Little Easter is a novel about the falls we take and the ways in which we recover…if we recover at all. Join Dylan Klein's forays into the clandestine worlds of the Mafia, New York's Diamond Exchange, and behind the police department's blue wall of silence. Meet the fallen and the tall.
Reed Farrel Coleman’s love of storytelling originated on the streets of Brooklyn and was nurtured by his teachers, friends, and family.
A New York Times bestseller called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan and the “noir poet laureate” in the Huffington Post, Reed is the author of novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry.
Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories—Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story—and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.
A former executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America, Reed is an adjunct instructor of English at Hofstra University and a founding member of MWA University. Brooklyn born and raised, he now lives with his family–including cats Cleo and Knish–in Suffolk County on Long Island.
LITTLE EASTER – VG Coleman, Reed Farrel – 1st book, 1st of series Would-be writer Dylan Klein is closing up the bar owned by his friend, ex-Detective Johnny MacClough, when a woman comes in, asks for his friend, drops a diamond necklace and wanders back out into the snow. Dylan follows her, and finds her murdered with a canary stuffed in her mouth.
I love his style which has a bit of the classic 50’s tone.
The book was published in 1993. It doesn't necessarily travel very well to today's readers. When reading this I figured the author has to be in my age bracket and has to be Jewish, probably with older relatives that had been survivors.
I think the Godfather came out in 1969 or 1970. That was at a time frame where first generation Irish, Jews, Italians were largely working class and laborers. They may not have been around rich people but were the folks who were their electricians and plumbers and had delis that provided food to the much higher class and sometimes ruthless people. The persons in this book, as characters, came across as first generation Americans. Readers who probably were in junior higher high school when a lot of this was going on would get this. My mind still a lot of going back and forth and remembering maybe being in the background when some of the important folks that were first generation, as mentioned above, came around and we were not to talk or not to make eye contact.
I fully realize that there are many discrepancies and inequalities with immigrants and their descendants today that largely outweigh that generations that came over in the early 1900s. However, it was a thing. It was a big thing that influnced their lives and was material for a lot of books and movies.
My adult children would not understand the book and would probably not read it, nor would their friends. I am not sure if that was the intent of the author but it is right in your face if you are familiar with that lifestyle.
I did like the Jesse Stone and Gus Murphy stories better. But I plowed through this and I'm trying to read all of his books because it is like reading the work of a favorite cousin that you used to tease it the Thanksgiving dinner table.
AUTHOR: Coleman, Reed Farrel TITLE: Little Easter DATE READ: 01/24/15 RATING: 4.5/B+ GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS Crime Fiction/1993/The Permanent Press/221 pages SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #2 in the Dylan Klein series TIME/PLACE: 1990's Long Island CHARACTERS: Dylan Klein/former insurance investigator FIRST LINES: The new TV talked to no one but me. Its virginal speakers babble to an empty bar, a rapidly decomposing dartboard and pay-for-pool table at which no one was paying and no one was playing.
COMMENTS: Dylan Klein is a middle-aged man who wants to be a writer. He has had some poetry and shorter works published but wants to write a book. He has been an insurance investigator and is taking some time off to devote to his craft. He is tending bar on Christmas Eve for a friend when a woman walks in looking for Johnny Blue. Although at first he doesn't want to get involved w/ this stranger & her request... his loyalty to his friend Johnny MacClough (aka Johnny Blue) compels him to use his investigative skills, especially after finding the woman lifeless w/ a dead canary stuffed in her mouth. Kate Barnum, a journalist, who at one time was employed for a major newspaper and was well-known is now working for a small newspaper on LI, exactly how she has fallen from grace, Dylan is not sure. She seems to appear at crucial times in this investigation and now he is not only looking into the murder but into Kate Barnum's background. Ultimately the story is about rising from loss and how far one will go to reach that "resurrection/little Easter".
As RFC is one of my favorites these days it was interesting to go back to an early work ('93). The story/plot was good, as is the theme (the meaning of friendship). The writing is not as well developed as later work. The germ of the Moe Prager character origin can be glimpsed along w/ RFC's knowledge and love for NYC (especially Brooklyn).