Devil Red

Devil Red by Joe R. Lansdale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


While working with their detective friend Marvin Hanson, Hap and Leonard are tasked with solving a cold-case, a double homicide involving a rich woman's son and his vampire-ish girlfriend. The trail leads them up against a deadly hit man they dub Devil Red. Can Hap and Leonard, in all his deerstalker-wearing finery, find Devil Red before they become his next victims?



Hap and Leonard are so bad ass their bad ass has to wear a suit and tie. Sorry, inside joke. In Devil Red, Lansdale dusts off Hap and Leonard and turns them loose going 100 MPH. I devoured this book in one sitting. As usual, there is a ton of dark humor, sex, and a dump truck full of violence. As usual, the tension mounts until the big shoot out at the end. I had an inkling of who was behind Devil Red but it seemed so absurd that I discounted it.





As always, Hap and Leonard were in fine form. Marvin Hanson continues to be one of the more memorable members of the supporting cast. Cason seemed like Lansdale was grooming him to be a recurring supporting character. It was nice to see Vanilla Ride again, even if she's becoming something of a deus ex machina for Hap and Leonard. The running gag with Leonard wearing the deerstalker cap was my favorite part of the story.



So why only a four? It was too damn short, just over 200 pages. I felt like I was just getting into it and then it was over. Also, Leonard almost dying has been done in half of the Hap and Leonard books. All things considered, it was a worthwhile addition to the Hap and Leonard canon. If you liked the others, you'll like this one.



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