"Ben Perkins is back! It feels so good to say that. Twenty-three years ago, when Rob Kantner introduced his Detroit PI in the short story "C Is for Cookie," he probably had no idea he was heralding in a new era of mystery fiction. Before Rob, the private eye genre was glutted with down-in-their-luck losers who wore trench coats and talked like Bogart. Stereotypes ruled the paperback racks, and a revamp was sorely needed. Rob's genius was to give his hero something more than clichéd one-liners and a drinking problem. Namely, a life." J. A. Konrath, from his introduction This collection includes 18 stories featuring Ben Perkins, from the earliest part of his career to the latest chapter. The final story, "Sex and Violins" has never before been published.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rob Kantner's Greatest Hits,
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This review is from: Trouble is What I Do (Paperback)
I began reading Rob Kantner back in the 1980s, when I was a teenager. Detroit Private Eye Ben Perkins was the coolest hero since Spenser--tough and funny, but also with amazing depth.
The books (nine of them so far) are clever, with plenty of action, and they anticipated the trend that would continue with Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, and James Lee Burke, where the hero was as important as the story. Kantner quickly became a must-read in the mystery community, winning awards and gaining fans. I urge everyone to seek out HELL'S ONLY HALF FULL, which is one of the best PI novels ever written. The rest of his stuff is damn good too. Anyone who has read my books can easily spot the influence Kantner has had on my work. He's one of the reasons I became a writer. When I heard Rob was putting together a collection of Ben Perkins short stories, I got in touch and begged him to let me write the foreword. Rob, ever gracious, allowed me the honor. If you're a Kantner fan from way back, rejoice in this new collection. And if you've never read him before, you're in for a real treat.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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rolling tape, bruised one, rat line, wood match Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ben Perkins, Lisa Goodnight, Fast Eddie, Carole Somers, Ann Arbor, Grand River, Wayne County, Dynamite Park, Elvin Dance, Jake Borrello, Jimmy Herndon, Mister Perkins, Burly Curly, Norwegian Wood, Randy Ryan, Sidewalk Commandos, Barbie Borrello, Bob Stella, Dick Dennehy, Leah Norwood, New York, Under New Management, Becky Campanula, Chick Hafer, Jerry Mattson New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
rolling tape, bruised one, rat line, wood match Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ben Perkins, Lisa Goodnight, Fast Eddie, Carole Somers, Ann Arbor, Grand River, Wayne County, Dynamite Park, Elvin Dance, Jake Borrello, Jimmy Herndon, Mister Perkins, Burly Curly, Norwegian Wood, Randy Ryan, Sidewalk Commandos, Barbie Borrello, Bob Stella, Dick Dennehy, Leah Norwood, New York, Under New Management, Becky Campanula, Chick Hafer, Jerry Mattson New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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