Lendle

SIX IS THE CHARM: The six Simeon Grist private-eye novels by Edgar and Macavity Award nominee Timothy Hallinan have become cult favorites and are now available for the first time since the 1990s. The sixth in the series, THE BONE POLISHER, earned starred reviews all around. It takes place in the West Hollywood of 1995, where the community is shaken by the brutal killing of an older man who was widely loved for his generosity and kindness. In a time when the police were largely indifferent to crimes against gay people, Simeon is hired to catch the murderer—and finds himself up against the most dangerous adversary of his career, a man who kills his victims one once, but twice: once physically and once in spirit. The story's climax occurs at a memorable Halloween-themed wake, but there's a big plot twist yet to come.EDITORIAL REVIEWSFrom Booklist:Simeon Grist is a private detective with a problem: he is beginning to fear the bad guys . . . Hallinan's sixth Simeon Grist novel is putatively about a serial killer who is preying on the gay community of West Hollywood, but it is also a meditation on life, on commitment, on the meaning of age in a youth-obsessed and media-saturated culture. Hallinan captures the littlest human idiosyncrasies, the most mundane familial interactions, and infuses them with a depth of meaning not usually found in the crime genre. He even manages to do so with a sly grin and a loopy sense of humor. Read his latest as a straightforward detective novel, or read it as a slightly off-kilter philosophical tome, but do yourself a favor and read it!From Publishers Weekly:Hallinan (The Man with No Time) shifts between cute and scary in the latest case he sets for L.A. shamus Simeon Grist, embroiled here in the search for a serial killer who preys on gay men. Simeon, decidely heterosexual, is close to tying the knot with longtime lady friend Eleanor, when he's hired by a dying man who believes his elderly lover, Max, is in mortal danger. The man is right: Max is soon the victim of a homophobic serial killer who slices his victims open and then writes home to their families to reveal the secret of their sexuality. The wit of Hallinan's previous Simeon outings is still in evidence here (he begins with a coyly sinister introduction to the murderer), but some of these issues, e.g., uncertain sexual orientation and self-loathing, are hard matters to successfully crack wise over.From Mostly Murder:“Creepy . . . Screamingly funny . . . A snappy thriller . . . The only question that remains unanswered is whether success will spoil Timothy Hallinan. With THE BONE POLISHER, it's only a matter of time before we find out.“PRAISE FOR TIMOTHY HALLINAN AND THE SIMEON GRIST MYSTERIES“You won't read a better thriller this year!” John Lescroart on THE QUEEN OF PATPONG“The best thriller of the year.” Larry Beinhart on BREATHING WATER“Exceptional – a thriller with a heart . . . haunting and insightful.” The Denver Post on THE QUEEN OF PATPONG“Another masterpiece of contemporary crime fiction.” Adrian McKinty, author of FIFTY GRAND“Timothy Hallinan is one of the great unsung mystery writers.” Ken Bruen, author of LONDON BOULEVARD“Hallinan is terrific.” T. Jefferson Parker, author of IRON RIVER“A skittering roller-coaster ride . . . one of the most intriguing of the new private eyes.” Booklist “An excellent job – when it comes to making a quick run up Topanga Canyon in the 1990s, Hallinan has the top down and he's ready to go.” Chicago Tribune“A generous and inventive writer . . . Hallinan has talent and skill. Simeon Grist is a classic California hard-boiled detective, beautifully playing the role of knight errant.” The Drood Review Effective prose, engaging repartee, sharp and witty characterizations . . . Hallinan has a genuine abiliity" Washington Post