Monkey in the Middle byLoren D. Estleman is the 30th book in the author's Amos Walker series, which began back in 1980. Amos was old school back then, which means in a modern digital age he's practically a dinosaur. I've got a thing for hardboiled PI types working "the mean streets" and Amos' beat is Detroit - which is a pitch perfect setting for crime novels given that the truth is usually more bizarre and corrupt than any fiction writer could cook up. This time out Amos is hired (sort of) by a greener than grass would-be journalist who is in way over his head with an on-the-run government whistleblower. Complicating matters for Amos are a bestselling author with connections to the case, a media savvy (and hungry) defense attorney, and an assassin who Amos has a history with. Oh, and his ex-wife just passed away.

I read Estleman for the writing (the man can turn a phrase) and the world-building. I stay to see how many jabs he can take at the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions. This was a really solid read that kept me guessing and, per usual, I was sucked into Amos' world. Then I got to the ending, which just didn't work for me. Out of the all the possible whodunits, Estleman went with the one that made the least amount of sense to me. I just didn't "get" the motive - and I'm a tidy reader who likes motive. Also, by book #30 it's expected that stand-alone might be a bridge too far, but I've hop-scotched around this series so there was some series baggage here I didn't entirely "get." I still understood what was happening and who people were, but I think that aspect will work better for folks caught up on the series.

Final Grade = B-

Monkey in the Middle is the 30th (!!!) Amos Walker mystery by Loren D. Estleman. Released 21st June 2021 by Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint, it's 192 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Estleman has (rightly) been called a grandmaster of hardboiled detective fiction. He's phenomenally prolific as well and his representation in western and detective fiction is impressive and immense. Set in the present day, but written with a classic retro PI vibe, it's a satisfying treat for fans.

The plot revolves around several apparently disparate threads which entwine throughout the story into a satisfying climax, denouement, and resolution. Most of the books in the series can be read in any order, and this one is no exception. They're self contained, action driven, with characters who have a long and rich back-story and at this point feel like living and breathing people.

Fans of Hammett, Spillane, Chandler, and the other boys in the band will surely have Estleman on their radar already. For fans of PI and noir who are unfamiliar with him, this book and the series will be a delightful treat.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

3.5 stars

Amos Walker has been around for a long time. He's seen it all, and he is a walking old-school, hard-bitten gumshoe living in a modern world. Estleman is a prolific writer in several genres, and he can turn a phrase with the best.

A young man shows up at Amos' office and wants to hire Walker to find out if he is being followed. Amos at first declines, being in a sentimentally surly mood after finding out his ex-wife has died, but eventually takes the kid's money and dives in. It turns out that the client has become involved in a national security whistle blower situation and the young female file clerk in question is on the run and in hiding from various national security agencies.

The chase is on. Walker, against his better judgment, can never resist tilting at windmills and joins the troupe, mostly to keep them out of worse trouble than they already have. A dead fed ups the ante. As always, this is full of unique and crusty characters harking back to another era in detective fiction. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loren Estleman is a master of noir. Monkey in the Middle is the 29th novel in his Amos Walker series. Whether you’ve read them all or this is your first, it is a great story. If you haven’t read them all, I encourage you to go back to the beginning. Amos Walker, his circle of support if not friends and the city of Detroit all age over these many books. Loren Estleman deserves another Shamus Award for Monkey in the Middle.

Published by Forge Books on June 21, 2022

Hardboiled private detectives have always been a mainstay of crime fiction. They no longer dominate the field, but there are still a few fictional private eyes who are worth following. Loren D. Estleman’s long-running Amos Walker series is near the top of my list of current private eye stories that are worth a reader’s time.

Shane Southern is a researcher who worked for a successful but recently retired writer. Shane hires Amos under a pretext. Amos has a nose for pretext and, after accepting Shane’s retainer, follows him to learn what the man is really about. His investigation leads him to Abelia Hunt, a fugitive who stole some government secrets that the government wants back. The monkey in the middle is the one that hears no evil. The government does not want its secrets to be heard.

When a DIA agent searching for Abelia turns up dead, Amos has a murder mystery on his hands. The DIA agent’s partner, Abelia’s lawyer, a journalist, and a retired cop all play significant roles in the plot as Amos pieces the clues together.

A secondary plot begins with the death of Amos’ ex-wife. She died of cancer, but the man with whom she was living tells Amos that a blue Buick was following her in the last weeks of her life. Readers who understand how crime novels are constructed will suspect that there is a link between the surveillance of Amos’ former wife and the surveillance of Shane (and eventually Amos) by agents who are trying to find Abelia.

With its history of corruption and a pronounced gap between wealth and squalor, Detroit is a natural setting for a crime novel. An abandoned gas station that was once a thriving front for a criminal organization is the kind of landmark that adds the color of noir to Amos’ tale.

Estleman is a reliable storyteller who writes with flair. Amos’ office is decorated in “tasteful earth tones of dirty olive and oil spill.” Estleman’s evocative prose, his smart plot, and his atmospheric setting make Monkey in the Middle a good choice for fans of traditional private detective stories.

RECOMMENDED

Amos Walker is an old-fashioned private eye; a cigarette-smoking, fiercely independent man with an insatiable curiosity and decades of world-wearying experience. He is not a man who changes easily with the times. Like Philip Marlowe, but grittier and more ruminative, he travels the mean streets, in this case of Detroit, beating his head against innumerable walls.

This is a long-running series, and if I haven't read all of them I have read the vast majority. There has yet to be a dud, and that is rare out of thirty books. The first one was great, but as the series, and life, go on, we are getting the quintessential Walker, and he is terrific. Estleman deserves all of the accolades he has received and then some.

I don't like spoilers, so I am not going to give any. This has an excellent plot and will keep you interested. If this is your first Amos Walker you will have no trouble keeping up, but be prepared to clear your schedule because you will definitely want to read the earlier ones. I envy you your journey into the backlist, and heartily recommend this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

It’s summer in Detroit and PI Amos Walker has a new client – a wannabe investigative journalist who needs Walker’s help, although his reasons are vague at best. An he’s not the only one who needs help but isn’t very forthcoming about their situation. Amos has his work cut out for him and the stakes are high.

Loren Estleman has once again penned an entertaining addition to his Amos Walker series. Monkey in the Middle is the thirty-first book but the storyline is still crisp and the action non-stop. As always, the characters are one-of-a-kind and some of the situations are outrageous. But, it all works, which is why this series is one of my favorites. Well-done Mr Estleman. Thank you for another enjoyable read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Loren Estleman continues his prolific Amos Walker series.
This wasn't the worst in the series, but it wasn't the best either. Estleman knows how to write: he can turn a phrase like an experienced diner cook flipping burgers. But this novel had something missing...I was struck by the authors ability to continue writing private eye noir so well, but I found myself ambivalent toward the characters. This was bothering me because as a native Detroiter, I want Amos Walker to do well in every escapade. This time he and the other characters seemed lost in their own city.

Private detective Amos Walker searches for a girl wanted by the feds for stealing classified materials.

He eludes two young government agents, confronts an old one and calls in a favor from a former cop to find his quarry.

Loren Estleman writes like the wind. He allows no time to marvel at unique characters or outrageous situations before the next gust pushes the story along.

This is book 31 in the Walker series, the second published this year. Estleman just gets better and better.

This book had all the usual , it had suspense, intrigue, action, and some good private investigation work! It was a decent read, worth reading but just ok for me. I will recommend it , its worth reading but just ok for me! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!