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Hap and Leonard #4
Bad Chili
Soyez blanc, sympa, hétéro, sans vrai boulot ni caisse de retraite et vivez au Texas, royaume du port d’armes! Hap Collins attire les ennuis. Sa nonchalance agace. À peine remis d’une aventure et le voilà mordu en plein champ par un écureuil enragé. Une mort ignoble le guette. L’hôpital va le saigner à blanc et, pour ne rien arranger, Leonard a disparu. Impossible de rester sous perfusion avec son meilleur ami dans la mouise! Homosexuel black cognant comme un bûcheron, ce dernier est accusé de meurtre. La police adore. Hap non. Debout pour que justice se fasse, il ne se contentera pas de contourner la loi, il va la piétiner...
329 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
106 people are currently reading
1361 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
821 books3,854 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
September 2, 2025
RUMBLE TUMBLE
Proprio vero: i dialoghi di Lansdale sono speciali, forse unici. La trama evolve in una certa misura attraverso le chiacchiere che la gente scambia, e quello che mi pare renda questo fluire di parole diverso e prezioso è spesso il controcanto: le interruzioni, i commenti, le deviazioni che chi dovrebbe ascoltare impone al discorso. Botta e risposta sono comunque entrambe di base molto, molto divertenti. Anche nell’uso della scatologia e derivati.
Solitamente la questione razziale è centrale nei romanzi di Lansdale: qui è messa un pochino a parte per dedicarsi più alla questione femminile e omosessuale. Sono donne e gay i bersagli della minoranza-maggioranza che silenziosa non è mai abbastanza.
Il tutto rimpannucciato in un losco traffico di snuff video.
Hap è un non violento, probabilmente il più violento non-violento che c’è: non vuole uccidere, s’è opposto alla guerra in Vietnam (alla quale invece Leonard ha partecipato), s’è rifiutato di indossare la divisa. Vorrebbe risolvere le cose con la giusta dose di botte, ma non uccidere. Però, volente o nolente, sulla loro strada qualche cadavere rimane sempre. Anche perché, squattrinati e per nulla desiderosi d’impicciarsi, finiscono per attirare i casini ed essere costretti a intervenire.
Anche perché il Texas orientale è marcio, così come il resto del mondo. Non è una condanna assoluta: Hap divide il mondo in buoni e cattivi, in brave persone e pezzi-di-merda; c’è un po’ dell’uno e un po’ dell’altro, non è tutto bianco o tutto nero.
A cominciare da loro, che sono uno bianco e uno nero.
[Il mio Lansdale #12]
Proprio vero: i dialoghi di Lansdale sono speciali, forse unici. La trama evolve in una certa misura attraverso le chiacchiere che la gente scambia, e quello che mi pare renda questo fluire di parole diverso e prezioso è spesso il controcanto: le interruzioni, i commenti, le deviazioni che chi dovrebbe ascoltare impone al discorso. Botta e risposta sono comunque entrambe di base molto, molto divertenti. Anche nell’uso della scatologia e derivati.
Solitamente la questione razziale è centrale nei romanzi di Lansdale: qui è messa un pochino a parte per dedicarsi più alla questione femminile e omosessuale. Sono donne e gay i bersagli della minoranza-maggioranza che silenziosa non è mai abbastanza.
Il tutto rimpannucciato in un losco traffico di snuff video.
Hap è un non violento, probabilmente il più violento non-violento che c’è: non vuole uccidere, s’è opposto alla guerra in Vietnam (alla quale invece Leonard ha partecipato), s’è rifiutato di indossare la divisa. Vorrebbe risolvere le cose con la giusta dose di botte, ma non uccidere. Però, volente o nolente, sulla loro strada qualche cadavere rimane sempre. Anche perché, squattrinati e per nulla desiderosi d’impicciarsi, finiscono per attirare i casini ed essere costretti a intervenire.
Anche perché il Texas orientale è marcio, così come il resto del mondo. Non è una condanna assoluta: Hap divide il mondo in buoni e cattivi, in brave persone e pezzi-di-merda; c’è un po’ dell’uno e un po’ dell’altro, non è tutto bianco o tutto nero.
A cominciare da loro, che sono uno bianco e uno nero.
[Il mio Lansdale #12]
July 15, 2016
A local biker is murdered and Leonard is the prime suspect. After being bit by a possibly rabid squirrel, Hap gets out of the hospital and starts investigating. Can Hap and Leonard escape a web of blackmail, murder, bikers, and less savory things?
My reread of the Hap and Leonard books I haven't written reviews for continues. In this, the fourth volume, Lansdale introduces a couple new characters to the Hap and Leonard mythos that will be important for years to come: Hap's hot nurse girlfriend Brett and Jim Bob Luke, the cockiest detective in the world. At least one long-running character makes his exit.
The case starts simple enough. A biker who'd been seen with Leonard's boyfriend is found shotgunned to death and all fingers point to Leonard, who goes on the lam. Hap tries to hide Leonard while figuring things out and steps in a hornet's nest of grease nappers and brutal videos of gay men getting raped.
This is the fourth Hap and Leonard book I've re-read and I'm continually shocked at how brutal the early tales were compared to the more recent ones. Even though the Lansdale humor is in full effect, I never get the feeling the guys are working with a safety net, a feeling common in series detective books.
As usual, the bad guys were pretty vile, although I wasn't sure who the true villains were for much of the book. Since I was a beardless young man the first time I read this, it was like reading a new book for the most part. The ending was pretty brutal, as a lot of Lansdale endings were in the early days. Uncle Joe sure doesn't mind putting his characters through the meat grinder.
The Hap and Leonard series continues to roll on, mojo style. Four out of five stars.
My reread of the Hap and Leonard books I haven't written reviews for continues. In this, the fourth volume, Lansdale introduces a couple new characters to the Hap and Leonard mythos that will be important for years to come: Hap's hot nurse girlfriend Brett and Jim Bob Luke, the cockiest detective in the world. At least one long-running character makes his exit.
