Another discovery! Atlanta Deathwatch is a lean, mean crime novel that entertained me a lot! The characters are fascinating, the dialogues witty, and the action is non-stop. I liked the combination of Hardman and Evans very much and enjoyed their banter. Atlanta of the Seventies, as portrayed by this novel, is an exciting place that is certainly not for the faint-hearted.
As the first book of a series, this one sets up the basics quite nicely and gives an idea of what to expect from the next ones. I am certainly motivated enough to read the remaining Eleven in the near future!
P.S. The Kindle edition I read seems to have been edited by substituting some controversial words, I feel, e.g. the word 'quim', as mentioned in other reviews here is written as 'trim', and I don't know what else has changed... ( )

3.5 stars. Solid writing with shades of Chandler. ( )

This resurrected hard boiled novel from the 1970s is a pleasure from start to finish. Contrary to the publisher's exaggerations, Dennis is no Raymond Chandler (his plots do make more sense, however) but he is still quite a good writer. The partnership between white ex-cop Jim Hardman and 270-pound ex-NFL player Hump Evans is a great one, and their interactions with the police detective in charge of the murder case they are also working on are well done. I didn't get a lot of Atlanta flavor here, however. Dennis mentions a lot of place names, but that's about it. The book's finale, while satisfying and conclusive, is also a bit too pat. Still, books like this succeed based on characterization, and Dennis excels in that area. From the two leads to the various people of all classes they interact with, he manages to create real, believable characters with just a few brushstrokes. I'll definitely read the next installment in the series. ( )

Love this first in this series. Will read the others for sure. ( )