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A review by kaje_harper
The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of by Joseph Hansen
4.0
It's been a while since I read the first of these mysteries but they stand alone well, although series purists will want to follow the ongoing threads of Dave Brandstetter's life that parallel the mystery. The original publication date was 1978, and the story is a reflection of the times. The civil rights era is winding down from peak intensity but racial inequality threads through the story; HIV has not yet raised its evil head; gay rights are a breath of hope, a decade after Stonewall, but far from a foregone conclusion.
Against this backdrop, we again meet Dave Brandstetter, laconic insurance investigator, out to prove that the murder of a local police chief has not been solved by the arrest of the obvious suspect. If it was one of the chief's nearest and dearest responsible, Dave can save his employer a lot of life insurance money (in 1978 dollars), but most of all, Dave loves a puzzle.
The writing style is somehow both sparse and evocative, low on emotion but with undercurrents aplenty. As Dave slogs through a complex case - investigating the death of a man with plenty of enemies, including an estranged daughter, a mistress or two, and some questionable business connections - he also is under life pressures. His father is in the hospital, and may not survive. His lover, Doug, continues to insist on an open relationship. And there are gay men whose interactions with the dead police chief were far from friendly, including the obvious suspect, meaning that this gay investigator must decide how far and with whom to sympathize in his beleaguered community.
Dave is an interesting character. He's come to terms with being gay, and yet he expresses discomfort with the more flamboyant members of the gay community at times. He's in a relationship that isn't satisfying to him, but he still inclines toward monogamy. And Doug is also in a bit of crisis, dealing with an aging mother and immediate pressures, yet neither of them is quite present for the other in the simultaneous crises.
Dave wants to see justice done, as he faces a case where irredeemable injustice has already deeply damaged more than one player. The interactions of the personal and the puzzle make a fascinating but low-key read.
Against this backdrop, we again meet Dave Brandstetter, laconic insurance investigator, out to prove that the murder of a local police chief has not been solved by the arrest of the obvious suspect. If it was one of the chief's nearest and dearest responsible, Dave can save his employer a lot of life insurance money (in 1978 dollars), but most of all, Dave loves a puzzle.
The writing style is somehow both sparse and evocative, low on emotion but with undercurrents aplenty. As Dave slogs through a complex case - investigating the death of a man with plenty of enemies, including an estranged daughter, a mistress or two, and some questionable business connections - he also is under life pressures. His father is in the hospital, and may not survive. His lover, Doug, continues to insist on an open relationship. And there are gay men whose interactions with the dead police chief were far from friendly, including the obvious suspect, meaning that this gay investigator must decide how far and with whom to sympathize in his beleaguered community.
Dave is an interesting character. He's come to terms with being gay, and yet he expresses discomfort with the more flamboyant members of the gay community at times. He's in a relationship that isn't satisfying to him, but he still inclines toward monogamy. And Doug is also in a bit of crisis, dealing with an aging mother and immediate pressures, yet neither of them is quite present for the other in the simultaneous crises.
Dave wants to see justice done, as he faces a case where irredeemable injustice has already deeply damaged more than one player. The interactions of the personal and the puzzle make a fascinating but low-key read.