The Portland Laugher (a Thomas Black mystery)

"The Portland Laugher" is the seventh Thomas Black novel by Earl Emerson. Black is a private investigator working out of Seattle. Roxanne Lake and Jerome Johnson hire Black to follow Philip Bacon and keep him away from Johnson's foster brother, Billy Battle. Battle has a bad boy reputation and was sent to jail for pulling a knife on Johnson. Bacon suspects Battle of kidnapping a girl in his old neighborhood and murdering her. He also suspects Battle of setting fires and of murdering Lake's husband in Portland. The one problem Black foresees is that Philip Bacon is engaged to Kathy Birchfield, the woman with whom Black is in love. Crimes continue to happen and Battle is suspected in all of them. He maintains that he did none of the crimes he is suspected of doing. Is he lying or is someone else in the game guilty of some or all of the crimes? This novel is fast-paced and very suspenseful. I was totally shocked by the ending. I did not see it coming. Will Black lose the love of his life, Kathy? This novel is one of the best of the Thomas Black series and is highly recommended.

This was the first book I read by Earl Emerson. As a Portland resident and a Tacoma native I was able to identify with Emerson as he weaves his plot from Seattle to Portland. Thomas Black is the perfect character for this and the other books in the series. An ex-cop turned private investigator, Black has the feel of a Northwest detective. Living in the U Dub district in Seattle, Black is depicted as a down to earth guy trying to earn a living as a private detective. Emerson draws from his own knowledge of the Northwest as a Seattle firefighter and a Tacoma native in unraveling the plot. Many of the characters he creates are unique and present a great composite of Northwest life styles. A great read and terrific climax.

I bought this book in the Portland airport just before a flight back home. Usually I pick up a book for reading on a flight, and when done leave it for either the airline people or another passenger to pick it up -- but not this one. I was hooked from page one and when finished I kept it and loaned it out to others as a highly suggested read.This was my first Emerson novel; what is interesting is how it shows that he (the author) had developed his ability to paint characters richly as well as handle plots with more dexterity than in his earlier novels, which I sought out to read after this one. I also have read books he's written since this one (except his latest, "Catfish Cafe"), and feel this is his best effort -- both in the Thomas Black series (this book features Thomas Black) and in the Mac Fontana series.If you are an Emerson fan and haven't read this one, by all means read it. If you've not read any Emerson books yet, make this your first one. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In Portland Laugher, Emerson uses his cavalier style of writing to develop a sinister cast of characters caught in a fatal game of cat-and-mouse. But who's chasing whom?More than a cleverly woven story, Portland Laugher intertwines its twisted plot with the bittersweet emotional complexities. On all fronts, this book kept me spellbound until its devastatingly brilliant conclusion.