Mucho Mojo

Hap and Leonard #2

By: Joe R. Lansdale

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Hap and Leonard return in this incredible, mad-dash thriller, loaded with crack addicts, a serial killer, and a body count.

In the second installment of the Hap and Leonard series, Leonard is still nursing the injuries he sustained in the duo's last wild undertaking when he learns that his Uncle Chester has passed. Hap is of course going to be there for his best friend and offers to help clean Uncle Chester's dilapidated house, which Leonard has inherited.

There they uncover a dark little secret beneath the house's rotting floor boards - a small skeleton buried in a trunk. Hap wants to call the police. Leonard being a black man in east Texas, persuades him this is not a good idea, and together they set out to clear Chester's name on their own. The only things standing in their way is a houseful of felons, a vicious killer, and possibly themselves.

©2009 Joe R. Lansdale (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"A witch's brew of a tale to tell... A rare sort of gift it is, and Joe Lansdale has his in bushel baskets." ( The New York Times)
"A terrifically gifted storyteller." ( The Washington Post)
"Funny, compulsive...enjoyably raffish." ( Esquire)

Ghetto Mystery/Thriller

Great story and characters. Very original, raw, and gritty. Takes place and has main characters that few mystery writers touch because the story is not about beautiful people, the darkside of the "good life", and the right side of the tracks. Raw language and subjects maybe a turn off for those wanting a easy escape. However for those that want something real, a story about a unlikely buddies, and original enviroments then this is it. Great reader also.

A lot of people like this, it’s just not for me.

I listened to more than half and then stopped. It’s solving a mystery. Hap and Leonard are best friends. Leonard inherits a house from his estranged Uncle Chester. He asks Hap to live there with him and help him fix things. They discover a dead body. They believe the uncle left clues for Leonard about the murder. But the uncle had Alzheimer’s disease so his mind was not clear. So the clues were not logical. For example one clue has something to do with books, so they figure out that they need to talk to a guy who drives a book mobile. I lost interest after that.

The set-up may interest some. Leonard is black and gay. Hap is white and straight. Hap has a sexual relationship with Leonard’s black female attorney. She doesn’t want to date Hap publicly because he is white, but she’s happy to be in a private sexual relationship. Hap previously spent time in jail for refusing the draft during the Vietnam war.

The audiobook narrator Phil Gigante was good.

Genre: mystery

Joe Lansdale just rocks.

I love every dark and hilarious thing that comes from Joe Lansdale's mind. All of his audio books are exceptionally done.

The one that got me hooked on Hap and Leonard

This is the first Lansdale book I ever read, and I finished it in one sitting. I read it in paperback and had to keep adding hot water to the bathtub all evening so I could finish it undisturbed. This is narrated perfectly - my dad was a huge personality from East Texas who spoke in 95% euphemism whether he was happy, enraged, or seeing patients. The dialect is spot on, and this story being read in a buttery soothing voice like Johnny Cash's makes it absolutely flawless.

Crazy,tested, gripping!

The vernacular is perfect for this area I grow up here know this place. Great writing.

Love it

Love the narrator, perfectly performed Texas mystery that was very enjoyable. Love Hap and Leonard.

highly recommend anything by Joe r lansdale

great story, some great laughs too. looking forward to the rest of the series.

Busting each other’s walnuts

“Us K-Mart shoppers gotta stick together.”
Best thing about this series is Hap and Leonard, two brothers from other mothers, busting each other’s walnuts over everyday things. The mystery procedural is just the vehicle to showcase their friendship. This installment spends a fair bit of time on race issues (especially between Hap and a black lady friend) and homophobia (with Leonard pushing back hard on several occasions). However, the dry humor and hard-wired connection between this duo keeps the story from drowning in angst.

Love These Characters

I originally became a fan of Hap & Leonard from watching the Sundance TV series based on Joe R Lansdale’s brilliant novels. A few years ago I began to lose my vision and switched from visual media to audible media for entertainment. I’ve had this book in my library for a while and wanted to revisit one of my favorite characters after hearing of Michael K Williams’ (Leonard) passing.

I’m just gonna admit it--Leonard is my favorite character. I do, at times, wish Lansdale had given readers some direct POV of Leonard, but I’m OK with Hap telling the story.

There are parts of the story that are funny, parts that are poignant, and parts that are sad, but told with a realism and humanism that will resonate with every reader. Hap and Leonard are as opposite as two men can be, but both have a drive to help people where they can and to give justice to those who no longer have a voice.

Narrator Phil Gigante brings Lansdale’s characters alive. He delivers an excellent performance.

Highly recommended.

Hap + Leonard=good times

Leonard’s uncle as passed on and left his house and belongings to Leonard. The house happen to be located next to a crack house and the two friends make some enemies right out of the gates. Then they find the kiddie porn and something else a bit more disturbing in Leonard’s new house. The boys have some investigating to do in order to clear Uncle Chester’s name. Yes, the guy with child pornography in his house was named Chester. In case you weren’t aware, Leonard is a colored openly gay man, and Hap is a while redneck and they are the best of friends.
This was such a fun book, I laughed loudly several times. Mucho Mojo is a perfect action, comedy, social justice book that shows what great friends will do for each other.