Scan barcode
A review by tombradleyjr
Detective by Parnell Hall
3.0
I purchased this book to get a feel for different writers and their styles, particularly in the mystery/detective genre. In addition, the cover art lured me in, as well as the fact it was the first in author Parnell Hall’s series about a reluctant gumshoe named Stanley Hastings.
The novel introduces us to Hastings, a licensed private detective who for some reason continually reminds us he does not consider himself a real private detective. I’m not sure why the author beat this drum throughout Hastings' first-person narrative, unless it was to underscore Hastings’ blatantly acute inferiority complex. A writer and former actor, Hasting now works for an ambulance-chasing law firm; the scenes describing this aspect of his PI career are well done, as the reader gains an insight into what it’s like for the ground troops in the personal injury wars to meet with clients and follow-up on their claims. From that standpoint, Hastings’ career choice seems rather monotonous, even though he has a loving wife and a young child to distract him. Until he meets a man who wishes to report a murder: his own.
At this point, I expected the novel to take off and keep me riveted. And while it was interesting and Hastings eventually does put the pieces together to determine whodunit, it seemed as if the author dragged things out a bit too much—with the aforementioned descriptions of his day-to-day work interfering with what could have been a crackling story.
Ultimately, while readable, this novel didn’t quite live up to my hopes and expectations. Perhaps subsequent Stanley Hastings adventures do, so I plan to read more of Mr. Hall’s work to see how his creation progresses as a private eye who doesn’t quite believe he’s a private eye. Maybe one day he will convince himself he is one.
The novel introduces us to Hastings, a licensed private detective who for some reason continually reminds us he does not consider himself a real private detective. I’m not sure why the author beat this drum throughout Hastings' first-person narrative, unless it was to underscore Hastings’ blatantly acute inferiority complex. A writer and former actor, Hasting now works for an ambulance-chasing law firm; the scenes describing this aspect of his PI career are well done, as the reader gains an insight into what it’s like for the ground troops in the personal injury wars to meet with clients and follow-up on their claims. From that standpoint, Hastings’ career choice seems rather monotonous, even though he has a loving wife and a young child to distract him. Until he meets a man who wishes to report a murder: his own.
At this point, I expected the novel to take off and keep me riveted. And while it was interesting and Hastings eventually does put the pieces together to determine whodunit, it seemed as if the author dragged things out a bit too much—with the aforementioned descriptions of his day-to-day work interfering with what could have been a crackling story.
Ultimately, while readable, this novel didn’t quite live up to my hopes and expectations. Perhaps subsequent Stanley Hastings adventures do, so I plan to read more of Mr. Hall’s work to see how his creation progresses as a private eye who doesn’t quite believe he’s a private eye. Maybe one day he will convince himself he is one.