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Title: Overlong, but still a great read
Review: The first hundred or so pages of "The Last Good Kiss" are as good as any harboiled detective fiction ever written. Crumley's vivid detail, down-and-out characters and brief bursts of violence make his story as vivid as a Hank Williams tune. His hero, C.W. Sughrue ("Sugh" as in "sugar" and rue as in "rue the goddamned day") is everything a hardboiled detective ought to be; alcoholic, rebellious, cynical and beholden to no code of honor but his own. The mystery itself unfolds in a bizarre and complex manner, leading to a payoff that you know won't be pretty. It may take Crumley a bit too long to get there, but its a fun trip while it lasts.Overall, a flawed but classic novel that fans of Andrew Vachss, George P. Pelecanos, Jonathan Valin and John D. MacDonald in particular ought to enjoy.
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