Honky Tonk Samurai

"Dubious delights . . . await you in . . . the latest outing for Joe R. Lansdale's perpetual bad boys, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. . . . a ton of fun." —New York Times

Only Hap and Leonard would catch a cold case with hot cars, hot women, and ugly skinheads.


The story starts simply enough when Hap, a former '60s activist and self-proclaimed white trash rebel, and Leonard, a tough black, gay Vietnam vet and Republican with an addiction to Dr. Pepper, are working a freelance surveillance job in East Texas. The uneventful stakeout is coming to an end when the pair witness a man abusing his dog. Leonard takes matters into his own fists, and now the bruised dog abuser wants to press charges.


One week later, a woman drops by their new PI office with a proposition: find her missing granddaughter, or she'll turn in a video of Leonard beating the dog abuser. The pair agrees to take on the cold case and soon discover that the used car dealership where her granddaughter worked is actually a front for a prostitution ring. What began as a missing-person case becomes one of blackmail and murder.


Filled with Lansdale's trademark whip-smart dialogue and unorthodox characters, Honky Tonk Samurai is a rambunctious thrill ride by one hell of a writer.


"Wild, funny, utterly improbable and thoroughly satisfying entertainment." —Chicago Tribune

"Audacious . . . Honky Tonk Samurai lives up to the rich legacy of the . . . Hap and Leonard series." —Dallas Morning News

"Terrific . . . This shambolic, action-packed novel will ensnare new readers and satisfy devoted fans alike." —Publishers Weekly, starred boxed review


"Damn fine reading." —Booklist, starred review