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Gas City
Calling upon his considerable novelistic skills, Loren D. Estleman exposes the black heart of a seemingly stable, well-run city suddenly pitched into violence and chaos. A delicate balance of forces—greed and corruption, ambition and desire—run out of control in the wake of a serial killer's grisly rampage. A power struggle—between a police chief who has looked the other way for too long, a Mafia boss who holds the city's vices in his powerful grasp, and media reporters looking for a big story—turns what has been a minor dispute into a desperate struggle for survival. Setting this drama in a blue-collar metropolis dominated by an oil company, Estleman, with an unerring eye for telling detail and an ear for dialogue that reveals the secret desires of his characters, crafts a fascinating, deadly tapestry of love, ambition, revenge, and redemption, a stunning portrait of the human condition.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
7 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
315 books279 followersLoren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.
Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 28, 2017
I'm a bit on the fence about this one since it was very moody - a mood piece, not just a mystery-thriller. That means a lot of words & threads that didn't connect to the story directly. Not my favorite, but this was pretty well done for that. The ending came up & slapped me in the face, though. We're cruising along slowly & then it was as if we took a lap around a race track before hitting a brick wall - THE END. Yeah, caps. Whew!
I liked Estleman's short fiction better, but I'll still recommend this. Excellent characters & an interesting plot for sure. The delivery wasn't really my cup of tea, though.
I liked Estleman's short fiction better, but I'll still recommend this. Excellent characters & an interesting plot for sure. The delivery wasn't really my cup of tea, though.
August 14, 2022
To me, “Gas City” felt like it ran out of gas after just the first chapter. The description of the story made it sound like it would be a great hard-boiled detective novel. Instead, the story was more of an overall look at the ongoings of a city and it’s inner workings and underworld workings.
“Gas City” felt more like a well thought out study of a city that would be a really great background to set a story in… BUT ultimately there was not much of an actual linear story to grab hold of. I felt like I was pinging back and forth between characters and the history of the city, but I was never really given the chance to hold onto a character long enough to care about them.
It was a well written mood piece and the last few pages did become exciting for a brief moment but a good portion of it was a bit of a drudge.
“Gas City” felt more like a well thought out study of a city that would be a really great background to set a story in… BUT ultimately there was not much of an actual linear story to grab hold of. I felt like I was pinging back and forth between characters and the history of the city, but I was never really given the chance to hold onto a character long enough to care about them.
It was a well written mood piece and the last few pages did become exciting for a brief moment but a good portion of it was a bit of a drudge.
November 4, 2014
I tried. I got to part 3 and just couldn't read anymore. No offense, just not my cup of tea.
July 28, 2018
Although this was well read by Mel Foster, the source material developed too slowly, was largely uninteresting, and seemed to be pointless. Okay, I get it. The city was corrupt. The movers and shakers are unlikable thugs, to include the clergy. The serial killer story, which is where the bulk of this novel should have been focused, was only a shallow sidebar with a dissatisfying, nearly head-scratching revelation. Even the bookends - the opening and closing bits - were senseless and only tangential to the main story, whatever that was meant to be.
July 1, 2024
I first came across this author's books back in 1980 and have read twenty three of them (mostly books featuring private detective, Amos Walker, or killer, Peter Macklin).
This is a stand alone novel published in 2007 but set in the past (possibly the early 1970s judging by the technology but the author does not make it clear). It's a depressing read about corruption, criminals and journalists in the fictional Gas City. I found it a satisfying read and will look for more of the author's books.
This is a stand alone novel published in 2007 but set in the past (possibly the early 1970s judging by the technology but the author does not make it clear). It's a depressing read about corruption, criminals and journalists in the fictional Gas City. I found it a satisfying read and will look for more of the author's books.
November 22, 2020
For such a highly reviewed and distinguished author, it just wasn’t great. Mildly entertaining with some interesting characters, but at times the descriptions and in-the-end meaningless rambles about places & people kept the rating lower. With a mix of too abrupt and too verbose, while I liked the town and much of the story, it simply was good, not great, not even very good.
