The Low End of Nowhere (Streeter Mystery) [Paperback]

Michael Stone (Author)

Book Description

Series: Streeter Mystery | Publication Date: February 1, 1997

This gritty and witty noir mystery by a real-life Denver private eye is "tough, authentic, and right on the money" (Robert B. Parker). Hired by a blonde bombshell of an advertising executive, Streeter is soon in over his head in a job with plenty of dirty money at stake.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Con artists pop up everywhere in this solid first adventure for a Denver bounty hunter named Streeter. Soon after he foils a gorgeous advertising woman's scheme to cheat her insurance company, Streeter finds the woman, Story Moffatt, at his door. She wants him to trace the big bucks hidden by her drug-dealing boyfriend before his demise in a fiery car crash. The boyfriend's lowlife lawyer smells the money, too, but his sexy, street-smart "paralegal" has her own agenda. So do two eerie enforcers named Soyko and Romp, who enjoy indulging their violent tendencies. Streeter must race all these tricksters and sociopaths to the money, while a possibly bent cop follows him. First novelist Stone, a Denver PI himself, keeps all this together with an unexpectedly sure hand. Streeter takes the the stereotypical Tough Loner act to the limit until Story punctures his self-conscious facade, calling it a loser's cover. With that out of the way, this new hero lightens up nicely, rounding out his muscular debut as a tough and sometimes funny protagonist.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Set in Denver, this work contains its share of guileful bad guys. But good-guy Streeter, a bounty hunter with a weakness for women, is not above deceit?especially when it comes to the Internal Revenue Service. The cunning widow of a drug dealer enlists Streeter's help to recover her deceased husband's ill-gotten gains. During their search, the two face danger from competitors?a danger underscored by murder in the first chapter. Tough, abrasive prose punctuated by occasional humor, constant action, and memorable characters. Recommended.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140246940
• ISBN-13: 978-0140246940
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,087,125 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:

4.0 out of 5 stars Travis McGee meets Elmore Leonard in a Denver mystery., October 6, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Low End of Nowhere: A Streeter Mystery (Hardcover)

Since the death of John D. MacDonald (and perhaps before) there have been numerous attempts to capture the feel and popularity of the Travis McGee character. This latest attempt by Michael Stone falls short of the mark, but not by much. We meet Streeter (just Streeter), a Denver bounty hunter as he helps an attractive (what else) client find missing money hidden by her now dead drug dealer boyfriend. Streeter lives in and works out of a converted church with his semi- partner Frank Dazzler, a world weary bail bondsman and father figure. Streeter is a loser at the marriage lottery many times over, has had bouts with booze and is (surprise!) a loner. We learn much more about him in a few pages than we learn about Travis McGee in twenty one novels. He is, however, instantly likeable, unlike McGee to whom one must warm up, or Thorn, James W. Hall's morose McGee clone who has one rooting for the bad guys in short order. Naturally there are some nasty characters who don't want Streeter's client to succeed, and herein lies the strength of the novel, Stone's character development which could have been done by Elmore Leonard. These people are at once menacing and hilarious, worth the price of the book even if there was no plot, and the dialog is wonderful. Speaking of plot, there is one but it is superfluous given the sheer writing craft at work here. I would have preferred a longer book, as I went through this one so quickly, and I'm a slow reader. No matter, I expect another Streeter to come along soon.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty detective noir, September 25, 2000

By 

Larry Eischen - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Low End of Nowhere (Streeter Mystery) (Paperback)

Too bad Robert Mitchum is no longer with us. Streeter reads like the 40s/50s Mitchum in one of his noir masterpieces. His antagonists are remarkably like fugitives from a classic Elmore Leonard novel. The mystery is pure Spillane (blonde lovely wants to find drug dealing dead beau's money). Michael Stone weaves all of this into an excellent tale that made me run out for the rest of the series. Steeter is a wonderful creation.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tough Guy Does Good, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Low End of Nowhere (Streeter Mystery) (Paperback)

It's tough to resist a good tough guy. And, Stone has one in Streeter. As a mattrer of fact, there seems to be a general lack of tenderness in "The Low End of Nowhere". A motley asortment of toughs and low lifes populate the lanscape and make this interesting reading. A good sense of humor keeps it from being too bleak. Well written, old fashioned noir with a nineties flavoring. Short and quick, this is good summer, or any season reading. Should be fun to follow the developement of this series.