Innocence,
naivety, ignorance – the PI with the body to moonlight as a bikini model and
the face to go along with it conforms to all three. ‘The nerviest, curviest, PI
in Los Angeles’ is a blonde bombshell following in her murdered father’s
footsteps. H West was once a well known gumshoe, now with Honey West taking
over the family business she faces difficulty in re-establishing the brand,
having to overcome male perception and era stereotypes.
THE GIRL FOR
HIRE is a fun, pulpy murder mystery fully of cheesy dialogue and little realism
(there is a scene where Honey is nearly raped only to then end up playing strip
poker with the man and his friends). The first installment in the Honey West PI
series is to be taken lightly. G.G. Fickling goes to great lengths to embellish
the unbelievable (the killer once unveiled was someone I didn't imagine – it
also makes a mockery of the police involved in the case).
There are
plot holes by virtue of real life contrasts simply not being plausible (an inability
to recognise a murdered person for instance) yet this doesn't come off as a bad
thing. In fact, it adds to the pulpy fun feel of Honey West. Her charisma and
care-free attitude is refreshing, her ignorance, almost enough to get her out
of many tight situations (and not just her bathing suit – of which there are
many references).
The case is
simple and linear – a Hollywood type hires Honey West fearing for his life.
Soon he’s found murdered proving his fears correct. Shortly thereafter Honey is
once again hired by her former clients friend (also in the business) to track
down the killer. Suspects drop quicker than shoddy scripts as the conclusion
draws near – the mystery certainly kept me guessing.
Despite its
shortcomings, THIS GIRL FOR HIRE (pub 1956) is very much the guilty pleasure –
it doesn't do much for the literary senses but does satisfy the craving for
simple pulp entertainment, easily consumed and equally enjoyed.
Side note: There were murmurs online some time ago that Reese Witherspoon had been mentioned to play Honey in a
feature film, however, it looks like this didn't eventuate.
Other books
in the series:
- This Girl for Hire (1957)
- Girl on the Loose (1958)
- A Gun for Honey (1958)
- Honey in the Flesh (1959)
- Girl on the Prowl (1959)
- Kiss for a Killer (1960)
- Dig a Dead Doll (1960)
- Blood and Honey (1961)
- Bombshell (1964)
- Honey on her Tail (1971)
- Stiff as a Board (1972)
You may also
like:
THE DANCE OF
DEATH by Carter Brown: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/review-dance-of-death-by-carter-brown.html
BUTCH
FATALE, DYKE DICK – DOUBLE D DOUBLE CROSS by Christa Faust: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/274655794
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