Reviews of Michael Stone's 'Streeter' Books

I really enjoyed The Low End of Nowhere (1996), the first of Michael Stone's 'Streeter' books. It is fast-paced, funny, and well-plotted. The main character is a bounty hunter named Streeter who reminded me a little bit of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee. He's tough, smart, and no-nonsense. In this book he goes up against a scumbag lawyer and his psychopathic sidekicks.

The second 'Streeter' book, A Long Reach (1997), is awful. I had to force myself to finish it. The story is weak, predictable, and badly plotted. The dialogue is unrealistic and often lame. And worst of all, Stone emasculates the Streeter character. Streeter puts creamer in his coffee, drinks red wine and imported beer at chichi bars, listens to and tolerates several whiney women, talks about his feelings, and even takes piano lessons... it's pathetic.

What happened to the wise-cracking, iron-pumping tough guy? For Stone to go from writing such a promising debut novel to this pile of crap is a huge disappointment.

Quit reading the third book in the series, Token of Remorse (1998), after 63 pages. Streeter is still taking piano lessons and sharing his thoughts on mid-life loneliness... yech. No wonder there are only four books in this series... the publisher should've killed it after A Long Reach, which was a disaster.

Too discouraged by the last two books to give Totally Dead (1999) a chance.

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