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Amos Walker #28
When Old Midnight Comes Along
A new Amos Walker mystery from award-winning author Loren D. Estleman!
Amos Walker is hired by one Francis X. Lawes, a private-sector mover and shaker in Detroit politics, to prove that his wife, Paula, who disappeared under sinister circumstances shortly more than six years ago, is dead, so he can remarry without having to wait for the seven-year-declaration-of-death rule to kick in.
Walker's investigation is complicated by two facts: the police still consider Lawes the prime suspect, and the first-responding officer in that old case was killed in the line of duty shortly afterwards and his notebook has never been found. The question for Walker is, if Lawes is guilty, why would he put himself in jeopardy of arrest and prosecution by giving the forensics team a body to work on?
Amos Walker is hired by one Francis X. Lawes, a private-sector mover and shaker in Detroit politics, to prove that his wife, Paula, who disappeared under sinister circumstances shortly more than six years ago, is dead, so he can remarry without having to wait for the seven-year-declaration-of-death rule to kick in.
Walker's investigation is complicated by two facts: the police still consider Lawes the prime suspect, and the first-responding officer in that old case was killed in the line of duty shortly afterwards and his notebook has never been found. The question for Walker is, if Lawes is guilty, why would he put himself in jeopardy of arrest and prosecution by giving the forensics team a body to work on?
269 pages, Hardcover
First published December 3, 2019
99 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Loren D. Estleman
314 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 47 reviews
November 13, 2019
Loren D Estleman's long running Amos Walker series is one I have dipped into through the years, always knowing I am going to enjoy the reading experience. It is set in a economically deprived Detroit in Michigan where Walker operates as a PI, older, more physically scarred in body, weary of soul, and the best man to hire when it comes to missing persons. Which is why Francis X. Lawes, an influential political mover and shaker in charge of examining private sector business bids for city contracts, hires Walker. After disappointment from other agencies he has employed, he wants evidence that his wife, Paula, a PR executive, who disappeared 6 years ago, last seen in Allen Park, is either dead or alive. He wants to remarry and doesn't want to wait another year for her to be legally declared dead.
So Walker begins to dig, it soon becomes apparent that Lawes was and still is the prime suspect for Paula's murder by the police, and an old friend and retired ex-cop, John Alderdyce has never forgotten Lawes, convinced of his guilt, but lacking proof, and willing to help Walker if it will nail Lawes. It does not seem to make sense that Lawes would want to stir a hornet's nest that would put him back in the frame as a murder suspect, if he merely waited patiently for only one more year, he would be home free, and marry again with no problems. Walker goes back over the case, taking time to interview those he still can that were key to the original investigation. This has Walker encountering the likes of an audio book producer, George Hoyle, a charismatic Southern belle, a friend of Paula's, ex-gangbangers and Lawes fiancee, Holly Pride, keen that he stops looking for Paula. In a case that includes the past murder of an Allen Park cop, Marcus Root, first at the scene of Paula's abandoned car, with his notebook taken, and a present day murder, Walker works a twisted case where little is as it seems until the truth begins to emerge.
Estleman is a wonderful writer, evoking an atmospheric sense of place and location with his sharp and rich descriptions of a Detroit that Amos Walker operates in. The economic challenges and history of Detroit comes across well, along with the political corruption and deprivation. The author is an old hand when it comes to the creation of a host of diverse characters, from political elites, corporate types, criminals, and including gang members. This is a great and entertaining outing for Walker, perhaps not one of his best, but one that still had me hooked and knowing I will read any further additions in the series without question. Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an ARC.
