Complete Brandstetter [Paperback]

Dave Brandstetter is an insurance death claims investigator and we first meet him as he is investigating the supposed death of Fox Olson. Olson is a local celebrity who it appears meet is death as his car plunged into a swollen arroyo; but the body has not been found.

Convinced that the man did not die in the accident, Dave uncovers a lot more besides Olson's disappearance as he relentlessly pursues his investigation, including a suspicious relationship between Olson's wife and his manager, a jealous opponent in the running for local mayor, and the sudden re-appearance of a long lost boyhood friend.

So begins the series of twelve Brandstetter murder mysteries, and each is excellent in its own right, with no two alike. But what make these different from the normal run of detective thrillers is that Dave is openly gay and thoroughly masculine, and interspersed with the ongoing investigation we enjoy glimpses of his private life and relationships. One of the first things we learn is that is recovering from the death of his partner of over twenty years, a flamboyant interior designer and the seeming antithesis of Dave. Now in his forties, he is open for a new relationship. Over the course of these stories we follow as a backdrop to the investigations his turbulent love life. He has more than one relationship, although he is far from promiscuous, including a handsome lithe young back guy less than half his age who is clearly devoted to him. Dave comes across as an intelligent and caring person, educated in his tastes with a liking for good food, classical music and modern design. He appreciates good things and can afford them, being very successful in his job and being the only son of the founder of the large insurance company which initially employs him.

Another appealing aspect of these stories is that they are told in real time, parallel with their publication, so over the course Dave ages until by the time we reach the last story he is well in his sixties. He is a handsome and slim, and he although he might feel the increasing years he maintains both his looks and figure.

The individual mysteries are very good (and I have reviewed each under its published title so as not to reveal too much here), the writing is of a high standard, but what makes them outstanding is the lead character. I was compelled to read them back to back such is his allure.

Available as they are here in an omnibus edition they are an absolute bargain. Just a word about this edition; the print is small and there is a lot on the page, but there are no issues about the quality of the printing, it is easy enough to read. There are a few typographical errors, mostly missing speech quotation marks but occasionally a wrong word creeps in.

The complete series in order of publication:

Fadeout (1970)
Death Claims (1973)
Troublemaker (1975)
The Man Everybody was Afraid Of (1978)
Skinflick (1979(
Gravedigger (1982)
Nightwork (1984)
The Little Dog Who Laughed (1986)
Early Graves (1987)
Obedience (1988)
The Boy Who was Buried this Morning (1990)
A Country of Old Men (1991)

i was amazed to find all of joseph hansen's brandstetter novels in one volume. unfortunately, it's a british import, which seems to indicate that the quintessentially californian hansen is being taken more seriously by the brits than by the publishers of his own country. i hope an american publisher soon rectifies this, and that these stories will receive the wide distribution and recognition they deserve here in the usa.

joseph hansen was a superb writer, who died almost unknown in the early 90s. his brandstetter novels were published in the late 70s and early 80s, to much acclaim in the gay press but with very little recognition by mainline critics. this is sad, both because of the outstanding quality of his prose, and also because of the marketing, many straight people missed out on a real treat. while dave brandstetter is a gay character, the books themselves transcend any attempt to pigeon-hole them. his characters develop beautifully over the course of the series, and i know of no other writer who evokes southern california as well, unless it be raymond chandler.

in addition to the brandstetter books, hansen wrote other free-standing novels. to my mind, the best of them is titled 'job's year.' that book and these stories have haunted me every since i first read them in the 80s. i am eager to reread all of these brandstetter novels, from start to finish.

now that he is reappearing, i hope hansen catches on with english speaking readers and that american publishers bring back his works here on his side of the pond. i don't know if he has been translated into other languages, but if he hasn't been he ought to be. you may not know it, but the appearance of this book is an important literary event.

I've been a Joseph Hansen fan for years and read most of the books as they came out. It's great to have them in one edition. However, the type is very, very small and the whole thing is falling apart and I'm only four books in. Plus, and maybe this is a small thing, the titles are out of order on the cover (which has nothing to do with the content, either). They are correctly listed inside for reference - which I figured out after checking out the cover a few times. He would have been better served with a two volume omnibus. One that would have held together.

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