Rating: 
Summary: THIS GREAT SERIES KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!!!
Review: In CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS-the newest in the "Hap Collins/Leonard Pine" series-Joe R. Lansdale once again proves that he has no equal in the field of writing in the great state of Texas. He is to Texas what Stephen King is to Maine. Both authors have a particular style of writing that appeals to the "everyman" in its simplicity, yet forceful and soul-searching deliverance. If Mysterious Press/Warner Books put more money into promoting Mr. Lansdale's novels here in the United States, they would definitely have a New York Times best selling author on their hands. As it is, the world still hasn't discovered what a major storyteller and master craftsman this East Texas writer really is.
In this novel, the hilarious, dysfunctional, butt-kicking duo of Hap and Leonard return for another outing of outrageous bantering, not to mention going the distance to help those who are in trouble. Hap and Leonard (think Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson) are now security guards in a chicken processing plant. One night after work, while walking to his truck, Hap hears a desperate cry for help. He sees a man stomping the living daylights out a girl near the trees that border the plant and quickly goes to her rescue. Jumping a chain-link fence like an avenging angel, Hap charges the guy and swiftly finds himself in a fight to the death, using everything he's been taught in the martial arts to put this psycho down. After Hap saves the life of the young girl, her father (he happens to be the owner of the chicken plant) rewards him with the gift of a hundred thousand dollars. Accepting the money against his better judgment, Hap decides to take a vacation with his buddy, Leonard. They sign on for a cheap cruise down to Mexico and the Caribbean. As usual, Leonard's mouth gets them into trouble on the boat, and they eventually find themselves stranded in a place called Playa Del Carmen. When a group of muggers from a bordering town attack our two heroes with knives and a machete, wounding Leonard in the process, an old fisherman comes to their rescue. The fisherman and his daughter, Beatrice, allow Hap and Leonard to recuperate at their home. While Leonard is recovering from his knife wound, the fisherman's daughter uses sex to lure Hap into helping her scam a local mobster. Things, however, don't go quite the way Beatrice expects. Her actions lead to death on a major scale, and it follows Hap and Leonard back to Texas in the form of a giant killer named Hammerhead, who likes to skin people alive and then cut their hands and feet off. A close friend of the duo will be murdered because of what happened in Mexico. From that point on the name of the game is revenge for our boys. Hap and Leonard, with the help of Jim Bob Luke, will return to Mexico to take out the mobster and his henchman. A lot of people are going to die before the ending of this novel is reached; and, if Hap has his way, he's going to be the one doing the killing!
CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS had me laughing and crying. Never was a novel funnier; yet, at the same time, sadder. The violence is intense, and a lot of good people die this time around. Mr. Lansdale's prose is "mojo" writing at its best, capturing the pure essence that breathes life into Hap and Leonard, holding the reader within its tight grasp from the first page to the last. These are guys that will put their lives on the line time and time again to help others, risking everything to right a wrong and to bring a little justice into this mixed-up world. Even the secondary characters (Jim Bob Luke, Veil, Charlie Blank, Marvin Hanson, Beatrice and her father, Ferdinand, Brett Sawyer, and the Mexican mobster, Juan Miguel) are written with the same precise detail and strength as the primary ones. The twists and turns are more numerous than ever, offering surprises for the reader every few pages. CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS isn't just a novel; it's a grand adventure with two guys who love each other as brothers and who are heroes in the strongest sense of the word. This book will run you through the gamut of emotions, leaving you with an avid feeling of being alive and that the world isn't such a bad place after all. I can't thank Joe R. Lansdale enough for the books he's written, including this fabulous series about friendship, love, honor, and a willingness to put your life on the line for what you feel is right. I have to admit to a certain degree of sadness, knowing that it may be two years or longer before the next book in the series comes out. As I stated in a previous review, I only wish that Mr. Lansdale could write a "Hap and Leonard" book every year, along with one of his stand-alone novels. It's hard saying goodbye to friends like this for a lengthy period of time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: Enter Laughing with Mr. Lansdale
Review: One of my proudest moments as a mystery writer came when I had the distinct honor of appearing beside Joe R. Lansdale at a recent mystery convention. We were discussing regional fiction. I covered Southern California--the land of Yankees in Hawaiian shirts, as Joe Lansdale put it. Mr. Lansdale, sipping a Dr. Pepper, covered East Texas, home territory for Hap Collins. Joe R. Lansdale, having just won the Edgar for THE BOTTOMS, was the star of our author panel. I was seated at his immediate right. Mr. Lansdale has followed up on his award winning masterpeice by returning to his roots with a new witty Hap and Leonard novel. Hap opens the book as a guard at a chicken plant. Hap quickly becomes a hero by saving his employer's daughter. Hap receives a large reward, and he decides to spend it on a luxury cruise. Since his lover isn't on loving terms with him, Hap takes his buddy, Leonard, along for the ride. As their trip progesses, these two gentlemen find themselves in a series of often hilarious, and violent, adventures. Mr. Lansdale captures these characters with humor and insight. His plot twists and turns. CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS is a terrific book. Read it soon.
