Poet in the Gutter [Hardcover]

John F. Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996

After private detective Sam Turner's client is murdered, Turner, with the help of the police, learns that he had probably become the victim of a serial killer and soon discovers that he himself may become the serial killer's next victim.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Idiosyncratic alcoholic Sam Turner flies by the seat of his pants in his first p.i. case ever. Although he does not actually have a license, he talks his way into a York surveillance job that ends by exposing serial murder. Hired by the latest victim's luscious widow to find the murderer, Sam scoops in money from the media reps, bodyguards the widow, and surrounds himself with a rather bizarre "office" staff?all while becoming the killer's next target. Dry humor, straightforward prose, a deceptively simple plot, and a most interesting soft-boiled detective make this an author to watch.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

``Funny how things start out,'' muses wannabe Yorkshire shamus Sam Turner. ``You take on a matrimonial case and find you're tracking an international serial killer.'' In fact Sam's first case is deceptive from the word go, when Terry Deacon, hearing Sam tell an AA meeting that he's a detective, hires him to follow his wife Jane, whom he suspects is cheating on him. She isn't; instead, Terry has taken trying to get her followed as a way of hiring a bodyguard for her on the cheap. By the time Sam finds that out, though, Terry himself is already dead, stabbed in a frenzy and left with a sign (``Terry Deacon deserves to die'') that connects his murder to a rash of killings of former housemates of New Zealand poet Graham East. The police think Graham's their man, but he's dead, too, killed by his girlfriend Frances Golding, who's now convinced his life was ruined by people who aren't her and transformed herself into his avenger. The motley crew Sam assembles to track down the killer--old biddy Celia Allison, pool-hall buddy Gus, and a homeless kid called Geordie--have a raffish appeal, but unbalanced, threatening Frances wears out her welcome long before the end of this slender tale. Newcomer Baker's agreeably clipped delivery hides the fact that most of his surprises are exhausted in the early going. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; First Edition edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312143931
• ISBN-13: 978-0312143930
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,249,651 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great beginning, January 19, 2002

By 

Angel L. Soto (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poet in the Gutter (Hardcover)

Sam Turner was out and down on his luck. He recently divorced his second wife and is now trying to put his life back in order. He joins a men's group and lies to the group telling them that he is a private investigator. Shortly thereafter he is hired as one and someone from the group asks him to track his wife whom he suspects of cheating. Seems easy enough until Turner's client is found dead. Sam knows it could not have been the wife since he has been tracking her all day. It is not until he investigates the case a bit further and finds out that his client was a victim of a serial killer.

This book appears to be the beginning of a new series. The main character is trying to get back on his feet and he is helping everyone he can. He turns from a nobody into a somebody in a short time. He now runs a detective agency with the help of acquaintances he has made along the way. They help him as well as each other. Most of the supporting characters are looking for a meaning to their lives and Sam helps to provide it. POET IN THE GUTTER is an excellent start for a promising new author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An All Around Winner!, December 11, 2001

By 

Vicky J. Shultz "Vicky In Missouri" (Hannibal, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poet in the Gutter (Hardcover)

Sam Turner is adrift emotionally and financially when he tells his new men's group in York that he's a private investigator. Soon one of the members makes Sam's fantasy into reality when he hires Sam to follow his perhaps errant wife. When murder is part of the case Sam finds himself exchanging information with the York police. Gaining a bit of fame after a televised interview, Sam is inundated with work offers and must hire some assistants. Celia, a retired Quaker teacher becomes his motherly and intelligent office manager. Sam hires his pool shooting friend Gus, who also happens to be a whizz with electronics, to help. Little by little Sam befriends a homeless teen named Geordie and adds him to the team. Characterization is the strongest element of this book, although the mystery is good, too. The characters spring to life from the very first and keep the reader intrigued. This is the first book in a series of four, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves good crime fiction.

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars, April 9, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poet in the Gutter (Hardcover)

Sam and the crew he picks up along the way are diverse and delightful. Although the dialogue is weak in points and the plot fairly light, it is definitely the characters that drive this book. I am definitely going to follow Sam and the crew to see where their adventures take them as this looks to be a very enjoyable new series.