Ellipsis: A John Marshall Tanner Novel

by Stephen Greenleaf

Book Overview

In the latest installment in his acclaimed series, award-winning crime novelist Stephen Greenleaf delivers the sexiest, fastest story to date in the life of San Francisco P.I. Marsh Tanner. Author... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684849550
• ISBN13: 9780684849553
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 265 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Mystery With Brains

John Marshall Tanner, private investigator, tells his story of this case. His client is Chandelier, a super successful writer of romance novels. Her secretary is Lark. Tanner's girl friend is Coppelia. And the author surely has fun inventing names. Aside from that, he writes in clear, concise language, presents a tight plot that is well thought out. It is a book that is a pleasure to read because it is written intelligently and without the usual gimmicks. What more can one ask for? I highly recommend it.

I love this hero!

This book is just another example of Stephen Greenleaf's ability to write a fast-paced, tight, suspenseful, and ultimately fulfilling mystery. If you haven't read any of his books yet, you can start here, or go back to his earlier works in paperback. Our hero, Tanner, is great...Not to uptight or politically correct...Thank goodness he's not another recovering alcoholic! He's tough, takes a lickin, but lovable too...He's got his faults, but that just makes us identify with him that much more. The plot is great (as always), steeped in current issues and events. The pages turn too fast and the end comes too quickly..Pick up this or any of his other books. Well worth even the hard cover price.

Stephen Greenleaf Delivers in Elipsis

John Marshall Tanner is back as the reluctant bodyguard to a driven sucessful novelist whose life has been threatened. Stephen Greenleaf lays bare today's literary world with a parade of suspects ranging from the jilted ex-husband to the soon to be fired agent, and the cross-dressing devoted fan obsessed with Chandelier Wells. But as always with Greenleaf what appears to be a simple mystery is actually a very complex character study. Tanner is still struggling from the death of his best friend Charley Sleet, commitment issues with his new love interest Jill Coppelia, and a daughter from an earlier indiscretion. An honorable and principled though somewhat rusted white knight with an Oreo addiction Tanner continues to do battle in in an unscrupulous world. After twenty years he's come to realize that "other people's problems, particularly those brought brought on by stupidity or self-indulgence, which in my experience is most of them, seem to provoke my ire more than my sympathy these days." John Marshall Tanner may decide to retire with Elipsis. If so it will be a loss to the literary world equal to John D.MacDonald's Travis McGee. Greenleaf has expertly written a wonderful tribute to a dying breed. It will prove satisfying to even the most devoted Tanner fans. Thanks for everything, Stephen Greenleaf.

Stephen Greenleaf's best yet!

I enjoy Greenleaf's work for his plots and characters, and Ellipsis displays Greenleaf at his best. The focus character, Marsh Tanner, is approaching his 50th birthday, and the book shows Tanner taking stock of his life, finances, interests and career. The life of a P.I. may be interesting, but it is a poor career choice, and Tanner knows it. Tanner finds himself the reluctant bodyguard for a famous and successful writer, and the book is full of shop-talk about writers and the business of writing. Part of the fun is seeing how the frustration of the writing biz is perceived by a character all too aware of the frustrations of the PI biz. Yet once again, through asking questions, following up leads, and getting people to talk, it is revealed that the reluctant Tanner has the skillset needed to unravel the mystery of the threats and attacks on his client. Greenleaf addresses some of the threads and characters which came up in earlier books, which gives this book a very satisfying sense of resolution.

One of the better and most likeable mystery heroes

After the death of his police officer friend two years ago, Bay area private investigator John Marshall Tanner is dating Assistant District Attorney Jill Cappanella. He also seeks cases to pay off his bills. Best selling and wealthy author Chandelier Wells is receiving threatening letters stating "If you don't stop it you will die." Chandelier may not know what the letters want halted, but she takes the warning seriously and hires Marsh to act as her bodyguard.Initially, Marsh thinks the person terrorizing the author is a diehard lunatic of a fan, trying to get a rise out of Chandelier. He changes his mind when a bomb explodes in her car killing two people and injuring Chandelier. The MO seems like that of a pro. Marsh suspects someone close or formerly close to the writer as hired a hit man. As he steps closer to the truth, Marsh places himself and his loved ones in life threatening danger.John Marshall Tanner is an extremely likable sleuth who at fifty remains vulnerable and compassionate, making him very appealing especially to women. ELLIPSIS is a fast paced but intricate work whose villains are shockers yet realistic. Stephen Greenleaf humanizes all of his characters within a fabulous tale that shows why his Tanner books have been award winners.Harriet Klausner