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Leo Haggerty Mystery #3
A Tax in Blood
Malcolm Donnelly's new widow is in mourning -- for the $200,000 in life insurance that his suicide kept from her. But was it a suicide? She hires Leo Haggerty to investigate -- just as a bomb kills nineteen people at the black wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Before long, the routine case becomes entwined in an escalating spiral of violence, brainwashing, and the horrific aftermath of the Vietnam War -- relived by Haggerty's tormented partner, Arnie Kendall. The stakes are high. The scars are deep. And Leo Haggerty faces his darkest personal demons when terrorists demand... A Tax in Blood.
- GenresMystery
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1987
49 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin M. Schutz
26 books4 followersBenjamin M. Schutz is the author of the acclaimed psychological thriller, The Mongol Reply. He is a forensic psychologist and lives in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 27, 2015
The friends of the local library held a book give away this month, and I found several cool books. A couple of them were hardboiled mysteries by Benjamin M. Schutz, featuring his P.I. Leo Haggerty, in late ‘80’s - early ‘90’s Washington D.C. I was not familiar with this series or this author. I just finished the third in the series, A Tax in Blood.
This novel starts out very strong and realistic in the “Spenser” sense of realism, but it ends up pulpy in a good way, with a pretty cool ending. It begins at the Vietnam Veterans memorial, which becomes the scene of a terrorist attack. There are a few other terrorist attacks during the course of the novel. Many of the concerns raised are applicable to today’s world. Haggerty is hired by a lawyer he dislikes to prove the death of the estranged husband of his client was not a suicide, so they can make the insurance company pay off on the husband’s life insurance.
The writing style is hardboiled, almost terse, with just the right amount of humor. There are some terrific, almost poetic, ideas presented in one liners. It’s a very quotable book. There are many overt references to popular culture, and some very cool subtle ones for the observant reader. There are a couple of non-graphic sex scenes that seem more appropriate for a romance novel.
There are times when Haggerty is able to gather information a little too easily, and a couple of coincidences move the plot along. For the sake of realism, Haggerty calls quite a few people and gets either no answer or an answering machine, and there is a subtle reference to how an investigator might plan for having to urinate while on a stakeout.
This novel won the Shamus award in 1988 for Best P.I. Hardcover.
The author died in 2008, and the six novels in this series are all out of print; however, based on reading only this one so far (at the book give away I also found Things We Do for Love, #4 in the series), they are worth seeking out.
This novel starts out very strong and realistic in the “Spenser” sense of realism, but it ends up pulpy in a good way, with a pretty cool ending. It begins at the Vietnam Veterans memorial, which becomes the scene of a terrorist attack. There are a few other terrorist attacks during the course of the novel. Many of the concerns raised are applicable to today’s world. Haggerty is hired by a lawyer he dislikes to prove the death of the estranged husband of his client was not a suicide, so they can make the insurance company pay off on the husband’s life insurance.
The writing style is hardboiled, almost terse, with just the right amount of humor. There are some terrific, almost poetic, ideas presented in one liners. It’s a very quotable book. There are many overt references to popular culture, and some very cool subtle ones for the observant reader. There are a couple of non-graphic sex scenes that seem more appropriate for a romance novel.
There are times when Haggerty is able to gather information a little too easily, and a couple of coincidences move the plot along. For the sake of realism, Haggerty calls quite a few people and gets either no answer or an answering machine, and there is a subtle reference to how an investigator might plan for having to urinate while on a stakeout.
This novel won the Shamus award in 1988 for Best P.I. Hardcover.
The author died in 2008, and the six novels in this series are all out of print; however, based on reading only this one so far (at the book give away I also found Things We Do for Love, #4 in the series), they are worth seeking out.
February 13, 2014
The first two Leo Haggerty books (Embrace the Wolf and All the Old Bargains) were missing persons cases, with various other sordid complications. Here, in his third outing, Haggerty is hired by a slick lawyer to help a client whose insurance agency is refusing to pay out the life insurance on her husband. The husband died in a hotel room with a suicide note, but it's not that straightforward.
Meanwhile, the country is rocked by several terrorist attacks -- including a bomb at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial -- from an unknown group. Naturally, this ends up being connected to Haggerty's case, but it doesn't make for seamless storytelling. The attempt to push the two plots together is kind of awkward and improbable, and a step backward for the series. The one saving grace is that the coda is appropriately grim and realistic.
Those who've read the previous two books will enjoy some further exploration of Haggerty's friendship with his sidekick Arnie, the continued development of his relationship with his writer girlfriend, and his guardianship of a teenage girl. There are a few good set-piece scenes, most notably, the takedown of a vicious pimp, but the whole story is just too over-the-top.
Meanwhile, the country is rocked by several terrorist attacks -- including a bomb at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial -- from an unknown group. Naturally, this ends up being connected to Haggerty's case, but it doesn't make for seamless storytelling. The attempt to push the two plots together is kind of awkward and improbable, and a step backward for the series. The one saving grace is that the coda is appropriately grim and realistic.
Those who've read the previous two books will enjoy some further exploration of Haggerty's friendship with his sidekick Arnie, the continued development of his relationship with his writer girlfriend, and his guardianship of a teenage girl. There are a few good set-piece scenes, most notably, the takedown of a vicious pimp, but the whole story is just too over-the-top.
January 15, 2011
there is a lot of sex, which I didn;t like, but its a genre thing....and I do like hardboiled fiction
February 18, 2014
A pre-cellphone quick read in the hardboiled genre. Not amazing, but worth the short time it took to read it. Returned it to the book swap basket at the gym this morning.
Want to Read
September 20, 2018Synopsis: a widow hires Leo Haggerty to investigate her husband's suicide. Routine? Not on your life.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews