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A review by readthesparrow
Troublemaker by Joseph Hansen
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is the third in Hansen's iconic detective series, snd TROUBLEMAKER has everthing I loved from the first two: vivid style, sharply drawn characters (seriously, Hansen is fantastic at evoking a living human being even with only a few lines), and tight pacing.
While chatting with a friend, I descibed Hansen's prose as 'dense' before realizing that wasn't quite what I meant--it's not difficult to get through at all. It is extremely efficient, tight, impactful, all without sacrificing imagery or becoming dry or tough to chew.
Even though they carry quite a bit of 70's flaws that don't quite gel with modern day sensibilities (the mandarin duck line.... oof) I really love the Brandstetter series. I read one or two every year and, so far, every one has delivered.
While chatting with a friend, I descibed Hansen's prose as 'dense' before realizing that wasn't quite what I meant--it's not difficult to get through at all. It is extremely efficient, tight, impactful, all without sacrificing imagery or becoming dry or tough to chew.
Even though they carry quite a bit of 70's flaws that don't quite gel with modern day sensibilities (the mandarin duck line.... oof) I really love the Brandstetter series. I read one or two every year and, so far, every one has delivered.