Grave Error

Stephen Greenleaf is one of my favourite writers. He is very similar to Ross MacDonald which is a huge compliment in my opinion. This is hard-boiled private eye writing how it should be done. The lead is John Marshall Tanner, a man with strong principles who takes cases where he can get them, admittedly with a fair degree of self-loathing at times. He is a loner, unlucky with women and sees the seedy side of life too much. The perfect private eye. If I had to differentiate between MacDonald and Greenleaf, I would have to say that the latter uses foul language which while realistic, I think it lowers the tone of the novel a little.

One Marshall Tanner mystery and you'll want to read all Steven Greenleaf's work. He writes so well you keep turning the pages, and you'll also find some quotes you'll put down in your notebook of pithy sayings to remember. These are mysteries just a cut-above. Greenleaf graduated from Carleton College after all!

"Grave Error" is the first novel in Stephen Greenleaf's fine but underrated John Marshall Tanner private Detective series. Tanner is neither as quick with his wits as Phillip Marlowe nor as eccentric as Matthew Scudder, but this novel contains the kind of hard boiled elements both would be comfortable with. When an old friend and fellow detective is murdered while investigating a case, Tanner drops his own case only to find that the two are somehow connected. Ultimately, the story becomes an elaborate whodunnit with plenty of twists and turns along the way. They violence is fast and ferocious and the mood is appropriately somber. If there is a drawback, its that because the plot is so thick, Tanner's personality is not as well defined as it should be. Nevertheless, as P.I. novels go, this entry is very worthwhile.