General Murders

September 1, 1988
Estleman's Amos Walker is at or near the top of the list of hardboiled private eyes and fans will gobble up these 10 short stories. Dating from 1982 to 1987, these samplings are good indicators of the pleasures in Estleman's longer works ( Motor City Blue , Downriver ). ``Greektown,'' ``Eight Mile and Dequindre'' and ``The Prettiest Dead Girl in Detroit'' convey especially well the gritty flavor of Detroit. ``Robbers' Roost'' and ``Bloody July'' are both evocative of the lurid days of Prohibition. ``I'm in the Book'' is almost a mood piecedespite its hard edgeswith a misty, ambiguous ending. Walker is a wonderful creation, the epitome of the handsome, hard-drinking, hard-punching tough guy with a heart. His first-person narrative style is probably what appeals most, both to moderns and to devotees of the Hammett-Chandler tradition of cracking wise: ``You don't like blondes?'' a woman asks Walker. He says, ``I'm not sure I ever met one.'' A must for private-eye buffs.

Robert Forster's low, gravelly voice is the perfect accompaniment for Estleman's five hard-boiled detective stories. PI Amos Walker pursues corruption and crime in Detroit. Forster is particularly good in his portrayal of the wise-cracking, streetwise detective. He also moves easily from one character to another and quickly engages listeners in his smooth performance. Forster's flat, gritty style perfectly suits the plots of these quick-paced, ruthless, and utterly entrancing stories. Forster's voice reflects the building suspense in some stories and the simple logic used to solve crimes in others. This well-performed presentation will please Estleman fans as well as those who simply enjoy murder mysteries. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine