Sideswipe: A Hoke Moseley Detective Thriller [Paperback]

Charles Willeford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2005

Hoke Moseley has had enough. Tired of struggling against alimony payments, two teenage daughters, a very pregnant, very single partner, and a low paying job as a Miami homicide detective, Hoke moves to Singer Island and vows never step foot on the mainland again. But on the street, career criminal Troy Louden is hatching plans of his own with a gang including a disfigured hooker, a talentless artist, and a clueless retiree. But when his simple robbery results in ruthless and indiscriminate bloodshed, Hoke quickly remembers why he is a cop and hurls himself back into the world he meant to leave behind forever.

A masterly tale of both mid-life crisis and murder, Sideswipe is a page-turning thriller packed with laughs, loaded with suspense, and featuring one of the truly original detectives of all time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Extraordinarily winning . . . pure pleasure. . . . Mr. Willeford never puts a foot wrong.” —The New Yorker

“A blend of gripping action and wry off-beat humor.” —The Washington Post

“No one writes a better crime novel than Charles Willeford.” —Elmore Leonard

“Willeford has a marvelously deadpan way with losers on both sides of the law.” —Philadelphia Inquirer

“Extraordinarily winning . . . pure pleasure . . . Mr. Willeford never puts a foot wrong.” --The New Yorker

“[A] blend of gripping action and wry off-beat humor.” --The Washington Post

“No one writes a better crime novel than Charles Willeford.” --Elmore Leonard

“Nobody writes like Charles Willeford . . . He is an original–funny, weird and wonderful.” --James Crumley

“If you are looking for a master’s insight into the humid decadence of South Florida and its polyglot tribes, nobody does that as well as Mr. Willeford.” --The New York Times Book Review

“Hoke Moseley is a magnificently battered hero. Willeford brings him to us lean and hard and brand-new.” --Donald E. Westlake

“Willeford has a marvelously deadpan way with losers on both sides of the law.” --The Philadelphia Inquirer

About the Author

Charles Willeford was a highly decorated (Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Luxembourg Croix de Guerre) tank commander with the Third Army in World War II. He was also a professional horse trainer, boxer, radio announcer, and painter. Willeford, the author of twenty novels, created the Miami detective series featuring Hoke Moseley, which includes Miami Blues, Sideswipe, The Way We Die Now, and New Hope for the Dead. He died in 1988.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (March 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400032482
• ISBN-13: 978-1400032488
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Decadent Delight, June 22, 2008

By 

John R. Lindermuth "J. R. Lindermuth, author ... (Coal Township PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sideswipe: A Hoke Moseley Detective Thriller (Paperback)

Overwhelmed by an abundance of cold cases, Miami homicide detective Hoke Moseley retreats into a fugue state, abandons his pregnant partner and housemate Ellita Sanchez and his two daughters to seek a simpler life managing his father's apartment complex in Riviera Beach.

Meanwhile, Stanley Sinkiewicz, an elderly Ford Motor retiree who spends a night in jail on a false charge which prompts his wife to leave him, makes the acquaintance of Troy Louden, a cold-blooded killer who adds a new dimension to his life.

Stanley does a favor for Louden, which results in his release from jail. The two then embark on an odyssey which can only lead to disaster.

Hoke soon finds the simple life is easier to envision than to envelop. Coping with a job offer from the local police, a string of local burglaries and a daughter with an eating disorder puts him back on the path home.

But--before he gets there--Louden, Sinkiewicz, a grotesquely disfigured stripper and an artist with questionable talent launch a crime spree that comes full-circle into his sphere for a surprising climax.

Like others in the series, Sideswipe is packed with action and wry off-beat humor. Elmore Leonard says no one writes a better crime novel. Who am I to argue with that?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Black humor's best friend, November 2, 2010

By 

Bejayzusjames "OCNY" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sideswipe: A Hoke Moseley Detective Thriller (Paperback)

Black humor's best friend--author Charles Willeford--created a memorable character in everyman detective, Hoke Moseley. Only 4 Moseley novels were written before Willeford died--and that's the sole negative and only disappointment of this short series. Sideswipe may be the best of the quartet, but do yourself a favor and read them sequentially. Sure they may seem dated as the Miami of 2010 in no way reflects Miami of the 1980s, but that doesn't diminish their delight. Willeford had a great touch creating almost-likable but ultimately abominable sociopaths, like Troy Lauden. As evil as this cretin is, you can't help but chuckle at his comic interactions with his misfit gang of unwitting thieves. Remember, however, that black humor, along with a farcical side, is not without its gruesomeness.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where have you been all my life?, July 18, 2008

By 

Rita Sydney (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sideswipe: A Hoke Moseley Detective Thriller (Paperback)

Walter Mosley referred to Charles Willeford in an interview as someone he liked to read. That was a good enough recommendation for me.

Wow! Vivid, clear writing. Characters that are less than perfect human beings, whose foibles are not necessarily endearing. The psychopath was absolutely fascinating to observe.

The not improbable behaviors of the people in the plot end in a satisfying conclusion.

A unique voice. I'm going on to his other books.