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Hap and Leonard #11
Jackrabbit Smile
Edgar Award winner and fan favorite Joe R. Lansdale is back with Hap and Leonard's latest caper: investigating the disappearance of a revivalist cult leader's daughter.Hap and Leonard are an unlikely pair-Hap, a self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough-as-nails black gay Vietnam vet and Republican-but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. Hap is celebrating his wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Brett (who is also Hap and Leonard's boss), when their backyard barbecue is interrupted by a couple of Pentecostal white supremacists. They're not too happy to see Leonard, and no one is happy to see them, but they have a problem and only Hap and Leonard will take the case.Judith Mulhaney's daughter, Jackrabbit, has been missing for five years. Well, she's been missing from them for five years, but she's been missing from everybody, including the local no-goods who ran with her, for a few months. Despite their misgivings about Judith and her son, Hap and Leonard take the case. It isn't long until they find themselves mixed up in a revivalist cult that believes Jesus will return flanked by an army of lizard-men-solving a murder to boot. With Lansdale's trademark humor, whip-smart dialogue, and plenty of ass-kicking adventures to be had, you won't want to miss Hap and Leonard's latest.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2018
151 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
823 books3,860 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 198 reviews
February 18, 2018
‘Hokey Smoke Bullwinkle’ Joe R. Lansdale’s new book “Jack Rabbit Smile” certainly shows that the man is still capable of writing a compelling Hap and Leonard novel. The last few books have certainly not been up to par. They contained some good stuff, however not, in my humble opinion, what they could have been.
For those who don’t know, Hap and Leonard are a couple of lifelong friends who now work for Hap’s new wife Brett in a detective agency. In this installment they are hired by a couple of white supremacists to find a missing relative by the name of Jackie Mulhany, known as Jackrabbit, due to her having big front teeth. She has been missing for five years.
Finding a missing girl is a trope used by Mr. Lansdale serval times in the ongoing Hap and Leonard chronicles, and he manages to put a fresh spin on each subsequent iteration. The story begins at Hap’s wedding and quickly accelerates forward into the investigation.
There is plenty of Mr. Lansdale’s country humor and enough racism to choke a hog, making this one of the better installments in number of years. The story moves at a brisk clip as we rejoin our likeable protagonists in a quest for what really occurred verses what they are meant to believe.
This Hap and Leonard novel is an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy), Uncorrected Proof, On sale date -March 27, 2018.
For those who don’t know, Hap and Leonard are a couple of lifelong friends who now work for Hap’s new wife Brett in a detective agency. In this installment they are hired by a couple of white supremacists to find a missing relative by the name of Jackie Mulhany, known as Jackrabbit, due to her having big front teeth. She has been missing for five years.
Finding a missing girl is a trope used by Mr. Lansdale serval times in the ongoing Hap and Leonard chronicles, and he manages to put a fresh spin on each subsequent iteration. The story begins at Hap’s wedding and quickly accelerates forward into the investigation.
There is plenty of Mr. Lansdale’s country humor and enough racism to choke a hog, making this one of the better installments in number of years. The story moves at a brisk clip as we rejoin our likeable protagonists in a quest for what really occurred verses what they are meant to believe.
This Hap and Leonard novel is an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy), Uncorrected Proof, On sale date -March 27, 2018.
March 29, 2018
When a white supremicist and his mother show up at Brett's detective agency, Hap and Leonard are conflicted but agrees to track down Jackrabbit, the missing sister/daughter. Marvel Creek is on its way to being segregated and Hap and Leonard run afoul of The Professor, the mastermind behind it all. Will Hap and Leonard be able to bring Jackrabbit home alive?
Hap and Leonard are up to their old tricks, cracking wise and generally pissing off the bad guys until everything errupts in a hornet's nest of violence. This time, they're in Hap's old stomping grounds, Marvel Creek, which is under the thumb of a segregationist.
Disclaimer: These are my opinions and should not be treated as a personal attack if they don't match yours.
Let's hit the positives first. Hap and Leonard are still hilarious and Joe Lansdale is one of my favorite writers. I've read 50-something of his books and he always makes me laugh. Not only that, he can write some horrifying scenes, which he does in this one. It's easy to forget he started off as a splatterpunk writer. The confrontation at the end was one of his best. The callbacks to previous Lansdale tales, both from Hap and Leonard's previous outings and other works, like Fender Lizards, were nice nods to the things past. The bad guys were bad but Hap and Leonard were "more bad" as Hap would say. It was a pretty entertaining read. However...
...This is the 13th Hap and Leonard book. If you've stuck around this long, Hap and Leonard are as familiar as the bickering old couple that lives down the street. I've been reading about Hap and Leonard for almost half my life at this point and there aren't a lot of surprises left anymore. With the guys working for Brett and Marvin Hanson vouching for them every time they get into a scrape, everything feels safe and comfortable and there's none of the desperation of the earlier books left.
Jackrabbit Smile is an engaging, entertaining read but I didn't think it was nearly as good as some of the other books in the series. Three out of five stars.
Hap and Leonard are up to their old tricks, cracking wise and generally pissing off the bad guys until everything errupts in a hornet's nest of violence. This time, they're in Hap's old stomping grounds, Marvel Creek, which is under the thumb of a segregationist.
Disclaimer: These are my opinions and should not be treated as a personal attack if they don't match yours.
Let's hit the positives first. Hap and Leonard are still hilarious and Joe Lansdale is one of my favorite writers. I've read 50-something of his books and he always makes me laugh. Not only that, he can write some horrifying scenes, which he does in this one. It's easy to forget he started off as a splatterpunk writer. The confrontation at the end was one of his best. The callbacks to previous Lansdale tales, both from Hap and Leonard's previous outings and other works, like Fender Lizards, were nice nods to the things past. The bad guys were bad but Hap and Leonard were "more bad" as Hap would say. It was a pretty entertaining read. However...
...This is the 13th Hap and Leonard book. If you've stuck around this long, Hap and Leonard are as familiar as the bickering old couple that lives down the street. I've been reading about Hap and Leonard for almost half my life at this point and there aren't a lot of surprises left anymore. With the guys working for Brett and Marvin Hanson vouching for them every time they get into a scrape, everything feels safe and comfortable and there's none of the desperation of the earlier books left.
Jackrabbit Smile is an engaging, entertaining read but I didn't think it was nearly as good as some of the other books in the series. Three out of five stars.
July 18, 2023
"Always got the impression that the old world I had known was still out there, just one bloody scratch below the surface, and all it took was the right incantation to release it. Or merely the arrival of good ole us, Hap and Leonard."
Initial Thoughts
Just a quickie from me, as I'm back once again with Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard saga. With this being the eleventh book, I've actually lost track of how many reviews I've knocked out. But if you've seen any of my others, then you'll know exactly what I think of this extremely entertaining series. And if you haven't let's just say...I bloody love it. That's putting it mildly!
