Mucho Mojo: A Hap and Leonard Novel (2)

Novels in the mystery and suspense genres often get a bad rap, with aspirations to something other than the typical being overlooked, or at most touted as "transcending the genre." The second entry in Joe R. Lansdale's series starring Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, Mucho Mojo, is a book just like that. When Leonard's uncle Chester dies, he inherits the old homeplace. This causes complex feelings in Leonard since Chester had disowned Leonard on learning that Leonard was gay. While he and Hap are fixing up the place, they discover a large wooden box in which is found a child's skeleton and a stash of child porn magazines. Despite the obvious circumstantial evidence, Hap urges Leonard to look into alternative explanations. Meanwhile, they meet up the drug dealers across the street, a local preacher with questionable motives, and the lovable MeMaw, Leonard's neighbor who always has time (and an open invitation) for a glass of tea. In addition to the plot involving the secret murders of several of a small town's black children, Mucho Mojo investigates such heavy subjects as relationships -- whether black-white, man-woman, gay-straight, adult-child, young-old -- and racism. And all the while Lansdale delivers a cracker of a crime novel, with a terrific ending, that continues the story of the main characters as begun in Savage Season.

Those who are politically correct and who don't want to laugh at stigmas, stereotypes and others misfortunes will miss a real treat. The plot and the story are well written as well as the sarcasm and the wisecracks which will leave you giggling to yourself and too embarassed to tell your partner what you are snickering about. This is an offbeat author who has created a cult following. Mucho Mojo takes the worse social problems, child exploitation, drug use and violence and turns it into a mystery unraveled by two guys you would like to meet in a novel but would not want living one your street. Throw in one of the dearest grandma figures as well as a corrupt minister and you have a bizarre story which will hook you to this series. Yes I was so disgusted by this book that the third time I read it I said that enough is enough! (Time to move on to the next book in the series!)

I've found another author to read regularly. This novel is my introduction to Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, two friends who happen to have one of the most original and realistic relationships I've read. Hap travels to La Borde, Texas with Leonard, who has been left his recently deceased uncle's old house. As they are fixing up the house they discover a small skeleton and several kiddie porn magazines buried under the floor. Leonard cannot accept that Uncle Chester was a ...child murderer so he persuades Hap to help him clear Chester's name. That decision opens the door to an expertly plotted and neatly tied together mystery. Lansdale gives pieces of information that are not contrived but flow into the story and add interest and color. He introduced characters and relationships that I became interested in and wanted to learn more about. The sarcasm and repartee between Hap and Leonard is reason enough to read the book. Put that clever and realistic dialogue in a mystery full of colorful characters that also has some very suspenseful moments and you have a few hours of rich, first-rate entertainment. I highly recommend MUCHO MOJO.

Joe R. Lansdale is a writer like no other. He hears the music and translates it better than just about anyone. MUCHO MOJO is a fine-tuned suspense novel cranked up to the max. This is the second book in the series about Hap and Leonard, two Texas buddies who get into tons of trouble. Hap is a straight white guy and Leonard is a gay black man. Both are brilliantly realized characters and you're going to love them. You could just hang out with Hap and Leonard for a few hundred pages listening to them talk about stuff and you'd have a great time. But Lansdale is a true master. He hammers out a great story to drive the suspense. The scene where Hap and Leonard are in a black bar and Leonard explains various deragotory terms to Hap (like "honky" and a number of them that I can't print here) is worth the price of admission alone. There's humor, action and suspense as only Joe R. Lansdale can deliver.

MUCHO MOJO is terrific. True, it had a violent ending; but the rotten guys got their just reward. The main protagonists, Hap and Leonard, cut through the criminals like a Chuck Norris and Wesley Snipes duo; but their dialogue is peppered with incredibly dry and funny wit. Lansdale is secretly a humorist, and that's what you'll really get out of these novels and short stories of his -- gut-wrenching, laughter; he makes his characters talk like the FLETCH character that Chevy Chase played (in the movie). Only I believe that Chevy would have dearly wished that Joe had written all his quips all the time. Mr. Lansdale is incredibly smart and darn funny! Makes you want to say, "Damn! I wished I'd said or written that in my own story!"