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The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues

by Bard Constantine (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 21 ratings · 13 reviews

Mick Trubble has a few problems: mainly that he gambles, and he loses. So when a mysterious dame approaches him with a gig too profitable to refuse, he figures it’s the perfect opportunity to get the price off his head and his life back to normal.

But this is New Haven, where it rains every day and every night the dark and desperate haunt the foggy streets. It’s a melting p...more

Paperback, 160 pages

Published June 25th 2012 by Non Omnis Moriar

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Sep 12, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-gr

Book Synopsis from GoodReads:
Mick Trubble has a few problems: mainly that he gambles, and he loses. So when a mysterious dame approaches him with a gig too profitable to refuse, he figure it’s the perfect opportunity to get the price off his head and his life back to normal.

But this is New Haven, where it rains every day and every night the dark and desperate haunt the foggy streets. It’s a melting pot of slick men and cool dames, hard gangsters and smooth players. There are secrets buried in th...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Brian Wilkerson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bard Constantine asked me to review his novel "Trouble Shooter". Being a detective story I was about to tell him 'no' but the detective lives in a science fiction setting and his request was superb so I agreed. I'm glad I did. "Trouble Shooter" delivers on several levels.

The first of which is character. The protagonist, Mick Trubble, has a vivid personality. He doesn't take himself or anything else too seriously yet still plays for keeps. It was a joy to read him narrate this adventure. Even be...more Bard Constantine asked me to review his novel "Trouble Shooter". Being a detective story I was about to tell him 'no' but the detective lives in a science fiction setting and his request was superb so I agreed. I'm glad I did. "Trouble Shooter" delivers on several levels.

The first of which is character. The protagonist, Mick Trubble, has a vivid personality. He doesn't take himself or anything else too seriously yet still plays for keeps. It was a joy to read him narrate this adventure. Even better, his personality being this way is perhaps the most critical plot point in the story. On the flip side, other characters do not receive the same develop. This story is told by Trubble and so the other characters are filtered through him, which does more to develop his own character than theirs. They're good characters and I liked them (especially Poddar's friend, Rob) but they're overshadowed by the first person protagonist;an understandable flaw.

The second is the plot. This plot has more twists and dark secrets than a New Haven politician. Revelation follows Revelation like an onion with the same eye-widening effect. While this works well for page turning it sometimes feels as though Trubble is bouncing from one informant to another with a fight in between. Thankfully Mr. Constantine adds other events to prevent this pattern from gaining a stranglehold on the narrative. The other problem with the plot is re-read value: thrillers rely on suspense and plot twists which disappear after the first read. Again, Mr. Constantine provides another lure: Trubble's narration adds charm to narration that would otherwise be quite bland.

This is the start of a prospective series yet the book's conflict is resolved. That's huge for me. I love it when authors resolve a book's plot while leaving the door open for more adventures. The ending is very satisfying. I'd go as far as say it's my favorite part of the story.

The third is setting. Mr.Constantine knows how this world works and what it looks like etc. I always appreciate that in a story and that kind of effort in an author. The problem is the first person narration. Personally, I don't like first person narration because it doesn't make sense for someone to narrate the setting or their continuous thought pattern. "Who are they talking to?" Without a justification like a frame narrative or intentional fourth wall breaking, it simply doesn't make sense.

One thing about the setting I should definitely mention is the dialect. There's a glossary up front up front for terms used in the book and what they mean. 'bought the farm'=die and 'berries' is slang for 'money'. On one hand I liked this because it added to the setting but on the other it was occasionally confusing and I had to return to the glossary.

Trickster Eric Novels gives "Trouble Shooter" a B+. Understandable flaws are still flaws.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Will rated it 3 of 5 stars

Now listen good, you ugly mugs–this here is a review of a book going by the name of The Troubleshooter. Subtitle? Well that’d be New Haven Blues, no relation to Connecticut if that’s what your beancan is pondering. It just happens to be the story of a private dick with the name Mick Truble, and how he travels the mean streets of the far future, cracking off lead and putting the moves on beautiful dames in a tangled stumper of a caper.

Cough, excuse me, must have had something in my throat; too ma...more Now listen good, you ugly mugs–this here is a review of a book going by the name of The Troubleshooter. Subtitle? Well that’d be New Haven Blues, no relation to Connecticut if that’s what your beancan is pondering. It just happens to be the story of a private dick with the name Mick Truble, and how he travels the mean streets of the far future, cracking off lead and putting the moves on beautiful dames in a tangled stumper of a caper.

Cough, excuse me, must have had something in my throat; too many unfiltered cigarettes, I guess.

The Troubleshooter is told in first person perspective though the eyes of Mick, who at the outset is offered a case with high enough pay to get him out of debt with the Russian mob. What happens next involves plenty of noir staples–seedy nightclubs, gangsters, and more gun battles than you can shake a fedora at. Mick begins by chasing a MacGuffin called “the leg,” although his quest eventually shifts to intercepting some lightly-explained technological doohickey with the power to save the entire yadda yadda. More guns are fired, buildings explode, and many things turn out not to be what they seem, incidentally leading to a flashback that shows an event which we’ve already been told all the details of (whoops).