The main reason for my admiration is Lansdale's incredible writing. It's not high end literature, he's just a natural born story teller who's prose flow like water and contain every ounce of his fantastic sense of humour and personality. He's one of those authors that keeps you glued to the page and before you know it you've finished the book and realise your an hour late to pick your daughter up from school...sorry Olivia!
Honestly, Jackrabbit Smile is the eleventh book proper in the series and I've yet to be disappointed with a single entry. They've all been minimum four stars, with my least favourite probably being the first. But I guess that's to be expected with that one being concerned with setting up the characters and myself not being as familiar with them as I am now. But that's like picking your least favourite child...lucky I've only got the one!
But the central characters are like my best friends now. Two guys I like to spend my down time with. Going for a few beers together, getting into trouble and then laughing about how the hell we managed to get out of it. It's such easy reading for me and a perfect break between heavier reads. So as you can guess I'm really looking forward to this.
"Leonard had not said sorry once. The reason was he wasn't sorry. He could kill you and sleep like a baby if he'd felt he had to do it, felt you had it coming. He thought a lot more people had it coming than I did."
The Story
We kick off with a bit of feel good factor, as Hap Collins and his long time girlfriend have decided to tie the knot and are busy celebrating with a backyard barbecue. Fan favourite Leonard Pine is, of course, in attendance.
Things are going great until Thomas Mulhaney and his mother Judith burst on to the scene. They want to hire the pair to help find Thomas' sister Jackie, who goes by the affectionate name of Jackrabbit on account of her big buck teeth. But mother and son are not endearing themselves with some pretty racist sentiment.
Despite the bad feeling towards the prospective clients, there's a job to do and money on the table. So Hap and Leonard are on the case and the trail leeds straight to their hometown of Marvel Creek. The disappearance is swiftly connected to a local cult leader who is buying up all the town property and goes by the name of the Professor. A pile of bodies is mounting up as the search continues and... I've told you too much already. Me and my big mouth. Better shut it now before I spoil anything for you.
Final Thoughts
As Hap and Leonard stories go, this is in no way the strongest entry in the pack. The plot isn't particularly extensive and the first half went really heavy on the virtue signalling. I know Joe is very keen on the social commentary and usually does this very well. But it was just a bit over the top where it started to come across as artificial. Overall, I think the last entry (Rusty Puppy) was definitely better.
Don't get me wrong though this is definitely a worthwhile read and the dialogue and banter is still top draw. The character work is excellent and the story hurtles along at a frantic pace. Let's face it. We don't read these books for the intricacies of the plot but for that trademark Lansdale writing and his portrayal of the friendship between Hap and Leonard.
Right now the pair feel like part of my family and I've moved past the "going for drinks at the local bar stage" to the "having them round my pad for dinner phase.". Just getting to spend time with Hap and Leonard is enough for me and although this wasn't the very best, I still had a great time. For me personally there's not a single entry that dips below four stars. They're just too good. So if you're a die hard Hap and Leonard fan don't hesitate in continuing your journey with this one.
Thanks for reading and...cheers!
March 26, 2018
Hap and Leonard return to Hap's hometown of Marvel Creek in Joe Lansdale's latest release JACKRABBIT SMILE.
This time around our heroes are hired by a man and his mother to find their missing sister/daughter. The relationship between Hap, Leonard and Brett and their new clients isn't a good one, since both the man and his mom are openly prejudiced against any and all who aren't white. Which, of course, doesn't sit well with Leonard. Will the dynamic duo find the missing girl? Will the people who hired them get their due? You'll have to read this to find out!
The humor Joe Lansdale is famous for is here in spades, but there's a lot of darkness as well. Hap's hometown is full of racism, violence, and both false prophets and profits. (It's hard to believe good-hearted Hap came from such an ugly place.) All of this makes for a quick, extremely entertaining read.
If you're reading the Hap and Leonard series, you already know how addicting these books can be. If you're watching the television series on the Sundance Channel, you'll note some similarities between the current season and this book. Both take unflinching looks at the ugliness of racism in all of its different faces and forms; but they do it with bravery and a sense of humor. I think that's what makes this series, (both the books and the television show), so special and enjoyable.
If you're not reading this series or watching the show, what are you waiting for?
Highly recommended!
*Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is it.*
This time around our heroes are hired by a man and his mother to find their missing sister/daughter. The relationship between Hap, Leonard and Brett and their new clients isn't a good one, since both the man and his mom are openly prejudiced against any and all who aren't white. Which, of course, doesn't sit well with Leonard. Will the dynamic duo find the missing girl? Will the people who hired them get their due? You'll have to read this to find out!
The humor Joe Lansdale is famous for is here in spades, but there's a lot of darkness as well. Hap's hometown is full of racism, violence, and both false prophets and profits. (It's hard to believe good-hearted Hap came from such an ugly place.) All of this makes for a quick, extremely entertaining read.
If you're reading the Hap and Leonard series, you already know how addicting these books can be. If you're watching the television series on the Sundance Channel, you'll note some similarities between the current season and this book. Both take unflinching looks at the ugliness of racism in all of its different faces and forms; but they do it with bravery and a sense of humor. I think that's what makes this series, (both the books and the television show), so special and enjoyable.
If you're not reading this series or watching the show, what are you waiting for?
Highly recommended!
*Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is it.*
May 3, 2024
4 stars
short review for busy readers: a surprisingly mild Hap & Leonard with very little of the typical banter/humour, but still with the requisite amount of violence and a body count of 12 by the end. Decent story, but almost like Lansdale’s heart just wasn’t in this one.
in detail:
A family of racist rednecks come to Brett Sawyer Investigations wanting to know what happened to their missing daughter/sister. Jackrabbit, as she was called, was a whiz with numbers and very atypical for her background (read: smart and didn’t hate non-whites). They figure she’s dead, but want to know for sure.
Hap & Leonard are (reluctantly) on the case and find out more than they ever wanted to know about that family. Or about Jackrabbit.
What starts as irritating becomes down right deadly when our heroes venture over to Hap’s hometown of Marvel Creek and start stepping on the wrong people’s toes.
On a happier note, Hap & Brett have finally tied the knot and are playing family with Hap’s daughter, Chance, and the 400-year-old midget vampire, aka Reba (who unfortunately doesn’t make a personal appearance in this one).
Far less of the usual comedy banter in this one, mostly replaced by Hap commenting on how incompetent and prone to doing stupid stuff both he and Leonard are. The writing and all is up to series standard, but this episode lacks a lot of the typical bite.
I'm reading this series for the 2024 GR Serial Challenge. One more to go!
short review for busy readers: a surprisingly mild Hap & Leonard with very little of the typical banter/humour, but still with the requisite amount of violence and a body count of 12 by the end. Decent story, but almost like Lansdale’s heart just wasn’t in this one.
in detail:
A family of racist rednecks come to Brett Sawyer Investigations wanting to know what happened to their missing daughter/sister. Jackrabbit, as she was called, was a whiz with numbers and very atypical for her background (read: smart and didn’t hate non-whites). They figure she’s dead, but want to know for sure.
