Poverty Bay (Anderson Price Promo) [Mass Market Paperback]

Earl Emerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 1998

"Emerson is at the top of his game, and very few are better."
--Mostly Murder

As sole heir to his beloved granddaddy's fortune, noble and naive Lance Tyner wants to use the money for the good of mankind. But some not-so-good specimens of the species--including Lance's conniving father, sleazy brother, and spoiled sister--have much more selfish plans in mind.

Now Lance has vanished. And P.I. Thomas Black must follow his trail into the sad and scary places where the dregs of humanity struggle to stay alive--and where men like Lance and Black too often end up dead. . . .

"Emerson is carving his own special niche among a new generation of private eye writers."
--The Washington Post Book World

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Earl Emerson's acclaimed series about Seattle private investigator Thomas Black is much beloved by readers and critics. And with justification. (These novels, running the gamut from THE RAINY CITY to the just-issued CATFISH CAF, are among my all-time favorite detective tales, and I'm not just saying that because I'm Earl's editor.) But I don't know any other crime novelist who amasses such fervent praise from his peers. It would be a crime to call Earl Emerson merely a "writer's writer." But there sure are a lot of talented authors who revere him. To wit . . .

Aaron Elkins: "In every book he tries something new, and he always comes up a winner. In the best tradition of American crime fiction, Emerson is a master of witty dialogue; clever, complex plotting; and lucid, meaty prose."

Robert Crais: "Earl Emerson writes with the richness and grace of a poet, evincing a quality of phrase and nuance that elevates the genre."

Ann Rule: "Earl Emerson and Thomas Black only get better and better! Earl Emerson has taken his place in the rarefied air of the best of the best!"

'Nuff said.

--Joe Blades, Associate Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"Emerson is at the top of his game, and very few are better."
--Mostly Murder

As sole heir to his beloved granddaddy's fortune, noble and naive Lance Tyner wants to use the money for the good of mankind. But some not-so-good specimens of the species--including Lance's conniving father, sleazy brother, and spoiled sister--have much more selfish plans in mind.

Now Lance has vanished. And P.I. Thomas Black must follow his trail into the sad and scary places where the dregs of humanity struggle to stay alive--and where men like Lance and Black too often end up dead. . . .

"Emerson is carving his own special niche among a new generation of private eye writers."
--The Washington Post Book World --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Fawcett (June 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345429443
• ISBN-13: 978-0345429445
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,549,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good book to spend an evening with, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Poverty Bay (Thomas Black Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Emerson's books are always a fun, quick read. This is not one of his best but I enjoyed it as usual. I must do a great deal of technical reading and writing so spending an evening with Thomas Black is a particular treat---I think he's someone I'd like to know in real life. Emerson writes well (if a bit heavy on simile) and his plots are well crafted; he makes them more than just who-dun-its by weaving in thought provoking social problems such as homelessness, aides, and drug use. His settings are also great---I love following his travels around Seattle and neighboring towns since I grew up in that area and know right where he is most of the time. I'm just waiting to find my hometown, Marysville, in one of his books.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poverty Bay, February 6, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Poverty Bay (Thomas Black Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the second novel in the Thomas Black series by Earl Emerson. This book has a strong plot and Emerson describes the atmosphere of Seattle to perfection in this book. Lance Tyner is the heir to his grandfather's fortune of $15 million. When Tyner diappears, Black investigates, and goes to some dreary places where the dregs of humanity struggle to stay alive. This is a strong addition to the series which began with "The Rainy City." Black and his friend, Kathy Birchfield, are likeable and believeable characters.

4.0 out of 5 stars Readable with some unpleasant scenes for verisimilitude, January 9, 2012

By 

Booker G "ultimate reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poverty Bay (Anderson Price Promo) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Poverty Bay" is the second installment in Thomas Black series. Thirty-something private investigator Black finds himself dealing with a nasty, almost evil family. His friend Kathy, now a lawyer and no longer his basement tenant, asks him to locate a missing client, Lance Tyner, who has inherited 15 million dollars from his grandfather. He is a man of innocence with a heart for the poor and homeless, and he has plans to use the money for good. His family members, angry that they did not share in the inheritance, want to find him to force him to change his mind about sharing. This plot plays out in several surprising ways that the reader doesn't see coming.

There isn't a lot to enjoy in this book as far as the characters go. The family is awful. Lance's father, brother, and sister are ugly in their talk about Lance, they are overtly racist in dealing with his black girlfriend, and they are self-indulgent in every way. Lance was at one time a street person in Seattle, and so in trying to find him Thomas visits the city's homeless camps, which is not easy to read about. He also has to deal with a horrible "trailer trash" type woman with a number of neglected children. Emerson does not sugarcoat these sections.

Emerson takes the readers around Seattle again, and this time he also has Thomas going to the Olympic peninsula, which makes for some new and interesting locales. I think Emerson's writing improved in this book. I was not so aware of what he was trying to do as an author.