I was browsing my local library for Philip Jose Farmer books and stumbled upon this gem, a gritty detective story from the guy known for science fiction and his Wold Newton crossover Universe. With all the research he's done on classic detectives, it's obvious he loves the genre, so this is his entry. It's described as a violent, sometimes funny novel, and that is beyond accurate. Most detective stories feature a character who is investigating deaths, but is somehow removed from any direct violence until the final moments of the book where they come face to face with the killer, but even then we are somehow assured of the detective's survival. In this case, we are not sure about Tom Corbie's chances. He has a knack of getting himself into danger, and often there is no way out. This happens so many times, you really aren't sure that Corbie is going to make it to the end of his own book. All you can do is hope, because he's a likable guy. Fun read, and definitely agree with the people who have made Tarantino comparisons. Farmer's dark Peorian underbelly fits perfectly into the world that Tarantino has created in his films; bloody, violent, and often quite funny. ( )