The case starts simple enough. A biker who'd been seen with Leonard's boyfriend is found shotgunned to death and all fingers point to Leonard, who goes on the lam. Hap tries to hide Leonard while figuring things out and steps in a hornet's nest of grease nappers and brutal videos of gay men getting raped.
This is the fourth Hap and Leonard book I've re-read and I'm continually shocked at how brutal the early tales were compared to the more recent ones. Even though the Lansdale humor is in full effect, I never get the feeling the guys are working with a safety net, a feeling common in series detective books.
As usual, the bad guys were pretty vile, although I wasn't sure who the true villains were for much of the book. Since I was a beardless young man the first time I read this, it was like reading a new book for the most part. The ending was pretty brutal, as a lot of Lansdale endings were in the early days. Uncle Joe sure doesn't mind putting his characters through the meat grinder.
The Hap and Leonard series continues to roll on, mojo style. Four out of five stars.
September 9, 2025
4.5 Stars.
As to be expected, Hap and Leonard provide the perfect mixture of riotous satire, mystery, and thrills. One minute I am bursting out laughing and the next my jaw is dropped in disbelief at the gruesome bloodshed suddenly and shockingly being confronted.
The shocks are relentless, and nothing is ever as it seems. The ending can be best described as the ultimate twister.
Narrator Phil Gigante made if impossible for me not to become invested in each and every one of these charismatic and multidimensional characters. His accents and dialects are masterful. Many accolades.
As to be expected, Hap and Leonard provide the perfect mixture of riotous satire, mystery, and thrills. One minute I am bursting out laughing and the next my jaw is dropped in disbelief at the gruesome bloodshed suddenly and shockingly being confronted.
The shocks are relentless, and nothing is ever as it seems. The ending can be best described as the ultimate twister.
Narrator Phil Gigante made if impossible for me not to become invested in each and every one of these charismatic and multidimensional characters. His accents and dialects are masterful. Many accolades.
March 31, 2016
Hap returns home from working a gig on an oil rig and is promptly attacked by a rabid squirrel. Thanks to crappy insurance and a grumpy doctor he has to stay in the hospital in order to get his rabies shots paid for. While Hap is left to the mercy of the American health care system his best friend Leonard has been having problems with his boyfriend, Raul. Raul has been two-timing him with a biker, and it’s made Leonard so angry that he’s doing crazy things like beating the biker with a broom handle and shooting up bars and motorcycles. When the biker turns up dead and Raul is missing, Leonard is naturally the prime suspect.
But it isn‘t all bad news. Hap has met a hot foul-mouthed red-headed nurse named Brett, and they’ve taken a shine to each other. Once upon a time, Brett dealt with an abusive ex-husband by hitting him in the head with a shovel and setting his hair on fire. Hap may have found true love.
This was the first book by Lansdale I ever read and with the opening chapter that details the squirrel attack on Hap, I laughed so hard that I thought I did myself permanent injury. I knew then that I was going to a Joe Lansdale fan for life, and he hasn’t let me down since. This is probably still my favorite Hap & Leonard novel. Like the others books, it’s obscene, violent, politically incorrect and one of the funniest things you’ll ever read.
But it isn‘t all bad news. Hap has met a hot foul-mouthed red-headed nurse named Brett, and they’ve taken a shine to each other. Once upon a time, Brett dealt with an abusive ex-husband by hitting him in the head with a shovel and setting his hair on fire. Hap may have found true love.
This was the first book by Lansdale I ever read and with the opening chapter that details the squirrel attack on Hap, I laughed so hard that I thought I did myself permanent injury. I knew then that I was going to a Joe Lansdale fan for life, and he hasn’t let me down since. This is probably still my favorite Hap & Leonard novel. Like the others books, it’s obscene, violent, politically incorrect and one of the funniest things you’ll ever read.
July 9, 2022
4.5⭐'s
"Life's like a bowl of chili in a strange café. Sometimes it's pretty tasty and spicy. Other times, it tastes like shit."
Initial Thoughts
So you want a bowl of red hot chilli East Texas style? Then look no further than Joe Lansdale's superb Hap and Leonard as he's serving up some of the finest redneck noir that you can get your hands on. There's comedy, violence and intrigue in equal measures that should satisfy your appetite, but like all good meals leave you wanting a second helping.
"Champion" Joe Lansdale has quickly become one of my go to authors. Particularly when I'm in the mood for some high action comedy that's written in a fantastically engaging style. He's a superb storyteller and although his prose arn't high end literature, they put you right there in the moment. Exactly where you want to be. Plus his sense of humour is just perfect for me and literally has me pissing in my pants. It's always a busy laundry day in my house when I'm reading Lansdale.
"This one was a Ford Mustang. When I was in high school I had wanted one of those. Thought I’d die if I didn’t get one. I didn’t get one and I was still living."
Bad Chilli is the fourth book in a series that just keeps getting better and better. Two Bear Mambo was the last book and I gave that one five stars. I'm going to assume you've read the previous three books. If you haven't do it now with a nice jug of moonshine to put you in the mood. What I will say is that after the first book, Savage Season, the series takes off in a big way. So if you get any enjoyment out of that first book you have to stick with it.
Would this one live up to the lofty standards set in those previous entries? I was certainly hoping so and at the very least expecting another entertaining outing from the main men as they no doubt landed themselves in a whole heap of trouble while trying to help those nearest and dearest to them.
The Story
The story begins with Hap and Leonard chilling in a very scenic location out in the sticks when out of nowhere they're attacked by a rabid squirrel. The crazy critter chases the pair around, ultimately biting Hap and sending him on a swift trip to the hospital where, Hap being Hap, he meets a bombshell of a nurse and romance ensues.
In the meantime his best friend Leonard Pine lands himself in some pretty serious trouble, because he's good at that, and is now missing. Having recently been ditched by his hot, young lover Raul and after letting his fists do the talking down at the local biker bar Leonard has mysteriously disappeared right smack in the middle of a muder/mystery. A mystery that Hap is going to get right to the bottom of right after he's got the phone number of the hot nurse.
That's the set up in a nutshell but there's far more to this one than meets the eye and it does take you to some dark places while never loosing it's entertaining edge. Let's just say it had me invested right from the start and I honestly can't remember laughing so much in an opening chapter in my life.
The Writing
As with all Lansdale books, the plots are always extremely captivating but the true reward is in his cool as ice prose and the way he dissects life, while injecting that hilarious dialogue with his own brand of Southern flavour. Be warned that his books contain some vile characters and the language is very adult. Then there's more over the top stomach churning violence than you can shake a stick at. But for me, that's half the fun.
Bad Chili, like the author, never takes itself too seriously and within that lies the beauty. Lansdale can ramp up that tension and dig our heroes into a hole, and just when things couldn't get any worse he injects some of that trademark infectious humour that creates a balance of emotion in the narrative. Hap and Leonard are always cracking jokes even in the darkest of times.
"Hippocrates never had to deal with some of the assholes I deal with. He did, he’d have shoved that oath up their ass.”
The pacing never drops and as a result I never once lost interest in where this story was headed. The skill it takes to keep a reader engaged emotionally as well as intellectually cannot be underestimated.
The Characters
Ok so Lansdale's writing is awesome, but I thought this show was all about the characters? Well that's true. Characters can make or break a story and in this series boy do they make it!
Lansdale is a master at creating flawed characters that are so realistic you begin to think of them as real people. That's particularly true with the two main characters of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. These are guys I would hangout with, play some pool, drink some beers and shoot the shit with. They really are great guys. A little rough around the edges but stand up hombres nonetheless.
The thing thing with Lansdale is that his stories focus on how these fantastic characters react to the events taking place as much as the events themselves. This allowed me to really see what makes them tick, relate to them and ultimately become invested in them. Plus he always manages to incorporate some unique and amusing personal qualities that makes them really memorable. Like newly appointed Sheriff Charlie Blank's shadow puppet routine.
The addition of Brett Sawyer as Hap's new love interest was an excellent move. She provided plenty of sexual innuendos as well as providing an avenue into different aspects of his character that I hadn't seen before. But that's not all as we have the introduction of ace private detective Jim Bob Luke (who's good enough to have a series of his own) and one of the biggest, baddest villains you're ever going to come across. It's nothing but top marks for this set of characters.
"Good and evil. Most of the time it was a mixture. That’s what made it so hard. You couldn’t generalize and be a thinker. There were assholes on both sides of the coin, but there were good people shouldering bad breaks as well."
Final Thoughts
So all in all I loved Bad Chilli. As with all the novels in this series, it's never the most complex plot but the experience is absolutely first rate. I can honestly not think of another time I've laughed so much during the first four pages of a book. And this level of humour is consistently there throughout with the backwards and forwards banter between the characters and the unenviable positions they find themselves in.
Was it as good as the last book, Two Bear Mambo? Not quite, but it was very close and as a result a 4.5 stars that's well deserved. This writer continues to demonstrate his knack for crafting page turners full of Southern charm, wit and violence. This series is certainly spicing up my life and adding a lot of fun. My biggest reaction upon finishing was sadness that I had reached the end, followed by the joy that there are many more books left for me.
I’m invested and all in with Hap and Leonard. Next up Rumble Tumble. Thanks for reading. Cheers!
November 26, 2021
Bad Chili
Hap & Leonard Book 4
Joe R. Lansdale
In a classic Lansdale move, Bad Chili begins with Hap & Leonard giving each other shit. These two get roasted!
A rabid squirrel jumps out of nowhere and chases the men around, ultimately biting Hap which sends him to the ER. He meets a bombshell woman with red hair and a no-bullshit attitude (because of course he does!).
Things take a sharp turn when he learns that his best friend is in some pretty serious trouble and is now missing.
Bad Chili doesn’t take itself too seriously. Hap and Leonard are always cracking wise, even in the darkest of times which keeps the reader at peak levels of entertainment. Hap’s new girl, Brett invites all kinds of sexual innuendos and flirty banter giving fans even more insight to Hap’s character as Lansdale continues to develop our duo into fully formed, flawed heroes.
"Life's like a bowl of chili in a strange café. Sometimes it's pretty tasty and spicy. Other times, it tastes like shit."
This is one of my favorites because it had a gentle, lighthearted touch, for the most part-a nice reprieve from the relentless mayhem of the previous three. But if book 5 totally goes there, I’m ready to buckle up and go for the ride. I’m invested. All in with this series.
Hap & Leonard Book 4
Joe R. Lansdale
In a classic Lansdale move, Bad Chili begins with Hap & Leonard giving each other shit. These two get roasted!
A rabid squirrel jumps out of nowhere and chases the men around, ultimately biting Hap which sends him to the ER. He meets a bombshell woman with red hair and a no-bullshit attitude (because of course he does!).
Things take a sharp turn when he learns that his best friend is in some pretty serious trouble and is now missing.
Bad Chili doesn’t take itself too seriously. Hap and Leonard are always cracking wise, even in the darkest of times which keeps the reader at peak levels of entertainment. Hap’s new girl, Brett invites all kinds of sexual innuendos and flirty banter giving fans even more insight to Hap’s character as Lansdale continues to develop our duo into fully formed, flawed heroes.
"Life's like a bowl of chili in a strange café. Sometimes it's pretty tasty and spicy. Other times, it tastes like shit."
This is one of my favorites because it had a gentle, lighthearted touch, for the most part-a nice reprieve from the relentless mayhem of the previous three. But if book 5 totally goes there, I’m ready to buckle up and go for the ride. I’m invested. All in with this series.
January 12, 2016
I started reading this series earlier this year, but Hap and Leonard already feel like a couple of old friends! In this wild installment, while Hap is stuck in the hospital awaiting rabies shots after a run-in with a crazed squirrel and shitty health insurance, he discovers that not only has Leonard gone missing, but Leonard is also the lead suspect in the murder of Horse Dick McNee, a biker that stole his boyfriend Raul. In his quest to clear Leonard of Horse Dick's murder, he will discover a plot to steal grease from restaurants, meet a new love in his life, and risk forfeiting what measly insurance he has!
