When Last Seen Alive

by Gar Anthony Haywood

Book Overview

The latest Aaron Gunner thriller finds the L.A. gumshoe combing the streets of his home turf, following the cold trail of an attendee of the Million Man March who failed to come home. Suspected in his disappearance is a group known as The Defenders of the Bloodline--whom the FBI wants Gunner's help in bringing down.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399143033
• ISBN13: 9780399143038
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

All The Lucky Ones Are Dead

Gar Anthony Haywood has done it again. As usual, he has two plots going at once and the reader has to figure out "who done it" for both of them. He doesn't have predictable endings.

Jumping on the bandwagon!

This was my first Aaron Gunner story, and it won't be my last. This book had the the P.I. tackling two mysteries at the same time. Looking for a disreputable writer missing for over 9 months and tailing a congressman in search of his indiscretions had Gunner at his wit's end, but each plot had it's own twists and turns, and there was no way to guess each ending. Believe me, I tried! It is so hard sometimes to settle down with a good mystery, because in order for the story to work, the detective must be familiar and accessable to the reader. With this P.I., it was no problem. If you are a fan of Walter Mosley's Easy Rollins or Valerie Wilson Wesley's Tamara Hayle, then this guy is for you. Good Work, Mr. Haywood!

Not to be overlooked

This is the first book by this author that I read and I was not disappointed. The charachters and the incidents were fairly realistic, likeable, and had real lives. What's more is that I did not figure out the book in the very first chapter.

This story could have come from yesterday's headlines

Aaron Gunner fans will find this the BEST ever. You'll want to finish it in one sitting, every turn of the page brings new challenges and plot twists. There's a missing person, an adulterous politican, a radical group, murder, the FBI and South Central L.A.. Haywood has taken a disturbing commentary on black on black relations and wrapped it around a character that the reader will find believable, honest and courageous. Those of us who like detectives with character and courage will find bits of Walter Mosley's - Easy Rawlins, Sallis's - Lew Griffin and Parker's - Spenser sidekick Hawk, neatly packaged in Aaron Gunner.

Simply superb-genius at work

South Central Los Angeles private investigator Aaron Gunner is working on two cases that seemed simple when he first accepted both of them. However, as Aaron should know by now, one never should judge a case by its inital appearance, especially when women are the clients. City Council man Gil Everson's spouse Connie hires Aaron to catch, in living color, her husband committing adultery. Yolanda McCreary wants Aaron to locate her missing sibling, Elroy Covington. Elroy has been missing since the Million Man March, a historical event attended by Aaron also. The Everson case is a snap until Aaron learns that a weird prenuptial agreement muddies what should have been lucid waters. The Covington case should also be relatively easy, but instead the trail is pure frozen tundra. Aaron begins to wonder if Covington has been offed by a black separatist group, "The Defenders of the Bloodline". The group expects Aaron to join them as part of the solution or die as part of the problem. If that is not enough pressure on the private investigator, his inquiries has brought Aaron to the attention of the FBI, who want to use him to bring about the end of the group. Trapped between a hard place (the Defenders) and a rock (the FBI), Aaron continues his tour into hell (also called LA) in trying to learn what happened to Covington. WHEN LAST SEEN ALIVE is a great private detective story, starring the wonderful Aaron Gunner in his fifth mystery. The bomb story line is fast and hip and loaded with social insight without turning the star into a preacher (Garth Ennis does that well enough). Aaron is a top gun who is one of the leading sleuths on the market today. This reviewer strongly recommends all five of Gar Anthony Haywood's Gunner mysteries if readers want enjoyable detective stories that provide insight into living in South Central. California. Harriet Klausner