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A review by codyisreading
The Mexican Tree Duck by James Crumley
3.0
Hmm. I definitely enjoyed The Last Good Kiss more than this one. TLGK is a masterpiece, in my mind. It told a wandering yet cohesive story with sharp, lyrical dialogue and fully realized characters.
This is the second adventure of Montana investigator C.W. Sughrue, and it takes him from Montana to Colorado to New Mexico and finally, across the border. Sughrue is joined by a ragtag crew of his old Vietnam buddies and a few other characters that don't seem fully fleshed out. One of the biggest problems in The Mexican Tree Duck is that the plot is a bit too meandering. Crumley was able to hone the focus in The Last Good Kiss but here, he finds time for a few asides that don't add much to the overall plot or the revelations come too late to matter.
And honestly though his character work is strong when it comes to the central trio and a few of their familiars, he should've cut the cast down a bit. Sughrue has run-ins with the FBI, DEA, Mexican cartels, South American cartels, Texas oilmen, a hippie commune, exotic fish merchants, outlaw bikers...the list seemingly goes on. As a result, some of the machinations get a little confusing.
Still a breezy read and I'll recommend Crumley to anyone, but probably one of his lesser efforts.
This is the second adventure of Montana investigator C.W. Sughrue, and it takes him from Montana to Colorado to New Mexico and finally, across the border. Sughrue is joined by a ragtag crew of his old Vietnam buddies and a few other characters that don't seem fully fleshed out. One of the biggest problems in The Mexican Tree Duck is that the plot is a bit too meandering. Crumley was able to hone the focus in The Last Good Kiss but here, he finds time for a few asides that don't add much to the overall plot or the revelations come too late to matter.
And honestly though his character work is strong when it comes to the central trio and a few of their familiars, he should've cut the cast down a bit. Sughrue has run-ins with the FBI, DEA, Mexican cartels, South American cartels, Texas oilmen, a hippie commune, exotic fish merchants, outlaw bikers...the list seemingly goes on. As a result, some of the machinations get a little confusing.
Still a breezy read and I'll recommend Crumley to anyone, but probably one of his lesser efforts.