The Way We Die Now

Rating:
Summary: a decent yet forgettable last novel from the great Willeford
Review: 'The Way We Die Now' is perhaps a prophetic title to Charles Willeford's last novel, and of course the last also of his Hoke Mosley series; the author died not long after he wrote it. Sadly, it is far from his best material (my preference is 'The Woman Chaser'). Yet for those who have read 'Miami Blues', the first of the Hoke Mosely series, you'll undoubtedly want to read every one ... including 'The Way We Die Now'.

Hoke Mosely is a member of Miami's police force who is certainly a character. While a seemingly fine police investigator he is a mess (personally, physically, emotionally). He lives with his ex working partner and her baby, along with his two teenaged daughters. As in most of the other Hoke Mosely books the plot primarily involves Hoke's personal life rather than any sort of crime mystery. However in 'The Way We Die Now' the author takes Hoke to a migrant labor camp to sort out some rumoured atrocities, which I found to be very interesting reading, and Hoke also sorts out the mysterious death of a Miami doctor, a not-so-interesting subplot. On balance this book is generally above average for the Hoke Mosely series but, as I mentioned above, is much less enjoyable than his early (1950s/1960s) noir novels such as 'The Woman Chaser'.

Bottom line: a fine conclusion to the Hoke Mosely series and Charles Willeford's career. He is missed.

Rating:
Summary: a decent yet forgettable last novel from the great Willeford
Review: 'The Way We Die Now' is perhaps a prophetic title to Charles Willeford's last novel, and of course the last also of his Hoke Mosley series; the author died not long after he wrote it. Sadly, it is far from his best material (my preference is 'The Woman Chaser'). Yet for those who have read 'Miami Blues', the first of the Hoke Mosely series, you'll undoubtedly want to read every one ... including 'The Way We Die Now'.

Hoke Mosely is a member of Miami's police force who is certainly a character. While a seemingly fine police investigator he is a mess (personally, physically, emotionally). He lives with his ex working partner and her baby, along with his two teenaged daughters. As in most of the other Hoke Mosely books the plot primarily involves Hoke's personal life rather than any sort of crime mystery. However in 'The Way We Die Now' the author takes Hoke to a migrant labor camp to sort out some rumoured atrocities, which I found to be very interesting reading, and Hoke also sorts out the mysterious death of a Miami doctor, a not-so-interesting subplot. On balance this book is generally above average for the Hoke Mosely series but, as I mentioned above, is much less enjoyable than his early (1950s/1960s) noir novels such as 'The Woman Chaser'.

Bottom line: a fine conclusion to the Hoke Mosely series and Charles Willeford's career. He is missed.

Rating:
Summary: Author and detective in top form
Review: Charles Willeford's well-deserved reputation as a writer of crime novels is based largely on the exploits of Miami police detective Hoke Moseley. In this page-turner, we find the author at the top of his form, with Hoke fully engaged in his life as a cop and family man. While busily solving a "cold" murder case, Hoke is dispatched on a puzzling and hazardous undercover job in a neighboring county. At the same time, a parolee who some years earlier had promised to kill him moves in right across the street from Hoke's house (how this turns out is what separates Willeford from the pack). In the house, Hoke lives with his two teenage daughters and his former officemate Ellita Sanchez and her infant son. With everyone in his unconventional but harmonious family contributing their share, Hoke is free to spend some time in his bedroom, pondering his problems and watching TV cop shows. And how unusual it is to find a cop enjoying a satisfactory family life! In a few brief sentences, Willeford suggests how this is managed - a sort of primer for disfunctional households, perhaps. Throughout the story's beautifully detailed and ingenious turnings, Hoke manages by dint of his experience and common sense to save his skin and do the right thing in general, which in some instances consists in doing nothing. At the end of the novel, he finds himself being coerced by his superiors into accepting a promotion in grade and assignment as head of internal affairs - a position he comes to realize he is well suited for. But that intriguing eventuality would have been the subject of another book, wouldn't it.

Rating:
Summary: The Way We Die Now is very entertaining
Review: This Hoke Moseley book is the best I have ever read. I have read Sideswipe, and it's not nearly as good as The Way We Die Now. It is something that Quentin Tarantino should make a movie from. I will give this book **** stars.