"The Sound of Music, I'd rather have my dick nailed to a burning building than have to sit through that shit again, and I don't care if the popcorn is free and you're giving me each bite with your vagina."This just might be the funniest book of the series so far. The opening chapter of the squirrel attack, the section with the job interview at the chicken-processing plant, or anything involving Charlie Blank, are just some of the sections in this one that caused some serious out-loud laughter. But, this one isn't just all chuckles and political-incorrectness. It's also just as violent and menacing as the others, with some really stomach-churning bodily-harm this time. I also love the network of friends that Hap and Leonard are managing to collect; the supporting characters are just as entertaining as the two stars themselves. I'm happy that Hap has met the dirty-mouthed, kind-hearted nympho Brett, who seems to be a perfect match for love-lorn Hap ( "She had legs that would have made the Pope abuse himself in the Vatican toilet." ). Hopefully we see more of her, as well as more of the private dick Jim Bob Luke. And as usual, the book is filled with Lansdale's pitch perfect prose and genuinely insightful looks at life that really help to balance these stories, making for some entertaining reading!
Life's like a bowl of chili in a strange café. Sometimes it's pretty tasty and spicy. Other times, it tastes like shit.
November 11, 2023
4 Stars for Bad Chili: Hap and Leonard, Book 4 (audiobook) by Joe R. Lansdale read by Phil Gigante.
This was a crazy roller coaster of irreverent humor and wonderfully crazy characters. The author has a gift for coming up with bizarre situations in the most deadpan way.
This was a crazy roller coaster of irreverent humor and wonderfully crazy characters. The author has a gift for coming up with bizarre situations in the most deadpan way.
December 16, 2024
Another nice romp in the world of Hap and Leonard by Lansdale. You have to have a pretty thick skin to really enjoy these as Lansdale deftly subverts most ideas of PC violently, but using his trademark dark humor in doing so. These are books people will either love or hate, so YMMV!
This starts off with Hap just returning to town after a stint working offshore on some rigs. On his first day back, Hap and Leonard go plinking by the woods when Hap gets attacked by a rabid squirrel. Jeez! He finds out his health insurance sucks (imagine!), but will get more coverage if he stays in the hospital between rabies shots, so he does so, at least at first. Then, he finds out Leonard has disappeared, and worse, his ex-boyfriend's new lover got offed with a shotgun. The same day they found 'Horse Dick's' body, Leonard went into a biker bar to confront him and fucked him up some. He also pulled out a gun on the bikers and split. Well, the bikers gave chase and now Leonard is missing. Worse, he is the lead suspect regarding the offed biker. What kind of mess did Hap and Leonard end up with here?
I really liked this installment, more so than the last one. I feel this series is picking up steam as it progresses-- something not too common for sure. 4 Bad Chili stars!
This starts off with Hap just returning to town after a stint working offshore on some rigs. On his first day back, Hap and Leonard go plinking by the woods when Hap gets attacked by a rabid squirrel. Jeez! He finds out his health insurance sucks (imagine!), but will get more coverage if he stays in the hospital between rabies shots, so he does so, at least at first. Then, he finds out Leonard has disappeared, and worse, his ex-boyfriend's new lover got offed with a shotgun. The same day they found 'Horse Dick's' body, Leonard went into a biker bar to confront him and fucked him up some. He also pulled out a gun on the bikers and split. Well, the bikers gave chase and now Leonard is missing. Worse, he is the lead suspect regarding the offed biker. What kind of mess did Hap and Leonard end up with here?
I really liked this installment, more so than the last one. I feel this series is picking up steam as it progresses-- something not too common for sure. 4 Bad Chili stars!
September 15, 2016
Hap getting hospitalised by a squirrel and a dodgy combination of insurance companies might be one of the all time most original setups for a crime novel. At least that I've read. It sets the tone for both hilarity and violence and Lansdale follows it up with so many great moments like it in the first half that it pushes the weaker second half through its slow and repetitive patches before a shotgun death or two electroshocks it back in to top gear, proving once more that these two guys in the hands of their talented creator are crime fiction entertainment of the highest order.
June 16, 2010
This is another politically uncorrect wacky mystery featuring best friends Hap and Leonard. Hap is an everyman sort of slacker guy and Leonard is a big, tough black guy who happens to like men. Hap and Leonard love each other like brothers and are the unlikeliest of friends and their friendship has survived longer than any of their previous relationships. They are hilarious together, especially in this book which, thankfully, isn’t quite as dark as “Two Bear Mambo, though it has its dark moments (dog lovers beware).
Things start off when Hap is bit by a rabid squirrel. He has such shitty health insurance (I hear ya, Hap) that he has to get admitted in order to get his shots paid for so he doesn’t turn all bitey and dangerous. But he’s met a sexy nurse who hopes to give him his next round of shots in the bum so it’s not all so bad. Meanwhile Leonard’s boyfriend Raul has left him for a biker dude and Leonard is on a rampage. When a biker turns up “all headless horseman like” all eyes are on Leonard who has mysteriously disappeared. So once again Hap (and Leonard) end up knee deep in a mystery filled with a colorful cast of foul-mouthed characters. This one involves grease stealing and an underground group who are making a bundle selling videos of atrocious attacks on gay men.
Lansdale is such a naughty writer and doesn’t seem to care who he offends. But his humor is funny and doesn’t come across as mean-spirited so you can’t help but laugh as he pokes fun at his characters, their sexual habits, appearance and/or lack of brains. There’s a lot of sex talk, bad words and unforgettable characters here and as crazy as it all gets there are a few downright sweet moments too. This is one of my favorites in the Hap and Leonard series.
Things start off when Hap is bit by a rabid squirrel. He has such shitty health insurance (I hear ya, Hap) that he has to get admitted in order to get his shots paid for so he doesn’t turn all bitey and dangerous. But he’s met a sexy nurse who hopes to give him his next round of shots in the bum so it’s not all so bad. Meanwhile Leonard’s boyfriend Raul has left him for a biker dude and Leonard is on a rampage. When a biker turns up “all headless horseman like” all eyes are on Leonard who has mysteriously disappeared. So once again Hap (and Leonard) end up knee deep in a mystery filled with a colorful cast of foul-mouthed characters. This one involves grease stealing and an underground group who are making a bundle selling videos of atrocious attacks on gay men.
