Saratoga Haunting

Charlie Bradshaw #7

by Stephen Dobyns

Street-wise P.I. Charlie Bradshaw returns in a new Saratoga racetrack mystery. A man Charlie helped convict 20 years ago has been paroled from prison and is sending Charlie vicious death threats. To add to his problems, his long-time, one-in-a-million woman Janey Burris wants a commitment.

Genres: Mystery

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Dobyns was raised in New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He was educated at Shimer College, graduated from Wayne State University, and received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1967. He has worked as a reporter for the Detroit News.

He has taught at various academic institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, the University of Iowa, Syracuse University, and Boston University.

In much of his poetry and some works of non-genre fiction, Dobyns employs extended tropes, using the ridiculous and the absurd as vehicles to introduce more profound meditations on life, love, and art. He shies neither from the low nor from the sublime, and all in a straightforward narrative voice of reason. His journalistic training has strongly informed this voice.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Charlie Bradshaw mystery. My only grumble was that the ending, while brilliant, felt a little rushed.

The horror fan in me would have liked it if the haunting in question was real rather than metaphorical but I'm not docking any points for that! :-)

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie gets into a little more danger this time. Still enjoying. This is book 7 of the Saratoga series, 3 to go.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bradshaw is very likable, but the story is slow and frustrating (probably much like detective work) and the ending is hard to believe.

[Gloria Mccracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery in a somewhat unusual setting (Saratoga, in upstate New York) featuring a PI, ex-cop, with more than a passing acquaintance with the racing that takes place at the famed horse track, although it plays little part in this particular book. The books have a slightly Runyonesque flavor to them.

[Steve Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author to me. This book was written in 1993 but still a great read for me - especially as I live in Saratoga Springs and am familiar with the places in this tale. The author writes with an acerbic whit that I appreciate.
This is a quick read of about 200 pages.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting, Saratoga Springs, but unlike a few others I have read, it took a LONG time to finally get to the action (last 25 or 30 pages). It was more introspective and for me, not that good of a read.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in Saratoga, so enjoyed the descriptions of the town and surroundings. Fairly predictable, easy read.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like the Charlie Bradshaw mysteries....familiar places....believable and amusing characters.