Rusty Puppy
A Hap and Leonard Novel
Joe R. Lansdale
Mulholland Books 2017
288 pages
Rusty Puppy is one of the latest in a series of novels, novellas and short stories by Joe R. Lansdale that feature the entertaining duo of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. It takes place in redneck East Texas, where races rumble, and the police uphold their own agenda. Hap and Leonard are a diverse but compatible pair. They are as close as soul brothers could be, and they have each other’s backs. Rusty Puppy (Hap and Leonard Book 12) Kindle
Street-wise investigators without the paperwork, Hap and Leonard look into a case wherein a young black man is beaten, and the police are doing nothing to find the perpetrator. Speculation is that the men in blue are protecting their own. Hap and Leonard need to find proof in order to set things right.
Their sleuthing takes them into a dark world, where few can be trusted and their own lives are in danger. Still, they are determined to expose the town’s underground illegal conduct.
Joe R.Lansdale is an engaging story-teller with a smooth and easy style that puts the reader at ease with his characters by making them real, flaws and all. Hap and Leonard definitely have personalities. The dry wit and smart aleck banter between them is imaginative and entertaining.
Rusty Puppy by Joe R Lansdale is a recommended read.
It is noteworthy that Hap and Leonard is now a SundanceTV original series. It is understandable why. The pair is most enjoyable on screen.