So Walker begins to dig, it soon becomes apparent that Lawes was and still is the prime suspect for Paula's murder by the police, and an old friend and retired ex-cop, John Alderdyce has never forgotten Lawes, convinced of his guilt, but lacking proof, and willing to help Walker if it will nail Lawes. It does not seem to make sense that Lawes would want to stir a hornet's nest that would put him back in the frame as a murder suspect, if he merely waited patiently for only one more year, he would be home free, and marry again with no problems. Walker goes back over the case, taking time to interview those he still can that were key to the original investigation. This has Walker encountering the likes of an audio book producer, George Hoyle, a charismatic Southern belle, a friend of Paula's, ex-gangbangers and Lawes fiancee, Holly Pride, keen that he stops looking for Paula. In a case that includes the past murder of an Allen Park cop, Marcus Root, first at the scene of Paula's abandoned car, with his notebook taken, and a present day murder, Walker works a twisted case where little is as it seems until the truth begins to emerge.
Estleman is a wonderful writer, evoking an atmospheric sense of place and location with his sharp and rich descriptions of a Detroit that Amos Walker operates in. The economic challenges and history of Detroit comes across well, along with the political corruption and deprivation. The author is an old hand when it comes to the creation of a host of diverse characters, from political elites, corporate types, criminals, and including gang members. This is a great and entertaining outing for Walker, perhaps not one of his best, but one that still had me hooked and knowing I will read any further additions in the series without question. Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an ARC.
February 3, 2020
Humphrey Bogart in a fedora
A contemporary actor make it George Clooney with his snarky grin narrating his internal dialogue and his sharp and rich descriptions of Detroit to play Amos Walker.
Amos is hired to prove that a wife of a corporate mover and shaker who disappeared under sinister circumstances more than six years ago, is dead. Along the way he crosses paths with retired cops, converted gang bangers, an 8ft Chinese albino, prostitutes and their johns, a dead cop, and an old jewel heist. The plot was more style over substance.
It felt like an old black and white movie. As the ending credits roll you see the P.I. walking away with a beautiful dame on his arm. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. -Rick
A contemporary actor make it George Clooney with his snarky grin narrating his internal dialogue and his sharp and rich descriptions of Detroit to play Amos Walker.
Amos is hired to prove that a wife of a corporate mover and shaker who disappeared under sinister circumstances more than six years ago, is dead. Along the way he crosses paths with retired cops, converted gang bangers, an 8ft Chinese albino, prostitutes and their johns, a dead cop, and an old jewel heist. The plot was more style over substance.
It felt like an old black and white movie. As the ending credits roll you see the P.I. walking away with a beautiful dame on his arm. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine. -Rick
December 20, 2019
Loren Estleman is right up there with Walter Moseley and other seminal writers who not only define great crime fiction, but redefine it in their own unique way. It speaks volumes about an author who consistently produces top-notch stories in a long-running series. I always look forward to a new Amos Walker book, not only because I've come to know the character well throughout the years, but also because there's always something new to learn about him.
This time out, Amos is hired by a man who wants Amos to find out what happened to his wife who disappeared under suspicious circumstances 6 years ago. The husband now wants to remarry and tasks Amos with finding out what happened to her so he can move on. As usual, all is not what it seems, and when Amos pulls one thread, it leads to a number of knots to untangle. Mr. Estleman is a master at throwing more than a few curves at the reader, which makes the denouement all the more enjoyable.
If you're a fan of Raymond Chandler, crime noir - or just great writing - give this series a whirl. It's something to be savored.
This time out, Amos is hired by a man who wants Amos to find out what happened to his wife who disappeared under suspicious circumstances 6 years ago. The husband now wants to remarry and tasks Amos with finding out what happened to her so he can move on. As usual, all is not what it seems, and when Amos pulls one thread, it leads to a number of knots to untangle. Mr. Estleman is a master at throwing more than a few curves at the reader, which makes the denouement all the more enjoyable.
If you're a fan of Raymond Chandler, crime noir - or just great writing - give this series a whirl. It's something to be savored.
November 19, 2019
Estleman is a national treasure. In my opinion the true modern hero to Chandler. Estleman’s detective, Amos Walker, hero of Estleman’s long running detective series is a world weary Detroit private investigator who is called on to prove that a man’s wife is dead so he can remarry. The plot is beside the point- it’s the telling of the story that counts and the characterizations. Of the supporting players. Read it and you’ll be hooked.
