Customer Reviews

Head Lock (Tom Bethamy Mysteries)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A few weeks ago I came across the Jerome Doolittle book "Body Scissors"-his first Tom Bethany mystery novel. It is an excellent book and I was impressed by the quality of writing, the attention to detail and the characterization. I then found and bought Doolittle's 4th novel, "Head Lock," expecting more of the same high quality work. What a disappointment! Doolittle, who was a speech writer for former president Jimmy Carter, is still stewing over the fact that Carter was a one-term president. Doolittle's venomous hate for former president Reagan et al was apparently too much to contain, and in "Head Lock" he has a political hissy fit. Throughout the novel he heaps abuse and saracasm on Reagan, George Bush, Christians, pro-lifers, L. A. police, Republicans, Conservatives-any and all that he envisions as an enemy of Carter and the True Left. This book is a political temper tantrum masquerading as a novel. And if the abuse Doolittle shovels out isn't enough to turn you off, the "heroes" of this book are (a)a prostitute who has murdered two people and repeatedly bedded a teenaged boy; (b)a married mother of two who carries on a steamy affair with the detective hero, while her husband smiles his approval; (c)a detective (Tom Bethany) who breaks a dozen laws to entrap and blackmail a cartoon-character anti-abortion leader. Then, at book's end, Bethany preaches a long, boring sermon to the reader about the efficacy of religious faith vs. good works. What drivel! I give this book one star --- a star because Doolittle has provided us with compelling written evidence showing why Carter (and his aides like Doolittle) were thrown out of the White House after four years.

Though Jerome Doolittle can scorch the souls of Republicans, dishonest businessmen, dopey politicians and a lot of other of folks, he saves his greatest venom for hypocrites.
In Head Lock, he finds a good one, a preacher, outspoken opponent of abortion, senatorial wannabe and sexual miscreant.
I've been reading several of the Doolittle series featuring the somewhat odd private investigator Tom Bethany in the last few months, and, unfortunately, have read them a little out of order. This is not a fatal mistake; I've just found myself a little confused by the lives of some of Bethany's friends as they leave one career--say, operating a massage parlor, for another, running a religious theme park. That's also not the fault of the author or his sharp writing. Doolittle is a must read for anyone appalled by what passes for political and moral leadership in this day and age. Be prepared for some of Doolittle's zingers, hurled at many people in all of his Bethany books, but thrown with a little extra sting at phony moralizing. Suffice it to say that, in this book, Bethany puts away the bad guy in fine fashion, though not until after he's done irreparable harm to a teenager he doesn't even know. I recommend Doolittle without qualms; someone has to take on the phonies of the world and not be real nice about it in the process.

Once again, Jerome Doolittle is unafraid to take on issues that are controversial. Via Tom Bethany, the non working workaholic, he inserts some thought provoking insights into the heated debate of abortion. Perhaps the most frightening part is the antagonistic characters may be ousted from Jerome's book and placed into the world and we would be able to identify them. Jerome knows how to weave a story and fill it with humor, comraderie, and perhaps even a touch of wishful thinking.