Bill James. Lovely Mover. 1998.

The cover copy always leads one to believe that Colin Harpur and Desmond Iles are complex characters with an interesting relationship. But they are both criminals without much personality, save for Iles' flambouyant wit. Colin Harpur consorts with criminals, informants, murderers, in illegal undercover schemes. It is stated that police work would be impossible unless police break the law, but Harpur's compromises don't seem to help resolve very many cases. This particular novel ends even more abruptly than Gospel. Unlike the other James I read, this book has a strong and interesting female character, but she never has sex with any of the male characters, and so the author seems to forget he introduced her. The central conflicts remain unaddressed, if most of the characters have been killed. But this lack of closure-inappropriate for detective fiction-doesn't seem jarring because all the characters are corrupt, distrustful, and bland. The only thing that could save this series is if it were rewritten by Raymond Chandler. Bill James doesn't solve or resolve his plots, he just forces you to lose interest in them over the course of 200 pages.

13 April, 2006