduction to the series and describes how novels written by Dennis did not receive the attention they deserved, which is probably true.
The novel is a decent, rough-edged crime novel where Hardman and Evans are hired by a local crime baron nicknamed "The Man" to find out who murdered his girlfriend. The young woman is white and "The Man" is black, which adds to the complexity of the tale, especially when most are baffled of the relationship between a straight-laced woman and a crime lord.
Recommended for readers that enjoy novels as those found in the Hard Case Crime series and fans of Hap and Leonard by Joe Lansdale.
eleellis's review
4.0
Atlanta Deathwatch by Ralph Dennis is the opening novel involving former police officer, now private investigator-slash-utility-man for-hire Jim Hardman and his close friend, ex-NFL player Hump Evans.
The series of novels were written in the 1970s and in an obvious hard-boiled style that belies that era when it comes to an urban environment. Joe Lansdale pens an excellent explanatory introduction to the series and describes how novels written by Dennis did not receive the attention they deserved, which is probably true.
The novel is a decent, rough-edged crime novel where Hardman and Evans are hired by a local crime baron nicknamed "The Man" to find out who murdered his girlfriend. The young woman is white and "The Man" is black, which adds to the complexity of the tale, especially when most are baffled of the relationship between a straight-laced woman and a crime lord.
Recommended for readers that enjoy novels as those found in the Hard Case Crime series and fans of Hap and Leonard by Joe Lansdale.
The series of novels were written in the 1970s and in an obvious hard-boiled style that belies that era when it comes to an urban environment. Joe Lansdale pens an excellent explanatory introduction to the series and describes how novels written by Dennis did not receive the attention they deserved, which is probably true.
The novel is a decent, rough-edged crime novel where Hardman and Evans are hired by a local crime baron nicknamed "The Man" to find out who murdered his girlfriend. The young woman is white and "The Man" is black, which adds to the complexity of the tale, especially when most are baffled of the relationship between a straight-laced woman and a crime lord.
Recommended for readers that enjoy novels as those found in the Hard Case Crime series and fans of Hap and Leonard by Joe Lansdale.
mcf's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I'm glad these are back in print, because it's a pleasure to get to dive into a new 1970s detective series that is way better than those who dismiss such things as pulpy nonsense would ever guess. Ross Thomas and John D. MacDonald set the bar very high in this world and, while Dennis has a ways to go before approaching their levels, his main characters are engaging, and his detective (Jim Hardman) is comfortably three dimensional and very far from being tough or infallible. In addition, despite using racial language that's hard to read with 2019 eyes, the relationship Dennis paints between Hardman and Hump Evans, his Black sometimes-partner, is a compelling one, as is the fact that Hardman knows the world treats him and Hump differently, and sometimes takes uncomfortable advantage of it.
And the second book is free to borrow on Kindle!
I'm glad these are back in print, because it's a pleasure to get to dive into a new 1970s detective series that is way better than those who dismiss such things as pulpy nonsense would ever guess. Ross Thomas and John D. MacDonald set the bar very high in this world and, while Dennis has a ways to go before approaching their levels, his main characters are engaging, and his detective (Jim Hardman) is comfortably three dimensional and very far from being tough or infallible. In addition, despite using racial language that's hard to read with 2019 eyes, the relationship Dennis paints between Hardman and Hump Evans, his Black sometimes-partner, is a compelling one, as is the fact that Hardman knows the world treats him and Hump differently, and sometimes takes uncomfortable advantage of it.
And the second book is free to borrow on Kindle!
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