Lansdale is such a naughty writer and doesn’t seem to care who he offends. But his humor is funny and doesn’t come across as mean-spirited so you can’t help but laugh as he pokes fun at his characters, their sexual habits, appearance and/or lack of brains. There’s a lot of sex talk, bad words and unforgettable characters here and as crazy as it all gets there are a few downright sweet moments too. This is one of my favorites in the Hap and Leonard series.
April 3, 2025
Mr Lansdale smashes it out of the park again with this brilliant crime novel. Hap gets bitten by a rabid squirrel and ends up in the hospital. Once he is released, he finds out Leonard went on a violent rampage at a biker bar and is a suspect for murder. What follows is an investigation into gay bashings, ex wrestler hitmen, corrupt police chiefs, and potty mouthed nurses with a past. It's a great time and like returning to old friends. A bit less humor in this one compared to previous installments but doesn't take away from it.
November 10, 2024
Amply Sufficient, around 3 Stars worth.
March 7, 2024
Much to my surprise, #4 in the Hap & Leonard series represents something of a turnaround / return to form after #3 - which I generally liked but which also left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
Here, the element of surprise consists of a somewhat-cunning combo of scaling back (in terms of outlandishness - except for the OTT final chapter; good Lord!) and upping the ante (in terms of characterization, esp. of secondary characters).
It's a bit of a subtle stew this time out, and I doubt many would generally ever refer to Lansdale as subtle. Here, the author also seems to indulge in the art of throwing the reader off the scent of expectation. I felt that a few times - once, near the end, quite significantly.
Even though Leonard appears to be on the back burner a bit this time out, the subject of homosexuaity (least of all Leonard's) is pushed front and center, simmering-to-overflow in cauldrons of black market stalk-and-rape videos, undercover police work and toxic mainstream masculinity (sometimes parading as 'gay for pay'... or just to keep your job).
If the opening sequence - involving a rabid (and uniquely charged) squirrel - isn't enough to make you squirm, the way that Hap is ultimately (and intimately) tortured will be. Not to mention Big Man Mountain - a sort-of non-alien Terminator.
In the nurse character of Brett, Hap is afforded his most sympathetic (though certainly full-throttle) girlfriend so far. (She's a hoot, and has *she* got a backstory!) As an extra bonus, 2/3-through the book, readers familiar with Lansdale's non-series work get a reunion treat in the reappearance of jovial P.I. Jim Bob Luke (who, eight years earlier, figured prominently in 'Cold in July').
I esp. like the way Lansdale takes the chilllng opening of the book, puts its primary punch in the book's 'back pocket' for most of the read, only to dovetail it cleverly into the novel's rousing conclusion.
Although admitting it doesn't erase the feeling of needing a shower for residual grime, this may be the series entry that has engaged me the most... heatedly... so far. (Good thing, as always, that Lansdale also kept flying with the jokes, cause the nastiness in this novel really needs the balance.)
As I may have said somewhere before about a genre book like this... slapping it with a 5-star rating doesn't have to mean it's great literature; it can be quite-enough that it's crackerjack storytelling.
Here, the element of surprise consists of a somewhat-cunning combo of scaling back (in terms of outlandishness - except for the OTT final chapter; good Lord!) and upping the ante (in terms of characterization, esp. of secondary characters).
It's a bit of a subtle stew this time out, and I doubt many would generally ever refer to Lansdale as subtle. Here, the author also seems to indulge in the art of throwing the reader off the scent of expectation. I felt that a few times - once, near the end, quite significantly.
Even though Leonard appears to be on the back burner a bit this time out, the subject of homosexuaity (least of all Leonard's) is pushed front and center, simmering-to-overflow in cauldrons of black market stalk-and-rape videos, undercover police work and toxic mainstream masculinity (sometimes parading as 'gay for pay'... or just to keep your job).
If the opening sequence - involving a rabid (and uniquely charged) squirrel - isn't enough to make you squirm, the way that Hap is ultimately (and intimately) tortured will be. Not to mention Big Man Mountain - a sort-of non-alien Terminator.
In the nurse character of Brett, Hap is afforded his most sympathetic (though certainly full-throttle) girlfriend so far. (She's a hoot, and has *she* got a backstory!) As an extra bonus, 2/3-through the book, readers familiar with Lansdale's non-series work get a reunion treat in the reappearance of jovial P.I. Jim Bob Luke (who, eight years earlier, figured prominently in 'Cold in July').
I esp. like the way Lansdale takes the chilllng opening of the book, puts its primary punch in the book's 'back pocket' for most of the read, only to dovetail it cleverly into the novel's rousing conclusion.
Although admitting it doesn't erase the feeling of needing a shower for residual grime, this may be the series entry that has engaged me the most... heatedly... so far. (Good thing, as always, that Lansdale also kept flying with the jokes, cause the nastiness in this novel really needs the balance.)
As I may have said somewhere before about a genre book like this... slapping it with a 5-star rating doesn't have to mean it's great literature; it can be quite-enough that it's crackerjack storytelling.
July 17, 2020
Total abgefahren
»Das Leben ist wie ein Teller Chili in einem unbekannten Café. Manchmal ist es lecker und scharf. Ab und zu schmeckt es wie Scheiße.«
Kaum ist Hap wieder von seinem Job auf einer Bohrinsel zurück, schon tischt ihm das Leben einen ebensolchen Teller schlechtes Chili auf. Nach einer ziemlich derben Auseinandersetzung mit einem tollwütigen Eichhörnchen muss er also das Krankenhausbett hüten als sein bester Freund Leonard plötzlich spurlos verschwindet und dann auch noch unter Mordverdacht gerät. Vorbei ist es mit den guten Absichten, ein anständiges und geregeltes Leben zu führen, denn nun gilt es natürlich seinem Kumpel aus der Misere zu helfen. Doch dieser Weg ist steinig und gepflastert mit toten Bikern, Fettdieben, einem ehemaligen Profiwrestler und ganz üblen Sadisten, die es auf Homosexuelle abgesehen haben. Nur einen Lichtblick gibt es in diesem ganzen Chaos und das ist die taffe Krankenschwester Brett, die ganz offenbar ein Auge auf Hap geworfen hat.
