I looooved The Dawn Patrol but my biggest complaint was that it had an extreme tonal shift that left you a little woozy (insert clever surfing/wave metaphor here).The Gentleman's Hour is Winslow's second look into the Boone Daniels universe and everything is tighter: dialogue is snappier and funnier, the tone does shift but it is a solid progression, the plot is more labyrinthine, sure, but also more intriguing (and, admittedly, less disturbing) and the world is a little more fleshed out and vibrant. Though The Dawn Patrol is pretty perfect, The Gentleman's Hour is ... uh ... perfecter.My favorite part about this thus-far two book series is that the characters really go through changes. This isn't about a particular case/event in which everyone resets at the end. Each action, like in real life, has consequences, and the characters grow (and grow apart) as life moves on. I always thought Winslow wanted people to think Boone was a comic hero though he was really making him a normal guy with cool hobbies. You certainly expect Boone to go one way ... as genre would dictate ... but, and the friends he brings with him, go in unexpected directions.In fact, unlike in The Dawn Patrol, Winslow leaves things pretty open. The 'mystery' is solved but so much of the world is blown open and so many of the relationships damaged that they can't simply piece it together with a bow and call it an ending. If there is ever a Boone Daniels 3, the characters will not be the same and you have to appreciate that creative direction, especially in a genre known for creating episodic adventures.One major complaint is Winslow must have been instructed to give every character a 'previously on The Dawn Patrol' section and it can make the first 50 pages drag since, like me, you probably read Boone Daniels first adventure. Other than that, this manages to build on the success of The Dawn Patrol while also improving it. I loved it. If he only would have kept it 20 pages shorter, leaving out the over the top cliché end and keeping it a bit open, it would have been nearly perfect. It starts slow, Winslow being busy to briefly recreate the universe of "the Dawn Patrol", then step by strp builds up the new characters, creating a network of substories, subplots, hidden connections, even adding the ultra brutal psychopath without embarassing the reader because everything makes sense and there is a mean and pure logic undermining everything. Once again, it's more about the chracters than the plot. Although there is a strong crime story ( almost a classical page-turner) for all the ones who like to take Winslow more superficial. But the real quality of the novel is hidden and it requires to slow down, stop, think and rethink. If you don't want that you can read the book like spending a perfect sun and beach vacation in SoCal. Just take everything in and enjoy it! You won't be disappointed! But it really means to get only 50 % of the message. To get 100% you need to get away from the Beach and all the pretty, pretty guys and explore the darker alleys! It's all here! A Masterpiece!
What do You think about The Gentlemen's Hour (2010)?
Not quite on a par with The Dawn Patrol, but a pleasure to spend time with Boone and company again.
—carliejo
hope he continues the series. Smart; fast-paced; complex, twisted, character-centered plot
—cait
Winslow's books are always fun. Terrific, sparse writing that doesn't waste a word.
—Eri
Did not finish this one...sent it back to the library
—mayasterling
Winslow writes an interesting book. Worth reading.
—Rosediamonds
