Collins has created a series of mysteries that take place in the midst of real historical events. He does considerable historical research and then places his character, Nate Heller, a Chicago-based private detective, as a composite or semi-fictional participant. Writing a novel around real events can be tricky and, for me, always problematic because I then get a compulsion to read more about what actually occurred. Fortunately, the good historical novelists will always provide an epilogue or foreword that lays out the sources and defines the historical reality. Collins has done his research, and I tracked through much of it to verify what appears at first to be speculation. The story he lays out is more than plausible. Nate is hired to deliver a package to Huey Long, now a senator, but still a powerhouse in Louisiana. The present is sent by Seymour Weiss, a longtime Long confidant, and it contains a bullet-proof vest. Rumors are rapidly traversing Baton Rouge suggesting that Long will be assassinated. Huey has chosen to take these rumors seriously, and he hires Nate to join his bodyguard squad. Collins uses Nate's investigation into the rumors to set the stage. History records that Long was shot and killed by a deranged physician, Carl Weiss (no relation to Seymour), upset because the Long machine was spreading rumors that the Weiss family had black blood, a cardinal sin in the south of the thirties. Even at the time, there were doubts as to the veracity of this story. Weiss was killed in a hail of gunfire from the bodyguards and persistent gossip suggested that Long was killed not by Weiss but from stray bodyguard shots. In 1992, Long's body was exhumed and a well-known forensic scientist performed an autopsy should have been done at the time of his death. The result was inconclusive that Weiss had shot him. The Mutual Insurance Company released its files around the same time. Apparently, Long had a life insurance policy with them and his wife filed a double-indemnity claim that Long had been killed by accident. They sent an investigator (played by Heller in Collins' book) and the report confirmed that Long died from bullets fired by the bodyguards. Without giving too much of the plot away, let me say that Collins presents a credible case that Long was shot deliberately by his bodyguards, that Weiss was a patsy, and the reason was that Long was opposing taking money from the New Deal government of FDR (whom Long hated). This might cut off the flow of federal funds that were being channeled into the pockets of corrupt politicians, something Long's cronies could not tolerate.T Harry Long's biography of Huey Long is a great biography for those who long for the facts.
Another good, quick read in the Nate Heller series. Clearly Collins had some characters and cases he wanted to spend some time with so we continue the travel back in time in the series. Just as Heller was getting past his WWII experiences and moving into the new Mob and the West Coast, we have now dropped back several years to the mid 1930s to encounter first Charles Lindberg and now Huey Long. It's a little off-putting if you want to see character development in Heller. But some things are constants: he always gets the girl (everyone from Sally Rand to Marilyn Monroe); he never fails to crack wise (even when he's being beaten with a rubber hose); and, trust me, you do not want to hire him as a body guard (he's now lost three clients he was hired to protect). But the research and alternate history back-stories Collins creates for Heller are enjoyable, readable and, somewhat educational. A good read on a winter afternoon or a day at the beach.
What do You think about Blood And Thunder (1996)?
As much or more than his other Nate Heller books, Blood and Thunder, showcases the sheer strength of Collins' approach to a historical incident. Few of us living (not me, thank you) go back far enough to remember Huey Long. His brand of populism, in a country devastated by economic depression, could have brought a con-artist into the White House.Collins gives us Nate Heller on the scene as Huey's bodyguard to report what was going on in those days leading up to Long's death on the floor of the Louisiana legislature. History books have abandoned Long in recent years. Even the best are a bit dry and analytical. Collins' writing is visceral and his dialogue blends Long's actual quotes with what he might have said.Nate Heller owes something to Hammett's Sam Spade, the prototype for the "hard-boiled" detective. For instance, Spade says, "Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be. That sort of reputation might be good business, bringing high-priced jobs and making it easier to deal with the enemy..." Heller is also cut from this mold. Here, he is offered employment by Huey Long to keep the demagogue from being assassinated. From that point the action builds to a frenzy in the first part of the story. The second part begins with a related, follow-up assignment which has more twists and turns than most yarns. I enjoyed it all: from the palpable and scary look at demagoguery, to the CSI details. This is a brilliant study in how dreams are sold down the river and the corruption that often goes hand in hand with political power. Not sure why I have held back a fifth star for this exceptional noir.
—HBalikov
