Justinthunderliger's review
The Guns of Heaven (Hard Case Crime #24) by Pete Hamill
Knowing a bit about Pete Hamill will explain this book. Son of Irish Catholic Immigrants from NY, he was a reporter for the NY Post, and covered the conflicts in Norther Ireland. What would you imagine he would write a story about if he were to write a crime-fiction novel? If you guessed something about a newspaper reporter jazz afficianado from NY involved in the Irish conflict but also with a dislike for televangelism (and perhaps religion and the inherent conflicts within), you'd be dead on. And really bored. Like I was. This marks the first misstep by Hard Case Crime. I hope it's the only one, as I have 3 more books sitting on my desk. It had some okay action sequences with a backdrop of the most boring main plot ever. Many of the paperback books I own from the 70s and 80s have cigarette ads smack dab in the middle of them. Ol' Pete here must've been gunning for that endorsement from RJ Reynolds because for some reason he mentions every cigarette brand by name-- repeatedly. If ther...more
