The Two-Bear Mambo

The thing about Hap and Leonard is they aren't detectives in any real sense, neither professionally or as amateurs. They're troublemakers and troubleshooters. The closest they come to investigating is to find some likely looking people and throw attitude at them until they crack and try to kill them. It has its drawbacks, of course, as you can never be sure the people trying to kill you are doing it because you've cracked the case or just because. Other things try to kill them, too, such as, in this case, a mean Texas winter, and the mean Texas winter isn't even a suspect.

Asked by a friend to go looking for his girlfriend, Florida Grange, who also happens to be Hap's ex, the dynamic duo stumble into a viper's nest of a town where even show more the nicest of people are a little bit virulently racist. Leonard goes down a storm and people are trying, or at least threatening, to kill them in no time flat, but no amount of being nearly killed with savage brutality seems to get them nearer to finding Florida. Doesn't make them give up, either.

Between the stunning vulgarity of the dialogue and the heart wrenching pain of Hap's lonely heart, lies a lot of violence and meanness, but also loyalty and honour in a dirty old world. As Leonard might say: 'Shut up and pass the vanilla cookies.' show less

Per la serie Hap e Leonard, Lansdale presenta il solito dinamico duo che si ficca nei guai, prende botte da orbi, poi si rialza dalla merda in cui è finito, e, con l'aiuto di una serie considerevole di botte di culo, non immediatamente riconoscibili come tali, finisce col dipanare la matassa e uscire vincitore.
Con una trama del genere è possibile scrivere qualsiasi genere di boiata, a meno di non essere Lansdale, e allora il libro diventa un capolavoro da divorare: cattivo, scorretto, umoristico quanto più non si può, e nello stesso tempo imprevedibile e raffinato.

Short review: Playing on conventions of hardboiled crime mysteries and North American small town racism this book likes to throw a curveball and deliciously undermine you. It’s also takes turns being bloody funny and depressing.

Long review:
Charlie came over to me, gave me a sad look, sighed, pulled out a cigarette, stooped, lit it off the little guy's head, and said, "I'm fucking tired of this, Hap. Leonard's giving me gray hairs. What with the Chief in cahoots with the bad guys and Lieutenant Hanson acting like he's got a weight tied to his dick all the time, I can't think straight. Get your foot off that fucker's neck."

We meet Hap and Leonard, two highly likable protagonists, wise cracking as they beat the dealers running from show more their burning crack den and since this is the 3rd time they are about be arrested unless they help out a friend on a missing person case.

Sharp dialogue, deliciously surreal conversations, deep dark humour, great tense (and sometimes horrific) action sequences keep this all moving at a cracking pace. Hap is an easygoing and evocative narrator, he keeps this character driven story moving and engaging although the mystery is nicely sign posted but that isn't the main show.

It’s a wild ride and I loved every bit of it. I mean where else can a guy persuade dumb red necks there is a mutant killer ant problem on the way? Where else does a cop have a hobby of shadow puppetry? Where else does the testosterone dip down enough to show the nasty after effect of violence?

This is 3rd in the series, but my 1st try and didn't have a problem dipping in. I do have a problem not having anymore of Lansdale’s books on my shelves.

Recommended. Fans of noir, great literary partnerships and those with a darker humour will love this. show less

Gotta say, I just love Hap and Leonard! They are such cool friends, sorta makes me jealous that I don't have someone like them in my life! I bet I could read, and enjoy, a whole book of them just talking and hanging out. But, I like the action too, and this one has plenty, right from the get go. Most of the characters are back from book one, and when one of them goes missing, H and L go a lookin' for her! They end up in a town full of racist vipers and then the mystery thickens.
Good book, bordering on great, and just a pleasure to read about this duo that Mr. Lansdale has so kindly given us!

Much of the action in this book takes place in a town with some of the most racist people we'd never meet. Practically the whole town is very racist to the point of beating and killing blacks without any hesitation. Add to this Leonard's outspoken provocations, and you have a sure recipe for disaster.

The most amazing thing about this book is how much humor is mixed in with this serious subject. If not for the humor, though, I think it might have been too painful to read.

Once again, a very well done audiobook. The accents used by the narrators add to the very colorful language used by the characters to make a very entertaining experience. I look forward to reading more.

Very dark installment in the Hap and Leonard series.

Our heroes confront evil in many forms, learning that things, and people, are not always as they first appear. What looks like a golden opportunity for the guys to give racism a beat-down turns out to be much more difficult that they expected. They are faced with their own limitations and realize that they just can’t stomp any problem they encounter into submission.

My favorite of the series so far but it was a bitter and gut-wrenching ride.

Hap and Leonard travel to the east Texas town of Grovetown looking for Florida, Hap's ex-girl friend and Leonard's attorney. Hanson, Florida's current beau, asked them to check up on Florida, who went to Grovetown to investigate the jailhouse hanging of a black music artist accused of murdering a white man.

Hanson's concern for Florida is more than valid. The citizens of Grovetown have a reputation for still living in the pre-civil rights south and conducting themselves with that era's enmity for the dark-skinned people.

Hap and Leonard's arrival into town is done with all the subtlety of a force 5 tornado and it takes little time for the local sheriff to adopt a negative judgement of the two and their mission...and he's one of their show more strongest allies in the town.

Told with the same dark humor and keen insight into human nature as the previous Hap & Leonard novels, Lansdale keeps the action moving and the entertainment coming until the last page. If you're not turning the pages to read the next laugh-out-loud paragraph, you certainly will be to read this tension-filled story right to its thrilling end. show less