True Detective [Paperback]

Max Allan Collins (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Pr (1983)
• ASIN: B000OTSCAC
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Max Allan Collins is a New York Times bestselling author of original mysteries, a Shamus award winner and an experienced author of movie adaptions and tie-in novels. His graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION was made into a major motion picture by Tom Hank's production company, Playtone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True True True, March 11, 2007

By 

Geminib54 - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Detective (Frank Nitti Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read True Detective after reading several of Collins' later Nathan Heller books. Collins writes this series as an amalgam of historical accuracy with his protaganist (current private eye, former Chicago police detective Nathan Heller) interacting with the real characters of the era depicted. In this one we are in Chicago and meet the likes of mobsters like Capone and Nitti, crooked cops, grafting politicians, and good guys like boxer Barney Ross and Elliot Ness to balance the score.

Collins knows how to tell a good story. The historical detail is accurate and adds to the feel of the tale. The pictures he paints of the World's Fair, the shantytowns, etc., put you in the book. The plotting is thorough, the situations believable, the dialogue true, and the characters feel real, especially Heller as he struggles to do the right thing in a world full amibiguous situations where "right" can be tough to figure out given the conflicting viewpoints.

To say that the characters feel true sounds odd given that most are public personalities. Yet, a less skilled writer could make them hackneyed and two-dimensional. Here they have depth enough to carry their roles naturally, without forcing situations. You learn enough about each of them to make sense of their motivations and behaviors, yet the story never gets lost in irrelevant details.

When I'm done with a novel of his I feel I've learned more about the characters from history and more about myself as I go through the moral rollercoaster with Heller. And before I forget, there's plenty of humor, sex and violence to keep things interesting.

Read the series, in order if you can. This is one of the best going.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent story sure to please mystery and history buffs, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: True Detective (Audio Cassette)

Rarely does one come across a book which so completely captures the essence of an era. Max Allan Collins has achieved this in spades. He is simply the master of the historical mystery novel. Nathan Heller is a well rounded character, and his interaction with some of the era's most notable figures is exceedingly well done. I can only the entire line of Nathan Heller novels get back into print. If you're a fan of Hammett, Chandler, etc, you're sure to love it.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Crime Book of the '30s Era, December 28, 2004

By 

T. Walker "Texas Librarian" (The Woodlands, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Detective (Frank Nitti Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

From the first few words, I knew that Max Allan Collins had written one of the best crime/detective novels I had ever read. Before long, I dropped "one of" and decided it is THE BEST! Characters rise off the pages into "real" life, while the action grabs you and carries you along. If you like the tough, but believable, private eye, this is a landmark book for you. Don't just read it. Buy it!