March 21, 2020
For a guy who I think started writing in his parents' attic, Loren D. Estleman has come a long way, and the most recent Amos Walker mystery is a great example of his current skill levels. You can read this book as a straight hardboiled PI mystery against the backdrop of metropolitan Detroit, a tough city where only the strong survive, and sometimes not even them. Estleman is spot on regarding the landscape of the Motor City, both its core and the multiple suburbs that stretch out from it, each with its own character--or lack of it.
However, and not everyone will get this, you also can read it as a send-up of hardboiled fiction. Walker always has a sharp, ironic comment and revels in the subtle or not so subtle put-down, just like PIs from Philip Marlowe on down through the years. As it happens, almost everyone he meets along the way trying to find (or not find) a missing wife is just as verbally adept. Interviews turn into verbal tennis matches played at the net, rapid-fire and exhilarating. Are people in the real Detroit actually this sharp? Maybe some are, but who cares? This is a hardboiled romp on the level of language, perhaps better taken a few chapters at a time so that you don't get a headache from trying to keep up.
Oh, here's a sample of the writing. There's stuff as much fun on almost every page.
"If you want to know how the local sports teams are doing but aren't curious enough to read a paper or watch TV, swing by the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. There, in front of the blank wall facing Woodward Avenue, squats The Spirit of Detroit, a ton or so of verdigris copper, popularly known as the Jolly Green Giant, holding a radiating sphere aloft in one hand and a nuclear family in the other. If at playoff time it's wearing a huge jersey carrying the insignia of the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, or Pistons, we've got a dog in the hunt. This year it just had its breechclout, and it was lucky to still have that."
However, and not everyone will get this, you also can read it as a send-up of hardboiled fiction. Walker always has a sharp, ironic comment and revels in the subtle or not so subtle put-down, just like PIs from Philip Marlowe on down through the years. As it happens, almost everyone he meets along the way trying to find (or not find) a missing wife is just as verbally adept. Interviews turn into verbal tennis matches played at the net, rapid-fire and exhilarating. Are people in the real Detroit actually this sharp? Maybe some are, but who cares? This is a hardboiled romp on the level of language, perhaps better taken a few chapters at a time so that you don't get a headache from trying to keep up.
Oh, here's a sample of the writing. There's stuff as much fun on almost every page.
"If you want to know how the local sports teams are doing but aren't curious enough to read a paper or watch TV, swing by the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. There, in front of the blank wall facing Woodward Avenue, squats The Spirit of Detroit, a ton or so of verdigris copper, popularly known as the Jolly Green Giant, holding a radiating sphere aloft in one hand and a nuclear family in the other. If at playoff time it's wearing a huge jersey carrying the insignia of the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, or Pistons, we've got a dog in the hunt. This year it just had its breechclout, and it was lucky to still have that."
November 30, 2019
I have been a little in love with Amos Walker since his first appearance in “Motor City Blues.” The love affair continues in this excellent book. Walker is aging, and has lost a step or two, but he is still nobody’s fool and a tough guy. He is an independent private detective, emphasis on independent.
In this book Walker has been hired to find a dead woman. Her husband, long a suspect in her disappearance and presumed death, wants to marry again and does not want to wait for the statutory seven years to have her declared dead. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to say any more about the plot. Walker is himself, but there are always echoes of Philip Marlowe; both of them honest men surrounded by corruption and liars.
Loren Estleman is a master, and “When Old Midnight Comes Along” is further proof of it. If you like mysteries and private detectives you cannot do better than Amos Walker. Estleman writes in other genres, including westerns, and his writing is always good, but Amos Walker is my favorite of his creations, probably you could tell. I am always sorry to finish these books, and I always look forward to the next one. If you are not familiar with Amos Walker I urge you to make his acquaintance. If he is an old friend, you know what pleasures await you.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
In this book Walker has been hired to find a dead woman. Her husband, long a suspect in her disappearance and presumed death, wants to marry again and does not want to wait for the statutory seven years to have her declared dead. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to say any more about the plot. Walker is himself, but there are always echoes of Philip Marlowe; both of them honest men surrounded by corruption and liars.