Really though, it doesn’t make much of a difference whether Mick was trying to find a super-powerful techno-artifact or a Maltese falcon or anything else. This book will likely appeal to those with an affinity for hard-boiled old-time detective novels (at several points, Mick waxes nostalgic about the merits of cars shaped like Duesenbergs and six-shot revolvers), and the sci-fi setting, especially in the first half, is almost incidental. But the good news is that Constantine’s writing is clever and readable, and doesn’t take itself too seriously; Mick’s sense of humor is evident in the form of many, many one-liners, most of which made me chuckle while only some made me roll my eyes and groan. The plot whizzes by with plenty of action, and I really liked the twists and thought the ending was well done.

The trouble (Truble?) is, Mr. Constantine has a bad habit of dropping information about characters and surroundings in the form of expository paragraphs. While this can sometimes help by moving the plot forward quickly (and hey, maybe Mick just happened to be thinking of New Haven’s power shortages, or having an internal narration about the socioeconomic conditions of a neighborhood he’s been in hundreds of times), the paper-thin supporting characters decidedly do not. In particular, Mick’s two comrades-in-arms, Poddar and Rob, have the combined personality of a corpse, and the rest of the cast barely fares better. As a result, Mick is left to carry the entire story by himself, and while he pulls it off to some extent, parts of the middle felt like a drag to me; it’s tiresome to have too many gunfights in a row where we don’t care what happens to most of the participants. I would like to see Mr. Constantine continue to utilize his skills with biting, humorous prose in future works, while also focusing more on the emotional conflicts of both his heroes and villains.

Rating: Three darb bioguns hidden in a nimrod’s flogger out of five.(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Grant Gardiner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought, blogged

*Pulp Warning* My online reading is mostly epulp related and as such my opinion of a story's worth also tends to be epulp skewed. Review-reader beware :) *Pulp Warning*

Overall score: 5 stars (highly recommend)

The Troubleshooter was a joy to read. With all the zaniness you could expect for your epulp reading dime The Troubleshooter throws you into a very different world, one that is part Bladerunner, part 1930s America and then continues to heap on the weird and zany. All to the quirky, jargon-de...more *Pulp Warning* My online reading is mostly epulp related and as such my opinion of a story's worth also tends to be epulp skewed. Review-reader beware :) *Pulp Warning*

Overall score: 5 stars (highly recommend)

The Troubleshooter was a joy to read. With all the zaniness you could expect for your epulp reading dime The Troubleshooter throws you into a very different world, one that is part Bladerunner, part 1930s America and then continues to heap on the weird and zany. All to the quirky, jargon-deep voiceover of our protagonist Mick Trubble. It's fast paced and constantly confronting the reader with whacky new ideas as we follow a bad, yet fairly typical day in the life of Mick Trubble. And if you like zany epulp style sci-fi/noir shenanigans then this is definitely the story for you.

Pacing and action: 5 stars.
This story is ludicrously fast if you're watching the clock. Within the space of 24 hours Mick Trubble does an insane amount of running and gunning yet amongst it all the reader still gets a fairly comprehensive story of political intrigue. Everything from sci-fi car chases to stand offs with leather clad assassins. You will not e left wanting for action.

Pulp concept: 5 stars.
It's a little complicated but essentially the world of The Troubleshooter is retro-style dieselpunk world with a reasonably believeable justification. Don't think too hard about it, but by pulp standards it's pretty good and creates a world full of potential future adventure while giving us plenty in the present. The setup also turns out an impressive number of whacky yet cool supporting characters. And that's what good pulp does.

Character development: 4 star.
The achilles heal of pulp, when you're doing all that running and gunning the characters can often get left behind. The Troubleshooter did this better then most with a comprehensive character story that Mick Trubble himself has to uncover. It's not brilliant but we at least get a good sense of who Mick is, even if the supporting cast can be easily forgotten as characters. Bit harder to forget them as garrishly dressed hitmen though. They're definitely better as archetypes than they are as fleshed out characters. But Mick himself saves this from being 3 star.

Production: 5 star.
This thing has been editted properly (I mean spelling, grammar, formatting - everything. It's a professional product) with good cover art and nice touches like the glossary at the front. 5 star production from a genre that can often be lacking in this department.

Series potential: 4 stars.
It's definitely there. If Constantine can come up with just as many whacky characters for a sequel then this will be quite the epulp series. Fingers crossed and here's hoping.

Wrap up.
Definitely one of the best epulp stories I've had the pleasure of reading. It's quality, it's fun, it has a unique and endearing style. It leaves you wanting more. And that's good pulp.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Toubleshooter: New Haven Blues is, at its core, a gritty noir novel with a futuristic setting and a touch of pulse-pounding action. Thrust into the world of New Haven, a dystopian and depressing (yet oddly beautiful) setting, the reader is shot straight into the action. Every word chosen by the author has you on the edge of your seat, every detail precisely grafted onto the pages.

