Reviews

Gravedigger by Joseph Hansen

manwithanagenda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

That was dark. Brandstetter becomes involved in a case that puts him face to face with real evil. America was rapidly changing due to the upheaval of the '60s and '70s and the reactions of people to that have been a core theme of the series. Even in the face of simple corruption of officials and institutions, lying opportunists, and lost souls there was a general sense that good will out from Brandstetter. He had faith in himself if no one else. 'Gravedigger' shakes that faith and reveals a cynical world dead set on harm. Those last pages. Wow.

Brandstetter

Next: 'Nightwork'

Previous: 'Skinflick'

kaje_harper's review against another edition

4.0

Another outing with insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter. He's a man who investigates death claims, in pursuit of truth, and usually of murder. The series is well written, based in the 1970s and on in the LA area, and the atmosphere, and writing, along with the MC, are part of their appeal.

I've been binge reading this series, so I won't leave a detailed review. But I enjoyed them all, and was pulled along to the end, watching Dave age, and change, and grow, and yet remain essentially the same at heart. Not an emotional series, but by the end, I had fallen hard for Dave Brandstetter.

radballen's review

4.0

I happened upon this book this weekend at a used bookstore in Vancouver. Used books are so damned expensive there--this one was only three bucks! I liked the cheesy early-80s mass market cover and it had a nice snippet review from the New York Times Book Review on the back. Overall, it was a good read. The description on the back of the book makes no mention of it, so I was shocked and fascinated to discover that the protagonist Dave Brunstetter is an openly gay insurance claims investigator. As I've learned from Wikipedia today, it was kind of a groundbreaking series for hard boiled detective novels. Not what I was expecting from some random mass market paperback. Hansen does a great job writing dialogue and developing sympathetic characters, and the ending is a complete shocker. Well worth reading (it won't take you long) and also a nice little snapshot of early 1980s Southern California.

writerlibrarian's review

4.0

Solid contemporary noir novel. Joseph Hansen delivers an action packed plot with a solid character development. Dave Brandsetter's entourage is still alive and thriving. From is very young widowed mother in law to his young lover, to ex-lovers, Brandsetter's death claim investigations are never set in a vacuum. Which is why Hansen's novels are so good and make you want more.

The Brandsetter's universe is a close canon, I'm half way through the corpus. I'm taking my time to go through the whole set. Because there are going to be any more Brandsetter's adventures after I'm done.

claudia_is_reading's review

4.0

An insane cult's leader, a missing girl, a disbarred lawyer in need of money who filed a death claim and now can't be found... this is how it begins.

Soon, Dave will find himself immersed in a web of insanity and old secrets. And, of course, danger.

Also, now that he is 21, Cecil is back. I'm not sure about how much of a chance this relationship has. Dave is a workaholic and the difference in age is reaaaaaaaally big. We'll have to wait and see how it goes :P

Edwards is an absolute cad, though and deserves to burn in Hell for the way he was willing to treat Amanda.

And I have a new complain to add to the narration: Cecil's voice. I'm not an ace when it comes to USA accents, but I'm sure that that is not how a Detroit-native sound :/

And I think that Dave acted a little bit... stupid at the end. Let's blame the concussion :P

But issues aside, I really enjoyed the story :D