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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Witty, Wry and Riveting -A No Spoiler Review-, May 29, 2009
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Some books are delicious. BAD THINGS HAPPEN is black caviar on 'wry' toast with an extra twist of lemon. Even the plot twists have twists. Mystery fans are in for a treat -- reading this book is like having a glass with a fizzy drink and knocking it down and realizing -gulp- that it was premium champagne!
The first sentence perfectly illustrates the author's deadpan style: "The shovel has to meet certain requirements." By page four, the reader knows for sure that the man calling himself David Loogan wants the shovel to dig a grave. By that time, it's too late to have any thoughts of doing anything else other than to keep reading; one is hooked, line and sinker. No point in fighting, just let yourself be reeled in by this sophisticated noirish mystery set in Ann Arbor, centering on a literary magazine that prints mystery stories. Part of the pleasure is the contrast between the lurid tales the magazine prints with the complicated puzzle that the author sets the reader.
There are layers upon layers of mystery. What is in David Loogan's past? Who is the dead man he helps his friend bury? Who killed the man?
David Loogan is a man of mystery who just wants to lead a quiet life. Tom Kristoll, editor of Gray Streets, discovers that David has a flair for editing. In addition to hiring him to improve the sometimes dreadful stories submitted to his publication, Tom befriends the reclusive stranger. But there are shattering secrets in the literary circle clustered around Tom. Success, disappointment and betrayal can all be motives for murder. And since the suspects are all mystery writers most of the deaths are staged to look like suicide!
This novel is exceptionally rich with characters: the mysterious and resourceful David Loogan, the convivial Tom and his seductive wife Laura, Elizabeth Waishkey the lovely and clever police detective tasked with solving the murders, her daughter Sarah, Michael Beccanti the cat burglar...Harry Dolan seems to invent startling people in the turn of a phrase who seem quite solid and real. Tongue-in-cheek homage is paid to the masters Chandler and Stout and just when you think you have reached the grand conclusion--another twist! The suspense is spun out exquisitely thin and dry before all is over. This is an outstanding debut novel by an exciting new talent that combines taut action with literary sophistication. Highly recommended!
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a terrific read for mystery fans, June 3, 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
First time novelist Harry Dolan has hit the jackpot with this witty page-turner of a detective novel set in the college town of Ann Arbor. The plot revolves around a mystery magazine, Grey Streets, published out of Ann Arbor, and the owner, his wife, an editor, secretary, and the various writers that write regularly for the magazine. When the owner of the magazine apparently jumps to his death out of his office window, the police quickly discover that he was in fact murdered, setting off a dizzying chain of events that will keep the reader up till late at night. Dolan creates a variety of intriguing characters, including an editor with a mysterious past, an appealing female police detective, a lesbian mystery writer, etc., who have complex interrelationships that will keep the reader guessing as to who is responsible for the string of murders in the novel.
Highly recommended--an entertaining thriller that is sure to keep the reader on the edge of his seat.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For a first publication... WOW!, December 15, 2009
Harry Dolan has written one of the very best first novels I have ever come across. Bad Things Happen is a sweet mix of Agatha Christie's who done it's, Chandlers noir, Leonards banter and observational style, and a slew of contemporary artists. You can tell that Dolan LOVES mysteries. And if you love mysteries also, you will not be disappointed here.
Bad Things has its faults. I did not appreciate how it followed so many characters point of view. I think that it started off perfectly balanced for about half of the book, but upon reflection, some of the carefully crafted characters from earlier were left to fall apart as the plot shifted. Too much cleverness was added at the expense of a clean perfection that could have occurred.
Basically, the plot follows David Loogan, a man on the run from an unknown past. The women all seem to fall head over heals for this silent mysterious man. He is acutely intelligent. His mind works at a pace always one step ahead of the reader. David has found himself in a college town living in a rented flat, and working for a mystery magazine publication. The husband and wife owners of the publication are expertly drawn out and you get a real feel for them as people.
Soon though, David's past starts catching up, an unfortunate murder takes place, and the ball is rolling. As I said, the plot is good, not as great as the earlier character studies, the second half suffers just a little. But all in all this is just about as good as it gets. So five stars from me and I cant wait to get the next work by Dolan.
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