Fields Where They Lay

The Junior Bender Mysteries, Book 6

By: Timothy Hallinan

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

It's three days until Christmas and Junior Bender, Hollywood's fast-talking fixer for the felonious, is up to his ears in shopping mall Santas, Russian mobsters, desperate holiday shoppers, and ('tis the season) murder.

The halls are decked, the deck is stacked, and here comes that jolly old elf. Junior Bender, divorced father of one and burglar extraordinaire, finds himself stuck inside the Edgerton Mall, and not just as a last-minute shopper (though he is that too). Edgerton isn't exactly the epicenter of holiday cheer, despite its two Santas, canned Christmas music, chintzy bows, and festive lights. The mall is a fossil of an industry in decline; many of its stores are closed, and to make matters worse, there is a rampant shoplifting problem.

The murderous Russian mobster who owns the place has decided it takes a thief to catch a thief and hires Junior - under threat - to solve the shoplifting problem for him. But Junior's surveillance operation doesn't go well: as Christmas Eve approaches, two people are dead and it's obvious that shoplifting is the least of the mall's problems. To prevent further deaths, possibly including his own, Junior must confront his dread of Christmas - both present and past.

©2016 Timothy Hallinan (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Too much filler

The better parts of the story and action got bogged down with too many long and rambling side stories. Several went on so long that I had to check the table of contents to make sure I had not inadvertently clicked on another book in my library!

Sticky

What I love about Hallinan’s books is the intelligence; I always learn something, and usually about a thing that’s never crossed my mind - who ponders the mechanics of crowd movement? The story is convoluted (but an interesting exploration of the many layers one might have to search under looking for motive), and there is a lot of filler, so not my favorite Bender book (that’s Little Elvises, probably). The narration is meh, the mewling quality given to some of the female voices (catering to a “big man protect little woman“ crap that surfaces now & then) repulses. Still, looking forward to the next Junior book.

Junior

Most of this book is set in a failing mall with Junior trying to understand mall operations to help him solve a shoplifting operation taking place therein. He's under orders from a Russian crook to solve it in two days or die. Not much pressure, eh?

Along the way a murder and other situations take place as they do in Junior Bender tales. Junior works through the issues in his usual style.

Not especially suspenseful the story does have some make you feel good stuff included. If you are a fan of the series you'll want to listen to this one, too.

Timothy Hallinan + Peter Bekrot = perfect

Timothy Hallinan should be a household name, though I've still never heard his name from other book junkies. I stumbled upon his "Poke Rafferty" series, and devoured them; only then did I give the Junior Bender series a try...love them, too! And these series also illustrate how key the narrator is to a series. By now I feel like Peter Bekrot IS Junior Bender (and Louie, and Rena, etc). Grand master of narration, and he should also be highly prized.

That's my two cents...try Hallinan & Bekrot in their chosen fields, & you won't be disappointed.

Hallinan and Berkrot are a dream team

Tim Hallinan has written not one, not two, but three fantastic series. Junior Bender, the third of his heroes, takes on the role of deadpan, sarcastic thief cum PI to the crime world. The result; comedic gold with a social conscience. Peter Berkrot nails the narration. Highly recommended!