Loren Estleman is a master, and “When Old Midnight Comes Along” is further proof of it. If you like mysteries and private detectives you cannot do better than Amos Walker. Estleman writes in other genres, including westerns, and his writing is always good, but Amos Walker is my favorite of his creations, probably you could tell. I am always sorry to finish these books, and I always look forward to the next one. If you are not familiar with Amos Walker I urge you to make his acquaintance. If he is an old friend, you know what pleasures await you.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
November 18, 2019
4 stars
I have been reading the Amos Walker mysteries for years. I really like Mr. Estleman's irreverent style of writing humor in his stories.
Walker is a cool breeze from the past; a resurrection of the old style, semi-hard bitten private eye.
He is hired by Francis X. Lawes to find his wife – dead or alive. It has been six years since her car was found abandoned in a not-so-healthy area of Detroit. Lawes wants to marry and doesn't want to wait the additional year it takes to have Paula Lawes declared dead.
This is a well written and plotted who dunnit – or who didn't. Walker doggedly follows the clues, re-interviewing witnesses and finding new ones. I like Mr. Estleman's laid back style of writing. It seems as though his story telling is effortless. Although I imagine it is not as easy as it looks to be. I will continue to be an Amos Walker fan as long as the author wants to write about his adventures.
I want to thank NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge/Forge Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
I have been reading the Amos Walker mysteries for years. I really like Mr. Estleman's irreverent style of writing humor in his stories.
Walker is a cool breeze from the past; a resurrection of the old style, semi-hard bitten private eye.
He is hired by Francis X. Lawes to find his wife – dead or alive. It has been six years since her car was found abandoned in a not-so-healthy area of Detroit. Lawes wants to marry and doesn't want to wait the additional year it takes to have Paula Lawes declared dead.
This is a well written and plotted who dunnit – or who didn't. Walker doggedly follows the clues, re-interviewing witnesses and finding new ones. I like Mr. Estleman's laid back style of writing. It seems as though his story telling is effortless. Although I imagine it is not as easy as it looks to be. I will continue to be an Amos Walker fan as long as the author wants to write about his adventures.
I want to thank NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge/Forge Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.
February 25, 2020
This was just what I needed at just the right time - a palate cleanser written by a pro. Is it perfect? Well, no. Like most of Estleman's books the crime and resolution get a bit too convoluted in the second half and since we're now on #28 in a series, newcomers should expect next to nil by way of character development. But for readers who have read them all, or hop-scotched their way around the series (as I have) this delivered exactly what I wanted in a way I've come to expect.
January 19, 2022
I did not enjoy all the descriptive language, metaphors and similes. The long descriptions distracted from the story and lost my interest and made it difficult for me to know what was going on.
January 25, 2020
I have read many of the Amos Walker novels and enjoyed them but somehow lost track and was surprised to see a new one on the library shelf. Even though I've probably missed ten years worth I jumped at this with pleasant memories. It was as if I'd never stopped reading them. Now that could be good or could be stale. In this case I found it a bit stale. How many metaphors, bad jokes, hardboiled attitudes can you cram into one book? In this case, too many. I found myself skimming through much of the *background* to get to the meat. The plot was interesting but barely developed. It makes me sad because I enjoyed so many of Estelman's books and I felt let down. Or. Maybe it's me and my tastes have just changed. It just felt tired.
January 27, 2020
I’ve never really loved the plots of these novels, but I totally love the language. It’s just a joy
January 16, 2020
A good Amos Walker Yarn
An atmospheric detective novel of the old school set in Detroit. I enjoy all the Amos Walker novels, this one was no different.
An atmospheric detective novel of the old school set in Detroit. I enjoy all the Amos Walker novels, this one was no different.
