Honky Tonk Samurai
(Hap and Leonard #9)
by Joe R. Lansdale

Only Hap and Leonard would catch a cold case with hot cars, hot women, and ugly skinheads.
The story starts simply enough when Hap, a former 60s activist and self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough black, gay Vietnam vet and Republican with an addiction to Dr. Pepper, are working a freelance surveillance job in East Texas. The uneventful stakeout is coming to an end when the pair witness a man abusing his dog. Leonard takes matters into his own fists, and now the bruised dog abuser wants to press charges.
One week later, a woman named Lilly Buckner drops by their new PI office with a proposition: find her missing granddaughter, or she'll turn in a video of Leonard beating the dog abuser. The pair agrees to take on the cold case and soon discover that the used car dealership where her granddaughter worked is actually a front for a prostitution ring. What began as a missing-person case becomes one of blackmail and murder.
Filled with Lansdale's trademark whip-smart dialogue, relentless pacing, and unorthodox characters, Honky Tonk Samurai is a rambunctious thrill ride by one hell of a writer.

Hap and Leonard's long-time friend Marvin Hanson has been offered the position of police chief so he needs to get out of the private detective business. He offers the business to Hap and Leonard who are somewhat reluctant given they are not licensed detectives but then Hap's girlfriend, Brett, steps in and decides to buy the firm--she is tired of changing bedpans and wiping asses at the hospital. Brett also happens to have a PI license so it sounds like a great idea with her being able to use the boys as operatives. And then a cold case comes along. An elderly woman wants the team to find her granddaughter, Sandy, who has been missing for five years. So is she still alive or was she murdered and long buried? They take the case which leads them to Sandy's former employer, an exotic car dealership that caters to rich people and also seems to provide prostitutes to their customers. So who is actually running this business and what happened to Sandy? As Hap and Leonard get further involved, they find themselves at odds with various dangerous people including a biker gang. They’re also warned that the people they’re dealing with may use the services of a mysterious hitman who likes to remove the testicles of his victims.

This one had the usual dark humor and was filled with over-the-top violence. There were also some new twists to Hap and Leonard's lives. First they rescue a dog from an animal abuser and along with Brett make him their own. And then there's a young lady who knocks on Hap's door and proclaims that he is her father! Brett takes her under her wing and really hopes that she is Hap's kin but only a paternity test will tell... Another enjoyable outing overall. I'm getting close to the end of the Hap and Leonard novels, only three left to go and I'll be looking forward to them all.

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