“There was room in the form to say important things about men and women and how they cope with life.” Joseph Hansen has been quoted in saying the following about this topic įrom the very first page of Fadeout, we find out that Dave Brandstetter has just lost a long term partner to cancer, so now we have this fresh new angle as well. With all the stigma and prejudices towards homosexuality back then (and let’s face it, it’s still around today) it was refreshing to see a protagonist who is proud and comfortable with his sexuality (I get sick of seeing homosexuals in literature being portrayed as unstable or disturbed). This would have been near the beginning of the gay pride movement and Hansen must have gone through a lot of hardship with writing this character and being a homosexual as well. There are a few reasons why I plan to continue the series and I thought rather than talk about the book, it would be nice to mention what will make me continue with the other eleven novels.įirst of all, I’ve never read a pulp novel like this before a homosexual protagonist would have been controversial in 1970. I’ve found that in Joseph Hansen’s Fadeout. As most people know, I have a love for the hard-boiled detective and I’m always looking for new and interesting takes on this genre. As the investigation continues Brandstetter is convinced that Fox Olson is still alive and he must find him before the would-be killer does.ĭave Brandstetter embodies the tough, no-nonsense persona of most classic Hard-boiled detectives with one major difference he’s openly gay. In the absence of a body the insurance company needs to send their own investigator before handing over $150,000 (works out to be about $900,000 by today’s standards). Published: University of Wisconsin Press, 1970īuy: Amazon, Book Depository, Kindle (or visit your local Indie bookstore)ĭave Brandstetter is an insurance investigator who is hired to investigate a death claim of a local celebrity, whose car plunged off a bridge in a storm.

Fadeout by joseph hansen