Read
January 14, 2020loved the writing style but was kind of lost this being the first book I read in the series
January 8, 2020
the 28th in a series. perhaps if I had read some of the earlier works I might appreciated this story more, but it felt very cookie cutter to me. A Man hires a detective to find his missing and presumed dead wife. She disappeared 6 years ago and he wants to remarry. The girlfriends knows about the missing wife and is part the coverup reveal.
December 28, 2019
I haven't spent any time with Amos Walker in a while and I need to go back and catch up. It's always a good ride and it helps knowing the Detroit area. This time Amos is hired to prove Francis X. Lawes wife is dead so he can marry his current gal. But there are lots of twists and turns as the adventure begins. If you love hard-boiled detective fiction, take a ride with Amos Walker on the streets of Detroit and suburbs.
December 28, 2019
Loren Estleman is a professional writer, who turns out, interesting, well written books. This one is no exception. His descriptions are evocative, with numerous contemporary references. As always, well worth reading .
December 17, 2019
This is a really good private detective story in the "classic" style. It's more about the path our hero follows as he tries to earn his money and solve the case than it is about the actual mystery.
Sure there are some decent plot twists and whatnot but, honestly, that aspect of the story isn't terribly original... It's not so much about the particular crime as it is the individual trying to solve it: Amos Walker.
That's what makes When Old Midnight Comes Along a better than average book.
This is the 28th entry in the Amos Walker series so the old guy has aged a bit, slowed down a step of two, and is less about thumping people around than doing what he does better than anyone - finding missing people. Walker offers only one guarantee, if he can't find the missing person then no one can. His witty comments, more wickedly sardonic than funny, set the tone.
"You know you're over the hill when the crooks and cops start looking like the kids on Sesame Street."
I enjoyed this one a great deal. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good private detective story.
***Thanks to NetGalley, Forge Books, and author Loren D. Estleman for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Sure there are some decent plot twists and whatnot but, honestly, that aspect of the story isn't terribly original... It's not so much about the particular crime as it is the individual trying to solve it: Amos Walker.
That's what makes When Old Midnight Comes Along a better than average book.
This is the 28th entry in the Amos Walker series so the old guy has aged a bit, slowed down a step of two, and is less about thumping people around than doing what he does better than anyone - finding missing people. Walker offers only one guarantee, if he can't find the missing person then no one can. His witty comments, more wickedly sardonic than funny, set the tone.
"You know you're over the hill when the crooks and cops start looking like the kids on Sesame Street."
I enjoyed this one a great deal. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good private detective story.
***Thanks to NetGalley, Forge Books, and author Loren D. Estleman for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2019
A good hard boiled mystery according to my heart.
I liked the character development, the cast of characters is well thought and interesting, and the descriptions of the background.
The mystery is solid and kept guessing till the end. The well crafted plot is gripping and kept me on the edge.
It's the first novel I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked the character development, the cast of characters is well thought and interesting, and the descriptions of the background.
The mystery is solid and kept guessing till the end. The well crafted plot is gripping and kept me on the edge.
It's the first novel I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
December 15, 2019
28 is a lot of books in a series. Several years ago Estleman left Amos behind to flirt with a movie fanatic and prohibition but luckily he came back to him and has sharpened his pencil with new, shorter, mysteries that have a lot of the old pizzazz. He’s still in the same office, driving the same Cutlass, still broke, never eating, but the story was good, the characters familiar, and it went fast. Still love the old Amos and he doesn’t hardly get busted up this time.
November 10, 2019
I really like this type of detective stories, although our hero is getting old he still has IT. As usual I have to thank #MacmillanTorForge and #Edelweiss and #Netgalley for giving me this pleasure to read one of the last true hard boiled detectives out there. I also must say, I hope that #LorenDEstleman keeps them coming. Great work, I really recommend this series.
December 4, 2019
The last of the old fashioned tough talking, sardonic private eye series including a Detroit that’s stuck in the 70s - or earlier - even if it’s 2019. Always reliable and this one is no exception but the plot is pretty creaky, not to say implausible. But so were most of Raymond Chandler’s - this one has a particular Chandler hallmark: double identity.
July 19, 2022
I've been a fan of the Amos Walker series ever since the first entry, Motor City Blue, appeared in 1980. Even then, Walker was a throwback to an earlier age of hard-boiled detective fiction--a tough, smart-mouthed P.I. with a crummy office in a derelict building who basically had no life outside of his job.
Walker's beat is Detroit, a city that was well into decline by the time Walker first appeared and and which has only gotten sadder since. Throughout the series Walker, who narrates these stories in the first person, has chronicled the city's decline and the scattered attempts to resurrect it and instill it with new life. Walker has never put much stock in the efforts, but he loves the city in his own way and it's impossible to imagine him working anywhere else.
As this story begins, Walker is hired by a wheeler-dealer named Francis X. Lawes to determine whether Lawes's' wife, Paula, is still among the living. The woman disappeared without a trace six years earlier and her disappearance remains one of the city's continuing mysteries. The case is even more intriguing for the fact that Marcus Root, who was the first cop on the scene at Paula's abandoned car, was murdered immediately thereafter and his notebook, in which he had presumably recorded his thoughts about Paula's disappearance was stolen.
The case is one that still haunts Walker's old nemesis and friend, John Alderdyce, who has recently retired from the Detroit P.D. Alderdyce has long assumed that Lawes murdered his wife, but was never able to make the case.
Lawes now wants to remarry and doesn't want to have to wait another year to have Paula declared legally dead so that he is free to move on. This leaves Walker and others to wonder why, if Alderdyce is correct in his assumption about Lawes's guilt, Lawes would risk having the case reopened.
Walker thus begins digging into the matter which, as is always the case, turns out to be much deeper and more complicated than it appears on the surface. Like the other novels in this series, this one is very atmospheric, and Walker will encounter a number of very strange and curious characters along the way. This is a solid entry in the series, although not among the best, principally because the plot is a bit too convoluted and requires perhaps a greater suspension of disbelief than is most often the case with these books. Still, it's always fun to meet up with Walker again, and fans of the series will not want to miss the chance.
Walker's beat is Detroit, a city that was well into decline by the time Walker first appeared and and which has only gotten sadder since. Throughout the series Walker, who narrates these stories in the first person, has chronicled the city's decline and the scattered attempts to resurrect it and instill it with new life. Walker has never put much stock in the efforts, but he loves the city in his own way and it's impossible to imagine him working anywhere else.
As this story begins, Walker is hired by a wheeler-dealer named Francis X. Lawes to determine whether Lawes's' wife, Paula, is still among the living. The woman disappeared without a trace six years earlier and her disappearance remains one of the city's continuing mysteries. The case is even more intriguing for the fact that Marcus Root, who was the first cop on the scene at Paula's abandoned car, was murdered immediately thereafter and his notebook, in which he had presumably recorded his thoughts about Paula's disappearance was stolen.
The case is one that still haunts Walker's old nemesis and friend, John Alderdyce, who has recently retired from the Detroit P.D. Alderdyce has long assumed that Lawes murdered his wife, but was never able to make the case.
Lawes now wants to remarry and doesn't want to have to wait another year to have Paula declared legally dead so that he is free to move on. This leaves Walker and others to wonder why, if Alderdyce is correct in his assumption about Lawes's guilt, Lawes would risk having the case reopened.
Walker thus begins digging into the matter which, as is always the case, turns out to be much deeper and more complicated than it appears on the surface. Like the other novels in this series, this one is very atmospheric, and Walker will encounter a number of very strange and curious characters along the way. This is a solid entry in the series, although not among the best, principally because the plot is a bit too convoluted and requires perhaps a greater suspension of disbelief than is most often the case with these books. Still, it's always fun to meet up with Walker again, and fans of the series will not want to miss the chance.
