Still River: A Lee Henry Oswald Mystery

by Harry Hunsicker

Book Overview

It's not easy being named Oswald, not in the city where Lee Harvey grabbed his fifteen minutes of infamy and choked it to death. It's especially hard when half the town seems determined to kill you for reasons as murky as the river that splits the city in two. For Lee Henry Oswald, a private investigator, Gulf War vet, and terminal loner, it's just one more burden to face as he trudges through the gritty underbelly of the concrete and glass metropolis that is Dallas in the new millennium. A simple assignment turns deadly when Oswald asks the right questions in the wrong places, and finds himself drawn into a shadowy world of smooth-talking drug lords and double-dealing real estate developers. In the end, he learns that blood is not always thicker than water, especially the muddy tributaries of the Trinity River, where he confronts the deadly results of his own decisions as he races to save the life of his partner.Reminiscent of the tightly wrapped works of Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly, "Still River" is a startling debut mystery.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312337876
• ISBN13: 9780312337872
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Delicious, witty, fast-paced thriller!

Our newspaper gets "review copies" of new books every week... most go in the trash. This gripping debut from Harry Hunsicker has gone from editor to editor and is a great read! Hunsicker really captures the underbelly of Dallas in steamy, noir fashion. His characters all have their own fun, quirky personalities and the plot rips along with over-the-speed-limit velocity. I stayed up late to finish this book and I can't wait to see what Lee Henry Oswald gets himself into next time!

A Strong Contender for Best of 2005

If you crossed the edgy machismo of James Crumley with the fast pace and sharp wit of Robert B. Parker, you'd get something very similar to Still River. This book has got everything a PI novel needs. Tight writing that brilliantly exploits the Dallas setting, a stoic hero who dishes out heaping portions of justice and wisecracks, sex and gunfights and car chases and arms dealers and evil land developers and enough suspense and style to burn. Exciting, funny, and loaded with memorable characters, this is one of the best debuts of the year. If you like John Connolly, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Lee Child, Sara Paretsky, Ross MacDonald, Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben, or Laura Lippman, check this book out.

strong urban noir

In Dallas, Vera Drinkwater visits her friend from high school former Special Forces soldier turned sleuth Lee Henry Oswald III to hire him to investigate what happened to her half brother Charles Wesson, who vanished less than twenty-four hours ago. Hank, as the private investigator prefers to be called, quickly learns from his client that Charles has had a drug problem having been to detox twice. He also works at Callahan Real Estate. Though he informs Vera that her sibling probably fell off the wagon he takes the case. Hank visits his mentor Ernie Ruibal, who is in the hospital ironically dying from liver cancer. Ernie asks Hank to do him a favor by keeping an eye on his niece Nolan O'Connor who is processing papers on a nasty person tonight. Hank agrees helping Nolan succeed. She soon joins him on his case in which he has been tailed, thugs accosted him, and now threaten to kill him if he fails to back off from Wesson. Apparently Hank has the attention of South Dallas drug kingpin Coleman Dupree and his enforcer Jack the Crack. This is a strong urban noir starring an intriguing character with the wrong name for this city (sort of like A Boy Named Sue) who is a martial arts expert and not afraid to use it to defend himself or those he cares about. The story line is fast-paced as a minor case turns into a life threatening war with Hank caught in the crosshairs. Sub-genre readers will welcome Harry Hunsicker into the fold as his champion is a fabulous protagonist making the rounds of the underside of the city. Harriet Klausner

Incredible debut

Hunsicker has written an amzing debut novel. I haven't felt a buzz like this since reading the early Lehane and Crais books. Hunsicker is the real deal and this book will be talked about for years to come. Great characters and a superb story set against the back drop of Dallas.

Gripping story

Lee Henry Oswald is an engaging character who drives a gripping story right through the heart of Dallas. A vivid cast of supporting characters joins Hank to bring this tale to life and doesn't let up until the last punctuation mark. I'm not a noir fan normally, but a well-crafted story this gripping is a joy in every genre. Hunsicker is a gem of a find as a first time novelist.