August 2, 2018
Not for me. I picked this one up from the used book bin at my local health foods store after reading the description on the back cover. After 50 pages or so I began skimming and knew it was time to move on. Boring and pointless.
Don't judge a book by its cover [blurb].
Don't judge a book by its cover [blurb].
January 27, 2020
Good crime noir but Esteleman gets little bit carried away in his amazing but often distracting descriptive statements at the cost of the plot.
July 23, 2024
Estleman overworks his prose and cares more about turning a clever, hard-boiled phrase than writing a solid novel here
February 17, 2025
3.7 stars. I enjoyed the story but I personally had a difficult time getting on board with the author’s writing style.
July 19, 2008
Publisher's Comments/Plot Summary: Calling upon his considerable novelistic skills, Loren D. Estleman exposes the black heart of a seemingly stable, well-run city suddenly pitched into violence and chaos. A delicate balance of forces—greed and corruption, ambition and desire—run out of control in the wake of a serial killer's grisly rampage. A power struggle—between a police chief who has looked the other way for too long, a Mafia boss who holds the city's vices in his powerful grasp, and media reporters looking for a big story—turns what has been a minor dispute into a desperate struggle for survival. Setting this drama in a blue-collar metropolis dominated by an oil company, Estleman, with an unerring eye for telling detail and an ear for dialogue that reveals the secret desires of his characters, crafts a fascinating, deadly tapestry of love, ambition, revenge, and redemption, a stunning portrait of the human condition.
My thoughts: GAS CITY was a sluggish start for me because I found that I had to read it slower than my normal pace, and once or twice during the first few chapters I thought about giving it up, thinking to myself 'this book is strange'. What kept me going was the author's writing style. Estleman has a way with words that just drew me in. To me, he is a very visual writer and as I read, I could very clearly see the characters acting out the scenes of this in this book in my mind. I recently read an interview with Estlemen where he credits his background as an artist to his descriptive writitng style. I could definitely see this in GAS CITY. It was almost as though Estleman was 'drawing or painting' the scene, the characters and the dialogue with his words. This was truly amazing to me.
The Author: I read this book for a discussion on my online bookclub 4MA and I don't think I would have done so had that not been the case. After reading it, I keep asking myself why I've never heard of this author before?! He is written SEVERAL books. His is perhaps most well-known for his series featuring hard-boiled Detroit detective Amos Walker. Estleman is up to #18 in this series. In addition to this, he has authored 7 books in a Detroit Crime Series, 7 Westerns that feature U.S. Deputy Marshal Page Murdock, 5 books in a series starring a mob-killer protagonist named Peter Macklin, and has recently started a new series about a film director for UCLA who inadvertently becomes an amateur sleuth. He also has authored several stand alone mysteries and GAS CITY is one of these.
My thoughts: GAS CITY was a sluggish start for me because I found that I had to read it slower than my normal pace, and once or twice during the first few chapters I thought about giving it up, thinking to myself 'this book is strange'. What kept me going was the author's writing style. Estleman has a way with words that just drew me in. To me, he is a very visual writer and as I read, I could very clearly see the characters acting out the scenes of this in this book in my mind. I recently read an interview with Estlemen where he credits his background as an artist to his descriptive writitng style. I could definitely see this in GAS CITY. It was almost as though Estleman was 'drawing or painting' the scene, the characters and the dialogue with his words. This was truly amazing to me.
The Author: I read this book for a discussion on my online bookclub 4MA and I don't think I would have done so had that not been the case. After reading it, I keep asking myself why I've never heard of this author before?! He is written SEVERAL books. His is perhaps most well-known for his series featuring hard-boiled Detroit detective Amos Walker. Estleman is up to #18 in this series. In addition to this, he has authored 7 books in a Detroit Crime Series, 7 Westerns that feature U.S. Deputy Marshal Page Murdock, 5 books in a series starring a mob-killer protagonist named Peter Macklin, and has recently started a new series about a film director for UCLA who inadvertently becomes an amateur sleuth. He also has authored several stand alone mysteries and GAS CITY is one of these.
