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Declan Colette #2
Every Unworthy Thing
Gay PI Declan Colette finds himself in the middle of a gang war between resurgent Japanese mobsters and the black gangsters who expanded operations during World War II. Complicating matters is crime boss Max Harrold. Whether he's stoking the fires of racial hostility or not, Harrold is definitely making things difficult for Colette, shanghaiing the detective and planting the body of a murdered Japanese gangster in Colette's office. Now Colette's only hope is to find the kidnapped daughter of a powerful Japanese businessman and return her home safely. And he has to do it with criminals standing in his way and police hot on his tail.
242 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 2015
146 people want to read
About the author
Jon Wilson
13 books29 followersGrowing up, Jon Wilson wanted to be a stunt man, a professional wrestler or a rodeo clown. After breaking his neck in 2001, he decided writing might be safer.
He was wrong.
Currently living in California, he is occasionally hard at work on his next novel. The first of his Declan Colette Mysteries, Cheap as Beasts, was short-listed for Lambda Literary's Best Gay Mystery.
Learn more at: http://jonwilsonauthor.blogspot.com/
He was wrong.
Currently living in California, he is occasionally hard at work on his next novel. The first of his Declan Colette Mysteries, Cheap as Beasts, was short-listed for Lambda Literary's Best Gay Mystery.
Learn more at: http://jonwilsonauthor.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 11, 2016
A really good noir detective story.
I really enjoyed this second story in the Declan Colette series. I requested this from NetGalley without having read book one but it didn't make any difference to my enjoyment of the story.
Declan Colette is a gay PI who fought in World War Two. He drinks a lot, smokes a lot and is really brutal in the way he gets info from people. To put it plainly he just doesn't give a s**t and he doesn't care. He just wants to find out whodunnit and that's that! This story sees Declan caught up in post war gang fighting between Japanese mobsters and black gangsters. The Japanese having returned from the internment camps are now trying to regain the gang territories and activities that they had lost to the black gangsters.
The fight for territory and power has turned ugly. A young black man has been murdered and a young japanese girl has been kidnapped but beyond this other mobsters and gangsters are worried because if there is war on the street the crack down and fighting will affect their business too, so they drag Colette into the fray to rescue the young girl.
Colette isn't sure why he has been strong armed into helping end this gang war fare. It really isn't his thing and he suspects that there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. Of course there normally is! As he digs around, doing a bit of his own style of strong arming he discovers behind the scenes activities and bigger powers and bigger bosses and the police are on his tail suspecting him of murder.
This is the first time I have read anything by Jon Wilson and so I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but it won't be the last time I read anything by this author. I really enjoy a good gritty mystery and this was good writing, great characters and a nice gritty noir feel to it. I could really feel the characters because they became real through the author's writing. His writing has a way of igniting both imagination and emotions and he really captures that gritty noir feel with dim lights, stiff drinks, cigarette smoke and gunfire.
Of course I liked the mystery. I like mysteries that keep me guessing and this one kept me guessing from the start because it isn't what it first appears to be. It starts slowly and then gets grittier, darker and more edgy and with more suspense and twists and turns as the story gather pace. And it is difficult to figure out exactly what is happening which makes the story more interesting. This isn't erotica or romance, but pure mystery and a good read.
Copy provided by Bold Stroke Books via NetGalley
I really enjoyed this second story in the Declan Colette series. I requested this from NetGalley without having read book one but it didn't make any difference to my enjoyment of the story.
Declan Colette is a gay PI who fought in World War Two. He drinks a lot, smokes a lot and is really brutal in the way he gets info from people. To put it plainly he just doesn't give a s**t and he doesn't care. He just wants to find out whodunnit and that's that! This story sees Declan caught up in post war gang fighting between Japanese mobsters and black gangsters. The Japanese having returned from the internment camps are now trying to regain the gang territories and activities that they had lost to the black gangsters.
The fight for territory and power has turned ugly. A young black man has been murdered and a young japanese girl has been kidnapped but beyond this other mobsters and gangsters are worried because if there is war on the street the crack down and fighting will affect their business too, so they drag Colette into the fray to rescue the young girl.
Colette isn't sure why he has been strong armed into helping end this gang war fare. It really isn't his thing and he suspects that there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. Of course there normally is! As he digs around, doing a bit of his own style of strong arming he discovers behind the scenes activities and bigger powers and bigger bosses and the police are on his tail suspecting him of murder.
