True Detective

A Nathan Heller Novel

By: Max Allan Collins

Narrated by: Dan John Miller

In the mob-choked Chicago of 1932, private detective Nathan Heller may be willing to risk his life to earn a Depression dollar, but he never sacrifices his sardonic wit. Now, author Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition) reissues the contemporary classic that introduces the wise-cracking Nathan Heller in all his guts and glory.

When Mayor Cermak’s “Hoodlum Squad” brings Heller along on a raid with no instructions but to keep his mouth shut and his gun handy, he becomes an unwitting, unwilling part of a hit on Al Capone’s successor, Frank Nitti. As a result, Heller quits the force to become a private eye. His first job: head off a nation-shaking political assassination in Miami Beach. With the Chicago World’s Fair as a backdrop, Heller encounters a ragtag array of crooks and clients, including Al Capone, George Raft, “Dutch” Reagan, and FDR himself.

Rich in riveting plot turns, including a heartbreaking romance, True Detective is one of the most highly entertaining and unlikely coming-of-age stories ever written. That’s why mystery fans and critics alike rank this historical thriller at the top of their lists - and why the book swept up a Shamus Award for the best novel from the Private Eye Writers of America.

Listen to another title in the Nathan Heller series.©2011 Max Allan Collins (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great listen

I really enjoyed this book. I will be getting more of the true detective books. I like that the story's are based on true events

Corruption

It's the old story of how honest people are taken advantage of by the corrupt because they always think they are smarter and tougher. A good fast action thriller with some good twists.

Mind blown

I can listen to Dan’s voice all day everyday . He really embodied Nate Heller’s character to a T I wouldn’t be surprised if he was reading his own biography 😂. On a serious note this was the most interesting book I’ve read so far and I’m definitely going to continue with the series

Loved it !

This was an absolutely excellent book. I don't think I could have read the paper version. Mostly because if the many details. But the excellent narrator was what made it come alive.

Entertaining Period Piece

If you could sum up True Detective in three words, what would they be?

Disbelief Willingly Suspended

Would you recommend True Detective to your friends? Why or why not?

I would. It is a nice piece of period fluff. The characters are entertaining, but not very believable.

What three words best describe Dan John Miller’s performance?

Fine for the material he was reading.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Detective for the Mob.

Inside account of historical Chicago mob life

I loved this book. It is set in Chicago during the years of the mob and corruption. It is a work of historical fiction, where the main character, is an ex-policeman, self employed detective as adventures that highlight mob life and Chicago politics of the early and mid 20th century. It proposes alternative theories to explain real circumstances. Great fun!
I'm looking forward to the rest of this brilliant series.

Great story about chicago's mobsters and politics

Didnt want to put it down great read, from beginning to end. enjoyef the historical completeness of the storyline.and the close brought it all together.definately enjoyable.Nate heller leaves you wanting more.

great story, not so great at everything else

while i like most the male voicing, the female ones lack any variance. i abhor the constant "God-d*#m's". the story is good, but not liking some of the extra, non-bearing details that seem to be there in a type of arrogant like-to-hear-my-own-voice disturbances. not a sparse writer, which i would love to find more of. apart from some great, memorable, quotable nuances, i really didn't care for this side of period history. i didn't get that great E. G. Robinson noir feeling.

A great start to the series.

Any additional comments?

True Detective did lag in a couple chapters but always picked right back up in the next. Max Allan Collins' historical fiction is really well written and a gripping story. It's a side-note in history but compelling when all the characters are fleshed out. I really enjoyed Nathan Heller and will add the next book to my "to-read" pile very shortly.

Good Story, Nearly Undercut by Racing Narrator

As frequently happens with me, I listened to the audio of this novel when I couldn't read the actual text. Problem? When I was reading myself, I enjoyed the story more. It felt a little like the narrator was speeding through the text, and wasn't allowing the story to breathe. As a result, when I listened to the story, things seemed to blur together and I didn't care as much what happened to the characters. When I read, however, the writer's voice was much clearer, and while the novel itself still has a few narrative and character issues, allowing the author to express his story was a better choice than listening to the narrator interpreting it.