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Thomas Black #9
The Million-Dollar Tattoo
Seattle P.I. Thomas Black is sound asleep when he gets a panicked call from "Snake," a fellow gumshoe, with a case that's one for The X-Files. There's an exotic-looking woman dead in Snake's bed. He's not sure how she died, but he's certain about where she came from--outer space.
Even a murder rap and the specter of prison can't make Snake change his story. Thomas Black's job? To rescue the increasingly paranoid Snake and discover if indeed "the truth is out there." But what Black finds will prove to be more "out there" than he could ever imagine. . . .
Even a murder rap and the specter of prison can't make Snake change his story. Thomas Black's job? To rescue the increasingly paranoid Snake and discover if indeed "the truth is out there." But what Black finds will prove to be more "out there" than he could ever imagine. . . .
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 17, 1996
About the author
Earl Emerson
33 books93 followersEarl Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of Vertical Burn, as well as the Thomas Black detective series. He lives in North Bend, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 18, 2019
The Black novels are all over complicated and for this one it’s as if Emerson just started writing without an outline or a plan until he decided to stop. Much of it is chaotic and actively irritating- the character of Snake doesn’t wear well nor does fhe whole space alien thing which is the starting point. The characters, intended to be colorful or wacky, just grate. The sexual banter between Kathy and Black is tiresome. I don’t like to give one star ratings but this came close.
Also, ‘a million to one odds’ are bad, not good as Kathy seems to think.
Emerson must be a Jacques Anquetil fan because he gives an incidental character named Raymond Poulidor a sad death in this one. Kind of mean; the real Poulidor, in his 90s, is still very much alive.
Also, ‘a million to one odds’ are bad, not good as Kathy seems to think.
Emerson must be a Jacques Anquetil fan because he gives an incidental character named Raymond Poulidor a sad death in this one. Kind of mean; the real Poulidor, in his 90s, is still very much alive.
August 13, 2020
By far the worst of the series. I’ve really enjoyed the preceding books, but this one was silly and hard to follow and just plain unenjoyable. I hope it doesn’t reflect a new direction for the remaining books...
mountain-loop
November 13, 20191 paperback, 1 hardback
December 14, 2021
8 out of 10 stars. A little surprised at the ending.
May 9, 2025
decent murder mystery. Didn't love that I had to have the reasoning told to me, but maybe thats because I'm a lil stupid lol. Kinda was hoping the alien thing was true haha.
September 25, 2008
THE MILLION-DOLLAR TATTOO - G
Emerson, Earl - 9th in Thomas Black series
It's the dead of night, and P.I. Thomas Black is dead asleep. What better time for a panicked phone call from a friend? The friend is Elmer Slezak, better known as Snake, a fellow gumshoe whose life has long since slipped into a dark mire of wine, women, and weirdness. Now, he's begging Black to take on a case that's one for The X-Files. There's a beautiful, exotic-looking woman dead in Snake's bed. He's not sure how she died, but he's certain about where she came from - outer space.
Not great. Definitely not as good as the previous books.
Emerson, Earl - 9th in Thomas Black series
It's the dead of night, and P.I. Thomas Black is dead asleep. What better time for a panicked phone call from a friend? The friend is Elmer Slezak, better known as Snake, a fellow gumshoe whose life has long since slipped into a dark mire of wine, women, and weirdness. Now, he's begging Black to take on a case that's one for The X-Files. There's a beautiful, exotic-looking woman dead in Snake's bed. He's not sure how she died, but he's certain about where she came from - outer space.
Not great. Definitely not as good as the previous books.
September 22, 2012
The P.I. Thomas Black has an interesting assortment of friends. He is helping one who is accused of murder and gets involved in a prior case the man had worked. Black's wife, Kathy, is an attorney and is defending the man. Along the way they meet lots of people all eventually connected. There are several more murders and the main killer commits suicide in the end. His life was ruined by his father-in-law and when he finally realizes it does him in. They story moves around the city of Seattle quite a bit so you get a taste of some of the neighborhoods and Black does a lot of biking so you experience it thru his eyes on the bike.
September 29, 2015
Seattle P.I. Thomas Black and his attorney wife Kathy have a wild one on their hands. “Snake” Slezak a fellow private investigator and friend has woken them with a panicked call in the middle of the night. There is a dead woman in his bed. Slezak says he didn’t kill her, but he also insists that the dead woman is an alien and not the kind from a foreign country!
In THE MILLION DOLLAR TATOO Emerson shows how perspective can be manipulated so that the truth is tough to see. If you want a trip back in time to the 1990’s (people are using floppy discs and the Kingdome is still standing) combined with a complex and at times wacky murder mystery this is the book for you.
In THE MILLION DOLLAR TATOO Emerson shows how perspective can be manipulated so that the truth is tough to see. If you want a trip back in time to the 1990’s (people are using floppy discs and the Kingdome is still standing) combined with a complex and at times wacky murder mystery this is the book for you.
May 4, 2015
#9 in the Thomas Black series. This entry is worthwhile only for fans of the series and the relationship between Black and his former girlfriend, now wife, Kathy Birchfield.
Thomas Black is called on by Snake Slezak when he finds a dead woman in his bed. Absurd plot with too many coincidences has Slezak talking about breeding with space aliens while Thomas, and wife Kathy, track down leads of a homeless man, his impoverished ex-wife, and her multimillionaire father whose company is trying to hire Thomas as an investigator.
Thomas Black is called on by Snake Slezak when he finds a dead woman in his bed. Absurd plot with too many coincidences has Slezak talking about breeding with space aliens while Thomas, and wife Kathy, track down leads of a homeless man, his impoverished ex-wife, and her multimillionaire father whose company is trying to hire Thomas as an investigator.
April 19, 2009
My 1st Thomas Black mystery...So-so PI mystery...I needed a quick read for a waiting room and found this amongst a bunch of discarded paperbacks...quick read thus far...Odd-duck characters are entertaining...I partucularily enjoy Black's relationship with his lawyer spouse...I may read an earlier Emerson novel...intriguing just enough that I may want another
November 4, 2013
Very good, but strange, Thomas Black-Kathy Birchfield series entry. Blacks slightly psychotic friend wakes up with a dead girl in his bed and enlists Thomas' and Kathy's aid in finding out what happened. This book contains a lot of witicisms and a cracking good mystery. Recommended to fans of Thomas Black.
December 9, 2011
Funny, not the funniest (I love clever quips, so those get my highest respect and there is a previous Black mystery that still was the funniest quips mystery), but pretty funny. Desiree is beginning to be one of my favorites, which is worrying me, frankly. She is close to me in age.....
March 17, 2015
slightly disappointed. Thomas Black is interesting and I would try another with this character
March 28, 2016
Snake is a great character - a walking mess, but a great character.
March 8, 2017
Picked this up on a recommendation from a friend on Facebook.
It's a light read, and I can see why my friend Clint recommended it after I posted notes on a Robert Parker book (Jesse Stone series). The heroes were totally different, but there was a certain common sub-theme that both authors add. That is, the story is not at ALL a romance, but the author puts in some male-female relationship chemistry (how it can be) which is contrasted with other male-female emptiness. I'll probably pick up another of Emerson's books just for that.
It's a light read, and I can see why my friend Clint recommended it after I posted notes on a Robert Parker book (Jesse Stone series). The heroes were totally different, but there was a certain common sub-theme that both authors add. That is, the story is not at ALL a romance, but the author puts in some male-female relationship chemistry (how it can be) which is contrasted with other male-female emptiness. I'll probably pick up another of Emerson's books just for that.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews