All the Lucky Ones Are Dead: An Aaron Gunner Mystery

Rating:
Summary: As good as ever
Review: Gangsta-rap superstar C.E. Digga Jones seems to have everything. His career appears at its apex and yet he seems to be rising even further into a mega-superstar. He is extremely wealthy and his personal life appears even more prosperous than his career. Yet at the pinnacle of personal and professional success, C.E. Digga commits suicide. Only the father of the popular rapper thinks someone murdered his son. He hires LA detectivre Aaron Gunner to elarn the truth.

As Aaron digs into the Digga case, he rejects serving as a bodyguard to Sparkle Johnson. Though he could use the cash, Aaron has ethics and the noted radio talk show host is hated by just about everyone, including the private sleuth. Sparkle rejects Aaron too until a car bomb makes both reconsider their mutual animosity. As he struggles to keep Sparkle safe, Aaron learns that Digga had several enemies and loved ones benefiting from the superstar's death. He begins to agree with his client that someone killed the rapper, which takes Aaron into the ugliest streets of Los Angeles in an effort to obtain the truth.

The sixth Aaron Gunner tale contains the elements that have made this an award winning series. Yet, author Gar Anthony Haywood imbues a freshness into the story line that makes ALL THE LUCKY ONES ARE DEAD feels like a debut tale. The dual story lines are both interesting though separate plots. The links are the mean streets of LA and Aaron. Mr. Haywood makes the novel work as his African-American detective brings the city to life in a way rarely seen in a novel including those well written previous tales starring Gunner.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Well worth reading
Review: This was a very good book. The author takes subject matter pulled from recent headlines and gives it a new twist. Aaron Gunner is a welcome mix of brains and brawn but flawed and vulnerable enough to be human.

Rating:
Summary: a bit disappointing
Review: While there is a lot of information here on the gansta rap scene and its denizens, and while Mr. Haywood has considerable talent, there's a certain flatness to this book that leaves the reader feeling rather empty. The investigation of rapper C.E. Digga Jones's suicide by Haywood's series detective, Aaron Gunner, introduces us to some interesting, very well-developed characters. But the resolution of this story just doesn't have the chilling effect it should, perhaps because of Gunner's somewhat cool, distanced position on what he ultimately learns about the death. The writing is clean and crisp, but Gunner's understated emotions deprive the ending of its punch.

Rating:
Summary: a bit disappointing
Review: While there is a lot of information here on the gansta rap scene and its denizens, and while Mr. Haywood has considerable talent, there's a certain flatness to this book that leaves the reader feeling rather empty. The investigation of rapper C.E. Digga Jones's suicide by Haywood's series detective, Aaron Gunner, introduces us to some interesting, very well-developed characters. But the resolution of this story just doesn't have the chilling effect it should, perhaps because of Gunner's somewhat cool, distanced position on what he ultimately learns about the death. The writing is clean and crisp, but Gunner's understated emotions deprive the ending of its punch.