I’ve been reading Loren D. Estleman’s novels for decades. I admire Estleman’s versatility: he can write Westerns as good as his mysteries and crime fiction. In Black and White Ball (2018), Estleman brings two of his successful characters–Amos Walker (private eye) and Peter Macklin (hit-man)–together for a suspenseful adventure. Amos Walker is hired by the wife of an embezzler to find her run-away husband. But, Walker finds the embezzler moments after he’s been executed. This leads to a meeting with a lawyer with Organized Crime connections who wants Walker to speak to one of his clients. Walker refuses, but later finds himself threatened by a gun in Peter Macklin’s hand.
Macklin’s second wife is divorcing him. But someone has sent Macklin a threat to kill his wife. Macklin needs someone to protect his wife while he hunts down the person who wants to kill her. Walker initially resists, but Macklin convinces him to take the case. I liked the interaction between Walker and Macklin, two aging pros who really know their business. If you’re looking for a different kind of mystery, I recommend Black and White Ball. GRADE: B+
Peter Macklin Series:
Kill Zone (1984)
Roses Are Dead (1985)
Any Man’s Death (1986)
Something Borrowed, Something Black (2002)
Little Black Dress (2005)
Amos Walker Series:
Motor City Blue (1980)
Angel Eyes (1981)
The Midnight Man (1982)
The Glass Highway (1983)
Sugartown (1985)
Every Brilliant Eye (1986)
Lady Yesterday (1987)
Downriver (1988)
General Murders (1988; short stories)
Silent Thunder (1989)
Sweet Women Lie (1990)
Never Street (1997)
The Witch Finder (1998)
The Hours of the Virgin (1999)
A Smile on the Face of the Tiger (2000)
Sinister Heights (2002)
Poison Blonde (2003)
Retro (2004)
Nicotine Kiss (2006)
American Detective (2007)
The Left-handed Dollar (2010)
Amos Walker: The Complete Story Collection (2010; short stories)
Infernal Angels (2011)
Burning Midnight (2012)
Don’t Look for Me (2014)
You Know Who Killed Me (2014)
The Sundown Speech (2015)
The Lioness Is the Hunter (2017)
Black and White Ball (2018)
I agree on Estleman, especially on his versatility. I’ve only read a few of his Walker novels (they got samey after a while), but have read the Walker short stories, plus others – PEEPER, some of the Detroit novels and stories, some westerns, the Valentino film stuff.
Jeff, like you I admire Estleman’s versatility. I’m hoping to read a couple of Estleman’s Westerns this summer. Estleman has also wrote Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula; or, The Adventures of the Sanguinary Count (1978), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes (1979), and The Perils of Sherlock Holmes (2012).
I’ve always liked his work even though it’s been a few years since I read one! I have a neat picture of me, him, his wife, Leslie (Woo, Woo!) Slaasted, and Bill Crider taken at a Bouchercon.
Bob, Bill Crider was a big Estleman fan, too. I plan to review some of Estleman’s Westerns in QUICK DRAW in the coming months.