Jim Fusilli - Hard, Hard City (2004)
Although he has only published four novels, Jim Fusilli, a pop music critic, has already proven himself to be one of the strongest voices in the hard-boiled mystery genre. Hard, Hard City continues the outstanding work of his previous books, distinguishing Fusilli for both the quality of his prose and his talent for narrative.
Terry Orr is a single father with a complicated life, still mourning his late wife while trying to raise a precocious daughter. Although he has dabbled in various careers, including that of true-crime author, it is as an investigator that he is most adept. Thus, despite his reluctance to get involved, he finds himself tentatively searching for a missing young man.
Fusilli isn't afraid to delve deep into the psyche of this complex, conflicted man who wears his emotions on his sleeve. The relationship between Terry and his daughter, in particular, marks him as a multi-faceted, believable and sympathetic protagonist. Although the noir-influenced plot is a good one, it is the characters that distinguish this work and make it so fine.
With his emphasis on social themes, personal relationships and the nature of manhood, Fusilli is operating in the same literary territory as Robert B. Parker, a writer who has obviously influenced him. Considering the diminished quality of the Spenser series in recent years, however, Fusilli is definitely the one you ought to be reading.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