Hap & Leonard are (reluctantly) on the case and find out more than they ever wanted to know about that family. Or about Jackrabbit.
What starts as irritating becomes down right deadly when our heroes venture over to Hap’s hometown of Marvel Creek and start stepping on the wrong people’s toes.
On a happier note, Hap & Brett have finally tied the knot and are playing family with Hap’s daughter, Chance, and the 400-year-old midget vampire, aka Reba (who unfortunately doesn’t make a personal appearance in this one).
Far less of the usual comedy banter in this one, mostly replaced by Hap commenting on how incompetent and prone to doing stupid stuff both he and Leonard are. The writing and all is up to series standard, but this episode lacks a lot of the typical bite.
I'm reading this series for the 2024 GR Serial Challenge. One more to go!
May 7, 2018
Jackrabbit Smile is the 12th book in the Hap and Leonard series, but the first I have read. Now with your first time, you want it all to be special and gentle, with a lot of candles, patchouli incense, maybe some Barry White playing over the speakers and a fair amount of canoodling and spooning after. Unfortunately, that is not what author Joe R. Lansdale had in store for me with Jackrabbit Smile. He was fast. He was rough. He did not seem to care about my feelings at all. With this book, Lansdale really put me through the wringer. I have little doubt he probably uploaded video of our uncomfortable encounter all over the Internet for strangers to type mean-spirited observations about my facial expressions in the comment sections.
Hap and Leonard are best friends who also solve crimes. Hap is white, smart-alecky and best resembles an open-minded distant Southern cousin to Rosanne’s Connor family. Leonard is black, gay, grouchy, and best resembles notorious Baltimore stick-up man, Omar Little. This time around, Hap and Leonard are hired by a white supremacist family to track down their missing and estranged daughter, Jackrabbit Mulhaney. Jackrabbit has been hanging around with some unruly and belligerent lowlifes so this is no small task. And when the bodies start stacking up, nobody is really surprised. Hap and Leonard must navigate through a field of aggression, racism, dreadful coffee, weird religions, and personal history to find out what exactly became of this missing woman and her young infant.
Jackrabbit Smile is loaded with memorable personalities and witty observations. The dialogue crackles more than my knees in the morning when I squat down to extract the newspaper from my shrubbery. The story is hardboiled like an Easter egg before it gets submerged into a cup of Paas light green dye. Edgar-winner Lansdale is a great writer at the top of his game. He stocks his story full of uncomfortably violent characters. His driving plot grabs on like a panicked squirrel grabbing onto your head after you startled it looking through those shrubs for that early morning edition of the paper, digging in it’s little squirrel claws and refusing to let go in spite of your growing shrieks and howls. And he has a mean streak vital to any pulpy noir tale that makes the book almost impossible to put down. This was a really fun and strong read!
Hap and Leonard are best friends who also solve crimes. Hap is white, smart-alecky and best resembles an open-minded distant Southern cousin to Rosanne’s Connor family. Leonard is black, gay, grouchy, and best resembles notorious Baltimore stick-up man, Omar Little. This time around, Hap and Leonard are hired by a white supremacist family to track down their missing and estranged daughter, Jackrabbit Mulhaney. Jackrabbit has been hanging around with some unruly and belligerent lowlifes so this is no small task. And when the bodies start stacking up, nobody is really surprised. Hap and Leonard must navigate through a field of aggression, racism, dreadful coffee, weird religions, and personal history to find out what exactly became of this missing woman and her young infant.
Jackrabbit Smile is loaded with memorable personalities and witty observations. The dialogue crackles more than my knees in the morning when I squat down to extract the newspaper from my shrubbery. The story is hardboiled like an Easter egg before it gets submerged into a cup of Paas light green dye. Edgar-winner Lansdale is a great writer at the top of his game. He stocks his story full of uncomfortably violent characters. His driving plot grabs on like a panicked squirrel grabbing onto your head after you startled it looking through those shrubs for that early morning edition of the paper, digging in it’s little squirrel claws and refusing to let go in spite of your growing shrieks and howls. And he has a mean streak vital to any pulpy noir tale that makes the book almost impossible to put down. This was a really fun and strong read!
August 28, 2018
The Hal & Leonard series is full up with crazy male bravado and vulnerability, pressing hard on our moral, sexual, and racial understanding until we squeeze out a guffaw and decide to fall for these guys sitting on our faces. These two take on challenges others would let fall into a fast-flowing river, and now that the series has become a regular gig on Sundance Channel as an Original Series, starring America’s own brilliant, tough-seeming, and comedic Michael Kenneth Williams and British star James Purefoy, hopefully Joe Lansdale will get more airtime .
Lansdale barrels ahead riding roughshod over anyone who hasn’t updated their hard drive with new information about the lives of gays, trans, and people of color. No more excuses will be made for those faltering on the road to total acceptance of these folks living in America. Lansdale doesn’t make any bones about it, just assumes the bad guys are the unreformed who ‘haven’t quite gotten there yet.’ There is damage being done daily to the psyches of ordinary folk with extraordinary skills who have to put up with crippling prejudice.
This fast-paced addition to the series addresses white supremacy head on: WHITE IS RIGHT is emblazoned on the T-shirt of a young man seeking the investigative services of Hap & Leonard, not knowing Leonard can be rattlesnake mean to those who disparage him for his color...or any old thing he might take it in his mind to do. This is the book #12 in the series so Lansdale doesn’t spend much time explaining the two main characters. The chapters are short and speedy, racing to a gruesome dénouement that features a hog farm, some mean twins, and a jackrabbit smile.
This is the kind of book one can read in a day, relaxedly, since it is mainly composed of dialogue and a few hard whacks of a rifle butt. But it will put you in a good mood since the bad guys get theirs and the good guys, well, they may not ever get paid, but think of what they’re doing for the planet! I ❤️Joe Lansdale.
Lansdale barrels ahead riding roughshod over anyone who hasn’t updated their hard drive with new information about the lives of gays, trans, and people of color. No more excuses will be made for those faltering on the road to total acceptance of these folks living in America. Lansdale doesn’t make any bones about it, just assumes the bad guys are the unreformed who ‘haven’t quite gotten there yet.’ There is damage being done daily to the psyches of ordinary folk with extraordinary skills who have to put up with crippling prejudice.
This fast-paced addition to the series addresses white supremacy head on: WHITE IS RIGHT is emblazoned on the T-shirt of a young man seeking the investigative services of Hap & Leonard, not knowing Leonard can be rattlesnake mean to those who disparage him for his color...or any old thing he might take it in his mind to do. This is the book #12 in the series so Lansdale doesn’t spend much time explaining the two main characters. The chapters are short and speedy, racing to a gruesome dénouement that features a hog farm, some mean twins, and a jackrabbit smile.
This is the kind of book one can read in a day, relaxedly, since it is mainly composed of dialogue and a few hard whacks of a rifle butt. But it will put you in a good mood since the bad guys get theirs and the good guys, well, they may not ever get paid, but think of what they’re doing for the planet! I ❤️Joe Lansdale.
November 14, 2019
A malincuore uno dei romanzi più deboli del ciclo di Hap e Leonard: trama piatta, pochi slanci alla Lansdale e anche le loro tipiche battute al vetriolo ridotte davvero al minimo... Si salva un po' nel finale, ma lo fa in modo comunque concitato e frettoloso.
Facciamo 3 stelle più che altro per (l'infinito) affetto che mi lega ai due improbabili detective, ai quali darne solo 2 mi sembrerebbe fare un torto.
Facciamo 3 stelle più che altro per (l'infinito) affetto che mi lega ai due improbabili detective, ai quali darne solo 2 mi sembrerebbe fare un torto.
January 26, 2018
To be published by Mulholland Books on 27 March 2018
One of the best Hap and Leonard yarns in years. Our intrepid duo are hired by white supremacists to find a young woman who has gone missing. Technically, she had left home years before, but there has been no trace of her for months. Their investigation takes them to Marvel Creek, Hap's home town and one where is remembered, sometimes fondly. What they find is a town held in thrall by a town boss, one with a social engineering philosophy that doesn't include people like Leonard. The clash of races, the blighted world view of the racist religious right, and plight of the disenfranchised poor in the South form the backdrop to a well-plotted thriller. There is grotesquerie, it is by Joe, and wild character portraits, and this one hangs together well. My only gripe is that it's too short.
One of the best Hap and Leonard yarns in years. Our intrepid duo are hired by white supremacists to find a young woman who has gone missing. Technically, she had left home years before, but there has been no trace of her for months. Their investigation takes them to Marvel Creek, Hap's home town and one where is remembered, sometimes fondly. What they find is a town held in thrall by a town boss, one with a social engineering philosophy that doesn't include people like Leonard. The clash of races, the blighted world view of the racist religious right, and plight of the disenfranchised poor in the South form the backdrop to a well-plotted thriller. There is grotesquerie, it is by Joe, and wild character portraits, and this one hangs together well. My only gripe is that it's too short.
May 18, 2018
I really loved this book. Hap, Brett Hap's wife and Leonard a black gay guy own a investigation company. A Pentecostal white supremacist group find this team and ask them to find their missing sister and daughter. There is a lot of action, racism, shooting and funny jokes that go on in this story. Leonard's boyfriend is a police chief of the town they live in. Leonard is really a funny guy and has a lot of funny come backs for people that treat him with disrespect because of his color. Leonard really has a big heart and rescues a pit-bull that is being mistreated named Rex. This dog lives in a junk yard with the criminals and is very mean, but Leonard talks to it and pats it head and calms the bad dog down. Leonard ends up stealing the dog and making it his own. The dog ends up saving Hap's and Leonard's lives after a bad guy tries to kill them. Leonard really loves that dog. He is like a dog whisperer. The investigation team ends up solving the mystery of Jackrabbit along with other illegal and scandalous happenings. This is really a very good book. Highly recommend it.
October 14, 2021
Just about the book you'd expect Lansdale to write in 2018. Once you read the words "hog farm" you know what's going to happen.
June 28, 2019
Hap and Leonard..... are there two more likable characters in fiction? For me, it's a short list of truly memorable characters but Joe Lansdale's good ol' boys from East Texas are on the top of the pile and, with every book produced, my love for them grows.
JACKRABBIT SMILE, the latest in the ongoing series, follows the formula of the series with Hap and Leonard taking on a case, this time a missing woman, which spirals into something a bit darker and sinister.
The novel, like anything Lansdale creates, is a quick read with brief chapters, lots of laugh, truckloads of action and two of the most hilarious men you'll find in print. There's a few gruesome parts - one in particular will have you cringing - but Lansdale somehow always keeps the mood light enough that you'll be skipping sleep to squeeze in a few extra pages.
Grab JACKRABBIT SMILE and remind yourself how much fun fiction can be in the right hands.
JACKRABBIT SMILE, the latest in the ongoing series, follows the formula of the series with Hap and Leonard taking on a case, this time a missing woman, which spirals into something a bit darker and sinister.
The novel, like anything Lansdale creates, is a quick read with brief chapters, lots of laugh, truckloads of action and two of the most hilarious men you'll find in print. There's a few gruesome parts - one in particular will have you cringing - but Lansdale somehow always keeps the mood light enough that you'll be skipping sleep to squeeze in a few extra pages.
Grab JACKRABBIT SMILE and remind yourself how much fun fiction can be in the right hands.
October 31, 2021
Another fun romp across East Texas with Hap and Leonard. The two friends and now partners in the PI business run by Hap's now wife, Brett, are hired by a mother and her son who are also Pentecostal white supremacists to find the mother's missing daughter, Jackie, who is also called Jackrabbit because of her prominent front teeth. Hap and Leonard agree to take the case even though they are not too thrilled with the religion and prejudices of the the mother and son. This takes them to Hap's hometown of Marvel Creek where they get involved in the murder investigation of Jackrabbit's father, a former preacher who believed in lizard men and other conspiracies. So what happened to Jackie? She had been involved with a black boyfriend which was not taken kindly by the racists in the community nor by her brother. The people in Marvel Creek all seem to be hiding something, especially a man called Professor and his minions. All is definitely not as it seems...
Again, as usual, this one was filled with violence and off-color humor and was highly entertaining. Some of the characters from the last novel are also present including Pookie, Leonard's new boyfriend who is also a police deputy, and the "400-year-old-vampire", Reba, who is being watched over by Hap's daughter, Chance. There is only one more novel left in this series, The Elephant of Surprise. I don't have a copy of this so may have to check it out from the library.
Again, as usual, this one was filled with violence and off-color humor and was highly entertaining. Some of the characters from the last novel are also present including Pookie, Leonard's new boyfriend who is also a police deputy, and the "400-year-old-vampire", Reba, who is being watched over by Hap's daughter, Chance. There is only one more novel left in this series, The Elephant of Surprise. I don't have a copy of this so may have to check it out from the library.
May 9, 2018
I felt like this one got back to the Hap and Leonard from a few years ago. Lots of one-liners and violence and who cares what the mystery is. The ending is a little anti climatic however.
December 13, 2018
Ho finalmente capito perchè mi ostino, nonostante tutto, a continuare a leggere le avventure di Hap & Leonard: perchè mi regalano le stesse sensazioni della partita di calcetto alla soglia dei 40 anni con gli amici di infanzia.
Non c'è più nessuna aspettativa sul piano fisico e tecnico, è solo un modo per ritrovarsi, assaporare l'effetto nostalgico che fanno le gag di un tempo e scoprire che il tempo può essere stato inclemente con i capelli, la pancia e il fiato, ma che -tutto sommato- ci si può ancora divertire insieme come bambini.
