Hardscrabble Road (original 2006; edition 2007)

No. 21 in the Gregor Demarkian series.

One of the very good aspects of this series—one that allows Haddam to keep it interesting despite very formulaic plots—is that she uses the genre to explore different social themes with each book. She does have recurring ones: religion, which she treats with great sympathy; the very rich, which she does not; and community. While her writing is not brilliant thematically, it is usually very good, adding interest and complexity to her stories.

Unfortunately, this time the “theme”—contemporary politics—gets in the way. Hadddam has a tendency to be heavy handed many times in her exposition of a point of view, and with this book, it really detracts from the story. I’ve visited her Web site, and it does appear that she is a Libertarian, which is fine; I personally lean very strongly towards that stance myself. BUT Haddam pounds away and pounds away at what she views, through her characters, as the problem with contemporary politics, using even Father Tibor Kasparian as a mouthpiece; while I might agree with a good part of her analysis, the exposition finally becomes boring.

The plot and its development are standard Haddam for this series. She uses the homeless situation as a matrix for her plot and also for her exposition of her political views. She also touches on the preferential treatment given celebrities in the justice system. She does both very, very well, and that’s what kept me reading through too many pages of “libertarianism vs authoritarianism” ranting.

Not her best but still a good read for fans of the series. ( )

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Credible characters and an intriguing plot laced with both humor and political commentary lift Haddam's outstanding 21st Gregor Demarkian novel to feature the retired FBI agent known as the Armenian-American Hercule Poirot (after 2005's The Headmaster's Wife). Like Agatha Christie or P.D. James, Haddam uses multiple perspectives to portray her central character—Drew Harrigan, a rabid right-wing Philadelphia radio host who will remind many of Rush Limbaugh. Harrigan has been arrested on drug charges, and his conviction would complicate many lives. His alleged supplier, an alcoholic homeless man named Sherman, is also in big trouble. After Sherman turns up apparently poisoned, Demarkian joins the police and DA in investigating an eclectic group of suspects including a lefty academic, Harrigan's producer and Harrigan's sister, who's a member of a religious order. Those new to Haddam will snap up her earlier work based on this captivating literate mystery, which shows how well a classic fair play whodunit can work in a contemporary setting.

good story, a little hard to keep track of all the characters with similar names though. Strong opinions about political behavior, both left and right wing.