March 2, 2021
I'm a great fan of Estleman, but this novel has problems: At some point, readers will have to ask why Amos' client wants him to find the man's missing wife, missing for five years, actually. Perhaps the wife is blackmailing the client, but, wait, that can't be, as the statute of limitations has likely expired on the stolen ring this fine gentleman gave his future wife for their engagement. (Yes, the guy's a sleaze.) Ending a blackmail situation might've worked as a motive for finding the wife, as a murder (no statute of limitations) was involved in the ring's theft, but the only witness who can tie the client to that crime is totally unknown to the wife.
So, why pay Amos to find the missing wife, if the husband isn't being blackmailed and can avoid a divorce if he waits just one more year (until she's legally declared dead)? And, when she's declared dead as a matter of course, he'll also qualify for the life insurance, more incentive to simply wait. The client's new girlfriend has, in fact, no interest in hastening the search either, tho she'd be the party who would, perhaps, be most interested in marrying the client quickly.
So, the central question of why the client hired Amos is never clear, and finding the missing wife is the driving question of the novel. Also odd: the client's new girlfriend is aware the wife is alive -- they've even shared lunch -- and at one point the girlfriend breaks into Amos' house to leave the ring behind, so that she can rid herself of the ring, which was passed on to her over lunch by the wife. Huh? The wife gave a hugely valuable ring to the woman who's to replace her? Not only that, but this girlfriend, a successful woman, next breaks to an armed detective's house, that of Amos, when she could more easily just toss the ring in the trash, to dispose of it. And wouldn't giving Amos the ring make him certain the wife may be still alive, and thus do what the girlfriend -- and her new buddy the wife, both want to avoid, continuation of the search? What is the point?
In sum, this novel differs from so many of Estleman's in that much of it makes no sense, yet he's such a fine writer and Detroit and Amos such a fine match that you shouldn't pass this one by, however many its faults.
So, why pay Amos to find the missing wife, if the husband isn't being blackmailed and can avoid a divorce if he waits just one more year (until she's legally declared dead)? And, when she's declared dead as a matter of course, he'll also qualify for the life insurance, more incentive to simply wait. The client's new girlfriend has, in fact, no interest in hastening the search either, tho she'd be the party who would, perhaps, be most interested in marrying the client quickly.
So, the central question of why the client hired Amos is never clear, and finding the missing wife is the driving question of the novel. Also odd: the client's new girlfriend is aware the wife is alive -- they've even shared lunch -- and at one point the girlfriend breaks into Amos' house to leave the ring behind, so that she can rid herself of the ring, which was passed on to her over lunch by the wife. Huh? The wife gave a hugely valuable ring to the woman who's to replace her? Not only that, but this girlfriend, a successful woman, next breaks to an armed detective's house, that of Amos, when she could more easily just toss the ring in the trash, to dispose of it. And wouldn't giving Amos the ring make him certain the wife may be still alive, and thus do what the girlfriend -- and her new buddy the wife, both want to avoid, continuation of the search? What is the point?
In sum, this novel differs from so many of Estleman's in that much of it makes no sense, yet he's such a fine writer and Detroit and Amos such a fine match that you shouldn't pass this one by, however many its faults.
April 12, 2021
I am not sure whether to blame Kindle or Amazon (or if there is any difference between the two) for reading Book #28 out of order. After I finished Book #9, I was directed to this one as the next book in the series.
Amos Walker is hired by Francis X. Lawes, a Detroit bureaucrat whose job it is to make sure city contracts are awarded fairly, to prove that his wife, Paula, is truly dead. She disappeared in a seedy part of town, six years ago, and "X" wants to marry his former secretary, without having to wait for the seven-year, declaration-of-death rule to prevail. Amos consults his cop buddy, John Alderdyce, who still thinks "X" is guilty of the murder, and possibly also, the murder of the lead officer on the investigation, whose notebook was never found. The lead officer's murder was supposedly arranged by a gangbanger, who is now a consultant to the state police. As always, Amos gets into a major heap of trouble, and is bailed out by someone completely unexpected. A few more twists than usual for Estleman in this one.
