Final Notice

by Jonathan Valin

Book Overview

First edition. Private investigator, Harry Stoner, teams up with a young woman and a group of little old librarians to find the person who has been cutting up art books at the Hyde Park Library in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0396078982
• ISBN13: 9780396078982
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Dodd Mead
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Betcha Don't Solve This Mystery Before The End!

I'm the sort of person who likes to go along content in the moment when I'm reading a book or seeing a movie and I don't like to guess ahead or try to figure an ending out. I suppose I like surprises. And surprised I was here, I admit. This is one of two Stoner (that's the main character's name, folks, not his proclivity) books I've read, and it's every bit as good as the other, Day of Wrath. One of the more endearing things Valin does in his mysteries is he sets them in places that really exist. Little to nothing in the setting seems invented to me, including the location where this tale starts off: the Hyde Park Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. That's somewhere I've visited numerous time, myself. At the branch library, some inconsiderate wanker is slicing the eyes out of the pictures of various women in books and magazines. The head librarian summons Stoner to investigate. While the librarian thinks this vandalism was more of someone's idea of a rude prank, Stoner's instincts are stirred to another direction. What begins as a minor matter becomes the pursuit of a psychopathic sex killer and takes a reader on a chase through a number of Queen City landmarks including the Eden Park Overlook. (In this book, the Overlook is the scene of so brutal a killing it makes me unconsciously look for bloodstains on the sidewalk every time I go rock climbing in the park.) Valin is a talented mystery writer and Stoner is one of the more human and believable characters in "detective" fiction. The combination of deft storytelling, fine characters and (for me) a hometown connection makes reading Valin's mysteries an ever-enjoyable pastime.

A very solid story

After reading the second entry in the Harry Stoner series, I remain quite impressed with Valin's work. Although Jonathan Valin hasn't added to his work in quite some time, and most of his books are out of print, it seems most libraries and second hand book stores I have frequented around the country still maintain a few copies of these books. The second entry finds Harry investigating a case of "creative censorship" within a branch of the Cincinnati Public Library that quickly spirals into something far more sinister and dark. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes the hard boiled style of detective fiction. The legacy of returning Vietnam Vets and the tenor of the times hangs over this story in quite a stark contrast to the calmer political climate of today. A great fast read.

One of Harry Stoner's better adventures

Valin's Harry Stoner detective novels, though very similar in tone to Travis McGee or Phillip Marlowe, are vastly underrated. "Final Notice" is one of the better entries in the series as Stoner chases down a beleivably menacing killer and falls for a plucky and likeable heroine. Stoner occupies his home base of Cincinnati much like McGee occupies Ft. Lauderdale. A fine example of detective fiction, if you can find it.