Robert Westland has less than a week to live before his execution when he finally decides to fight for his life. Claiming his innocence in the murder of his wife, Robert hires a lawyer and hands him a note received a couple weeks earlier. It’s from a mysterious man, M.G., who claims to have evidence that proves his alibi on the night of the murder. Also in the note are directions on how to find this witness. By the next morning, private investigator Bill Crane flies into Chicago from New York City with the task of finding the true killer. As bullets fly and more bodies begin to fall in the chase to prove Robert’s innocence, it is up to Bill and his rag-tag team of sleuths to uncover the truth before it is too late.

I entered this book very excited and hopeful because while I wasn’t really a fan of the only other hard-boiled mystery novel I had read (Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress), I hadn’t met a Penzler Classic that I didn’t like. I was also eager to learn more about this genre after taking a film class last semester which introduced me to film noir (a genre that grew from hard-boiled lit). Alas, I finished Headed for a Hearse very disappointed but not for the reasons you may assume typical of a disappointing mystery. 

The mystery itself is complex and well-detailed, and I had a lot of fun designing my own theory (correctly, I might add!) along the way. And that is must makes this such a poor reading experience for me! I adored the mystery, but I could not properly enjoy it for the overt racism and voyeurism happening consistently throughout the book. This author includes in both dialogue and narration derogatory slurs aimed at BIPOC, AAPI, Italians, Jewish people, and probably those of other demographics I have failed to list. He also sexualizes and objectifies women, describing them favorably or not so favorably depending on how they match the societal expectations of the time period. Even during the reveal scene, Latimer could not provide his readers the solution without having every single man in the room described as staring at Miss Brentino’s face and body.

Less objectionable but equally frustrating is the belligerent drunkenness of the hired private investigator Bill Crane. In the last book I read, Craig Rice’s Eight Faces at Three, there is also enough alcohol to make it a main character but I forgave this because (1)  it added to the fun of the already likable characters, (2) the wrongly-accused innocent was not a week away from going to the electric chair, and (3) none of these kooky characters were professional sleuths. They are concerned friends stumbling around in search of the solution. Meanwhile, in Headed for a Hearse, the characters AREN’T very likable (which isn’t a deal-breaker for me, by the way), the wrongly-convicted man IS days away from death, and Bill Crane IS a professional detective hired to solve the case.

I am sad because I did thoroughly enjoy the mystery yet I cannot see myself picking up another book by Jonathan Latimer readily. These problems with racism and sexism specifically do seem to be among the typical ingredients of hard-boiled narratives. So be weary if you decide to dip your toes in this genre any time soon!