Klingt abgefahren und ist es natürlich auch, schließlich sprechen wir hier über Joe R. Lansdale und seine beiden Hobby-Detektive Hap & Leonard. Band 4 der Reihe steht den Vorgängern in Nichts nach, außer dass es noch derber zugeht – inhaltlich wie sprachlich. Wer damit nicht klarkommt, für den ist diese Story (und wohl auch die Reihe) definitiv nichts. Zartbesaitete und Schöngeister dürften hier arge Probleme haben. Alle die, die mit pechschwarzem Humor, derbem Wortwitz und Sprachstil sowie brutalen und manchmal auch ekligen Szenen umgehen können, werden insgesamt wieder einmal hervorragend in typischer Lansdale-Manier unterhalten werden.
Lansdale liefert aber nicht nur eine abgedrehte Story, die sich bestens auf der Leinwand machen würde (am besten von Tarantino verfilmt), er schlägt auch wieder gewohnt ernste Töne an, übt zwischen den Zeilen Kritik am System, Intoleranz und hebt einmal mehr die Freundschaft und den Zusammenhalt aufs Podest. Und auch der Liebe lässt er Raum – ein wenig und ganz unaufdringlich (Hap versau es nicht!). Ach ja und da ist auch noch etwas: Humor. Ganz besonders der Sinn für Situationskomik und teuflisch gute Dialoge macht »Schlechtes Chili« so überaus bekömmlich. Wir lesen uns schon bald wieder und ich freu mich drauf!
»Das Leben ist wie ein Teller Chili in einem unbekannten Café. Manchmal ist es lecker und scharf. Ab und zu schmeckt es wie Scheiße.«
Kaum ist Hap wieder von seinem Job auf einer Bohrinsel zurück, schon tischt ihm das Leben einen ebensolchen Teller schlechtes Chili auf. Nach einer ziemlich derben Auseinandersetzung mit einem tollwütigen Eichhörnchen muss er also das Krankenhausbett hüten als sein bester Freund Leonard plötzlich spurlos verschwindet und dann auch noch unter Mordverdacht gerät. Vorbei ist es mit den guten Absichten, ein anständiges und geregeltes Leben zu führen, denn nun gilt es natürlich seinem Kumpel aus der Misere zu helfen. Doch dieser Weg ist steinig und gepflastert mit toten Bikern, Fettdieben, einem ehemaligen Profiwrestler und ganz üblen Sadisten, die es auf Homosexuelle abgesehen haben. Nur einen Lichtblick gibt es in diesem ganzen Chaos und das ist die taffe Krankenschwester Brett, die ganz offenbar ein Auge auf Hap geworfen hat.
Klingt abgefahren und ist es natürlich auch, schließlich sprechen wir hier über Joe R. Lansdale und seine beiden Hobby-Detektive Hap & Leonard. Band 4 der Reihe steht den Vorgängern in Nichts nach, außer dass es noch derber zugeht – inhaltlich wie sprachlich. Wer damit nicht klarkommt, für den ist diese Story (und wohl auch die Reihe) definitiv nichts. Zartbesaitete und Schöngeister dürften hier arge Probleme haben. Alle die, die mit pechschwarzem Humor, derbem Wortwitz und Sprachstil sowie brutalen und manchmal auch ekligen Szenen umgehen können, werden insgesamt wieder einmal hervorragend in typischer Lansdale-Manier unterhalten werden.
Lansdale liefert aber nicht nur eine abgedrehte Story, die sich bestens auf der Leinwand machen würde (am besten von Tarantino verfilmt), er schlägt auch wieder gewohnt ernste Töne an, übt zwischen den Zeilen Kritik am System, Intoleranz und hebt einmal mehr die Freundschaft und den Zusammenhalt aufs Podest. Und auch der Liebe lässt er Raum – ein wenig und ganz unaufdringlich (Hap versau es nicht!). Ach ja und da ist auch noch etwas: Humor. Ganz besonders der Sinn für Situationskomik und teuflisch gute Dialoge macht »Schlechtes Chili« so überaus bekömmlich. Wir lesen uns schon bald wieder und ich freu mich drauf!
July 18, 2017
The 4th book in the Hap & Leonard series, and I’m thinking to myself, what makes these novels so readable? Sure, they’re heavy on the action and violence, and they dip their toes in humor quite a bit, but that can’t just be it, can it? Because, in contrast, there are plenty of quiet, calm, human moments too, conversations, slices of crusty, small-town East Texas so vividly painted, they’re basically real. Yes, these books are EVEN. That’s the word I’m looking for! The story unfolds easily and naturally, as natural as if I (or you) were the one experiencing it, and all the twists and turns that befall the titular heroes are dealt with in relatable ways by relatable people, even when the things happening start to veer into the over-the-top or fantastic. It’s a true testament to storytelling, with no cheap tricks or gimmicks to hook you, just simple prose and great characters and a compelling plot. Another winning book in a winning series.
March 23, 2025
Another solid outing for our favourite Texas degenerates, although this one took a little longer to hook me than the others in the series thus far. Don't get me wrong, it's immediately hilarious from the opening scene, and a good time hanging out with our buddies, but the plot to this fourth entry felt a little unfocused to me. Hap gets a new lady friend who seems like a great addition to our regular cast of weirdos, and I'm hoping she'll stick around, and there's a new private eye character who's equally entertaining, but the main action takes awhile to get going. The last third of the book gets pretty exciting though and redeems to me what was merely an ok instalment, and brings it up to a respectable 4 stars.
