I’ve now read four books by Joe Lansdale, and I must say, he’s becoming one of my favorite authors. I wrote previously about “The Bottoms,” which was a truly outstanding book. The other three books are all in the Black Lizard imprint, including these two which I just finished.

“Leather Maiden” is told first-person by Cason Statler, an Iraq war vet who returns to his home town in East Texas as a newspaper reporter. He becomes intrigued with the story of a college student who disappeared six months before, assumed murdered, and begins pursuing that story.

It’s a fascinating plot, with lots of smalltown intrigue, which unravels at a nice pace and with plenty of surprises. And when Booger, a somewhat psycho friend from Iraq, enters the picture–well, this is one really interesting guy. “Leather Maiden” is a very well-written book, too. Lansdale knows what he’s doing.

“Mucho Mojo” is the 2nd book in Lansdale’s “Hap and Leonard” series, which dates back to 1995 and includes an entry in 2009. I would describe Hap and Leonard as a poor man’s Spencer and Hawk. They’re a mostly down-on-their-luck duo of tough guys bouncing around the south. Probably in their 50s, from what I can tell. Hap is a white guy, Leonard is black (and gay, but totally non-stereotypical, and only finds himself attracted to straight guys). Like Spencer and Hawk, their banter is a treasure, especially when it touches–as it often does–on racial and other issues in very non-PC ways.

I previously read “Savage Season,” the first book in the series, and wasn’t all that crazy about it. But “Mucho Mojo,” built around solving a series of child murders, is better, and I’m afraid I’m hooked. I put the rest of the Hap and Leonard books on my Christmas list for Pam.