Of Mice and Minestrone

Hap and Leonard: The Early Years (Hap and Leonard)

By: Kathleen Kent - introduction, Kasey Lansdale - contributor, Joe R. Lansdale

Narrated by: JD Jackson

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

A brand-new Hap and Leonard series collection chock full of Joe R. Lansdale’s inimitable blend of humor, mayhem, and insight, Of Mice and Minestrone delivers never-before-seen stories, a selection of the boys’ favorite recipes, by Kasey Lansdale, and an introduction from New York Times best-selling crime author Kathleen Kent.

"An absolute treasure trove." (Ace Atkins, author of The Shameless)

"Of Mice and Minestrone is classic Lansdale at his legendary best.... Compelling. Hilarious. Poignant" (NY Journal of Books)

Today’s special: justice, East Texan-style

Hap Collins looks like a good ol’ boy. But even in his misspent youth, his best pal is Leonard Pine, who is Black, gay, and the ultimate outsider. Inseparable friends, Hap and Leonard climb into the boxing ring, visit their families, get in bar fights, and just go fishing - all the while confronting racists, righting wrongs, and eating a whole lot of delicious food.

So pull up a seat and sit a spell. Master storyteller Joe R. Lansdale - along with Kasey Lansdale’s down-home recipes and Kathleen Kent’s introduction - has cooked up a new passel of tales for you about the unlikeliest duo East Texas has to offer, created by his own self.

About the Hap and Leonard short story series
Hap and Leonard
Hap and Leonard: Blood and Lemonade
The Big Book of Hap and Leonard (digital only)

Lansdale’s duo made their screen debuts in the three season Hap and Leonard television series, starring Michael K. Williams (The Wire), James Purefoy (The Following), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men).

©2020 Bizarre Hands. Introduction © 2020 by Kathleen Kent. Introduction © 2020 by Bizarre Hands. Good Eats: The Recipes of Hap and Leonard © 2020 by Kasey Lansdale. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Great Book!

If you are a Happ and Leonard fan this book is for you! Awesome insight of how Happ and Leonard turned into the loveable characters they are, with wonderful stories from their past. The recipes are a nice bonus too!

A Delectable Morsel

Mr. Lansdale has served up a consistent menu of much longer Hap & Leonard tales. Frankly, that is the way I prefer them, but if the pantry is emptying out, then I will certainly accept appetizers like this to tide me over until he is ready to lay out another of his proper East Texas feasts! And after the great disappointment over the cancellation of the TV show, I sincerely hope he's planning to continue to delight us readers and the world with more adventures of Hap & Leonard! Keep on keepin' on, Sir!

Blood and Minestrone Review

The only problem I had with this book was that it was too damn short. I love Hap and Leonard.

Origins and Recipes

I'm long time fan of Hap and Leonard, always look forward to reading up on their next adventure. It was interesting to see them as younger and inexperienced, gave some insight into the choices that would lead them to become the men later in the series. Decent read overall, did not really care for the recipes at the end.

Not very good

I love the Hap and Leonard novels but Couldn’t have had a worse narrator.
Could have done without the cook book at the end.

Wringing every last drop

The introduction and recitation of recipes at the end filled up an hour of the already short collection of Hap and Leonard stories. There wasn’t anything objectionable about the filler, but I also didn’t find it very entertaining. That actual short stories were rather bland, without the usual mystery and mayhem that comes with full length, plotted books. I most enjoyed the boxing adventure. It’s possible I might have enjoyed these more with a more energetic narrator. I prefer Mr. Gigante or Grant to narrate this series, especially because Mr. Jackson’s voicing for Hap is too close to other’s voicing for Leonard.