General Murders (The Amos Walker Series #8) [Hardcover]

Loren D. Estleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1988

Detroit’s favorite P.I., Amos Walker, barrels through this collection of five short stories by Shamus Award winner, Loren D. Estleman. General Murders upholds Estleman’s reputation as a master of the short story. Both card-carrying fans of Amos Walker and those who are new to the series will devour these stories as they, with Walker, expose crime in some of the most corrupt alleys and steamy streets of Detroit. Included in this audiobook are these vintage Walker and Estleman pieces: "Greektown," "Robber’s Roost," "Fast Burn," "Dead Soldier," and "Eight-Mile and Dequindre." The stories rejoice the hard-edge, wise-cracking, and scandal that typify the genre of private eye fiction.

The Oscar-nominated star of Jackie Brown, Robert Forster narrates all five stories in this collection. His history of playing detective-types in such films as Original Gangstas brings a gritty-edged sound to Estleman’s work.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Estleman's Amos Walker is at or near the top of the list of hardboiled private eyes and fans will gobble up these 10 short stories. Dating from 1982 to 1987, these samplings are good indicators of the pleasures in Estleman's longer works ( Motor City Blue , Downriver ). "Greektown," "Eight Mile and Dequindre" and "The Prettiest Dead Girl in Detroit" convey especially well the gritty flavor of Detroit. "Robbers' Roost" and "Bloody July" are both evocative of the lurid days of Prohibition. "I'm in the Book" is almost a mood piecedespite its hard edgeswith a misty, ambiguous ending. Walker is a wonderful creation, the epitome of the handsome, hard-drinking, hard-punching tough guy with a heart. His first-person narrative style is probably what appeals most, both to moderns and to devotees of the Hammett-Chandler tradition of cracking wise: "You don't like blondes?" a woman asks Walker. He says, "I'm not sure I ever met one." A must for private-eye buffs.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile

Robert Forster's low, gravelly voice is the perfect accompaniment for Estleman's five hard-boiled detective stories. PI Amos Walker pursues corruption and crime in Detroit. Forster is particularly good in his portrayal of the wise-cracking, streetwise detective. He also moves easily from one character to another and quickly engages listeners in his smooth performance. Forster's flat, gritty style perfectly suits the plots of these quick-paced, ruthless, and utterly entrancing stories. Forster's voice reflects the building suspense in some stories and the simple logic used to solve crimes in others. This well-performed presentation will please Estleman fans as well as those who simply enjoy murder mysteries. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; First Edition edition (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395410711
• ISBN-13: 978-0395410714
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,545,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Since the appearance of his first novel in 1976, Loren D. Estleman has written more than 65 books and hundreds of short stories and articles. Alone (Dec 2009, Forge Books) is the second in a new series about L.A. film detective Valentino, and features Greta Garbo.

To kick off the new decade, Estleman's The Book of Murdock (eighth in the U.S. Deputy Marshal Page Murdock series) will appear in March and, to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of Private Detective Amos Walker, The Left-Handed Dollar will publish in December. It's the 20th novel in the award-winning series.

An authority on both criminal history and the American West, Estleman has been called the most critically acclaimed author of his generation. He has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award.

He has received seventeen national writing awards: four Shamuses from the Private Eye Writers of America, five Spurs from the Western Writers of America, two American Mystery Awards from Mystery Scene Magazine, two Outstanding Mystery Writer of the Year awards from Popular Fiction Monthly, two Stirrup Awards for outstanding articles in the Western Writers of America magazine, The Roundup, and three Western Heritage Awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 1987, the Michigan Foundation of the Arts presented him with its award for literature. In 1997, the Michigan Library Association named him the recipient of the Michigan Author's Award. In 2007, Nicotine Kiss was named a Notable Book by the Library of Michigan.

Estleman graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Journalism. On April 27, 2002, EMU presented him with an honorary doctorate in letters. He left the job market in 1980 to write full time. He lives in Michigan and is married to writer Deborah Morgan. For more information, please visit his website: www.lorenestleman.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crackles Like a .38 Special, March 4, 2002

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: General Murders (The Amos Walker Series #8) (Hardcover)

"General Murders" is a collection of ten Amos Walker short stories that are done every bit as well as any of the Detroit P.I.'s best novels. Author Loren Estleman proves himself to every bit as effective working in the short form as he is with his novels. As the title implies, the stories mostly deal with death and murder, but they all come with a twist, most of them unforseemn and satisfying. Walker is the most Phillip Marlowe-like P.I. walking the means streets today. Any P.I. fan owes it to themselves to make his acquaintence. At at brief 230 pages, this book is a quick delight.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amos Walker Rules!, April 14, 2010

By 

John H. Eckert "rockyeckert" (Ellicott City, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: General Murders (The Amos Walker Series #8) (Hardcover)

Ordinarily I detest short stories. But this combination of classic Amos Walker mysteries is the greatest. Easy reading, exciting, and typically humorous at times, I would recommend to all RB Parker, Chandler, Sue Grafton, etc. fans.