A Book People Top Ten Crime Book of 2020

“Five stories, four of them new, filling in more of the early years of that imperishable East Texas duo, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. Kathleen Kent’s brief introduction suggests that the running theme here is ‘Kindness and Cruelty.’ An even more precise motto might be ‘Violence Is Inevitable,’ since Lansdale consistently treats the often lethal outbursts of his characters in disarmingly matter-of-fact terms, as if the boys couldn’t help it. Three of the stories present Hap (white, straight, tough, sentimental) in the days before he met Leonard (black, gay, tougher, chip on shoulder), and two of them barely count as stories: ‘The Kitchen’ is a retrospective valentine to the simple pleasures of a family visit to Hap’s grandmother, and ‘The Sabine Was High’ allows the pair to swap anecdotes about Hap’s stint in prison and Leonard’s hitch in Vietnam after Hap meets the bus bringing Leonard home. In between, the title story shows Hap’s futile attempts to rescue a stranger named Minnie from the husband who batters her, tracks her down to her sister’s, and maybe kills her; ‘The Watering Shed,’ the sole reprint, tracks the progress from Hap and Leonard’s maiden voyage to a local bar to a suddenly ugly, race-tinged quarrel that leaves two men dead; and ‘Sparring Partner,’ the longest and best of the lot, follows the two friends to the perfect milieu, the boxing ring, where they hire out as punching bags for allegedly more dangerous opponents and where ritualized violence is subject to rules that have to be followed unless they don’t. The dialogue throughout is worth the price of admission, not as stylized as Elmore Leonard’s but laden with the same irresistible combination of relaxed badinage and playful threats that sometimes spiral into serious consequences while still remaining playful. The 17 down-home recipes contributed by Lansdale’s daughter, Kasey, many of them as chatty as the stories, are a bonus.”
—Kirkus

“Full of humor, gritty drama, and insightful observations, the five stories in this rewarding collection from Edgar winner Lansdale (The Elephant of Surprise) concentrate on the early years of his two mismatched East Texas private eyes: Hap Collins, a straight, white liberal; and Leonard Pine, a gay, black conservative. Lansdale packs a punch in the standout ‘Sparring Partner,’ in which the pair, as high schoolers, are hired by a ruthless boxing manager to train a weakling college kid and a giant named Man Slayer. Hap and Leonard fend off a murderous racist in the thrillingly grisly ‘The Watering Shed,’ and in the moving title tale, Hap strives to help a battered woman escape her abusive husband. A food theme runs from the smells of an adolescent Hap’s grandma’s kitchen to a teenage Leonard’s insistence on being served breakfast in a whites-only café. ‘Good Eats,’ a selection of recipes with a disclaimer from Hap, rounds out the volume. This book adds rich background to Lansdale’s tough, morally decent characters, who first appeared in 1990’s.”
—Publishers Weekly

“In these character studies of his two most charismatic protagonists, Joe Lansdale takes us to the dark side of Mayberry—authentic tales of small town life in the heart of the twentieth century that also provide an unflinching look at the violence that charged the last gasps of Jim Crow, with all the force of the Sabine River at flood stage.”
— Christopher Brown, Campbell and World Fantasy Award-nominated author of Tropic of Kansas and Rule of Capture

“Of Mice and Minestrone is classic Lansdale at his legendary best. For his legions of fans, the much-anticipated stories will fill some of the gaps in their collections. For new readers, they will soon come to appreciate why Lansdale is regarded as one of America’s finest living writers. Compelling. Hilarious. Poignant. Readers have waited a long time for this collection to finally appear. It was well worth that wait. Roll on the next sequels and prequels.”
—NY Journal of Books

“5/5 stars. “Established fans of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine will love these stories, which go back to their youth as their friendship was just getting started. It is also a great place to introduce new readers, as it gives a great taste of their background in the 1960s of East Texas, as well as a snapshot into the dynamic friendship between the two.”
—Grimdark Magazine

“Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, the leads in Lansdale’s long-running series, are a pair of mismatched East Texas roustabouts with a propensity for trouble. Hap sat out Vietnam as a conscientious objector, and Leonard was a marine. Leonard is also black and gay, no light burden in East Texas in the sixties. Their friendship is forged on the fact that both are outsiders who find in the other a kindred soul, despite their apparent differences. In these origin stories, they begin their friendship as teenagers, hanging out together and daring the world to separate them. They take on the training of a young black boxer with less skill than heart. Considering that the youngster could get himself killed against an older, more experienced opponent, Leonard takes the kid’s place with predictable results. Hap and Leonard also begin their unconventional career together, as battlers against injustice and racism in all their forms. As they battle, there is plenty of room for smart-ass humor, fisticuffs, broken hearts, and gunplay. Mostly, though, the Hap and Leonard adventures are grounded in friendship. Lansdale is the author of more that 80 novels and short-story collections for which he’s won numerous awards. He’s a master storyteller, and this short collection sets the stage for his most compelling characters.”
—Booklist

“Of Mice and Minestrone is the last bit of connective tissue missing from the Hap and Leonard Mythos, which is one of the most entertaining series in modern literature. This book, which deals with abuse, friendship, violence, growing up, race, food, and justice, is full of the wit that’s made Lansdale a star.”
—Gabino Iglesias, author of Coyote Songs 

“There’s a place in East Texas where story shades into memory, where violence and tenderness are just part of the wonder of living, and that’s precisely where Joe Lansdale lives, and writes from, and we’re all the better for it. The eating’s pretty good there, too, as Hap’s recipes more than attest. You leave this book hungry, both for food and to start the whole series all over again, live through it one more time, maybe just live there a while.”
—Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels and The Only Good Indians

“The newly published Of Mice and Minestrone is a must-have collection of (mostly) original short fiction that partially pulls back the veil on their early encounters, a kind of “child is father to the man” retrospective that features some of Lansdale’s best writing.”
—Bookreporter

“An absolute treasure trove for Hap and Leonard fans. Going back to the beginning only deepens our love and appreciation for these guys. This collection proves once again why Joe Lansdale is one of our very best.”
—Ace Atkins, New York Times Bestselling author of The Shameless

“Of Mice and Minestrone is a must-read for all Lansdale devotees. If you somehow missed or avoided the previous Hap and Leonard novels or story collections—or are new to the works of this prolific and distinctive author—this anthology of stories from the duo’s early years is a wonderful introduction.”
—Bookgasm

“I enjoyed every tale in this collection. The best was the title story which was pretty dark and incredibly sad. I really need to read more of Hap and Leonard’s adventures if this book is an example of what they get up to.”
—Book Lover’s Boudoir

“These stories evoke the likes of Elmore Leonard, and manage to feel so reflective that one can almost taste the food.”
—Green Man Review

“Of Mice and Minestrone is enthralling storytelling that engages readers with dashes of simple wisdom and hard truth. And this particular volume includes a quirky, culinary epilogue from Joe’s daughter Casey.”
—Fort Worth Weekly

“The humor worked brilliantly well. I found myself chuckling and even outright laughing consistently. And the juxtaposition of this humor against some of the truly horrible things that they have to deal with here made each end of that spectrum all the more poignant.”
—Elitist Book Reviews

“I didn’t think about the corona virus at all when reading this, and I read it over two days, but could easily have done it in one. I wanted to savor the experience. I think you should too!”
—Char’s Horror Corner

“They’ll make you smile, and take you to a different place, a different time, and show you some of what was terrible and beautiful about it . . . Overall, a fantastic collection, for old hands, and new readers of the series alike.”
—Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews

“5/5 Stars. Delightful collection of stories with interesting introduction and bonus collaborative recipes.”
—Nonstop Reader

“Lansdale gives us a volume that’s on par with any other entry in the series, with at least one story that ranks among the best the series has ever been.”
—Umney’s Alley

“All-in-all, an excellent pairing of crime writing tales, blood-soaked friendship, and Southern grits. Five out of Five stars.”
—Ginger Nuts of Horror

“Tall tales of East Texas rambunctiousness and formative experiences, delivered in Lansdale’s effortless economic style.”
—255bookreview