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A review by saareman
Hoodoo Harry by Joe R. Lansdale
4.0
Hap & Leonard Ride Again - Bibliomysteries #33
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (August 1, 2017) of the Mysterious Press hardcover & paperback (December 20, 2016).
This was my first Hap and Leonard story, from a series which GR friend Berengaria has regularly enthused about. In the chronology it takes place after book #9 [b:Honky Tonk Samurai|25820257|Honky Tonk Samurai (Hap and Leonard #9)|Joe R. Lansdale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442852361l/25820257._SY75_.jpg|45677077] (2015) in which a detective agency has been formed led by Hap's girlfriend Brett.
The story doesn't adhere to the announced theme of "deadly books" in the Bibliomysteries series. Instead, the Texas duo have a run-in with a deadly bookmobile in which a container of several dead bodies is discovered. One of the bodies is that of Hoodoo Harry, the nickname of the bookmobile driver who went missing along with her vehicle 15 years ago. Our heroes decide to investigate the original disappearance and the reason for the many unreported deaths. What they discover is an unimaginable horror.
This was a great introduction to the Hap and Leonard series and didn't require you to know very much about the backstory of the characters. The downhome banter and camaraderie was somewhat reminiscent of the best of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, esp. with the latter's penchant for taking off on fishing expeditions. I hope to read more of them in the future.
Trivia and Links
Joe R. Lansdale (1951-) is an American writer of over 30+ crime, horror and thriller novels. He is the author of several series including Hap & Leonard (1990-2024-ongoing) and some in comic books. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is the stand-alone novel [b:The Bottoms|102113|The Bottoms|Joe R. Lansdale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348765461l/102113._SY75_.jpg|2038476] (2000).
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as [b:Bibliomysteries|32191848|Bibliomysteries|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478278696l/32191848._SY75_.jpg|56893092] (2013, containing stories 1-15) and [b:Bibliomysteries: Volume Two|36327114|Bibliomysteries Volume Two|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507842055l/36327114._SY75_.jpg|58003435] (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of late-September 2024) includes 40 short stories.
Review of the Mysterious Press/Open Road eBook (August 1, 2017) of the Mysterious Press hardcover & paperback (December 20, 2016).
This was my first Hap and Leonard story, from a series which GR friend Berengaria has regularly enthused about. In the chronology it takes place after book #9 [b:Honky Tonk Samurai|25820257|Honky Tonk Samurai (Hap and Leonard #9)|Joe R. Lansdale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442852361l/25820257._SY75_.jpg|45677077] (2015) in which a detective agency has been formed led by Hap's girlfriend Brett.
The story doesn't adhere to the announced theme of "deadly books" in the Bibliomysteries series. Instead, the Texas duo have a run-in with a deadly bookmobile in which a container of several dead bodies is discovered. One of the bodies is that of Hoodoo Harry, the nickname of the bookmobile driver who went missing along with her vehicle 15 years ago. Our heroes decide to investigate the original disappearance and the reason for the many unreported deaths. What they discover is an unimaginable horror.
This was a great introduction to the Hap and Leonard series and didn't require you to know very much about the backstory of the characters. The downhome banter and camaraderie was somewhat reminiscent of the best of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, esp. with the latter's penchant for taking off on fishing expeditions. I hope to read more of them in the future.
Trivia and Links
Joe R. Lansdale (1951-) is an American writer of over 30+ crime, horror and thriller novels. He is the author of several series including Hap & Leonard (1990-2024-ongoing) and some in comic books. His most popular book (based on the number of GR ratings and reviews) is the stand-alone novel [b:The Bottoms|102113|The Bottoms|Joe R. Lansdale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348765461l/102113._SY75_.jpg|2038476] (2000).
The Bibliomysteries series are short stories commissioned by Otto Penzler's The Mysterious Press to be written around the theme of deadly books. They are individually published in limited edition signed hardcovers followed by paperbacks and ebooks, and periodically collected in anthology editions such as [b:Bibliomysteries|32191848|Bibliomysteries|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478278696l/32191848._SY75_.jpg|56893092] (2013, containing stories 1-15) and [b:Bibliomysteries: Volume Two|36327114|Bibliomysteries Volume Two|Otto Penzler|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507842055l/36327114._SY75_.jpg|58003435] (2018, containing stories 16-30). There does not appear to be a Goodreads Listopia for them, but on Library Thing the current listing (as of late-September 2024) includes 40 short stories.