Sideswipe: A Hoke Moseley Detective Thriller

In at least one respect this book reminded me of what a critic once said of Jane Austen's work, and I paraphrase: nothing much happens for page after page but you keeping wanting to turn them. Mr. Willeford, like his friend, Elmore Leonard, had a gift for storytelling. Leonard is quoted on Sideswipe's dust jacket as saying, "Nobody writes a better crime novel," which is no mean praise, considering the source. But I might use the example of Sideswipe to go a step further. Nobody writes a better story. Sideswipe is another of Willeford's Hoke Mosley yarns but unlike Miami Blues there isn't a lot going on for much of the novel's length, no real crime to speak of. Instead, Willeford engages in character study. On the one hand he has a burn-out cop looking to simplify his life and on the other a self-described criminal psychopath looking to complicate his own. That these two will come into violent contact is as certain as the turning of the earth, but Willeford is not in a hurry and because he has the gift, neither is the reader.

Charles Willeford is the man who invented Miami crime fiction, starting with Lust is a Woman (aka Made in Miami) in 1958. His laconic style is incomparable and probably his biggest talent, but he is also a master of plot and character.Most writers can't help but try to impress us with their clever prose techniques and florid descriptions, but Willeford did something far more difficult: He told a story like he was showing us a photograph. Yet, at the same time, the "Willefordisms" are identifiable--the deadpan presentation of absurdity and human weirdness. I really can't think of anyone to compare Willeford to. He is truly one of a kind.I think the Moseley novels should be read in order. They're all masterpieces of hard-boiled black humor. Sideswipe is especially dark, yet the humor is frequently laugh-out-loud.As Elmore Leonard said, "Nobody writes a better crime novel." He meant that, so get busy and read Willeford.

I discovered Charles Willeford thru the Burnt Orange Heresy,, have gone on to read the four Hoke Mosely books (out of order). Everything about these books is offbeat and compelling, often disturbing, and opens your mind to a distinctly different view of what life is like, in the US. (speaking as a suburban woman)

Boring, that's what this book is. During the first, say, 80% of the book nothing much happens, except for an introduction of the characters and their backgrounds. Sadly, most of the characters are flat and uninteresting. In particular the main person Hoke Moseley is hard to identify with; he is not very likable, not funny, and does not possess any other qualifications that makes him stand out as the hero of the story.The psychology of the characters is also weird and often unconvincing, for instance the scene where Hoke drives his own daughter to the airport with handcuffs on, in order to "ship her" to an out-of-state hospital. What father does that and which daughter would not scream murder?When the action finally kicks in (the robbery of a mall) it is described in two pages flat, with the kind of detachment that is more befitting to a newspaper item. The story then finally limps towards an end which is equally uninspiring and uninvolving. I love the "Florida crime novels" which have become something of a genre of its own, but Mr. Willeford unfortunately misses the wit of Carl Hiaasen, the poignant description of characters of Lawrence Shames or the suspense of Randy Wayne White. I was relieved when I finished the book and could finally put it down.

Hoke does it again ! The not perfect detective whit a wit for irony and to much problems on his own still does well

This is a masterful character study as Willeford tells the tale of three men whose stories, ultimately, intersect. The writing is vivid and compelling, and I couldn't put it down, waiting to see how it would all come together.

This is a book that grows on you. Slow pace but the writing is so good that you just want to sit back and enjoy. Hoke is not your typical police detective because he doesn't always get the better of a criminal. But, he's smart and solves his crimes more times than not. He's very likeable, down to earth, funny and believable. Give this one a try.

This is not a mystery or a thriller. It is another one of this authors social criticisms and a venting of his opinions about our society. I don't disagree with him on most counts but he gives us those opinion for about 85% of the book then throws in some blood and guts and calls it a crime story . He goes on about, job stress, modern art, teenagers' problems, the psychos among us, how gullible we can be, marriage, single parenthood etc. If you want to read about these subjects get a book about them If you are looking for anything that is like a crime or mystery thriller there are a lot of good ones out there. This isn't one.

I enjoyed this lovely witty, wry, deadpan, well observed novel set in 1980's Florida. It is billed as a crime novel but frankly my two cats could have solved the main crime. This is really an enjoyable read on its own merits.Mr Willeford captures the millieu of Latinos, blacks, Grey Whites and various transient Caribbean islanders.The minor characters are quirky with idiosyncratic tastes such as Ethiopian flies, poisoning dogs with cyanide in a cane, a circus elephant trainer and even a pitcher in the Major Leagues.The style is often disconcerting. Gentle introductions lead to shocking outcomes none more so than the Supermarket Super-massacre. As a result I found I could only read this in bite-size chunks which gave the book a feel of a series of vignettes rather than a whole.The prose is very good and the dialogue is intelligible. Mr Willeford can certainly write but he struck me as a social observer using 'crime' to get an audience via his detective Hoke Moseley. Overall likeable and would read his other stuff.

Excellent