Fadeout

The Dave Brandstetter Mysteries, Book 1

De: Joseph Hansen

Narrado por: Keith Szarabajka

Fadeout is the first of Joseph Hansen’s twelve classic mysteries featuring rugged Dave Brandstetter, an insurance investigator who is contentedly gay.

When entertainer Fox Olson’s car plunges off a bridge in a storm, a death claim is filed, but where is Olson’s body? As Brandstetter questions family, fans, and detractors, he grows certain Olson is still alive and must find him before the would-be killer does.

Suspenseful and wry, shrewd and deeply felt, Fadeout remains as fresh today as when it startled readers more than thirty years ago.

©1970, 2019 Joseph Hansen (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ehhhh

I thought the book was okay. I got to chapter 5 and quit the book. It might have been better with a different reader or if I was reading the book but I honestly couldn't get into it and I also couldn't tell you what happened up to chapter 5 either.

Thoroughly enjoyable

This was a fun listen. Quality whodunit wrapped around a slice of historic queerness. It's refreshing to have an essentially well-adjusted, incidentally gay hard-boiled detective, and it's especially noteworthy in a story that's decades old.

Most everything about the writing was very solid: three-dimensional characters with their own lives and motivations, evocative descriptions of the seedy side of Southern California, clear exposition, appropriately subtle hints that made plot points seem natural instead of arbitrary. My only complaints were that it was pretty short and it overused some gay tropes. But it was a solid intro for Dave Brandstetter, and I plan to continue the series.

The narration was perfectly fine. I had no problem following along. I don't know what some of the other reviews are talking about when they say they had trouble keeping up while listening. There are only around a dozen characters, the exposition around them is clear, and the narrator does a decent job with using multiple voices. I prefer some other narrators (e.g. James Marsters), and this one was a touch fast in places, but I have no complaints of substance.

Kinda humorous, kinda nostalgic

Really reminds me of the old detective novels like Sam Spade. Awesome having a gay protagonist. Colorful characters. The author really paints a picture for your mind's eye.

Rediscover a Great Series

Note: This is a series that is best read in order.

Joseph Hansen was a groundbreaking figure in the gay community of the '60s and '70s; he was a poet, a radio show host, and a damn good crime writer. His prose is crisp and his characterizations are compassionately drawn. This series has been out of print for a long while, and I am thrilled to see Blackstone is recording them (the first four are available as of this writing).

Keith Szarabajka's narration is outstanding...he perfectly captures Brandstetter's tone, while also clearly defining the voices of all the other characters. Distinction of character is especially important in a mystery series, where each book comes with a relatively new cast. Szarabajka distinguishes each voice without tipping into caricature or stereotype, which is an impressive balance.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in (and augmented respect for) crime fiction, and I hope Hansen's work gets the attention it deserves. In my view, Brandstetter belongs in the company of Lew Archer and Travis McGee. Now here's hoping this series reappears in print sometime soon....

Love all Joseph Hansen’s books

Characters become old friends, lovely to read about altruistic, loving, kind men doing good with integrity, and a smashing good crime solving story as well