Amos Walker is hired by Francis X. Lawes, a Detroit bureaucrat whose job it is to make sure city contracts are awarded fairly, to prove that his wife, Paula, is truly dead. She disappeared in a seedy part of town, six years ago, and "X" wants to marry his former secretary, without having to wait for the seven-year, declaration-of-death rule to prevail. Amos consults his cop buddy, John Alderdyce, who still thinks "X" is guilty of the murder, and possibly also, the murder of the lead officer on the investigation, whose notebook was never found. The lead officer's murder was supposedly arranged by a gangbanger, who is now a consultant to the state police. As always, Amos gets into a major heap of trouble, and is bailed out by someone completely unexpected. A few more twists than usual for Estleman in this one.
November 28, 2019
Francis X. Lawes was a suspect in his wife Paula's disappearance 6 years ago but her body was never found and the police couldn't build a case against him. Now he wants to remarry without waiting the additional year required to declare her dead so he hires Amos Walker. Walker starts back through the case, always with the question lingering- why not wait the year? Why open oneself up? The mystery here is well done but it's the walk through Detroit and its issues- the disparities between the rich and powerful and everyone else- that makes this a good read. Walker meets some real characters (in more than the literary sense) along the way. Don't worry if you haven't read others in this long running series- I've dipped in over the years so this was a standalone for me and I was just fine. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.
September 7, 2020
I used to enjoy a good Amos Walker and I thought that Estleman had retired the character but I saw this on the shelf and was curious. I see I missed one, BLACK AND WHITE BALL.
One wonders how much time the author spends thinking up this dialogue. It seems he wants the reader to make sure that Amos Walker is living in a past that is passing him by with references that I doubt younger readers would pick up on. The old railroader in me was surprised to even see a reference to yard engines on Page 54, makes me wonder if there were railroaders in Mr. Estleman's background.
I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the others, it might be time for Amos to retire. Sadly, he doesn't appear to have the means to retire.
One wonders how much time the author spends thinking up this dialogue. It seems he wants the reader to make sure that Amos Walker is living in a past that is passing him by with references that I doubt younger readers would pick up on. The old railroader in me was surprised to even see a reference to yard engines on Page 54, makes me wonder if there were railroaders in Mr. Estleman's background.
I didn't enjoy this as much as some of the others, it might be time for Amos to retire. Sadly, he doesn't appear to have the means to retire.
March 30, 2024
Estleman knows what he's doing, and I liked this neo-noir romp through the mean streets of Detroit. Amos Walker is the kind of hangdog private detective that makes this genre worth reading. Ironically, however, I can't give the book five stars because Estleman's craftsmanship is too visible. You can see it especially in the dialog, where a significant plot twist hinges on verb tense. Every word in the book seems carefully chosen and expertly mortised into place, and so verisimilitude suffers a little bit. This isn't realism; it's hyper-realism. To my mind, that makes When Old Midnight Comes Along entertaining and admirable but not quite great.
August 16, 2021
Good, but I've enjoyed others more.
I have read most, but not all the Amos Walker books and have enjoyed them all, but I had a harder time following a lot of this story. There's no one who enjoys reading a book these days where I can't guess what happens next, but this journey was not as satisfying as the others.
I have read most, but not all the Amos Walker books and have enjoyed them all, but I had a harder time following a lot of this story. There's no one who enjoys reading a book these days where I can't guess what happens next, but this journey was not as satisfying as the others.
November 29, 2019
This is the first book I've read by this author, and what stands out, is the language. It may be not to everyone's liking, but I love it! And there's a very good story with a great plot and characters.
July 17, 2020
Too much snappy patter ala mid-century gumshoe. It was distracting and half the time I was forced to stop and try to decide what the clever wordplay meant. Nah. Too precious and contrived. No one talks like that in my world. As far as the plot, I didn’t care that much.
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