In this holy mess of a case for the “perpetual bad boy” (New York Times) sleuths in the beloved Hap and Leonard series, PI Duo Hap and Leonard investigate the untimely death of a woman whose family stood much to gain from her passing.
Minnie Polson is dead. Burned to a crisp in a fire so big and bad it had to be deliberate. The only thing worse is that Hap and Leonard could have prevented it. Maybe. Minnie had a feeling she was being targeted, shaken down by some shadowy force. However, when she’d solicited Hap & Leonard, all it took was one off color joke to turn her sour and she’d called them off the investigation. Wracked with a guilty conscience, the two PIs—along with Hap’s fleet-footed wife, Brett—tuck in to the case. As they look closer, they dredge up troublesome facts: for one, Minnie’s daughter, Alice, has recently vanished. She’d been hard up after her pet grooming business went under and was in line to collect a whopping insurance sum should anything happen to her mother. The same was due to Minnie’s estranged husband, Al, whose kryptonite (beautiful, money-grubbing women) had left him with only a run-down mobile home. But did Minnie’s foolish, cash-strapped family really have it in them to commit a crime this grisly? Or is there a larger, far more sinister scheme at work?
SUGAR ON THE BONES is book 13 in the Hap & Leonard series and my first fore into their adventures. But certainly, it won’t be my last!
The novel is fast paced and action filled, with multiple shoot-outs, disappearances, deaths, and even a boat chase. A page-turner to be sure.
I thoroughly enjoyed the witticisms, sarcasm, and colloquial language in the novel.
Multiple crimes and mysteries occur within the novel. It starts with a suspicious death due to arson and rolls into possible alien abductions and other conspiracy theories. There’s a reveal halfway through the novel that would normally be closer to the end for a wrap up. But not here! There was still half a book left of action and adventure to experience before the conclusion of the novel.
The mysteries are the initial appeal, but for me, it’s the humor that kept me entertained. But this humor is not for the easily offended, either conservative or liberal. The characters do not shy away from any topic! I found myself chuckling and highlighting many passages like this one:
It was just under a carport that was big enough to house a couple of tanks, a bulldozer, and perhaps a trio of tricycles if you shoved them in tight.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly have a clear picture of that carport in my mind after this passage. Plus the juxtaposition of tricycles and tanks is very comical!
It’s interesting that this series is labeled as Hap’s and Leonard’s when it’s clear to me that there are so many more characters in this story. We have the titular Hap and Leonard, Hap’s wife Brett, as well as some contract and colorful muscle, cops, and a sprinkling of a few teenagers at the gym rounding out a large collection of distinctive characters. I did struggle in the beginning of the novel with figuring out who all the characters were and what parts they play in the novel. This is book 13 in the series after all! But once the action started, I was able to distinguish the different characters. My favorite characters are Hap and Brett. Hap for his straight-forward attitude and Brett for being the brains of the operation.
In her large purse she had a small .22 pistol along with pepper spray, a blackjack, and a stun gun.. She also had her wallet in there, a compact, earrings, perfume, and makeup… “Even if you are going out to kill someone, always carry your girlie items; you never know when you might want to dress to impress.”
Talk about always being prepared. Who else do you know that has a blackjack and a compact in the same purse!
As stated above, I did struggle at the beginning of the novel with keeping track of the different characters. I was able to follow the plot without any issues. But felt like I was missing some backstory and history with starting the series at book #13.
Shout out for all those readers looking for the book title drop in the text. This novel has a humdinger of a title call out.
With original characters, action, multiple mysteries, and plenty of amusing scenes, SUGAR ON THE BONES kept me turning pages and engrossed throughout. Check this one out!
Thanks to author Joe R. Lansdale and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity to review SUGAR ON THE BONES. I received the novel free in exchange for my honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe R. Lansdale is the author of nearly four dozen novels, including Rusty Puppy, the Edgar-award winning The Bottoms, Sunset and Sawdust, and Leather Maiden. He has received nine Bram Stoker Awards, the American Mystery Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the Grinzane Cavour Prize for Literature. He lives with his family in Nacogdoches, Texas.
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While this isn’t my type of read, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. Great review!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…E-galley Review: The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson
Thanks, Lisa!