July 19, 2009
I am somewhat relieved that this fourth book of the Hap and Leonard series returns to the hilarious wit of the first two books. That isn't to say Lansdale lets go of the blood and grit that is liberally splattered through the other novels. And the author keeps his realistic if cynical outlook on life intact as relayed by the idealistic Hap and the pessimistic Leonard. But after all that, Bad Chili is mainly side-splitting funny. Just read the first 15 pages regarding a berserk squirrel and its aftermath and you will know what I mean. Leonard's lover Raul has split again and taken up with a biker who is found dead and headless and the main suspect is Leonard himself. Hap, as usual, comes to the rescue even though he's in the hospital doing a rabies vaccine series and meeting a new girl friend who just might not leave him or end up dead. What? You don't think that's funny. In Lansdale's hands it is frigging hilarious. But every Hap and Leonard novel should come with a warning sticker reading "NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH OR POLITICALLY CORRECT!!!.
February 15, 2019
If you want an irreverent, crazy, fast read, Hap and Leonard provide it. Squirrels, tornadoes, nurses, rabies, shotguns...
December 14, 2020
joe lansdale makes writing taut, compulsively readable suspense novels look so easy. the remarkable thing about his books is they almost never have any fat hanging around: they’re lean and mean, especially the hap & leonard novels.
bad chili is the fourth book in the series, and offers up the same sort of twisty thrills seen in the first three. unfortunately, however, i didn’t find myself quite as engaged in the mystery and i found the plot to be a bit too convoluted for its own good by the book’s end, but i still had a blast. this is lansdale, after all! this story is equal parts horrific and hilarious, suspenseful and engaging.
every time i finish another lansdale novel i feel a little sad knowing it’s one less book of his i can’t experience for the first time, again, but luckily he’s still writing and publishing at an admirable clip. and i still have so many h&p books to read.
bad chili is the fourth book in the series, and offers up the same sort of twisty thrills seen in the first three. unfortunately, however, i didn’t find myself quite as engaged in the mystery and i found the plot to be a bit too convoluted for its own good by the book’s end, but i still had a blast. this is lansdale, after all! this story is equal parts horrific and hilarious, suspenseful and engaging.
every time i finish another lansdale novel i feel a little sad knowing it’s one less book of his i can’t experience for the first time, again, but luckily he’s still writing and publishing at an admirable clip. and i still have so many h&p books to read.
April 23, 2025
Setting: East Texas, USA; modern day.
This is the fourth book featuring the unlikely and zany best friends Hap and Leonard, narrated throughout in an entertaining and often irreverent manner by Hap himself.
Returning home from work on an offshore oil rig, Hap finds himself attacked by a rabid squirrel, resulting in a stay in hospital to receive antidote injections. Then Hap discovers that the new boyfriend of Leonard's former partner Raul has been murdered - and Leonard is an immediate suspect for the local police. One good outcome from Hap's stay in hospital is his meeting with nurse Brett who find a mutual attraction.....
As I have come to expect from these books, there is graphic and occasionally gratuitous violence, foul language and dirty jokes, sexual activity and a strong degree of humour and fun as the intrepid pair get involved in investigating the local chilli king for grease thefts and seek out the people behind porn videos that feature attacks on gay men. Another entertaining read in this series and I am looking forward to the next one - 9/10.
This is the fourth book featuring the unlikely and zany best friends Hap and Leonard, narrated throughout in an entertaining and often irreverent manner by Hap himself.
Returning home from work on an offshore oil rig, Hap finds himself attacked by a rabid squirrel, resulting in a stay in hospital to receive antidote injections. Then Hap discovers that the new boyfriend of Leonard's former partner Raul has been murdered - and Leonard is an immediate suspect for the local police. One good outcome from Hap's stay in hospital is his meeting with nurse Brett who find a mutual attraction.....
As I have come to expect from these books, there is graphic and occasionally gratuitous violence, foul language and dirty jokes, sexual activity and a strong degree of humour and fun as the intrepid pair get involved in investigating the local chilli king for grease thefts and seek out the people behind porn videos that feature attacks on gay men. Another entertaining read in this series and I am looking forward to the next one - 9/10.
March 7, 2019
Pulpiest, wackiest, most outrageous one yet.
June 7, 2023
Benché abbia affrontato tematiche dure e difficili, leggerlo è stato un piacere! Decisamente più scorrevole del precedente, più belle le battute tra tutti i personaggi. Anche i personaggi stessi, duri, tosti, avevamo uno spirito più positivo
January 18, 2022
Hap and Leonard are undeniably two of my favorite characters in Literature. The smart, handy East Texans are so starkly and vividly presented to the reader as to be real, living and breathing people. Rendering characters so astutely and convincingly as Joe Lansdale does Hap Collins and Leonard Pine is a literary skill possessed of only the best. The names which come quickest to my mind are Mark Twain and Stephen King. What's more, these intense but not always tense, compact crime thrillers are expertly constructed devices with lots of moving parts, like fine literary Swiss wristwatches. And they're funny. My favorite aspect of reading a Hap and Leonard novel is getting to hang out with Hap and Leonard. I just cannot recommend this enough! You need to get your hands on one (there's a moderate amount of continuity from one installment to the next) and have fun!
February 3, 2016
The appearance at the two-thirds mark of Jim Bob Luke from Cold in July rescued this novel for me as I was getting a bit bored with all the repetitive dialog. Jim Bob as a character is an equal to Hap and Leonard and he just sent the plot and the character interactions places they couldn't have gone otherwise. The mystery these good old boys be solving takes some teasing to get it out and in the meantime Lansdale delivers some brilliant scenes of violence and a lot of dialog, most of it funny, but it does go on and on and after a while I found it tedious and wished this book had been about a third shorter, which it could have been if the extraneous dialog had been trimmed.
May 9, 2016
If there were ever a modern day Samuel Clemens, it would be Joe Lansdale. Man Joe knows how to spin a story that combines adventure, comedy, mystery, horror, and just all-around interesting characters. I really should review more of his work, but I fear I wouldn't do it justice. This is the 4th in the Hap & Leonard series, and probably my favorite so far. Love these characters, it feels like you know them personally because of how well written the stories are. Word of advice, if you are part of the easily offended or the politically correct police you probably want to stay away from these stories. Cannot wait to read book 5!
