Practice to Deceive

I only recently discovered Housewright, and what a great find it is. I love the character of Taylor and his ex-stripper, now attorney girlfriend, Cynthia, as well as his parents and friends. There is excellent sense of place and dialogue and the emotions are well done. Even though I figured out the killer, I didn't mind as I so enjoyed the journey along the way. If you've not yet tried Housewright, do. He is a pleasure to read.

This novel has some flaws and some characters are not well developed. However, it was hard to put down. It's an interesting whodunit with fast action over a period of a month or two, including an extended stay in the hospital. Holland Taylor is somewhat a loose cannon, tending to charge in where he should use caution. When you add his attitude, you can wonder how he stays alive and out of jail. In places, it is a manual on how to be a jerk.An older friend of Holland's parents has been bilked by an investment advisor who was managing her money. Holland charges in against the advice of his girlfriend/attorney and stirs up a cesspool of wrongdoing. It is all about mistresses and money. When people are killed it appears that a third party is gunning for both sides. As the plot winds to a conclusion, Holland finds who his friends are.The plot has details of computer crime and harassment. It demonstrates that businesses taking telephone orders should use caller i.d., and anyone taking over the counter orders should ask for photo identification. Based on language and violence, I would give it a PG-13 rating.

I love this series. The books are almost impossible to put down, the plots are intricate and not obvious, the characters are interesting. In this one, P.I. Holland Taylor tries to recover the entire life savings of a little old lady who was defrauded by her investment advisor. kept me guessing throughout

Practice to Deceive is an enjoyable novel...for lots of reasons. First, it has a plot with some twists in it which surprise the most perceptive reader. And Housewright draws some startling and yet believable characters whose greed borders on madness and who are obsessed with filling their empty lives with deception and fantasy. Consider the hateful teenaged daughter who holds her mother hostage, the mother who refused to belive her daughter is a spoiled and greedy brat, and the cross-dressing computer geek whose desire for money leads him to murder and theft.All of this intrigue is set in Minneapolis, a colorful city described in finely-drawn detail and with obvious appreciation.What holds it all together is Our Hero, Holland Taylor...detective, martial arts expert, and jokester. You gotta like Taylor as he wisecracks his way through the action, strongarms the ugly guys, and uncovers the perverted values of life around him.As a matter of fact, you gotta like this book! It's got all the right formulas for a good detective novel....

The second offering by David Housewright is every bit as enjoyable as the first. The relationship between Holland Taylor and Cynthia is developing nicely. Housewright has fleshed out the characters (Cynthia and Freddie) more this time around but his ex-partner, Homicide detective, Anne Scalasi still has some mystery to her. The character of Steve/Sara is definitely a new twist on the computer nerd. I had great fun with the pranks! I like this character, Holland Taylor!Ree-views