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?
“We’re going to make it,” Leonard said. “I know that,” I said. “We always make it.”
Sugar on the Bones by Joe. R. Lansdale is the kind of Texas mystery that draws you into its dark alley and keeps you rooted to the spot, not in fear but in curiosity. What will happen next? What exactly is going on here? Who are Hap and Leonard, and why are they such entertaining detectives? No better way to find out the answers than to read, read, read. If this isn’t your first Hap and Leonard mystery by Joe R. Lansdale, then you are a bit ahead of the game. But if you are new to this shindig, you can still safely navigate your way to the last page without needing to know the back stories. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself wanting more, which is great because Sugar on the Bones is #13 in this fantastic series.
Word of caution for delicate readers: crude language fits well with noir mystery, so brace yourself. To be frank, the entire tone of this story would fall flat without such realistic, bombastic rough talk, but don’t despair if that isn’t your thing. The plot and characterization take center stage at this event, with the salty edges serving as appropriate garnish. You got this!
While the overall mystery throughout Sugar on the Bones is engaging, the characterization is definitely the main attraction. And not only Hap and Leonard. Joe Lansdale is clearly a master at filling out all the characters to their fullest potential and then some. Al is a good example here. He’s a mess and quite an unforgettable character.
Not all is dark and dirty here. The author injects plenty of humor into the gritty and often gruesome plot, luring the reader ever deeper into the storyline and into the well-synchronized lives of Hap and Leonard, private investigators extraordinaire.
With such brilliant characterization and rock-solid plot, Sugar on the Bones will keep you riveted and wondering how this humdinger of a story will end. Stay up all night reading if you must because that ending is so worth it.
Enter the giveaway below on or before June 28, 2024, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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.
2 Replies to “Lone Star Book Blog Tour: Sugar on the Bones by Joe R. Lansdale (review & giveaway)”
GIRL. Your reviews are always exactly what I need to know when making a decision about a book. I love the warnings & that it’s easy to jump in here with #13. I have become a big Lansdale fan over the past year, so I’m grabbing this one, too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and costing me money. Again.
GIRL. Your reviews are always exactly what I need to know when making a decision about a book. I love the warnings & that it’s easy to jump in here with #13. I have become a big Lansdale fan over the past year, so I’m grabbing this one, too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and costing me money. Again.
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