Tuesday 17 March 2015

2 BY JOE R. LANSDALE

Joe R. Lansdale is an author from Texas and has a fair few slots on the shelves. He pretty much writes the lot… novels and short stories and everything in-between, in Fantasy, crime, horror, graphic, Westerns and probably science-fiction genre as well.

Fair to say that not everything he has written grabs me but enough of it does to have his books on my shelves numbering over a dozen.










Most of them are in the 9 or 10 book series with his two protagonists – Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. Hap and Leonard, one black – one white, one gay – one straight even have their own Wikipedia page!


One of these years I’ll sit down and read my way through the series. I don’t think it will be this year though.



Lansdale has his website here.

His full Hap and Leonard series is as follows: 
1. Savage Season (1990)
2. Mucho Mojo (1994)
3. The Two-Bear Mambo (1995)
4. Bad Chili (1997)
5. Rumble Tumble (1998)
6. Captains Outrageous (2001)
7. Vanilla Ride (2009)
8. Devil Red (2011)
9. Hyenas (2011)
Veil's Visit: A Taste of Hap and Leonard (1999) (with Andrew Vachss)
Dead Aim (2013)


Captain Outrageous

Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, the heroes of Mucho Mojo, head back to Mexico is seek revenge for the murder of a beautiful young lady, currently involved with a Mexican mobster and a practicing nudist, who, along with her elderly father, had rescued them both from armed attackers.






Cold in July

To kill a man, even in self-defence, is no easy thing for a man with a conscience. He has to answer to himself, put the episode behind him, get on with his life. This is very difficult when the dead man's father, a murderous ex-con, is determined to avenge the shooting, no matter what the rights and wrongs. Richard Dane is a small businessman, a family man with a son of his own. Ben Russell, the ex-con, has a very simple proposition: an eye for an eye, a son for a son. But the truth is anything but simple, and before long Dane and Russell, misled and manipulated, are awkward allies in a living nightmare of paranoia and psychopathic sex, violence and corruption.

10 comments:

  1. I always admire an author who can write well in more than one genre, Col. I have to admit Lansdale's work is new to me; right away though I noticed the creative titles. I'll be keen to see what your reviews are like when you get to these.

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    1. Margot, I hope you get the chance to try at least one of his books - time allowing. Recommended reading!

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  2. I'm a HUGE fan of Lansdale's--his THE THICKET is in my top three all-time reads, along with Harry Crews' A FEAST OF SNAKES and Camus' THE STRANGER. Those are three books I reread every year.

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    1. Les, I'm two-thirds with you. I've not read Camus at all. Loved THE THICKET last year. Agree with you on A FEAST OF SNAKES - amazing!

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  3. I read a couple of these back in the 90s, and liked them, but not enough to follow him forever... maybe another one will grab me sometime.

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    1. A lot of his books don't necessarily appeal to me, but the ones that do......pile 'em up please!

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  4. Another author from Texas. Maybe I will get to Savage Season this year. Glen has one of his standalone books.

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  5. Col, I still have to get round to reading anything by Joe R. Lansdale. After this, I'll have to go hunting for his books.

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    1. Years ago - and I don't know if he still does it or not - he used to have a free story giveaway on his website each week. You could check it out and see if that is still the case.....maybe try before you buy!

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