Rumble Tumble: A Hap and Leonard Novel (5)

RUMBLE TUMBLE, the fifth novel in the series, by Joe R. Lansdale continues the saga of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, beginning where BAD CHILI left off. It all starts when Hap's girlfriend, Brett Sawyer, tells him that a man called on the telephone and said that he had news about her wayward daughter, Tillie, but that it's going to cost her five hundred dollars to find out what it is. Hap and Leonard (think Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson--thanks, Dale!), accompanies Brett to the seedy motel where the voice on the phone is staying. It turns out there are two men at the motel--a redheaded midget with an attitude the size of King Kong and a stupid giant-size piece of white trash who thinks he's tougher than he actually is. Both guys want to make some quick money by telling Brett that her daughter, who's a prostitute, is being held against her will in Hootie Hoot, Oklahoma by the local crime lord, Big Jim Clemente. Naturally, it isn't long before Hap, Leonard, and Brett are heading to Hootie Hoot to rescue the trick-turning prodigal, but nothing is ever easy for these folks. After a big confrontation and a shootout in Big Jim's house of ill repute, the trio finds out that Tillie's been sent to Mexico to sexually service a gang of bikers called the Bandito Supremes as punishment for a misdeed. Hap and Leonard are two tough hombres, but the odds against rescuing Brett's daughter just got considerably higher with the addition of a biker gang of killers. Before the week is over, our two favorite amigos are going to have to deal with the treachery of a midget that can do handstands, an ex-biker turned preacher who wants redemption for his past deeds, a Texas armadillo in need of little friendship and kindness, and a shootout in old Mexico that will remind you of the ending in the movie, The Wild Bunch. RUMBLE TUMBLE delivers with full force the fun and excitement expected from any 'Hap Collins/Leonard Pine' novel. The characters are deftly drawn, the dialogue is true to the ear, and the story line has all of the necessary ingredients to fulfill one's desire for action, suspense and drama. Mr. Lansdale has created Hap and Leonard with not only a strong sense of humor, but with an avid sense of justice and honor. These two men also have a profound view of life and how to live it that gives the reader an opportunity to think about his or her own belief system. This fantastic series is more than just popcorn entertainment for the masses. It's a great author's attempt to tell a good story, while at the same time reflecting on what it means to be a decent human being and staying true to one's values. I can't recommend the 'Hap/Leonard' novels enough. This is writing that has power and honesty, and is able to touch the heart, as well as the funny bone. Now, it's time to pick up MUCHO MOJO, the third book in the series, and find out what the dysfunctional duo was like before Brett came into the picture.

This one had me laughing and turning the pages and I couldn't put it down. In the end, it was sad. I was disappointed in The 2-Vaer Mambo, but got back on with Bad Chili, and now with Rumble Tumble, I'm hooked, and can't wait until next year to read the next one, Captain Outrageous. Hap and Lenoard are the low-life Spencer and Hawk. I feel for Hap...after all he does, and in the end, Brett deserts him. She'll probably die later on in the series, like many of Hap's women.

Joe R. Lansdale is my favorite author, and I was very much looking forward to Rumble Tumble. I was not let down. Rumble Tumble ranks up there with Two Bear Mombo (my favorite Hap and Leonard adventure). The dialogue was as always top notch, Leonard's speech to Hap about replacing empty toilet paper rolls is worth the price of admission alone. All in all this was a great book and I would recomend it to anyone who loves a great adventure. My only recomendation is that Bad Chili must be read to understand the begining.

The characters, as always, are satisfyingly realistic. The author's handling of their futures is also optimistic while at the same time remaining realistic. The women of importance survive in this story; a quality that must NOT be undervalued in modern stories. I've become curious to see if the daughter-prostitute will be the subject of Leonard's or Hap's wickedly weird logic, in an effort to get her to kick her rotten lifestyle. That might be a good exercise for Joe to attempt -- in the midst, of course, of more righteous mayhem and ass-kicking. Of course, Joe could always take the low road, the easy sleazy, and get the hooker knocked off in the next Hap-Leo saga. If that happens... Well, I don't think it will, that's all. What I mean is this: Joe's too supportive of his audience, and properly cares for us readers to let that kind of snappy-crappy happen to a character who bears some significant relationship to an emerging character of importance in the Hap-Leo equation. (Just don't have Hap or Leonard be eating no jellified hog jowls, is all, and we'll all keep our dinners in our stomaches, okay?)Keep up the outrageously fine work, Joe!

Champion Mojo storyteller Joe R. Lansdale delivers another total knockout with Rumble Tumble! It's Hap and Leonard up to their usual tricks, but this time the recipe includes hookers, bikers, and midgets. Hang on, Hoss, we're in for some fun! But don't take my word for it--you can read an excerpt on Lansdale's official website.