Customer Reviews

True Detective

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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 hope 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.

Max Allan Collins' first novel in his acclaimed Nathan Heller series, True Detective, is a stunning mix of fact and fiction. The setting is 1930s Chicago and Collins paints the city of that time with a bold brush. Heller is a city cop who gets roped into a messy situation by his fellow officers. When he ends up killing a man with the same gun Heller's father used to commit suicide, Nathan's own, that's the last straw that leads to Heller quitting the force, despite the efforts of the higher-ups to get him to reconsider.

But working as the president of your own detective agency (called "A-1" so it will appear first in the telephone directory) is by no means boring -- not when your best friend is Eliot Ness and you have connections to Frank Nitti, Al Capone, mayor Anton Cermak, Walter Winchell, George Raft, and a young future actor who goes by the name "Dutch" Reagan.

Collins took five years to research the place and time and this, combined with his immense storytelling skill, make True Detective an immersive experience. The World's Fair comes alive in his hands, as do the characters, who have never seemed so real (even in The Untouchables) as when they are dealing with the fictional Nathan Heller. I plan to repeat this experience soon with the sequel, True Crime, and I think I'm about to become very familiar with the exploits of Nathan Heller.

Collin's novel is the ultimate re-examination of the 1930s private detective. It is full of drama, action, and deep historical context.

Should be required reading for the human race.

This is the starting point, the genesis of the continuing tales of Mr. Nathan Heller. Each story is based on Collins' extensive newspaper research, biographical studies and historical volumes. Using these as a framework, Collins weaves tales of apparent simplicity, but that go far deeper and farther. Do you read the Nero Wolfe series, by Rex Stout? I have often thought that Nate is Archie without Nero, and not needing any 1/7th of a ton genius behind him. The writing is brisk and concise, the style is pulp/hard-boiled/noir, and is always, ALWAYS rewarding.

Collin's novel is the ultimate re-examination of the 1930s private detective. It is full of drama, action, and deep historical context.

Should be required reading for the human race.

I was delightfully surprised by this book. Ive always been interested in Chicago of the 30's. I researched some of the characters and events in the book, only to find how wonderfully accurate the depictions were. Well written, well researched, well developed in plot and pacing...This book is a must read for detective buffs...history buffs...and suckers for great fiction. Ive just ordered "Chicago Lightning" cant wait to read it!

Nathan Heller is a private detective in the Sam Spade/Philip Marlowe mold (perhaps a little more morally ambiguous than they), and he works in the same milieu, on the shady side of the street. The first book in the series takes place mostly in the corrupt political world of 1930s Chicago and features various contemporary events and personalities that Collins manages to work in fairly smoothly without it seeming like too much of a checklist (a famous boxer, two iconic mob bosses, a couple of American presidents at different stages in their careers, a couple of second-line movie actors ditto, and of course Eliot Ness, who feels more real here than he does in any of his film/TV incarnations). Not on a par with Hammett or Chandler but certainly in the same neighborhood. When I read a historical novel (straight, mystery, alternate history, etc.), I like to learn things I didn't know as well as enjoy the story as story. And the things I learn had better be reasonably accurate because I WILL look things up. And I did learn quite a bit. There's some interpretation here, of course, but it's at least credible. All in all, I enjoyed the ride, and I'm glad AmazonEncore acquired this series and is promoting it (largely through discount pricing).