Deadly Beloved

“… an Event Planner… Death Planner… some caterer of murder.”

The opening piece on the beach would be an amazing opening scene for a movie! I enjoyed this book, and the character of Michael (Ms.) Tree! Good pace to the story, and a few twists at the end to boot! Also, my kinda dialogue! -

“You must be the little woman.”
“And you must be the dead whore.”

“He did. Stood there in his well-tanned, dick-dangling glory, with his hands up and his chin down.”

I'm definitely interested to check out the graphic novels now!

Max Allan Collins' popular comics detective Ms. Tree stars in her first novel, which is also a modern reboot/origin story for the character. It is also terrifically entertaining.

Michael (not Michelle) Tree's husband Mike is a year in the grave. She is now running the Tree detective agency. A high priced lawyer brings the agency a baffling case. The lawyer acknowledges that his client shot her husband and the call girl he was shacked up with, yet insists she is innocent.

This is a fun and faced pace tale. There isn't much depth to it, but it is expertly written. This is the sort of book that is designed to be read in one session. There is always forward momentum and twists and turns abound as Ms. Tree gets into scrapes with trailer trash, show more mafioso, hit men and various lowlifes.

This is no drawing room mystery as Ms. Tree has a tendency to shoot first, ask questions and then shoot again. Don't expect to spot clues and see if you can solve the mystery before Ms. Tree does. This isn't that kind of story. The fun in this one is in following her down the rat hole and seeing where it leads.

The book is slick and fun, if ultimately forgettable. But I enjoyed this book for what it was and would love to see Max put out further Ms. Tree novels for Hard Case. And kudos for getting Terry Beatty (the artist for Ms. Tree's comic series) to do the cover. show less

I was about a third way through this book and wanted to quit. The action was okay, but getting there past all the terribly written *romantic* stuff was a pain in the butt. However, the book is very short so I did finish it. It's supposed to be hardboiled pulp crime fiction, it wasn't very *hard* though. If you want to read something good in that area read some Jim Thompson, eg. The Killer Inside Me.
This one sure didn't make me wanna track down any other Max Allan Collins books, that's for sure.

A film noir type of book set in Chicago when Ms. Michael Tree is brought into investigate a murder where the woman is found over the bodies holding the gun. She finds the trail she has been seeking which involved her own husband's murder.

This was a good one, a quick read. I liked Michael Tree. She bold. She's kick-ass. Look out! I like the film noir feeling to the story. I also figured out one who was involved. Watching her go for that one and the rest was so good. I hope to find more with Michael Tree on the case.

Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins

Marcy killed her husband and the prostitute he was with, complete confession, no denying (it). Ms. Michael Tree, a Private Investigator, see more to the case. As She digs deeper, it appears there could be a connection to her Husbands death as well. With her life in danger she will stop at nothing to solve this crime.

A classic feel with intense moments, secrets, danger and plot twists. I was pulled in from the beginning until the end. Ms Tree is very likable, tough and determined. Overall I found Deadly Beloved very enjoyable. I highly recommend to those who like hard-case crime noir.

Apparently, Collins has also been known for his comic/ graphic novels about Ms Tree, the toughest woman PI in the business. Ms Tree worked with her husband, the head of the firm, who is murdered on their wedding night in a cheap motel near the airport. Having never heard of Ms Tree before, I had no preconceptions about what to expect in
this Hard Case Crime book.

It begins with a bang -- live action. It then alternates story lines with visits to Ms Tree's psychologist. Who wouldn't need one after a wedding night like that?
Ms Tree is hired to investigate a murder. Wife catches husband in the act with a sleazy hooker in a cheap no-tell motel. Wife guns down both the husband and the hooker. Although at times a little confusing, the story show more rockets ahead with
bodies flying left and right. A well told tale as Ms Tree connects the dots often without a second to spare. show less

Been on a Max Allan Collins kick for light reading lately. This was a Hard Case Crime paperback original, featuring Mrs. Michael (yes, Michael) Tree, who is now running a Chicago detective agency following the death of her partner-in-the-firm husband. This was first published in 2007 and is a clear attempt to emulate the noir of the fifties. While it's an engaging story, Collins doesn't quite pull it off. It doesn't have the edge of nastiness and gloom so indicative of Cain and Thompson. In the end notes, Collins describes the history and genesis of the series, locating the long-running comic series in the same category as Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and Velda. Perhaps, I haven't read much Spillane to comment. Apparently, Collins show more first invented Ms Tree for a comic series begun in 1980. I much prefer his Heller and Quarry books.

The premise is interesting. The local homicide dick wants Michael to look into an apparently open-and-shut case: a woman shoots her husband and his hooker companion in a motel bedroom. Something doesn't seem right to the cop but he has other more pressing matters. The autopsy reveals "roofies" in the victim's blood - not the hooker's, but the husband's. Michael -- and the reader -- is immediately intrigued. Was the mob's "event planner" (read sophisticated hit man - shades of Quarry) involved?

Still, an engaging read, if some of he ends aren't quite tied together. show less