This is the first time I have read anything by Jon Wilson and so I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but it won't be the last time I read anything by this author. I really enjoy a good gritty mystery and this was good writing, great characters and a nice gritty noir feel to it. I could really feel the characters because they became real through the author's writing. His writing has a way of igniting both imagination and emotions and he really captures that gritty noir feel with dim lights, stiff drinks, cigarette smoke and gunfire.
Of course I liked the mystery. I like mysteries that keep me guessing and this one kept me guessing from the start because it isn't what it first appears to be. It starts slowly and then gets grittier, darker and more edgy and with more suspense and twists and turns as the story gather pace. And it is difficult to figure out exactly what is happening which makes the story more interesting. This isn't erotica or romance, but pure mystery and a good read.
Copy provided by Bold Stroke Books via NetGalley
November 13, 2015
I got this book from NetGalley, courtesy of Bold Strokes Books.
This book is straightforward noir fiction in the vein of Raymond Chandler. Declan Colette is a hardboiled detective, emphasis on hardboiled. Like many PIs, every conversation is infused with his dry witticisms. It's enjoyable and all, and tense throughout. Colette is a pawn in a convoluted plan, which remains a bit unclear to him even at the end. It's okay, though; Colette doesn't have to be invincible.
I didn't know this book was the second of the series, but that didn't detract from understanding the plot. Mystery fiction and especially hardboiled fiction tend to be bogged down with complicated plots, which Every Unworthy Thing certainly has, but it wraps up relatively well.
Also, it's hard to notice that Colette is actually gay. There are some hints, like when he remarks on how handsome other male characters are, but these characters aren't actually in the story. Colette is a mystery himself; he talks a lot, certainly, but he says less and reveals nothing.
This book is straightforward noir fiction in the vein of Raymond Chandler. Declan Colette is a hardboiled detective, emphasis on hardboiled. Like many PIs, every conversation is infused with his dry witticisms. It's enjoyable and all, and tense throughout. Colette is a pawn in a convoluted plan, which remains a bit unclear to him even at the end. It's okay, though; Colette doesn't have to be invincible.
I didn't know this book was the second of the series, but that didn't detract from understanding the plot. Mystery fiction and especially hardboiled fiction tend to be bogged down with complicated plots, which Every Unworthy Thing certainly has, but it wraps up relatively well.
Also, it's hard to notice that Colette is actually gay. There are some hints, like when he remarks on how handsome other male characters are, but these characters aren't actually in the story. Colette is a mystery himself; he talks a lot, certainly, but he says less and reveals nothing.
November 19, 2015
Gay private investigator Declan Colette is wise-cracking, noir first person. Which usually I'd roll my eyes at, but here it's charming and fun. He gets himself into hot mess after hot mess. Every Unworthy Thing is a violent roller coaster ride. The mob boss is very Vincent D'Onofrio in Daredevil. The San Fransico cityscape is vibrant and alive. I had trouble putting the book down.
This novel is pure mystery/thriller. There's no sex here, though Declan's sexuality provides a nice undercurrent to his exchanges with other men.
There's no elegant way to write this--the characters are drenched in racism. The mob war between the Japanese and the African Americans sparks colorful, historical slurs, and while I was fine with this, I'm not sure everyone will be. Definitely check out a preview. A few pages is all that's needed to either say yes or no to this joyride.
I said yes.
Four stars.
~ Christy
I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated, coerced, or flattered into an opinion.
This novel is pure mystery/thriller. There's no sex here, though Declan's sexuality provides a nice undercurrent to his exchanges with other men.
There's no elegant way to write this--the characters are drenched in racism. The mob war between the Japanese and the African Americans sparks colorful, historical slurs, and while I was fine with this, I'm not sure everyone will be. Definitely check out a preview. A few pages is all that's needed to either say yes or no to this joyride.
I said yes.
Four stars.
~ Christy
I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated, coerced, or flattered into an opinion.
November 9, 2016
I received a copy of this for free through Goodreads First Reads
Honestly, this book was really hard to get into. Maybe because it is the second of a series. However after sticking with it, I was glad that I did. It is a very well done noir novel. I found a few mistakes but overall, very pleased with this novel.
Honestly, this book was really hard to get into. Maybe because it is the second of a series. However after sticking with it, I was glad that I did. It is a very well done noir novel. I found a few mistakes but overall, very pleased with this novel.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews