doctortdm's review against another edition
4.0
In 2009 Andrea in her review stated "Amazing, dark, incredibly violent but with a humanity to it to gives it depth and wrings your heart the way so many noir writers simply fail to do."
I think that says it all.
I think that says it all.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
And so I finish the great road trip that is James Crumley’s mystery novel series featuring private eyes Milo Milodragovitch and CW Sughrue. While I didn’t like them as much as their most ardent fans do, I enjoyed my time going through all seven.
Apparently, it took a lot of prodding for Crumley to write this one. He wasn’t sure if he was going to do another after 2001’s The Final Country, which for my money is his best book and a tribute to Texas. I don’t know if he finished it because he felt compelled to bring Sughrue’s arc to a close the same way he had Milo’s. Frankly, I don’t find much difference between the two characters but either way, this is it for his whole universe. He died three years after it was published.
I don’t know if old age or cutting back on drinking helped him but this is one of the more focused Crumley efforts. I like his books a lot but his plots tend to meander as he loves dialogue and road trips. I’ve said in the past that I feel his books might be better if he wrote them from the perspective of a guy recounting a story on a barstool, because that’s what they feel like. Either way, this one is written just fine.
I did anticipate the twist but I didn’t anticipate the why of the crime, which was kind of clever. Nevertheless, you don’t read a Crumley to play sleuth. You read a Crumley to hang out in his world. This was a fun hang and because the plot was better executed than most, I appreciated it more. I’ll miss Crumley’s work and I hope to revisit a few sometime.
Apparently, it took a lot of prodding for Crumley to write this one. He wasn’t sure if he was going to do another after 2001’s The Final Country, which for my money is his best book and a tribute to Texas. I don’t know if he finished it because he felt compelled to bring Sughrue’s arc to a close the same way he had Milo’s. Frankly, I don’t find much difference between the two characters but either way, this is it for his whole universe. He died three years after it was published.
I don’t know if old age or cutting back on drinking helped him but this is one of the more focused Crumley efforts. I like his books a lot but his plots tend to meander as he loves dialogue and road trips. I’ve said in the past that I feel his books might be better if he wrote them from the perspective of a guy recounting a story on a barstool, because that’s what they feel like. Either way, this one is written just fine.
I did anticipate the twist but I didn’t anticipate the why of the crime, which was kind of clever. Nevertheless, you don’t read a Crumley to play sleuth. You read a Crumley to hang out in his world. This was a fun hang and because the plot was better executed than most, I appreciated it more. I’ll miss Crumley’s work and I hope to revisit a few sometime.
moreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I'm so glad I gave Crumley another chance as a writer. There are some readers who believe that he should be lauded as one of the absolute greatest crime writers of the century & now I officially join their ranks. This contains layer after brilliantly-crafted layer of plot, action, and intrigue. No character can be discounted, anyone could say a small piece at page 100 & show up at the end as a linchpin that the whole book hangs on. Since Crumley is deceased, I have to parcel out his books month by month, because what will I do when I've come to the end of his stunning oeuvre? Maybe give The Last Good Kiss another shot.
alanfederman's review
3.0
As a mystery fan it's essential to 'suspend disbelief' as much as possible - however, this book pushed those boundaries to their limit. The plot seemed to move from scenario to another, multiple characters some of whose relevance was to the story was tangential at best, and an incredulous ending. However, one of the reviewers compared to Crumley's writing to Hunter Thompson's if he wrote mysteries and that is true. CW, the nominal detective would fit in perfectly in Thompson's world and he has a certain cowboy-cool that makes his character entertaining, frightening, and just enough psychosis to keep things interesting. A Big Sky Dave Robicheaux without the demons.
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