Blood and Thunder: A Nathan Heller Novel (Chivers Sound Library) [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio Cassette)

by Max Allan Collins (Author), Alan Sklar (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This time politics absorbs Chicago series shamus Nate Heller, whose adventures (in Carnal Hours, etc.) place him in the middle of the century's most dramatic crimes. It's 1935, and the dogged, skirt-chasing Nate is working as a bodyguard for populist Louisiana loudmouth and political loose cannon, Senator Huey Long. Long is tough and brash, and his lengthy list of enemies includes former employees, the oil industry and anyone ever subjected to one of the verbal shellackings for which he's famous. Trouble is, when the "Kingfish" is shot, his psychotic henchmen open fire with a vengeance, making it hard to tell exactly where the fatal bullet came from. At the urging of Long's widow, herself aglow with thoughts of double indemnity, Nate matches bullets to guns and guns to trigger fingers, all the while playing house with one of Huey's canny concubines. As always, Collins's sense of place and time is unerringly acute, and he happily indulges in re-creating Long's fiery stump style. Although Collins has carved out a mystery subgenre that he occupies nearly alone, he and his detective would be a tough act to follow even if they did have a serious rival or two.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Some think Louisiana governor Huey Long is akin to Hitler and Mussolini, but others believe he's just a good ol' boy trying to help the common man. The president and sole operative of Chicago's A-1 Detective Agency, Nate Heller, doesn't care. His job is to protect Long against an assassination attempt. Despite Heller's best efforts, Long is murdered by a lone gunman, Dr. Carl Weiss. A year later, Heller is summoned back to bayou country at the mutual request of Mrs. Long and her husband's life-insurance carrier. She feels the governor may have been accidentally shot by one of his own trigger-happy bodyguards. If so, the insurance company would not be able to claim its homicide exclusion. Both Mrs. Long and the insurers have agreed to abide by Heller's independent investigation. What Heller discovers is a mild-mannered ear, nose, and throat specialist in Dr. Weiss whose family integrity may have been undermined by the ruthless, manipulative Long. Another excellent historical mystery in which Collins provides a plausible "alternative" solution to real-life crime. Highly recommended. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792722116
• ISBN-13: 978-0792722113
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,276,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining historical fiction, May 19, 2003

By	Lawrence Meklemburg (Solon, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blood and Thunder (Hardcover)

Most of the Nate Heller books are good. This one is very good. I enjoy the characters and the ties to history. Basically, a Forrest Gump/Spencer type of read.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nate Heller tries to stop Huey Long from being killed., May 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Blood and Thunder (Paperback)

It was an excellent book. A little bit too much language. It got crazy on pg. 140 (read that page). It had a whole bunch of explosive sex. And a whole lot of bloodshed.