Reading almost like a movie, the reader has no problem envisioning the scenes depicited within the novel. While t...more

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May 18, 2013 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Take 30s and 40s hard-boiled noir and throw in a slab of futuristic dystopia and you have Constantine's world of New Haven. Mick Trubble is hired to track down some stolen items and he's soon in over his head as twist upon twist takes him into the deepest bowels of New Haven. Constantine paints a colorful world (by colors I mean dark and dank) where humans mix with synoids and autos mix with skimmers (see glossary at beginning of book). This is a fast paced novel - a lot of chasing and even more...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, noir

I won a copy of "The Troubleshooter, New Haven Blues", by Bard Constantine through the Goodreads Giveaway Contest.

The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues is, a action noir novel set in the future.Once I got the lingo down, I was all set for the nonstop action in this novel.There is a detective feeling in this story.Reminds me of bladerunner.Lots of humor in this novel has you laughing in the background.

Ms. Kilby's boss wants Mr. Mick Trubble to get some stolen goods back. The boss, Tommy Tsunami, is...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 C.L. Davies rated it 5 of 5 stars

As soon as I heard mention of ‘androids and synoids,’ amidst the ‘Blade Runner environment,’ I had to read this book. Only once such comparisons are made to the likes of Philip K. Dick’s enduring literary genius, expectations are high. Happily, The Troubleshooter did not disappoint.

The story is told entirely from the POV of Mick Trubble, as he sets about on a case searching for a missing leg - the tattoo on which causes it to be worth a whole load more than it’s body-part value. The action takes...more As soon as I heard mention of ‘androids and synoids,’ amidst the ‘Blade Runner environment,’ I had to read this book. Only once such comparisons are made to the likes of Philip K. Dick’s enduring literary genius, expectations are high. Happily, The Troubleshooter did not disappoint.

The story is told entirely from the POV of Mick Trubble, as he sets about on a case searching for a missing leg - the tattoo on which causes it to be worth a whole load more than it’s body-part value. The action takes place in New Haven, one of the artificial constructs designed to harbour humankind from the devastation of the Cataclysm. The Havens, however, home not only humans, but androids and synoids, some of which, through faulty remote operation, or ‘a million other variations’ achieve sentience. As we accompany Trubble on his violent and action-packed search for the leg, the reader meets many of these fascinating robots, marketed by Maxamillion Industries as ‘Not quite human, better than human.’ Constantine does such a compelling job of describing the A.I., technology, and gadgetry of his future that he would make Bond’s Q proud.

The atmosphere of the book did put me in mind of 'Bladerunner,' only without the huge advertising screens and neon lights; Constantine illustrates this dystopian future in such a way that I did indeed illustrate it in my imagination in ‘noir’ - New Haven’s streets are so harsh and gritty that they are envisioned entirely without colour. However, all is not dystopian darkness, as Constantine’s first person narrative is very amusing and clever, colouring each page – the writing often as sharp as the suited silhouette on the cover.

This short but intricate story would make one amazing movie. It takes the reader on such a fast-paced exciting ride, a rollercoaster rammed full of unique characters hurtling through a fantastically-imagined future, and ends with a mind-blowing revelation about both the Haven itself, and our charismatic narrator. I enjoyed every single page. (less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Melysah Bunting rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues by Bard Constantine is a retro-futuristic dystopian story. Mick Trubble has had a bout of bad luck you could say. He owes some dangersome people some money. Luckily, a nice skirt walks into his office and offers him a job for an amount he can't possibly turn down. Now if he can live through the ordeal.

I really like this story. I love the time period. It is like reading a 1930s crime movie. The futuristic element is compelling. There are things like synoids, me...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Brian Benson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is only the 3rd futuristic novel I have read. It is not my usual reading fare. I really did enjoy this futuristic detective/troubleshooter scenario. It was kind of like Mike Hammer in the 23rd century. The action kept moving, the characters were all solid, even the synoids. The story is even more believable when one looks at out current technology. For me, the best part was Bard's jargon. It is top rate, and alone worth the price of admission. I am looking forward to reading his next servin...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book-from-amazon

This book began as a game on Gather.com in which (with our permission, The Bard gave all of us parts), and wrote a wonderful potboiler for us.
The Troubleshooter did remove some of the things that did not fit his concept of steam punk science fiction.

I really liked it, and for the main part, he really did not change much.

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Nov 21, 2012 Matteo rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually won this book.
It's a great read, that really draws you into it's own world. I'd love to see this on the big screen.

If you're a Dieselpunk or a fan of the old gumshoe stories, you'll love this too.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Adrian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, noir, mystery

OUTSTANDING Noir novel. Shades of Bladerunner, I loved it. Recommended to me by Mark Krajnak.
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About Bard Constantine

Bard Constantine writes. If he were to die today, his autopsy would reveal a puzzling amount of words crammed into the wrinkled recesses of his brains.

His work often dwells in fantasy, science fiction, and the surreal aspects of the human mind. He writes to defy convention, spin archetypes and create new perspectives on storytelling and world building.

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“And what exactly is it that you do?"

"I do pretty much what the name implies. I shoot trouble.” — 1 person liked it

“How is that cut doing?" His tone had the perfect degree of unconcerned concern.

"Don't worry, my trigger finger is just fine.” — 1 person liked it

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