James Hall (3) (1947–)

If you've never read a book by James W. Hall, you are missing out on one of the great contemporary mystery writers. His characters are so memorable I expect to see them around town (but, I know, of course, I won't cause I live in Seattle and they are all in Florida). Red Sky at Night is the best of the best. Thorn - the ultimate slacker - spends his days enjoying life and supporting himself tying fishing flies for sale at shops. He's rather good at not tying much more - like not tying up his show more life with lasting complications. His latest lady lives next to a dolphin farm where swimming with the dolphins provides many with restorative healing of their emotional and sometimes physical problems. But, one night someone slaughters all the dolphins. And Thorn's life gets complicated fast. There's not much more of the plot I can share without giving away delicious details. I will say that there is one villain in this book whom you will never forget. The plot itself is so intricate and so captivating that I'm seriously considering re-reading this one again soon which is something I never do. show less

The great James W Hall! Haven't read one of his in AGES and this is one I've read before, but I always liked the the story, a clever but unstable young man targets a cruise ship for sabotage and sheningans. Thorn gets dragged in when his friend Sugerman gets injured, there's also a (beautiful of course, ah the 80s trope of even less chauvanistic writers to dwell lovingly on the beauty of their female characters even when, as in this case the beauty is a curse, getting close to the idea that show more it's not her or anyone's looks it's bloody men) runaway heiress, tricked on board by the unstable guy who has an unhealthy fixation on her. Remember Speed 2, the one set on a boat? Pity they didn't give Hall a truck full of cash for the rights to this and used the plot, easily ooomphed up for cinema with some explosions and shootouts. Ah well. show less

I don't get tired of James W. Hall, and this is one of my favorites. It is harder to take/read at some points that his others, especially for me since it deals with both the loss of a family member and poaching, but it is quick, engaging, and well written. Hall's fiction stands out above most of what's sold on the supermarket shelves, and this is one of his best.

An OK thriller, I think Hall is a pretty good writer but this novel felt rushed somehow.