Non c'è più nessuna aspettativa sul piano fisico e tecnico, è solo un modo per ritrovarsi, assaporare l'effetto nostalgico che fanno le gag di un tempo e scoprire che il tempo può essere stato inclemente con i capelli, la pancia e il fiato, ma che -tutto sommato- ci si può ancora divertire insieme come bambini.
April 9, 2018
After reading 13 novels and a handful of short stories and novellas about Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, I do not just feel like I know them . I'm feeling like I am a part of their East Texas town. Hap and Leonard would be the two guys my parents would tell me to steer clear of and the first person they would call, reluctantly, if they got into a jam. As police chief Marvin Hansen would say, they are assholes and hardheads but he would trust them with his life.
Jackrabbit Smile has all the fixings of a Hap and Leonard novel. The duet is fronting their own detective agency, owned by Hap's old time girlfriend and brand new wife Brett. They are given a job to find a missing woman, Jackie aka Jackrabbit. Hap and Leonard are hired by Jackie's extremely racist mother and brother who gay and black Leonard pounces on like a cat and treat in his psychologically aggressive style like a chew toy. The job takes them to Hap's childhood stomping grounds Marvel Creek and they find out that the town has added a bunch of questionable characters that includes a white supremacist called Professor. Of course, the big question is; is Jackrabbit missing or dead and how was she involved in Marvel Creek's chaotic mix of low life schemers and racemongers?
There are always social issues of race and class lurking in a Hap and Leonard novel but novel #13 really brings them to the forefront which goes far to make it one of the best book of the series in a long while. We get all the snappy dialogue and hard ass action we would expect. Brett plays a minor role which is OK since the meat of the plot is always centered around the rapport of liberal and idealistic Hap and conservative and overly aggressive Leonard. But here is where I need to discuss something that is both disturbing and exciting that I am catching in the last two novels.
As the series goes, we always expect Leonard Pine to be the one most likely to kick ass. Hap kicks ass too but it is usually reluctantly. Yet as the last two novels plays out, and all the novels are in the first person perspective of Hap Collins, Leonard is more blatantly expressing a darkness that was always there. Hap realizes it and seems to know that he has no control over Leonard and that darkness. The thing is, after 13 novels, where is Joe R. Lansdale leading us? Will this bode well or ill for the macho bromance that is Hap and Leonard. I hope the author follows through on this because it could be taking the series out of its very popular formula and leading us in new and very tense territory. For this book, it is one of the thing that vaults this book out of the formula and keeps me guessing where the two friends may be headed. Do the other readers of the series agree with me or do they think I'm off the rails a bit? Let me know.
The Hap and Leonard series is one of those series that I highly recommend starting from the beginning. However if you are reluctant to do that, this one is stand alone enough to enjoy on its own merits. Ten to one odds though, after you are through you will be picking up the rest of them.
Jackrabbit Smile has all the fixings of a Hap and Leonard novel. The duet is fronting their own detective agency, owned by Hap's old time girlfriend and brand new wife Brett. They are given a job to find a missing woman, Jackie aka Jackrabbit. Hap and Leonard are hired by Jackie's extremely racist mother and brother who gay and black Leonard pounces on like a cat and treat in his psychologically aggressive style like a chew toy. The job takes them to Hap's childhood stomping grounds Marvel Creek and they find out that the town has added a bunch of questionable characters that includes a white supremacist called Professor. Of course, the big question is; is Jackrabbit missing or dead and how was she involved in Marvel Creek's chaotic mix of low life schemers and racemongers?
There are always social issues of race and class lurking in a Hap and Leonard novel but novel #13 really brings them to the forefront which goes far to make it one of the best book of the series in a long while. We get all the snappy dialogue and hard ass action we would expect. Brett plays a minor role which is OK since the meat of the plot is always centered around the rapport of liberal and idealistic Hap and conservative and overly aggressive Leonard. But here is where I need to discuss something that is both disturbing and exciting that I am catching in the last two novels.
As the series goes, we always expect Leonard Pine to be the one most likely to kick ass. Hap kicks ass too but it is usually reluctantly. Yet as the last two novels plays out, and all the novels are in the first person perspective of Hap Collins, Leonard is more blatantly expressing a darkness that was always there. Hap realizes it and seems to know that he has no control over Leonard and that darkness. The thing is, after 13 novels, where is Joe R. Lansdale leading us? Will this bode well or ill for the macho bromance that is Hap and Leonard. I hope the author follows through on this because it could be taking the series out of its very popular formula and leading us in new and very tense territory. For this book, it is one of the thing that vaults this book out of the formula and keeps me guessing where the two friends may be headed. Do the other readers of the series agree with me or do they think I'm off the rails a bit? Let me know.
The Hap and Leonard series is one of those series that I highly recommend starting from the beginning. However if you are reluctant to do that, this one is stand alone enough to enjoy on its own merits. Ten to one odds though, after you are through you will be picking up the rest of them.
April 17, 2018
A few hours well-spent studying the adventures of Hap and Leonard makes for a happy reader. Another good one....and that Leonard.
March 30, 2018
You really can't go wrong with Lansdale and his Hap and Leonard series. An always reliable good time.
June 17, 2018
Although I've had some Lansdale books on my TBR shelves for a little while, I first experienced his riveting, quirky world via the screen drama Hap and Leonard. Adapted from his first three books in his long-running series, that stars James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams as the seemingly mismatched pair of lifelong best friends. It's a great show - full of action, humour, intrigue, memorable characters, social issues and more - and it's well worth visiting the original material.
Lansdale has been called 'the bard of East Texas', and he has a distinctive storytelling style and vivid world creation, a sort of 'swamp noir' that is both bizarre and brilliant. It's violent and action-packed, but also funny and thoughtful and laced with character and a potpourri of relevant issues. For readers who haven't yet experienced Lansdale, it's a little tricky to offer a comparison with other authors.
He's created something terrifically unique.
JACKRABBIT SMILE is the twelfth instalment in Hap and Leonard's escapades. Working as private eyes, they're approached by a couple of Bible-misusing redneck racists who are searching for their troubled sister and daughter, 'Jackrabbit'. Hap and Leonard don't care for the mother-son duo, but their concern for the young woman has them reluctantly on the case. Plus, they could use the cash.
The search takes Hap and Leonard back to Hap's hometown, a place full of striking characters and bizarre leads. From the local sheriff whose brothers are hired goons for a cult-leader-like white separatist-not-supremacist, to old friends and enemies, there are plenty of people keeping things off-kilter. Lansdale demonstrates his deft touch for character in among all the action and confrontation. He sprinkles the tale with 'grotesques' in the Southern Gothic tradition, without falling into cliche. There's a verve and freshness to his characterisation, an authenticity to the relationships and nice moments of surprise that ensure crime readers aren't just seeing the same-old, same-old.
Overall, there is a crackling, anarchic energy to Landsdale's storytelling in JACKRABBIT SMILE. It's a quick read that doesn't feel 'thin', that is overflowing with unusual moments and characters, while also raising plenty of thought-provoking contemporary and evergreen issues. Landsdale veers towards 'pulp' in style and mindset, but he's so much more than such distillation. A terrific read.
Lansdale has been called 'the bard of East Texas', and he has a distinctive storytelling style and vivid world creation, a sort of 'swamp noir' that is both bizarre and brilliant. It's violent and action-packed, but also funny and thoughtful and laced with character and a potpourri of relevant issues. For readers who haven't yet experienced Lansdale, it's a little tricky to offer a comparison with other authors.
He's created something terrifically unique.
JACKRABBIT SMILE is the twelfth instalment in Hap and Leonard's escapades. Working as private eyes, they're approached by a couple of Bible-misusing redneck racists who are searching for their troubled sister and daughter, 'Jackrabbit'. Hap and Leonard don't care for the mother-son duo, but their concern for the young woman has them reluctantly on the case. Plus, they could use the cash.
The search takes Hap and Leonard back to Hap's hometown, a place full of striking characters and bizarre leads. From the local sheriff whose brothers are hired goons for a cult-leader-like white separatist-not-supremacist, to old friends and enemies, there are plenty of people keeping things off-kilter. Lansdale demonstrates his deft touch for character in among all the action and confrontation. He sprinkles the tale with 'grotesques' in the Southern Gothic tradition, without falling into cliche. There's a verve and freshness to his characterisation, an authenticity to the relationships and nice moments of surprise that ensure crime readers aren't just seeing the same-old, same-old.
Overall, there is a crackling, anarchic energy to Landsdale's storytelling in JACKRABBIT SMILE. It's a quick read that doesn't feel 'thin', that is overflowing with unusual moments and characters, while also raising plenty of thought-provoking contemporary and evergreen issues. Landsdale veers towards 'pulp' in style and mindset, but he's so much more than such distillation. A terrific read.
September 6, 2020
This is a particularly misanthropic entry in the series. Hap & Leonard do their thing and they're reliably amusing while doing it. This time, they have a client they don't like and they're looking for a missing girl mixed up with a whole bunch of people they don't like and who don't like them back just as hard.
No one comes out of this a winner. Everyone gets what's coming to them. As Leonard says, "No one dies well."
Terse, messy and ugly. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
No one comes out of this a winner. Everyone gets what's coming to them. As Leonard says, "No one dies well."
Terse, messy and ugly. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 22, 2018
My first novel by Lansdale, won’t be my last. Fast plot and good story, short and to the point. Well done.
June 14, 2019
I like Hap and Leonard. They get an investigation to do and next thing you know Hap's being hit with a chair and Leonard is doing what he does best - making everyone uncomfortable and threatening to kill them. This is a nice little book but it is little and the ending comes round fast.
April 13, 2018
I just love the Hap & Leonard stories. Joe R Lansdale, speaking as Hap, has a wonderful lyrical style, telling stories of horror, racism, poverty, revenge and true evil with a lyrical, poetic voice and laugh out loud dialogue as a bonus. I've now binge read them all and hope we get more, even as the pair get older.
Do yourself a favour, read them all in order.
Do yourself a favour, read them all in order.
December 5, 2018
"Jackrabbit Smile" is number 12 in the Hap and Leonard series of books, but it's the first "new" Hap and Leonard novel I've read in a while. I wasn't overly thrilled by "Rusty Puppy" or "Jackrabbit Smile," I'm sorry to say. I've been catching up on all the earlier Hap and Leonard novels recently--binge-reading, if you will.
As I was reading "Jackrabbit Smile," I noticed a lot of similarities to "The Two-Bear Mambo"--both the novel and the TV show. The subject of a town overrun by pernicious racism is not a new one for this series. But the author's technique and writing style has certainly evolved since that earlier book.
I have to say, I think that something was lost after "Honky Tonk Samurai." The Hap and Leonard novels haven't been the same since then. I feel like either the author lost interest in the duo or something changed in his life that affected his writing. His work has been crisp, but not overly deep or complex or...visceral, really. Sticking to a comfortable pattern is one thing...phoning it in is another.
In "Jackrabbit Smile," Hap and Leonard are looking for the missing daughter/sister of a mother and son pair of White Supremacists...or Segregationists...or whatever. Just think ignorant, white trash folks too scared to wear pillow cases and burn crosses like they'd prefer to. Their money is green, so Hap and Leonard (now working for Brett) take the job, with qualms.
As they search for the missing young woman--whose toothy smile gives the book its title--the mysteries they uncover keep multiplying. They aren't sure if the woman is alive or dead or anywhere to be found locally. Neither are they sure that she didn't have something to do with her own father's death. Yet the more they learn about her, the stranger the story becomes. She seems to have been some kind of mathematics whiz, adept with computers and fond of spouting theories about interdimensional travel.
There are plenty of suspects, including multiple exes of the missing woman. Suspicious characters seem to be everywhere. And Hap and Leonard soon run afoul of a sinister figure called The Professor, who may run the town according to White Supremacist/Segregationist ideals. His two henchmen are a pair of creepy identical twins.
Hap and Leonard, of course, rub all of these people the wrong way. If you're not familiar with the duo, Hap is a liberal and a good ol' boy and an ex-hippie. Leonard is a gay, black Republican, as well as a Vietnam vet. Both of them are long on armed and unarmed combat skills, but they're fairly short on diplomacy or long-term planning. Which means they usually find themselves in the middle of a shitstorm they either created or blundered into. And they always have to fight or shoot their way out of things. This story is no different in that regard.
Even though I felt that this novel was "more of the same," (and not necessarily in a good way) it was still an enjoyable read. I have genuine affection for Hap and Leonard, and I'm curious to see how their story changes and evolves in the future.
As I was reading "Jackrabbit Smile," I noticed a lot of similarities to "The Two-Bear Mambo"--both the novel and the TV show. The subject of a town overrun by pernicious racism is not a new one for this series. But the author's technique and writing style has certainly evolved since that earlier book.
I have to say, I think that something was lost after "Honky Tonk Samurai." The Hap and Leonard novels haven't been the same since then. I feel like either the author lost interest in the duo or something changed in his life that affected his writing. His work has been crisp, but not overly deep or complex or...visceral, really. Sticking to a comfortable pattern is one thing...phoning it in is another.
In "Jackrabbit Smile," Hap and Leonard are looking for the missing daughter/sister of a mother and son pair of White Supremacists...or Segregationists...or whatever. Just think ignorant, white trash folks too scared to wear pillow cases and burn crosses like they'd prefer to. Their money is green, so Hap and Leonard (now working for Brett) take the job, with qualms.
As they search for the missing young woman--whose toothy smile gives the book its title--the mysteries they uncover keep multiplying. They aren't sure if the woman is alive or dead or anywhere to be found locally. Neither are they sure that she didn't have something to do with her own father's death. Yet the more they learn about her, the stranger the story becomes. She seems to have been some kind of mathematics whiz, adept with computers and fond of spouting theories about interdimensional travel.
There are plenty of suspects, including multiple exes of the missing woman. Suspicious characters seem to be everywhere. And Hap and Leonard soon run afoul of a sinister figure called The Professor, who may run the town according to White Supremacist/Segregationist ideals. His two henchmen are a pair of creepy identical twins.
Hap and Leonard, of course, rub all of these people the wrong way. If you're not familiar with the duo, Hap is a liberal and a good ol' boy and an ex-hippie. Leonard is a gay, black Republican, as well as a Vietnam vet. Both of them are long on armed and unarmed combat skills, but they're fairly short on diplomacy or long-term planning. Which means they usually find themselves in the middle of a shitstorm they either created or blundered into. And they always have to fight or shoot their way out of things. This story is no different in that regard.
Even though I felt that this novel was "more of the same," (and not necessarily in a good way) it was still an enjoyable read. I have genuine affection for Hap and Leonard, and I'm curious to see how their story changes and evolves in the future.
October 16, 2018
I've been reading Joe Lansdale and Hap & Leonard for over twenty years now, and I expect I'll keep reading him and this series until he stops writing. He's a natural storyteller with a knack for plotting, and even when I read a mediocre Lansdale story, I still enjoy it.
Unfortunately, Jackrabbit Smile is a mediocre book. It's solid enough, but it's hardly the best in the series, nor is it the best Lansdale has to offer. It lacks the zing of his other books, partly because it's missing the wacky characters, partly because the dialogue isn't as snappy, and partly because the story simply isn't that tight. Lansdale has expanded the Hap & Leonard world to include characters from other books (including those from other writers), and Hap and Leonard lean on them in this story. Plus, the relationships they've built over the series are still there, and it helps them get out of a lot of scrapes that were much more perilous earlier in the series. With Marvin Hanson always vouching for them, they're able to get in and out of trouble without any real concern on the reader's part. By the end of the book, it feels more like an ensemble book than a Hap & Leonard book
As for the story itself, Hap and Leonard are hired to investigate a missing person, but the folks who hire them are racist supremacists, and the town they visit is one where anyone not white is allowed to work there, but they aren't allowed to live there. It feels like a rehash of the themes of The Two-Bear Mambo, even if the story itself is different. For all its build-up, it's anticlimactic at its conclusion, and it feels more like Lansdale is reeling in his loose ends instead of tying them up neatly.
Written by any other writer, Jackrabbit Smile is a decent crime novel. The problem is, this is a Lansdale book, and my expectations for one of those are much higher. At the very least, it's not a good place to start on the series, since it begins further into the main characters' development than is best for new readers. The problem with that is that once readers are caught up, they'll be disappointed with this entry into the series. It seems like a no-win read, despite it being entertaining enough. I understand Lansdale will be taking a break from the series after this book, and I think that's a good thing for the readers.
Unfortunately, Jackrabbit Smile is a mediocre book. It's solid enough, but it's hardly the best in the series, nor is it the best Lansdale has to offer. It lacks the zing of his other books, partly because it's missing the wacky characters, partly because the dialogue isn't as snappy, and partly because the story simply isn't that tight. Lansdale has expanded the Hap & Leonard world to include characters from other books (including those from other writers), and Hap and Leonard lean on them in this story. Plus, the relationships they've built over the series are still there, and it helps them get out of a lot of scrapes that were much more perilous earlier in the series. With Marvin Hanson always vouching for them, they're able to get in and out of trouble without any real concern on the reader's part. By the end of the book, it feels more like an ensemble book than a Hap & Leonard book
As for the story itself, Hap and Leonard are hired to investigate a missing person, but the folks who hire them are racist supremacists, and the town they visit is one where anyone not white is allowed to work there, but they aren't allowed to live there. It feels like a rehash of the themes of The Two-Bear Mambo, even if the story itself is different. For all its build-up, it's anticlimactic at its conclusion, and it feels more like Lansdale is reeling in his loose ends instead of tying them up neatly.
Written by any other writer, Jackrabbit Smile is a decent crime novel. The problem is, this is a Lansdale book, and my expectations for one of those are much higher. At the very least, it's not a good place to start on the series, since it begins further into the main characters' development than is best for new readers. The problem with that is that once readers are caught up, they'll be disappointed with this entry into the series. It seems like a no-win read, despite it being entertaining enough. I understand Lansdale will be taking a break from the series after this book, and I think that's a good thing for the readers.
February 8, 2019
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: Hap and Leonard weren’t all too pleased to accept a job from a white supremacists couple. They came to them as last resort, bringing in a handful of family along, expressed their displeasure of Leonard being black (little did they know, he’s gay too), and their grief over their missing daughter. She disappeared soon after giving birth to a black baby, and they no longer expect to see her alive. They merely want to know what happened.
The town these two go to investigate in is run by white supremacists and crazy folk. Most businesses are owned by a man called Professor, who has his own philosophy of why people of color and whites shouldn’t mix. Church was ran by folk who believed the world will end due to lizard people who live among us. And the mass there was held by a man who wanted to die of a gruesome torture, and seemingly got his final wish fulfilled. So, wherever you turn, there’s a something…
Mine: While the story itself was very mediocre, it’s written very well, and is full of good wit, funny jokes, and strong characters. And I’ve said this time, and time again: a good character can fix any plot. So if you ever need something light, funny, with maybe a little touch of scary shit, due to murder and all that, keep these series in mind. I will too.
I don’t really intend to read any more now, but hey, never say never. This book gets a solid 4 out of 5. I don’t know how those other ones are, but this one was nice and firm, and you can absolutely follow the story, no matter the past books.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: Hap and Leonard weren’t all too pleased to accept a job from a white supremacists couple. They came to them as last resort, bringing in a handful of family along, expressed their displeasure of Leonard being black (little did they know, he’s gay too), and their grief over their missing daughter. She disappeared soon after giving birth to a black baby, and they no longer expect to see her alive. They merely want to know what happened.
The town these two go to investigate in is run by white supremacists and crazy folk. Most businesses are owned by a man called Professor, who has his own philosophy of why people of color and whites shouldn’t mix. Church was ran by folk who believed the world will end due to lizard people who live among us. And the mass there was held by a man who wanted to die of a gruesome torture, and seemingly got his final wish fulfilled. So, wherever you turn, there’s a something…
Mine: While the story itself was very mediocre, it’s written very well, and is full of good wit, funny jokes, and strong characters. And I’ve said this time, and time again: a good character can fix any plot. So if you ever need something light, funny, with maybe a little touch of scary shit, due to murder and all that, keep these series in mind. I will too.
I don’t really intend to read any more now, but hey, never say never. This book gets a solid 4 out of 5. I don’t know how those other ones are, but this one was nice and firm, and you can absolutely follow the story, no matter the past books.
October 27, 2018
Il sorriso di Jackrabbit - Joe R. Lansdale
Non ho mai amato troppo i supereroi alla Marvel e neppure quelli di nascita precedente: il topos superomistico del personaggio privo di macchia e di paura che sconfigge i cattivi senza sporcarsi l'anima mi affascina il giusto. Però, diamine se abbiamo bisogno di perderci nella serenità data da una storia in cui trionfi il Bene e BruttiSporchi siano sconfitti malamente! Joe R. Lansdale ha creato con Hap e Leonard una coppia di improbabilissimi supereroi dotati di una dirittura morale... uhm... rivedibile, mezzi ... ehm... contestabili dalla legge ma una direttiva chiara e dritta come una spada nella testa: rimettere a posto le cose in un Texas pervaso da razzismo e ignoranza. Funziona, come tutte le precedenti avventure di questo duo indimenticabile.
Non ho mai amato troppo i supereroi alla Marvel e neppure quelli di nascita precedente: il topos superomistico del personaggio privo di macchia e di paura che sconfigge i cattivi senza sporcarsi l'anima mi affascina il giusto. Però, diamine se abbiamo bisogno di perderci nella serenità data da una storia in cui trionfi il Bene e BruttiSporchi siano sconfitti malamente! Joe R. Lansdale ha creato con Hap e Leonard una coppia di improbabilissimi supereroi dotati di una dirittura morale... uhm... rivedibile, mezzi ... ehm... contestabili dalla legge ma una direttiva chiara e dritta come una spada nella testa: rimettere a posto le cose in un Texas pervaso da razzismo e ignoranza. Funziona, come tutte le precedenti avventure di questo duo indimenticabile.
July 4, 2018
Lansdale is one of my favorite authors and this Hap and Leonard tale didn’t disappoint. Full of social justice promoting talk, asskicking and the snappy one-liners I always look forward to, this mystery involved some new characters along with all of my favorites. Don’t want to ruin any of the surprises, but if you like the show (which I’m praying gets picked up by someone else now that Sundance nixed it), check the books out. Jackrabbit was an interesting plot to follow, and I liked Hap and Leonard returning to Marvel Creek, with the little bit of backstory there.
September 20, 2018
Crude, crass, and unsophisticated: that's what I think about this book. It was my first Hap and Leonard book. The good things: At times it was mildly entertaining. It's quick and easy to read. And I like mysteries. Even so, I don't think I'll read anymore Hap and Leonard mystery novels. I only picked this up because it's one of my library's books of the month. The other is another book by Lansdale, maybe another Hap and Leonard book. I think I'll pass.
February 23, 2025
Another wonderful read by a great writer.
Jackie was a whiz at many things, but she did not appear much or claim many pages unless you counted the ones she was on, as the mystery around her was discussed and questioned by the pair of private eyes. Hap and Leonard are working on this case hired by her brother and his mother after Brett talks them into taking it because the pair do not care for these two clients. It takes them back to their hometown, the bridge, and the racism.
During their visit to their old stomping ground, they encounter many old schoolmates. Most of them, the pair would rather forget and move on. Several of these old high schoolmates are not that friendly and glad to see them in town. The town has a new frontrunner in charge and he has control over what goes on inside the village limits. However, the law is watching him and his cohorts but the officers don't have anything solid on him yet. Hap and Leonard are following leads as they come across these old classmates.
Jackie does not turn up nor does her body. They do not know if she is alive, dead, or hiding. They find her flash drive and get it looked into by their pal. Brett stays in touch with him about what is on it. As Hap and Leonard return to their investigation at Marvel Creek. Even though they are not welcome in the town, they go back to seek answers about Jackie. The preacher does not give them much to go on but they return to him for more answers. He remembers a friend of Jackie's and gives them her name.
As the mystery unfolds, Hap and Leonard have collected a dog, decided to include Pooky on this next visit to Marvel Creek, and they looking into the hog farm. It becomes a stinky, sticky mess of scenes where guns are drawn, people die, and others become injured. The whole scene is riddled with pig poop, urine, and blood as they uncover where Jackie has been for so long. The Professor loses his twins, we never learn where they came from before they go, and the Junkyard guy tells a story about Jackie that is not quite true before he leaves it to Hap and Leonard to find out where she went after entering the woods. All the fund transfers were proving hard to follow and where they would end up.
However, Hap and Brett are married now and their daughter is helping them with the business. I was excited about Reba but that was short-lived because she did not get much action in this novel. White supremacists find this group in their backyard having a cookout celebrating with the newly wedded couple. This is how the hiring of Hap and Leonard is introduced and the story unfolds with cult members, lizard men, and the death of a man in the woods. The cult leader's daughter is lost or dead and they must discover what happened to her. Along the way, things get dicey.
Jackie was a whiz at many things, but she did not appear much or claim many pages unless you counted the ones she was on, as the mystery around her was discussed and questioned by the pair of private eyes. Hap and Leonard are working on this case hired by her brother and his mother after Brett talks them into taking it because the pair do not care for these two clients. It takes them back to their hometown, the bridge, and the racism.
During their visit to their old stomping ground, they encounter many old schoolmates. Most of them, the pair would rather forget and move on. Several of these old high schoolmates are not that friendly and glad to see them in town. The town has a new frontrunner in charge and he has control over what goes on inside the village limits. However, the law is watching him and his cohorts but the officers don't have anything solid on him yet. Hap and Leonard are following leads as they come across these old classmates.
Jackie does not turn up nor does her body. They do not know if she is alive, dead, or hiding. They find her flash drive and get it looked into by their pal. Brett stays in touch with him about what is on it. As Hap and Leonard return to their investigation at Marvel Creek. Even though they are not welcome in the town, they go back to seek answers about Jackie. The preacher does not give them much to go on but they return to him for more answers. He remembers a friend of Jackie's and gives them her name.
As the mystery unfolds, Hap and Leonard have collected a dog, decided to include Pooky on this next visit to Marvel Creek, and they looking into the hog farm. It becomes a stinky, sticky mess of scenes where guns are drawn, people die, and others become injured. The whole scene is riddled with pig poop, urine, and blood as they uncover where Jackie has been for so long. The Professor loses his twins, we never learn where they came from before they go, and the Junkyard guy tells a story about Jackie that is not quite true before he leaves it to Hap and Leonard to find out where she went after entering the woods. All the fund transfers were proving hard to follow and where they would end up.
However, Hap and Brett are married now and their daughter is helping them with the business. I was excited about Reba but that was short-lived because she did not get much action in this novel. White supremacists find this group in their backyard having a cookout celebrating with the newly wedded couple. This is how the hiring of Hap and Leonard is introduced and the story unfolds with cult members, lizard men, and the death of a man in the woods. The cult leader's daughter is lost or dead and they must discover what happened to her. Along the way, things get dicey.
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