Shadow Boxerby Eddie Muller, , Search Cheap Books, Discount Books, ISBN 0743214447

Customer Reviews:

A strong sense of place

San Francisco Inquirer boxing journalist Billy Nichols is back. This book picks up exactly where THE DISTANCE leaves off. Burney Sanders, the man accused of killing Billy's mistress and wife of boxer Hack Escalante is in jail requesting Billy's presence. He claims he was framed by some of the city's top officials. He convinces Billy to help him or else he will let all know of Billy's infidelity. As Billy searches for the truth, the reader is treated to a panoramic view of San Francisco of the 1940s.
SHADOW BOXER by following so carefully on the events of THE DISTANCE actually requires the reader to read both books in order. What is most notable about this particular work is the extremely strong sense of place-- San Francisco of 1948. Events are even created to highlight certain areas of the city such as a scene at an amusement park no longer in existence. There is a dark edged noir atmosphere throughout the book. Characters are gritty and violence quite common. However, the plot is extremely difficult to navigate. Nonetheless, characters and setting easily make up for the convoluted story line. I'm not sure I will come back for more but certainly didn't regret what time I spent with Billy Nichols.

Mr. Boxing has the knockout punch

If you want the old golden era of Hollywood in a book then look no further. Shadow Boxer is a wonderfully plotted, atmospheric book of the forties. The mood and style is captured vividly in the lead protaganist, Billy Nichols. Billy is the boxing columnist for the San Francisco Inquirer and he gets deeply embedded in mayhem, murder and femme fatales.

In his Through the Ropes Column Billy writes:

Life is fixed. That's why I offer simple advice to any amateur turning pro; Kid don't leave it up to the judges. Get yourself a knockout punch.

Shadow Boxer has a punch that takes your breath away. This is one entertaining read. Don't miss out.

Like the story, not the derivative style

Let me start by saying I didn't read the first Muller book, and since so much of that is backstory for the second (in which Claire's muder is "re-solved!") it might not be worth my time or money. That said -- I happen to like convoluted plots that aren't easily unraveled by the reader if they are well laid out, and a good "paper trail" mystery can really hold my attention -- this one is and did. If this makes sense: I liked the people but not all of the characters, and the problem is the writing.
I see by his other work that he has written extensive non-fiction about film noir, and unfortunately he makes the mistake (as many who tackle this oh-so-difficult genre do) of trying to be Raymond Chandler. As was pointed out in the excellent PBS American Cinema series episode devoted to noir, Chandler was a unique voice in American literature; no one wrote like him before he came along, and no one has since. Copying Chandler hasn't worked in the past, doesn't work now, and won't work in the future. For this reason, I am only giving the book 3 stars. The story is better than that, but the derivative style detracted a lot for me. When I find myself laughing out loud on page 1 because it is so overloaded with Chandler-wannabe similes, this is not a good sign. Far better is Pelecanos' "The Big Blowdown" -- he doesn't try to write in anyone's voice but his own and this makes "Blowdown" the hands-down winner as a noir novel. I'm hoping Muller tones down the over-writing and develops his own voice as well. There's a future (for me as a reader) if he does.

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