James D. F.
Hannah is the author of six books in the Henry Malone series and two other
novels, as well as a number of pieces of short fiction. Henry Malone is a
retired state trooper and recovering alcoholic eking out an existence in the
beautiful but impoverished state of West Virginia. He joins Rush McKenzie, Tom
Bethany, Frank Quinn, Matt Scudder, and others in a long line of fictional unofficial
and unlicensed private investigators.
In the third
Henry Malone, She Talks to Angels (Down & Out Books, 2021) Malone is
approached by local resident Katie Dolan, who wants Malone to re-investigate a
murder that her brother Eddie confessed to years earlier but now from his jail
cell says he didn’t commit. The victim was Meadow Charles, the popular daughter
of the wealthiest man in Parker County. She was also a heroin addict; she and
Eddie shared a drug habit. Prosecution postulated that Eddie killed Meadow in a
drug-induced haze and that he was a danger to society. Eddie’s lawyer convinced
him to plead guilty to escape a death sentence.
Malone’s queries
don’t get much encouragement from anyone and before long, Meadow’s father calls
him in and offers him a large sum of money to drop the probe. Malone needs the
money badly enough that he intends to back away but then Meadow’s sister offers
Malone more money to investigate. So he continued turning over rocks and asking
objectionable questions, discovering a number of unsavory facts about the
Charles family and about Parker County politics and arousing the ire of local luminaries
along the way.
It’s
impossible to talk about West Virginia these days and not talk about the opioid
problem there. The issue is pressing and ongoing, and Hannah does not sugarcoat
it or the grinding deprivation of the residents who live in one of the most
beautiful states in the Union. He draws a sharp contrast between the two.
Malone’s AA
sponsor Woody does double duty as Malone’s sidekick on the more active parts of
his investigation. Their dialog is the wittiest I have seen in months and give
me a reason to look for the rest of the series. Woody and Henry make a fine
substitute for Spenser and Hawk. Readers who miss the incomparable Boston duo
will want to add this series to their reading lists. A very fine piece of
Southern noir. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Down & Out Books
(May 30, 2021)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 282 pages
·
ISBN-10: 164396173X
· ISBN-13: 978-1643961736
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2023
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works
on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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