August 6, 2017
è un joe lansdale, cosa caspita aspettarsi? un giallo romantico con l'investigatore colto che scopre indizi raffinati e incastra un assassino nobile e disperato? no: linguaggio non da educande, goliardia, argomenti pesanti, omicidi e torture descritti nei minimi particolari, colpi di scena a ripetizione, soggettoni da romanzo pulp, ricchi texani viscidi e due grandissimi protagonisti.
se non ti piace una miscela così stai lontano da lansdale, ma mi spiace per te. parecchio.
se non ti piace una miscela così stai lontano da lansdale, ma mi spiace per te. parecchio.
May 22, 2017
Nothing here but more Hap & Leonard goodness. The opening has to be the funniest and most ridiculous beginnings to one of these books yet, and the plot was riveting. I fucked up and waited too long to review this one so I've already forgotten lots of details, but this was great.
April 13, 2018
"Bad Chili" is the fourth "Hap and Leonard" novel by Joe R. Lansdale. Not much is mentioned about the dire culmination of the previous novel "The Two-Bear Mambo." Between that book and this one, Hap and Leonard part ways for a while when Hap goes to work on an oil rig.
Then Hap ends up in the hospital before he's home a full day. When he gets out of the hospital, Hap finds Leonard in a real mess. Turns out that Leonard's boyfriend, Raul, has been doing him wrong with some biker guy. And when the biker turns up dead, just after Leonard gave him a good beating, trouble soon follows.
Proving Leonard's innocence is an uphill battle, especially when more bodies start falling. There are a wide variety of suspects, including a corrupt chili king (hence the title), a suspicious hairdressing academy, and a ruthless biker gang. Besides murder, there is also grease theft (which is a crime, apparently) and some truly horrible "gay bashing" pornography in the mix.
I liked this book more than I did the previous one (which was overtly grim and depressing) because Hap has a new love interest--Brett, his nurse at the hospital--and the author's writing definitely seems to perk up when Hap has a ladyfriend. Though, of course, that new ladyfriend soon finds herself mired in the swamp of Hap and Leonard's current crisis and fearing for her life.
Another new recurring character introduced here is the cowboy private detective Jim Bob Luke. He brings a lot of swagger and fun to the story. I've always pictured him as Timothy Olyphant, similar to his portrayal of Raylan Givens on the (awesome) TV show "Justified."
There is plenty of violence in Bad Chili--including a protracted torture sequence. But the balance of that violence with romance and humor are what make for the best of the Hap and Leonard novels.
Then Hap ends up in the hospital before he's home a full day. When he gets out of the hospital, Hap finds Leonard in a real mess. Turns out that Leonard's boyfriend, Raul, has been doing him wrong with some biker guy. And when the biker turns up dead, just after Leonard gave him a good beating, trouble soon follows.
Proving Leonard's innocence is an uphill battle, especially when more bodies start falling. There are a wide variety of suspects, including a corrupt chili king (hence the title), a suspicious hairdressing academy, and a ruthless biker gang. Besides murder, there is also grease theft (which is a crime, apparently) and some truly horrible "gay bashing" pornography in the mix.
I liked this book more than I did the previous one (which was overtly grim and depressing) because Hap has a new love interest--Brett, his nurse at the hospital--and the author's writing definitely seems to perk up when Hap has a ladyfriend. Though, of course, that new ladyfriend soon finds herself mired in the swamp of Hap and Leonard's current crisis and fearing for her life.
Another new recurring character introduced here is the cowboy private detective Jim Bob Luke. He brings a lot of swagger and fun to the story. I've always pictured him as Timothy Olyphant, similar to his portrayal of Raylan Givens on the (awesome) TV show "Justified."
There is plenty of violence in Bad Chili--including a protracted torture sequence. But the balance of that violence with romance and humor are what make for the best of the Hap and Leonard novels.
December 23, 2018
Hap returns from a stint working on an oil rig to find that Leonard and Raul have broken up again and Raul has taken up with a new biker boyfriend. Unfortunately that can't be all he bad new for our fearless duo. Because Raul's new boyfriend is found dead and suspicion falls on Leonard. Local cop Charlie Blank tries to help the boys out, but his hands are largely tied by the structure of local law enforcement. So the boys are thrust into a web of murder and blackmail that they are ill-equipped to handle. Just another day in the life of Hap and Leonard.
There's a lot to like in this one, though I found it a shade weaker than the previous installments. Again Hap and Leonard are thrust into detective mode...a job they aren't terribly suited for And it's nice to see the mistakes they make along the way. Hap, in particular goes off half-cocked at one point and it's nice to see Leonard be the voice of reason. Hap also takes up with a foul-mouthed nurse by the name of Brett with a past that puts her in good company with the boys. It's also nice to see some character development for Charlie, who keeps becoming a more endearing character.
I don't want to fault the book when I say it is a bit weaker than the preceding tomes. This is still a great fun read that puts the boys through the ringer yet again. It just had tough acts to follow. Anything by Lansdale is worth reading. And this is a damn fine book that looks like it could be a turning point for the boys.
I think this was the last Hap and Leonard book I read when they were coming out. So from here on out it's new territory for me.
There's a lot to like in this one, though I found it a shade weaker than the previous installments. Again Hap and Leonard are thrust into detective mode...a job they aren't terribly suited for And it's nice to see the mistakes they make along the way. Hap, in particular goes off half-cocked at one point and it's nice to see Leonard be the voice of reason. Hap also takes up with a foul-mouthed nurse by the name of Brett with a past that puts her in good company with the boys. It's also nice to see some character development for Charlie, who keeps becoming a more endearing character.
I don't want to fault the book when I say it is a bit weaker than the preceding tomes. This is still a great fun read that puts the boys through the ringer yet again. It just had tough acts to follow. Anything by Lansdale is worth reading. And this is a damn fine book that looks like it could be a turning point for the boys.
I think this was the last Hap and Leonard book I read when they were coming out. So from here on out it's new territory for me.
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