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Honey West #2
A Gun For Honey
Honey is invited to the wild New Year’s Eve party at horror film director Rote Collier’s house in A Gun For Honey. Collier lives in Shark Beach where lately two women have been suffocated to death by the “Kissing Killer.” When Collier’s wife Helen ends up a real corpse in a fake coffin, Sheriff Mark Storm suspects Marine pilot Reed Walker because his wings were located under the dead body. Eventually, Mark arrests Dr. Erik Ford for the deed, but Honey is not satisfied that he is the killer. That is probably because Honey is witness to the biggest bunch of rambling pseudo-confessions and fake alibis ever assembled.
- GenresMystery
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 4, 2020
Billed as the sexiest private eye to ever pull the trigger, Honey West starred in a nine-book paperback series written by a husband and wife team. The authors wanted a woman who could fight like Mike Hammer in a sudden explosion of violence, but with a body like Marilyn Monroe. Blonde, busty, fearless, with a gun tucked under her skirt, Honey West dazzled readers. Set in Long Beach, California, her stories fit in well with many of the tawdry detective paperbacks of the era -- just with a woman playing the lead, not in a supporting role.
Set in fictional "Shark Beach," which might have been a stand-in for La Jolla, A Gun For Honey has Honey attending an exclusive costume party where the natives are more than restless and no nearly no bounds when it comes to skinny dipping, human sacrifice, dirty films, or choke outs. These are the kind of parties not everyone walks away from. When all the masks come off, the high society social scene is as much a den of iniquity as anything has ever been. Certainly not the best plotted of the series or the most engaging.
Set in fictional "Shark Beach," which might have been a stand-in for La Jolla, A Gun For Honey has Honey attending an exclusive costume party where the natives are more than restless and no nearly no bounds when it comes to skinny dipping, human sacrifice, dirty films, or choke outs. These are the kind of parties not everyone walks away from. When all the masks come off, the high society social scene is as much a den of iniquity as anything has ever been. Certainly not the best plotted of the series or the most engaging.
February 14, 2020
Honey West, the bombshell private eye with curves that could kill is hired to babysit the wife of a wealthy film director suspected to be in the cross-hairs of a killers scope.
Arriving at the directors mansion on day one of her assignment to a raunchy new years eve party, Honey quickly becomes the center of attention, thanks to her well built body which every hot blooded male (and some females) simply cant resist brushing up to and/or commenting on. Whilst this tact to draw the reader to Honey's not so subtle charms fits the theme of the series, it does grow tiresome very quickly.
In less time than it takes Honey to shed her clothes (those pesky garments just keep getting in the way!), her client is found dead and everyone who'd earlier made sexual remakes towards the well endowed private eye is immediately suspected.
As Honey's dogged determination to catch the killer, no thanks to the police's ineptitude and amateur hour input, draws the story to a close, the reader can't help but feel cheated by an ending which felt too convenient and was executed with little conviction.
While not as complex in terms of complicated plotting and sheer body count as the first book in the series THIS GIRL FOR HIRE, A GUN FOR HONEY does go off the rails in parts only to be brought back on track by some flimsy plot-saving devices, which, to be honest, don't hold up to scrutiny; this isn't actually a bad thing as these books aren't intended to be Raymond Chandler / Jim Thompson quality - they're pure popcorn pulp; buttery and good in small doses.
Arriving at the directors mansion on day one of her assignment to a raunchy new years eve party, Honey quickly becomes the center of attention, thanks to her well built body which every hot blooded male (and some females) simply cant resist brushing up to and/or commenting on. Whilst this tact to draw the reader to Honey's not so subtle charms fits the theme of the series, it does grow tiresome very quickly.
In less time than it takes Honey to shed her clothes (those pesky garments just keep getting in the way!), her client is found dead and everyone who'd earlier made sexual remakes towards the well endowed private eye is immediately suspected.
As Honey's dogged determination to catch the killer, no thanks to the police's ineptitude and amateur hour input, draws the story to a close, the reader can't help but feel cheated by an ending which felt too convenient and was executed with little conviction.
While not as complex in terms of complicated plotting and sheer body count as the first book in the series THIS GIRL FOR HIRE, A GUN FOR HONEY does go off the rails in parts only to be brought back on track by some flimsy plot-saving devices, which, to be honest, don't hold up to scrutiny; this isn't actually a bad thing as these books aren't intended to be Raymond Chandler / Jim Thompson quality - they're pure popcorn pulp; buttery and good in small doses.
June 25, 2022
Large breasts and murder are the focus of the third book in the Honey West series, a female private detective that the authors describe as a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Mike Hammer. Honey is engaged by a Hollywood director to protect his young second wife and young daughter from “The Kissing Killer”, however the young wife is immediately found dead. The suspects are a foursome of amorous men who take every opportunity to grope, kiss, or remark upon Honey’s well-endowed physique. Honey fends off these advances admirably, clearly determined to solve the crime without such distractions in a very classic detective whodunit murder mystery plot, even bringing the suspects together at the end for the big reveal. Lots of terrific set pieces with Honey bouncing between the elusive suspects who all have dark secrets to hide. I won’t spoil the conclusion - only to say that it was a real shocker. A fair bit of nudity, plenty of discreet references to sex, and a tight plot make this book a sexy and enjoyable reading experience. I will be on the lookout for the other books in the series. Four stars.
May 25, 2020
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/gun-for-honey/
This entry starts at a New Year’s Eve party given by rich, somewhat decadent film-maker, Rote Collier, in a coastal village where a number of women have already turned up, smothered to death. Honey is present to keep an eye on Collier’s family, but it isn’t long before his wife ends up a corpse. Honey has to fend her way through a maze of deceit, blackmail, smut-peddling and even more dead bodies, to find out who’s behind it all. There’s a standard pattern to the chapters: she suspects someone, sexual chemistry sizzles, never quite gets consumated, and she finds evidence implicating somebody else. Rinse. Repeat. It’s all done in a fairly boilerplate manner, and you never feel the characters, outside of Honey, are more than animated Clue cards.
Still, have to say, I didn’t spot the final twist, which probably counted as quite outrageous, fifty years ago.
This entry starts at a New Year’s Eve party given by rich, somewhat decadent film-maker, Rote Collier, in a coastal village where a number of women have already turned up, smothered to death. Honey is present to keep an eye on Collier’s family, but it isn’t long before his wife ends up a corpse. Honey has to fend her way through a maze of deceit, blackmail, smut-peddling and even more dead bodies, to find out who’s behind it all. There’s a standard pattern to the chapters: she suspects someone, sexual chemistry sizzles, never quite gets consumated, and she finds evidence implicating somebody else. Rinse. Repeat. It’s all done in a fairly boilerplate manner, and you never feel the characters, outside of Honey, are more than animated Clue cards.
Still, have to say, I didn’t spot the final twist, which probably counted as quite outrageous, fifty years ago.
January 20, 2018
Read these books when I was young. Still enjoy them. It is interesting to compare books written in the 50s and 60s to today's novels.
This was fun read.
This was fun read.
July 2, 2024
Second in the Honey West detective series. Abundant misdirection leading to an unexpected ending.
June 25, 2025
Fairly run of the mill murder mystery with lots and lots of references to Honey West’s breast size.
December 29, 2015
The Honey West in this book is far different than the one I watched on television. No jumpsuits, no ocelot, and no gadgets.
This is a girl who seems to think she is tough, but is none too bright, and constantly losing her clothes.
In this one, Honey infiltrates a party populated by Hollywood weirdos, one of whom happens to be a serial killer.
Not bad, but not really what I was expecting.
This is a girl who seems to think she is tough, but is none too bright, and constantly losing her clothes.
In this one, Honey infiltrates a party populated by Hollywood weirdos, one of whom happens to be a serial killer.
Not bad, but not really what I was expecting.
June 17, 2016
A hard-boiled detective novel with a dame as the P.I. Only what a dame!
Unfortunately, that's the only selling point. The mystery is a good one but Fickling doesn't really bring it to life. The twist at the end hits like a sap and isn't telegraphed at all which is why it gets three stars instead of two.
Unfortunately, that's the only selling point. The mystery is a good one but Fickling doesn't really bring it to life. The twist at the end hits like a sap and isn't telegraphed at all which is why it gets three stars instead of two.
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December 23, 2018Synopsis: two beautiful young women have been murdered. PI Honey West has been hired to catch the killer with a trap. She's the bait.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews