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constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars for another fast paced thriller in the Hardman series. Ralph Dennis is underappreciated in the mystery/thriller world. His lean prose style reminds me of Raymond Chandler and Elmore Leonard. His duo of "Hump" Evans, a black ex NFL football player and Jim Hardman, a white ex Atlanta cop, influenced Shane Black, screenwriter for Lethal Weapon movies.
In this book, Hardman gets a call from "the Man", a powerful black Atlanta crime lord. A mutual friend of both men, Ronny, born John B. Kent, has been found murdered. Ronny did bookkeeping for the Man. Ronny was working on the Man's ledger when he was murdered. The ledger is missing and the person who has it wants money or he turns it over to the feds. The Man wants Hardman to find the ledger and the murderer. Hardman owes the dead man for the time Ronny stopped him from getting killed by a cheating pair of gamblers in a card game 20 years ago.
Hardman does find the ledger after many twists and turns. He is almost killed.
Two quotes: Hardman and Evans: "We're alike up to there. Then it splits. I'm going towards forty-three a bit too fast to suit me. I'm slow and pudgy and I get a sunburn the first time I stand in the sun more than ten minutes. He's a bit past thirty and somewhere between 6 foot 6 inches and 6 foot 7 inches and the last time I saw him on the scales at the S&W cafeteria downtown on Peach tree the needle at 270 and some ounces. He also midnight down in the coal mine black."
Hardman on his life: "Now we do odd jobs. Anything that pays. Anything that stops this side of killing. Or mugging for booze money. Or robbing banks."
There is a disclaimer by the publisher, stating that the book was written in 1974 and reflects cultural attitudes and language of the period.
This was a kindle unlimited book.
In this book, Hardman gets a call from "the Man", a powerful black Atlanta crime lord. A mutual friend of both men, Ronny, born John B. Kent, has been found murdered. Ronny did bookkeeping for the Man. Ronny was working on the Man's ledger when he was murdered. The ledger is missing and the person who has it wants money or he turns it over to the feds. The Man wants Hardman to find the ledger and the murderer. Hardman owes the dead man for the time Ronny stopped him from getting killed by a cheating pair of gamblers in a card game 20 years ago.
Hardman does find the ledger after many twists and turns. He is almost killed.
Two quotes: Hardman and Evans: "We're alike up to there. Then it splits. I'm going towards forty-three a bit too fast to suit me. I'm slow and pudgy and I get a sunburn the first time I stand in the sun more than ten minutes. He's a bit past thirty and somewhere between 6 foot 6 inches and 6 foot 7 inches and the last time I saw him on the scales at the S&W cafeteria downtown on Peach tree the needle at 270 and some ounces. He also midnight down in the coal mine black."
Hardman on his life: "Now we do odd jobs. Anything that pays. Anything that stops this side of killing. Or mugging for booze money. Or robbing banks."
There is a disclaimer by the publisher, stating that the book was written in 1974 and reflects cultural attitudes and language of the period.
This was a kindle unlimited book.
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