August 7, 2015
The author takes a break – actually I don’t think Mr. Estleman ever stops writing – from his Amos Walker books with this stand alone novel. This is the story of the precariously balanced fictional town of Gas City with politicians, law enforcement officials, organized crime and the clergy all carefully scratching each others’ backs while keeping a cautious eye over their shoulders. Each faction has a vested interest in the status quo – a dysfunctional functioning arrangement – each fully aware that one errant spark could lead to an implosion taking all involved down in flames.
When Police Chief Francis X. Russell loses his wife to cancer the fuse is lit, the slow burn begins and the reader follows the slow-motion train wreck of Gas City. With a “nothing left to lose” attitude Russell begins cleaning up “his city”, alliances are broken and very quickly it becomes a game of every man for himself – and it’s not pretty. Labeled a “crime novel”, that it is – there is a serial killer lurking in the not so distant background - but what really drives this book is Estleman’s superb cast of characters – the Chief, local mob members, a Catholic Bishop, newspapermen, and the mayors, one current and one vying to return to office. Caught in this power struggle are a hotel detective and his prostitute girl-friend who are trying to make ends meet and maybe a life together.
There is also a strong “noir-ish” flavor to Gas City with the scenes painted here, the dialogue, and particularly each character’s struggle with wrong and right. (This should come as no surprise to fans of the Walker series.) So although the plot may be one we’re familiar with – and even the characters - the story and the telling of it are top-notch. I thoroughly enjoyed this book – definitely recommended.
When Police Chief Francis X. Russell loses his wife to cancer the fuse is lit, the slow burn begins and the reader follows the slow-motion train wreck of Gas City. With a “nothing left to lose” attitude Russell begins cleaning up “his city”, alliances are broken and very quickly it becomes a game of every man for himself – and it’s not pretty. Labeled a “crime novel”, that it is – there is a serial killer lurking in the not so distant background - but what really drives this book is Estleman’s superb cast of characters – the Chief, local mob members, a Catholic Bishop, newspapermen, and the mayors, one current and one vying to return to office. Caught in this power struggle are a hotel detective and his prostitute girl-friend who are trying to make ends meet and maybe a life together.
There is also a strong “noir-ish” flavor to Gas City with the scenes painted here, the dialogue, and particularly each character’s struggle with wrong and right. (This should come as no surprise to fans of the Walker series.) So although the plot may be one we’re familiar with – and even the characters - the story and the telling of it are top-notch. I thoroughly enjoyed this book – definitely recommended.
October 19, 2010
Francis X. Russell is Gas City’s chief of police. For many years, he has maintained a gentleman’s agreement with the local Mob boss, Anthony Zeno. The drugs, the illegal gambling, and the hookers stay within a small, clearly defined area of the city. In return, Russell receives financial consideration, and the city at large remains relatively crime free.
When Russell’s wife of 30-plus years succumbs to cancer, the chief has a crisis of conscience and begins raids into the restricted area. The repercussions are significant with a mayoral race approaching. Political alliances are altered, Zeno loses the endorsement of the out-of-town crime hierarchy to which he reports, Mob-controlled unions threaten strikes, and even the city’s powerful Catholic church is knocked off balance. Mix in a serial killer dubbed “Beaver Cleaver” by the media and a doomed love affair between a disgraced cop and a hooker for what may be the prolific Estleman’s most thought-provoking and emotionally engaging novel among the 60 or so he’s written.
Its subject is contemporary rust-belt politics as a human phenomenon and the way that a politician’s compromises can affect both the citizenry at large and the individuals who make up that citizenry. Each of the half-dozen plotlines is executed flawlessly and presented in a context of moral ambiguity in which every choice—whether self-serving or altruistic—has consequences both good and evil.
When Russell’s wife of 30-plus years succumbs to cancer, the chief has a crisis of conscience and begins raids into the restricted area. The repercussions are significant with a mayoral race approaching. Political alliances are altered, Zeno loses the endorsement of the out-of-town crime hierarchy to which he reports, Mob-controlled unions threaten strikes, and even the city’s powerful Catholic church is knocked off balance. Mix in a serial killer dubbed “Beaver Cleaver” by the media and a doomed love affair between a disgraced cop and a hooker for what may be the prolific Estleman’s most thought-provoking and emotionally engaging novel among the 60 or so he’s written.
Its subject is contemporary rust-belt politics as a human phenomenon and the way that a politician’s compromises can affect both the citizenry at large and the individuals who make up that citizenry. Each of the half-dozen plotlines is executed flawlessly and presented in a context of moral ambiguity in which every choice—whether self-serving or altruistic—has consequences both good and evil.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2008
Gas City, by Loren D. Estleman, B-plus, narrated by Mel Foster, produced by Tantor Media, downloaded from audible.com.
This is a book about a city dominated by its connection to the oil industry, and the blue collar workers that inhabit the city. The police chief has overlooked corruption too long, especially when connected with his best friend, a mafia boss. But when the chief’s wife dies, he suddenly seems to have a change of heart and decides to try to end the corruption. There is a hotel security guard whose mistress is a “working girl”, and he begins to be suspicious of a hotel room which is supposed to be unrented but which someone seems to be living in. This security guard has also turned over a new leaf, and for some reason, has stopped drinking. Add to all this, a serial killer focusing on killing prostitutes and putting their cut-up bodies in garbage bags, an editor of a town newspaper who wants to sell papers, a priest who turns up at odd moments and whose loyalty to his friend, the chief, is in question, and a woman attorney who wants to replace the mayor in the next election, and you have a book of many plots. This is my first Estleman book. It was well written with maybe a few too many story lines for me.
This is a book about a city dominated by its connection to the oil industry, and the blue collar workers that inhabit the city. The police chief has overlooked corruption too long, especially when connected with his best friend, a mafia boss. But when the chief’s wife dies, he suddenly seems to have a change of heart and decides to try to end the corruption. There is a hotel security guard whose mistress is a “working girl”, and he begins to be suspicious of a hotel room which is supposed to be unrented but which someone seems to be living in. This security guard has also turned over a new leaf, and for some reason, has stopped drinking. Add to all this, a serial killer focusing on killing prostitutes and putting their cut-up bodies in garbage bags, an editor of a town newspaper who wants to sell papers, a priest who turns up at odd moments and whose loyalty to his friend, the chief, is in question, and a woman attorney who wants to replace the mayor in the next election, and you have a book of many plots. This is my first Estleman book. It was well written with maybe a few too many story lines for me.
January 3, 2010
An interesting noir tale set in a fictional midwestern city that explores intersecting tales of cops and crooks and those who live at various levels of society. There's Police Chief Russell, who for 20 years has been on the "take" and kept crime out of the middle and upper class neighborhoods in exchange for looking the other way in an area referred to as "the circle." There, all sorts of vice runs rampant. There's mob boss, Anthony Zeno, with a young wife and a penchant for opera, who has kept this "gentleman's agreement" with Russell for several decades. Yet, this novel is all about what happens when the delicate balance is blown apart; Russell's wife dies of cancer and suddenly the police chief starts doing his job--much to the astonishment of the mayor, the press, and Anthony Zeno's bosses. Throw in a serial killer and an ex-policeman who also turns over a new leaf and you've got a dark but chewy narrative whose main character is really the city, Gas City, herself.
March 22, 2015
A stand-alone novel from author Estleman. Estleman is famed as a chronicler of the Midwest with his Detroit series and his Amos Walker, Detroit P.I., series.
Novel - A rich, smartly detailed study of a Midwestern city that is serene and law-abiding on the surface but corrupt at its core. Its population includes depressed and bent police chief Francis X. Russell; cynical, alcoholic Catholic bishop Hugh Dungannon; Tony Z, the mob chief who controls Gas City's 10-square-block sin pit, the Circle; and Palmer, a hard-luck hotel dick and pimp who may be the novel's sole honorable man. Russell attempts to clean up the Circle after the natural death of his beloved wife and a slew of hatchet murders by a serial killer nicknamed Beaver Cleaver.
Novel - A rich, smartly detailed study of a Midwestern city that is serene and law-abiding on the surface but corrupt at its core. Its population includes depressed and bent police chief Francis X. Russell; cynical, alcoholic Catholic bishop Hugh Dungannon; Tony Z, the mob chief who controls Gas City's 10-square-block sin pit, the Circle; and Palmer, a hard-luck hotel dick and pimp who may be the novel's sole honorable man. Russell attempts to clean up the Circle after the natural death of his beloved wife and a slew of hatchet murders by a serial killer nicknamed Beaver Cleaver.
December 6, 2011
One of the most befuddlingly boring books I've read in some time. Nearly all of the characters are downright uninteresting (save Palmer) or so underdeveloped as to have no weight to their arcs. Estleman's prose attempts to be jam-packed but instead is dry and dense.
Another problem is that the author's provided a lot of backstory (A LOT a lot; nearly the entire book is actually description of past events and people that led to the current makeup of Gas City), but it doesn't cohere into a complete, dynmatic depiction of the city. For a place that is hinted at being something between Chicago and Detroit in terms of size and population, this book presents one that is awfully small.
Another problem is that the author's provided a lot of backstory (A LOT a lot; nearly the entire book is actually description of past events and people that led to the current makeup of Gas City), but it doesn't cohere into a complete, dynmatic depiction of the city. For a place that is hinted at being something between Chicago and Detroit in terms of size and population, this book presents one that is awfully small.
October 20, 2008
I picked this book up because the cover image is so striking (this image doesn't do it justice). I found it to be a nice little noir detective story. The characters were broadly drawn, but never quite became caricatures. I think this is because the relationships were so believable and intriguing.
I was really impressed with Estleman's use of colorful descriptions. It's not always easy to do, and lots of people get it wrong (Stephen King, are your ears burning?). This guy is a pro; I'll always remember the guy with the Rice Krispies face.
I was really impressed with Estleman's use of colorful descriptions. It's not always easy to do, and lots of people get it wrong (Stephen King, are your ears burning?). This guy is a pro; I'll always remember the guy with the Rice Krispies face.
May 24, 2013
A seemingly stable, well-run Mid West city suddenly turns violent and chaotic as the long time status quo that has existed between the mob and paid off political leaders comes to an abrupt end. A power struggle—between a police chief who has looked the other way for too long, a Mafia boss who holds the city's vices in his powerful grasp, and media reporters looking for a big story—turns what has been a minor dispute into a desperate struggle for survival.
The story's tone is quite dark as it moves through the changing behavior of several people which produces city wide consequences.
The story's tone is quite dark as it moves through the changing behavior of several people which produces city wide consequences.
June 4, 2008
A novel about political corruption in a city with boundaries that are unexpectedly breached. Estleman has written a number of books but this is my first and I am impressed and sorry to have missed so much good reading. His writing is intense and his descriptions on point.
October 12, 2011
I was looking for something to read when I came across this book. To be honest it was okay not bad, not great, just ok. To me it's one of those books that you pick up to read while you are trying to find a really terffic book to read next.
April 28, 2012
Evocative tale of big city corruption that seems to have epic ambitions and then peters out rather quickly. I enjoyed it, but it seemed like Estleman got bored with his own characters and decided to bring the plot to an abrupt end.
August 7, 2008
This book is really more of an outline to what would be a really good book as it never feels fully realized even by the pat ending.
March 24, 2009
Atmospheric but disappointing noir mystery of corruption and murder in the "bad" part of town.
July 14, 2009
A town owned by a rich curmudgeon and a mystery that unfolds. Found it hard to get into. Ended up speed-reading to the end.
January 29, 2011
This was a well written, noirish slice of life, set in an industrial town in America. Good, but the rushed ending was a little too pat.
September 17, 2012
Estleman can write.Good prose.Story ok
January 14, 2017
New author to me. Very dark, but great characters and fantastic writing. I'm a fan!
March 18, 2012
ok, not great in murder/mystery genre.
January 18, 2013
didn't finish it as discs 4-6 flaked off.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews