Man Everybody Was Afraid Of [Hardcover]

Joseph Hansen (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (May 9, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0586057951
• ISBN-13: 978-0586057957
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,013,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of, December 5, 2006

By 

Ricky N. "Ricky C. Nelson" (Commerce, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Man Everybody Was Afraid Of (Hardcover)

"The Man Everybody Was Afraid Of" is the fourth novel in a series of mystery novels by Joseph Hansen featuring gay insurance investigator Dave Brandstetter. Hansen wrote 12 of these novels from 1970-1992, and they are among some of the best written books in mystery fiction. The gay issue is handled matter-of-factly and these novels are mysteries that just happen to feature a gay detective. The man in the title is Ben Orton, police chief of La Caleta, California. This man made a lot of ememies, especially hippies, homosexuals, and blacks. Ben Orton is found dead having his head bashed in by a flower pot. Gay activist Cliff Kerlee is charged with the murder, but Dave feels he did not do it. Before he can give Mrs. Orton an insurance check, he must find out who really murdered Ben Orton. Dave finds a lot of resistance in La Caleta as he tries to find the real killer. This novel is not my favorite in the series, but is important to the series as it introduces readers to Cecil Harris who becomes Dave's partner in subsequent books. It is another good novel in this ground breaking series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, not great, Brandstetter, January 9, 2001

By 

Randall Ivey "Randall" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Man Everybody Was Afraid of (Paperback)

The fourth entry in Hansen's Brandstetter series finds Dave investigating the murder of a small town sheriff,Ben Orton, hated by many and feared by all. On the face of it, it appears rabid gay activist Cliff Kurlee is responsible for Orton's death, but Brandstetter's continuing probe leads him to other ideas.

This isn't as compelling as the four previous books in the series, but compared to the competition in the gay mystery field, it is pure champagne. All the trademarks are there: scalpel-sharp characterization and dialogue, perfect renderings of place and atmosphere, and Dave Brandstetter himself, of course, a solid character by any standard of detective fiction. This book also introduces Dave's new love interest, Cecil Harris, a young black student and TV newsworker who helps Dave crack the case.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lively and exciting read., January 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Man Everybody Was Afraid of (Paperback)

Brandstetter, a gay middle-aged insurance investigator, doesn't believe a gay activist in Southern California killed a "red-neck" sheriff. Turning over stones, he tracks down the real murderer.