New Hope for the Dead

The main character, Hoke Moseley, is a man after my own heart. He just wants to simplify his life--that's why he has two jump suits that he rotates in use. However, nothing is ever simple, and Willeford knows the anything-but-simple life. Given the task of solving cold cases (hence New Hope for the Dead), Hoke goes about it in the context of his life. The story is NOT about solving cases. It's all about Hoke coping in this dark but refreshing novel. Hoke is not Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marples or Nero Wolfe--he just happens to be a cop with problems that have little to do with his work or solving the cold cases. If you like your reading with rich characters, you'll not be able to put this down.

Charles Willeford's Hoke Moseley series was perhaps what got Willeford attention as a writer (rightly or wrongly, as he had been producing crime novels for many years). New Hope for the Dead was the second in the series and is certainly different crime fiction fare. The thing is that Willeford adds the dialogue that other writers don't use, he gives the mundane dialogue that is so ordinary it is different. It is not easy to explain but with Willeford there is no suspension of disbelief, it is almost as if he writes at a level that is so run of the mill it is clever. In this novel, Willeford steers away from the central crime story and looks at Hoke's life, the living in a seedy motel, the poverty and the loneliness. We get Hoke organising his wardrobe, cooking his meals, giving advice on his daughters potential jobs, Hoke's partner is kicked out of her parents home for becoming pregnant. Everything in the book just comes across as easily understandable. I enjoy the Moseley series although I could see how others might dislike it or find it dull.

Charles Willeford wrote only four novels featuring his unique policeman, Hoke Mosley. New Hope for the Dead was the last in the series, and Willeford died before writing anther of these classic mysteries. All four novels took place in Miami during the early turn of the Century ending in 2003. This novel was published by the rather classic Vintage Crime/Black Lizard series. Hoke Mosley had an answer for every problem, from the most intricate to the mundane. He may not have been right (and was rarely polically correct), but he lived by a strong personal set of beliefs. Beyond presenting complex mysteries, Willeford defined a hardboild cop who offered advice and help to everyone he encountered (whether they wanted it or not), including a bevy of women, from teenage daughters to female coworkers who looked to him for advice and guidance. New Hope for the Dead was my favorite of the four novels, but none are to be missed. There is a certain quaintness to these stories, and they all evoked nostalgia for a plainer, simpler time. I miss Hoke. I miss Willeford. They both ended their careers far too soon for me.

In this second book of the Hoke Moseley series, our loser-pants police detective must deal with various sleazoids while figuring out how to raise his two daughters who have been sent back to him because his ex-wife's pro-ball-player novio finds them distracting during his spring training. Sound Familiar? It's not. Funny and amoral, Hoke's counseling sessions with his daughters are not for the timid or politically correct. Lacking the outrageous antagonists of MIAMI BLUES or SIDESWIPE, this is not the strongest book of the series, but it is an essential set-up for the next tale. Buy it.

So often, you come across a series of books of a certain detective or private investigator and there is no character growth. Well, this book brings about a refreshing change in that procedure. In fact, Willeford gives us a whole novel's worth of character study and you wish it would never end. Hoke Moseley is arguably the most realistic, honest, and likable police detective created in this genre. If you are looking for fluff, do not read this. If you are looking for an intelligent, creative, and interesting read, this is the book for you.