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Strangle Hold: A Tom Bethany Mystery

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Though I don't know him, Jerome Doolittle strikes me as someone who'd be a hoot to have a beer with-were both of us still drinking-and a bear to have as an enemy. And someone I'm extremely eager to keep reading.

Through his Tom Bethany character, a private investigator with no clear clientele, but an intense focus on righting wrongs, Doolittle lets readers know immediately-NO, NOW!-what's wrong with bureaucrats, lots of businessmen, some cops, lawyers and many others whose very existence makes others suffer. And, oh, yeah. Lots of Republicans.

Now, to be fair, he also tackles dopey Democrats and their occasional, in Doolittle's view, misdeeds. Jimmy Carter comes in for a regular swipe for having refused to allow the United States to participate in the 1980 Olympics because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. (Even as I write this, that move does seem to be rather dumb, and I like Jimmy Carter). But the Republicans really take a pounding, regularly and incisively, almost to the point of wincing, which I maybe, just might do if I could stop laughing and nodding in agreement. Not just any Republicans, mostly just the indicted ones.

While Doolittle is making clear his views, he works them very cleverly, though not stealthily, into the storyline of each of his books.

And, now, the storyline for Strangle Hold.

Tom Bethany is a low-key, somewhat paranoid but very human private investigator in Cambridge, Mass.

Bethany takes on a job investigating the death of Morty Limbach, who appears to have committed suicide. Limbach was the son of extremely rich parents, who think he was a total failure for having gone left in his politics. His main work in life was funding a group of troupe of actors, whose flaws as individuals is on display throughout the story.

Limbach may have been engaged in auto-erotica when he died, which helps feed the urge to cover up how he died. An insurance policy payoff worth a quarter of a million dollars rides on the determination of how he died.

Needless to say, Bethany figures out the case--it's murder--and who did it and why. Using a minimum of violence, though more is implied, he confronts and captures the bad guy.

The story moves along nicely, building in little subplots, painting character portraits and mixing in a nice blend of people, from the wife of a retired bishop, to a female med student with a string of boyfriends to a cop with a strong sense of duty to a girlfriend married to a late-blooming gay man. All are characters rather different from the usual folks found in crime stories. Bethany doesn't live in an aha-gotcha! world. He lives by his wits. It's Doolittle's writing and depiction of people that sell the story, because, after all, how interesting is one poor little rich guy whose parents didn't love him? We're sympathetic but heck, missing interns and dallying congressmen provide more exciting possibilities. His insight into people, their character flaws and their motivation, and his running social commentary, make the reading far too good to pass up.

If you're a Republican, you can still read this book, because after all, foibles are foibles, and you can shift them over in your brain to any number of Democrats if you'd prefer. I just happen to find them extra hilarious because his comments happen to target real people.

You have the wit, the wacky reasoning, the weird lifestyle. What more could you want? Oh. A mystery solved? That's done too. Well worth the read.

STRANGLEHOLD BY JEROME DOOLITTLE

The first novel to introduce Tom Bethany, a quirky, enigmantic PI, with a mysterious past, ex-Air America, Ex-CIA, ex-Harvard, and a Semi-Pro Wrestler, now acting as Left Wing Muscle. The character is very much like the Writer in background, and if you missed Doolittles books you are in for a suprise. They really predate the Lehane, Burke, Hiasson, Harlan Coben and Crais books, Very funny, ironic, Trageic but ultimately uplifting. Great Dialog, and very paranoid.

The story centres on Bethany being hired to check up on the mysterious death of a wealthy weirdo, who appears to have died in a bizzare sexual ritual, like the guy from INXS (Mike Hutchincene). The wills benefactor is the ACLU, wo are the sole benefactor form a weird Insurance policy, while lowlifes appear representing the familiy, and a house of wired misfit actors, and only Tom Bethany can uncover the truth behind the death.

Great Characters, I laughed out loud at ?The Hocker? one of the best. Do read as soon as possible. Like all his books catches you on Page one, and then the squeeze is on. Thankfully back in print.

Morton Limbach was a nice young man. A nice rich young man. A nice rich young man who is now dead of strangulation. According to the medical examiner, Morton's death was accidental. An open and shut case of autoerotic asphyxia gone bad. But Pilgrim Mutual Life Insurance Company, the deceased's insurer is balking at paying up. They believe Morton committed suicide and have evidence to back it up.

Tom Bethany, the eccentric Boston based investigator introduced by author Jerome Doolittle in Body Scissors, is called in to find out the truth behind Morton Limbach's untimely demise. As part of his investigation, Bethany must interview the past and present members of an improvisational comedy group Limbach sponsored and at times performed with.

This second Tom Bethany novel is not as good as the first. In Body Scissors, Bethany comes across as an interesting individual who lives his life under the radar and who at times utilizes some unorthodox, perhaps overly harsh methods. But all in all he is a likable, sympathetic character. Unfortunately, Bethany crosses the line a few too many times in Strangle Hold and reveals himself to be a sadistic thug, much too quick to bring harm to others. In this book he is a one man vigilante group, more frightening than sympathetic. More warped than likable.

The plot of Strangle Hold is moderately interesting but the unnecessary cruelty displayed by the book's protagonist will spoil the reading experience for most.