The Last Manly Man: A Robin Hudson Mystery (Robin Hudson Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Sparkle Hayter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 1998 | Series: Robin Hudson Mysteries

Overnight success, two handsome boyfriends, plenty of employees to boss around ... Everything is suddenly going right in the life of newswoman and reluctant sleuth Robin Hudson. But Hudson's life is ruled by no law but Murphy's. It isn't long before a good deed for a strange man in a hat and a series of other seemingly random encounters lead Hudson into a bizarre murder investigation - and a secret world of men she never knew existed. Hot on the trail of a mysterious chemical known as Adam I, Hudson braves fistfighting goons, a testosterone filled hunting expedition, libidinous chimps, and a convention of drugged feminists to solve her most challenging case yet. At the heart of this satirical, offbeat mystery are Sparkle Hayter's wry reflections on modern sexual stereotypes, social conditioning, and mad science.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Manhattan newswoman Robin Hudson's (Revenge of the Cootie Girls, LJ 3/1/97) latest unlikely adventure involves a women's conference, a series on the "man of the future," the approach of her 40th birthday, and, of course, murder. Off-the-wall humor; a welcome diversion.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

An outrageously wacky plot, bizarre characters, and Gen X dialogue take Hayter's latest Robin Hudson novel to a new level of kookiness. This time, Hudson, the sassy, smart-mouthed reporter for the All News Network, is heading up a special investigative report on the Man of the Future. But Robin's research leads her straight into a weird world populated by mad scientists, kidnapped bonobo chimps, strident feminists, dead guys, secret research labs, mysterious maps hidden in fedoras, deadly pheromones, and a plot to make all males into King Kong^-style he-men. Meanwhile, Robin has two boyfriends vying for her attention; she's discovered that someone is impersonating her; and Mrs. Rodriguez, her hated neighbor, is acting out with a shotgun! Along with plenty of belly laughs, Hayter's latest book adds a titillating mystery, plenty of homespun philosophy, and a hilarious look at how a not-so-average woman of the '90s keeps her head together. A fine comic mystery. Emily Melton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (June 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688155170
• ISBN-13: 978-0688155179
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,853,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seriously Funny, July 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Manly Man: A Robin Hudson Mystery (Paperback)

Don't let the faint damns (as in, praised with) scare you off: this is Hayter's best novel yet. True, her style has shifted a bit from the determined absurdity of her earlier tales. It's still funny, but it isn't *just* funny; her characters are rounder, her darks are darker, and her wackiness is more pointed as she (and her heroine) come to grips with the complexities of gender politics. This is a book with something to say, and as you'd expect from Hayter, it's something fresh, offbeat and individualistic. A little more than a comic mystery, a little less (thank heaven!) than a post-modern extravaganza, _The Last Manly Man_ is satisfying, thought-provoking, literary and wicked. What more do they want from a working woman?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stay with it, June 12, 2000

By 

Christia Johnson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Manly Man: A Robin Hudson Mystery (Paperback)

Have found this series to be fun and inventive but had trouble getting into this book. Stay, with it though, because the second half is a romp and a half and fastly paced. Robin Hudson's neverending analysis of her boyfriends - right or wrong - are captivating and carry the ring of truth for all of us no longer in our 30s and thoroughly involved in combining the memories of our youth with the realities of our 40s. Her calm acceptance of Murphy's Law as the most powerful force in her life gives us all hope as we trudge along in our own lives.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Great!, August 21, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Last Manly Man: A Robin Hudson Mystery (Robin Hudson Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Robin Hudson is back on track after her introspective period in the previous book (Revenge of the Cootie Girls). Finding out why her crazy neighbor always hated her and that she has a body double was perfect. And the story was seemingly so "out there," yet science is starting to keep up with science fiction, so maybe it's not so far fetched. It was also a little sad reflecting on her relationships. Robin seems to be listening to her biological clock, but this book is very fun to read and should be read by anyone who has a sense of humor and likes mysteries.