All I Have is Blue

Skinny #3

by James Colbert

In his Skinny series James Colbert has created a refreshing different type of mystery novel, one that captures the seedy backstreets of New Orleans without exposing the reader to extensive samples of street lingo and bloody violence. The New Orleans cop who calls himself Skinny (introduced in Skinny Man), his partner Mike Theriot and his girlfriend Ruth find themselves involved with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms after Skinny and Ruth see a boat sinking on the Mississippi River. Skinny rescues 10-year-old Dwayne but can't save his father, the captain of the ship. Because the boat exploded, ATF agent Gratzke questions them, then releases Dwayne into Skinny and Ruth's care. They take him to his aunt's house, but she is killed and Dwayne runs away. Skinny is next contacted by a DEA agent who suspects the boat of drug running. Dwayne, the sole witness, is anxiously sought by many, including an ex-con hood who owns a string of nightclubs. Skinny and Ruth set out to find and protect Dwayne when they realize that the boy is being hunted not just for information but also by someone who wants him silenced. Thoughtful, quirky Skinny and down-to-earth Ruth make this somewhat convoluted story enjoyable and exciting.

Genres: Mystery

Audio Cassette

First published July 1, 1992

Reviews

[Daniel Montague · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does the all-time stolen base king, the actor who portrayed arguably the best time traveler and the worst Star Trek captain, and an at best tertiary character from South Park famous for sticking gerbils up his bum relate to this book? Well, you could dig deep in the recesses of my convoluted mind or I could just tell you. In addition to his excellence in the fine art of base stealing and other hardball exploits, Mr. Rickey Henderson was an all-time great in the use of illeism, better known as referring to oneself in the third person. The MC of this work, Skinny, frequently refers to himself in a similar manner, no not as "Rickey", but as "Skinny". This verbal tic which I generally loathe, is charming in the case of Rickey and Skinny. I try to be tolerant of accents, I have my preferences, but for the most part it takes a lot to annoy in that regard. In saying that, the New Orleans accent that Scott Bakula has affected for his role of Dwayne Pride in CSI: New Orleans is atrocious. Thankfully, the narrator in this work, Mike Hammer, does a much better job. Also, relating to the book, a pivotal character is named Dwayne, which is also the first name of Crescent City native and famous musician, Lil Wayne. As for Mr. Slave, he loves to utter the phrase, "Jesus Christ.", which is also the catchphrase for Skinny, who employs this exclamation with aplomb.

While, the plot of this work is not going to win awards for originality, the characters are full of charm and local flavor. Skinny and his lady friend Ruth, while searching for pieces of driftwood, bear witness to the explosion of boat. Reluctant to become part of a potential crime scene, nevertheless Skinny takes the heroic action of seeing if there are any survivors on board. In surveying the scene, he spots Dwayne a young boy, who is unable to swim. Attempting to shield Dwayne from viewing his dead father on the boat, Skinny is eventually able to coax Dwayne to come with him. He is able to locate an aunt who graciously accepts him ... until she succumbs to a violent act. No longer any doubt about being "bad luck", it is clear that someone is sending a message and Dwayne appears to be the only witness. Filled with intergovernmental battles: agents for the DEA and ATF along with the NOPD are investigating, corruption and local gangsters, the moving parts keep changing the calculus of the case. Additionally, the case becomes more personal as Ruth gets roughed up and hospitalized. Overall, I enjoyed the storytelling, witty banter and characters. There were wobbles and the payoff at the end felt abrupt. Skinny, along with Ruth and Asante, a gangster with a strong personal code, are worth the price of admission and boost the rating from a 3.5 to a solid 4 stars.

[Andrew Vachss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent stylist with a sweet, hard-core soul.

[Spencer Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent modern thriller with lots of NOLA atmosphere, but fairly forgettable.