Rating:
Summary: Enter Laughing with Mr. Lansdale
Review: One of my proudest moments as a mystery writer came when I had the distinct honor of appearing beside Joe R. Lansdale at a recent mystery convention. We were discussing regional fiction. I covered Southern California--the land of Yankees in Hawaiian shirts, as Joe Lansdale put it. Mr. Lansdale, sipping a Dr. Pepper, covered East Texas, home territory for Hap Collins. Joe R. Lansdale, having just won the Edgar for THE BOTTOMS, was the star of our author panel. I was seated at his immediate right. Mr. Lansdale has followed up on his award winning masterpeice by returning to his roots with a new witty Hap and Leonard novel. Hap opens the book as a guard at a chicken plant. Hap quickly becomes a hero by saving his employer's daughter. Hap receives a large reward, and he decides to spend it on a luxury cruise. Since his lover isn't on loving terms with him, Hap takes his buddy, Leonard, along for the ride. As their trip progesses, these two gentlemen find themselves in a series of often hilarious, and violent, adventures. Mr. Lansdale captures these characters with humor and insight. His plot twists and turns. CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS is a terrific book. Read it soon.
Rating:
Summary: HAP HAZARD
Review: Poor Hap Collins and Leonard Pine...no matter what they do, they always come out involved in a messy, stinky situation. Once again, Joe Lansdale's "amateur" sleuths find themselves embroiled in murder and mayhem, and it all starts with a good deed. At his new job at the chicken factory, security guard Hap prevents the murder of a wealthy young woman by a crazed maniac. Her millionaire father shows his appreciation by giving Hap a check for a hundred thousand dollars. Leonard, now with his new love John, tells Hap they should go on a cruise..no real reason, just that they've never been on one before. Needless to say, this vacation turns into a nightmare when Leonard mouths off at the concierge and they find themselves stranded in a little fishing town. Enter a beautiful woman, her poor father, some wealthy tourists and we begin our tale of murder and deceit. Lansdale continues his gift for natural dialogue and unique, but believable, situations. We meet a crime lord and his seven foot bully, Hammerhead. It seems sometimes that Lansdale can be a little cruel in his treatment of some of his subordinate characters (Billy for example), and he tends to overdo the sexual innuendo and the sexual encounters. But it's a man's world, and Lansdale knows it. At least the lovely if foul mouthed Brett Sawyer is back, and by the end of the book, who knows..wedding bells?
A fine entry in this well executed series.
Rating:
Summary: HAP HAZARD
Review: Poor Hap Collins and Leonard Pine...no matter what they do, they always come out involved in a messy, stinky situation. Once again, Joe Lansdale's "amateur" sleuths find themselves embroiled in murder and mayhem, and it all starts with a good deed. At his new job at the chicken factory, security guard Hap prevents the murder of a wealthy young woman by a crazed maniac. Her millionaire father shows his appreciation by giving Hap a check for a hundred thousand dollars. Leonard, now with his new love John, tells Hap they should go on a cruise..no real reason, just that they've never been on one before. Needless to say, this vacation turns into a nightmare when Leonard mouths off at the concierge and they find themselves stranded in a little fishing town. Enter a beautiful woman, her poor father, some wealthy tourists and we begin our tale of murder and deceit. Lansdale continues his gift for natural dialogue and unique, but believable, situations. We meet a crime lord and his seven foot bully, Hammerhead. It seems sometimes that Lansdale can be a little cruel in his treatment of some of his subordinate characters (Billy for example), and he tends to overdo the sexual innuendo and the sexual encounters. But it's a man's world, and Lansdale knows it. At least the lovely if foul mouthed Brett Sawyer is back, and by the end of the book, who knows..wedding bells?
A fine entry in this well executed series.
Rating:
Summary: Good, solid read
Review: The rest of the reviews tell the story of this excellent book.What I want to point out is how very ANNOYED I'm getting at one particular reviewer's habit of promoting himself and his own attempt at writing by 'reviewing' over 300 books in half as many days, and starting each review with "As a mystery writer with my debut novel in its initial release..." or something equally stupid. If you see it, just press the 'NO' button.
Rating: 
Summary: 'They're Back!
Review: This highly acclaimed author brings back two of his classic characters in this 'entertaining' masterpiece-- Hap Collins and Leonard Pine in another ol'time adventure of 'the new west.' An exciting adventure you won't want to miss!
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: This was actually my first experience reading a Lansdale novel. I must say it was well worth it. It had a certain originality I truly enjoyed. Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are two good oleâ'' boys from East Texas working as security guards at a huge chicken processing plant. Although Leonard is black and gay and Hap is straight and white, they are as close as brothers. When Hap saves the life of the ownerâ''s daughter, he is given a substantial reward, as well as time off for him and Leonard to go on vacation. They opt for a Caribbean cruise that doesnâ''t bring much relaxation. First theyâ''re abandoned, and then theyâ''re mugged. They could have been killed, but an old man and his machete save them. Hap gets involved with the old mans daughter and soon finds that this family is having some major problems. Murders, kidnappings, and a wide assortment of odd characters and situations are played out in a way that gives this work of fiction a fresh originality. As secrets are revealed the body count begins. Hap and Leonard seem to find trouble wherever they go and that keeps the entertainment factor high. Itâ''s rude and itâ''s crude and itâ''s incredibly fun to read. Joe R. Lansdale will be on my must read list. Highly recommended for guys who like a crude and fun ride.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: This was actually my first experience reading a Lansdale novel. I must say it was well worth it. It had a certain originality I truly enjoyed. Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are two good oleâ'' boys from East Texas working as security guards at a huge chicken processing plant. Although Leonard is black and gay and Hap is straight and white, they are as close as brothers. When Hap saves the life of the ownerâ''s daughter, he is given a substantial reward, as well as time off for him and Leonard to go on vacation. They opt for a Caribbean cruise that doesnâ''t bring much relaxation. First theyâ''re abandoned, and then theyâ''re mugged. They could have been killed, but an old man and his machete save them. Hap gets involved with the old mans daughter and soon finds that this family is having some major problems. Murders, kidnappings, and a wide assortment of odd characters and situations are played out in a way that gives this work of fiction a fresh originality. As secrets are revealed the body count begins. Hap and Leonard seem to find trouble wherever they go and that keeps the entertainment factor high. Itâ''s rude and itâ''s crude and itâ''s incredibly fun to read. Joe R. Lansdale will be on my must read list. Highly recommended for guys who like a crude and fun ride.
Rating:
Summary: Hap & Leonard keep getting better !
Review: Thoroughly enjoyed this book ! Joe Lansdale is one of the few authors that makes me laugh out loud (literally). The ongoing freindship between Hap & Leonard is both funny & touching. THIS IS AN AUTHOR WHO CAN REALLY WRITE ! ! ! !
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