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Detective Sergeant Mulheisen #2
The Blind Pig
The Blind Pig opens as a cop kills an armed intruder and two hit men shoot a jukebox. It would seem an open-and-shut case, but the deceased turns out to have been a hit man for the mob, and Mul finds himself smack in the middle of a gun-running plot. Meanwhile, a "delicious kumquat" of a woman is using her own brand of ammo on Mulheisen in the after-hours world of Detroit jazz, and Mulheisen has figured out that the shootings revolve around a young man who'd struck it rich in trucking--and then everything explodes when someone pulls off a million-dollar heist. The take? Sleek, beautiful guns--enough to start a war.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
7 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Jon A. Jackson
22 books18 followersJon A. Jackson grew up in northern Michigan and Detroit and currently lives in Missoula, Montana.
His middle initial A is for Anthony.
His middle initial A is for Anthony.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 2, 2013
This is the second novel in the series by Jon A. Jackson featuring Detroit Detective Sergeant "Fang" Mulheisen and his nemesis, hit man Joe Service. This early in the series, Service is still on the perimeter of the action; he's more aware of Mulheisen than Mulheisen is of him, but the detective is aware of the fact that some clever, sinister force is lurking out there on the edge of the action.
The case opens when a police patrolman answers a burglary call and shoots to death a man who had broken into a garage. The dead man has no ID and no one can figure out what he might have been looking for in the garage.
The garage in question belongs to an up and coming trucking executive named Jerry Vanni. Vanni is an ambitious young man who's also branching out into juke boxes and vending machines. The plot thickens when two gunmen come into a bar and shoot to death one of Vanni's jukeboxes and one of his cigarette machines.
Mulheisen wonders if Vanni has gotten on the wrong side of the mobsters who usually control things like juke boxes and vending machines in the Motor City. He's also very intrigued by Vanni's secretary, Mandy Cecil, a gorgeous young redhead who seldom wears foundation garments.
Things get even more curious when Mul encounters the charming Ms. Cecil in the middle of the night in the company of some would-be Cuban revolutionaries in a "blind pig," an after-hours club for people like Mulheisen who aren't always ready to go home when the regular bars close at 2:00 a.m.
Before long, all hell is breaking loose and it's a great ride for the reader. Jackson creates memorable characters and there's plenty of witty banter and lots of great action. Mulheisen is a great protagonist and at this point, the reader has seen enough of Joe Service to know that things are probably going to get very interesting later on down the road.
This book should appeal to any fan of crime fiction but anyone interested would be especially well-advised to start this series at the beginning with The Diehard: Detective Sergeant Mulheisen Mysteries.
The case opens when a police patrolman answers a burglary call and shoots to death a man who had broken into a garage. The dead man has no ID and no one can figure out what he might have been looking for in the garage.
The garage in question belongs to an up and coming trucking executive named Jerry Vanni. Vanni is an ambitious young man who's also branching out into juke boxes and vending machines. The plot thickens when two gunmen come into a bar and shoot to death one of Vanni's jukeboxes and one of his cigarette machines.
Mulheisen wonders if Vanni has gotten on the wrong side of the mobsters who usually control things like juke boxes and vending machines in the Motor City. He's also very intrigued by Vanni's secretary, Mandy Cecil, a gorgeous young redhead who seldom wears foundation garments.
Things get even more curious when Mul encounters the charming Ms. Cecil in the middle of the night in the company of some would-be Cuban revolutionaries in a "blind pig," an after-hours club for people like Mulheisen who aren't always ready to go home when the regular bars close at 2:00 a.m.
Before long, all hell is breaking loose and it's a great ride for the reader. Jackson creates memorable characters and there's plenty of witty banter and lots of great action. Mulheisen is a great protagonist and at this point, the reader has seen enough of Joe Service to know that things are probably going to get very interesting later on down the road.
This book should appeal to any fan of crime fiction but anyone interested would be especially well-advised to start this series at the beginning with The Diehard: Detective Sergeant Mulheisen Mysteries.
October 9, 2024
Sinceramente ho preferito il primo (La moglie che sapeva troppo), un giallo più classico, anche se non eccezionale.
In questo si parla per lo più di traffico di armi e di probabili connivenze con la mafia, argomenti che mi piacciono poco, tanto che lo avevo accantonato.
Poi per puntiglio l’ho voluto finire, ma il disinteresse è rimasto.
Per i miei gusti, noioso.
🇺🇸 LdM: USA/Michigan
In questo si parla per lo più di traffico di armi e di probabili connivenze con la mafia, argomenti che mi piacciono poco, tanto che lo avevo accantonato.
Poi per puntiglio l’ho voluto finire, ma il disinteresse è rimasto.
Per i miei gusti, noioso.
🇺🇸 LdM: USA/Michigan
July 28, 2015
This copy is signed by the author.
An excellent book.
An excellent book.
December 15, 2010
Few people write a procedural as smoothly and efficiently as Jackson. This second book in the "Fang" Mulheisen series is no exception. The pace moves at a steady clip with no wasted effort. And he captures Detroit beautifully.
Jackson does exactly what you want from an author. He makes it look easy, making the reader completely forget that the whole story was actually constructed and written down. The neutrality of his voice allows the characters and their interactions to shine.
If you haven't discovered this series, I highly recommend it.
Jackson does exactly what you want from an author. He makes it look easy, making the reader completely forget that the whole story was actually constructed and written down. The neutrality of his voice allows the characters and their interactions to shine.
If you haven't discovered this series, I highly recommend it.
January 25, 2019
It's a bit slow in the beginning but the action picks up. The dialogue is deftly crafted especially between Fatman and Joe Service. I happened upon this book in a condo library!
October 14, 2008
Had to read this because James Crumley calls it "one of the finest detective novels ever written." (Both Crumley and Jackson were in the Writers Workshop at Iowa. Re that, Jackson has a once-mentioned, off-screen character in this book named Raymond Carver who's murdered in an arms heist!) A fine procedural. Great 70s Detroit local color. Memorable characters. I haven't read any other Jackson to know how Blind Pig compares to his other work, but this one's a winner.
March 10, 2009
THE BLIND PIG (Pol Proc-Sgt. Mulheisen-Michigan-Cont) - VG
Jackson, Jon A. - 2nd in series
From Fantastic Fiction: When a police officer shoots an armed intruder, who turns out to be a mob hitman, and two other contract killers attack a jukebox, Detective Sergeant Mulheisen finds himself caught in the middle of a gun-running scheme.
I have trouble connecting with the protagonist but the plot was definitely better in this second book than was in the first.
Jackson, Jon A. - 2nd in series
From Fantastic Fiction: When a police officer shoots an armed intruder, who turns out to be a mob hitman, and two other contract killers attack a jukebox, Detective Sergeant Mulheisen finds himself caught in the middle of a gun-running scheme.
I have trouble connecting with the protagonist but the plot was definitely better in this second book than was in the first.
August 20, 2012
Decent. Didn't like it as much as the first, but will check out the next.
August 25, 2012
Fantastic book. All of Jon's books are winner. And a Great Missoula, Montana, Author - for a Detroit guy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews