Neon Mirage (Nathan Heller Novels)

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Neon Mirage

SHe has way too much time in the novel. For being the niece of a Chicago mob boss she comes off needy and naive. She seems especially unintersting every time Virginia Hill makes an appearance in the novel! In Chicago, Nathan Heller, president of the flourishing A-1 Detective Agency, is hired to protect racing-wire gambling chief James Ragen, who is nonetheless shot down on the streets of Chicago.

Not one to take such an affront sitting down, Nate goes after the killer, but he's in for the biggest surprise of his career. Heller follows the trail as it leads to Hollywood and Las Vegas, specifically to Benjamin, Bugsy, Siegel but when he proves Siegel's innocence, Heller and the suave gangster wind up friends Bugsy hires Heller as security chief of the under-construction Flamingo hotel, where mob bag woman Virginia Hill is a dangerous, if glamorous, distraction.

It all comes to a boil with a shocking mob assassination in Beverly Hills that sends Heller into fever-dream ride of vengeance. This is the second Nate Heller book I've read and it is another fascinating look at a 's Chicago and west coast that is gritty and dirty and more than a little corrupt. The characters for the most part were real people and while some of their experiences were altered or added, I'm sure, to accommodate a piece of fiction, everything that happened was very realistic and felt historically accurate. This was a very good read.

Mar 07, David Williams rated it really liked it. Nathan Heller is hired to guard racketeer James Ragen. Ragen has been threatened by mobsters who want to take over his gambling wires. Something goes wrong and Ragen is shot in an ambush. Complicating the matters is Ragen's niece Peggy Hogan. Peggy and Nate have a past that is unknown to her family. Peggy wants Nate to find her uncle's attackers. Heller investigates trying to locate who hired the killers.

The investigation eventually leads him out west where he meets up with Virginia Hill and fi Nathan Heller is hired to guard racketeer James Ragen. The investigation eventually leads him out west where he meets up with Virginia Hill and finally with Benjamin Siegel. Siegel has gone west with the vision of turning the sleepy town of Las Vegas into a gambling paradise.

Before he knows it Heller is involved with Siegal and helping him to train his security staff to spot pickpockets and to find out why so much material is disappearing from the casino sight. Of course all of this is complicated by the lovely Peggy who Nate is completely in love with. The only trouble, she has the hots for Siegal. The story takes place in Chicago and Las Vegas in This is great modern noir at its best. Nathan Heller does not disappoint. Pick up this volume and enjoy the gangsters, cops, private eyes, and lovely ladies from the end of the gangster era. Sep 13, Neilie J rated it liked it.

This for me, is the most disjointed of the Nate Heller stories. Although it's held together by historical events, it somehow comes off like two different books jammed haphazardly together. It starts by focusing on Chicago mobster Jim Ragen but mid way, moves to examine the L. Yes, the two men had business interests and possibly contract killings in common, but the narrative here feels dissonant.

The result is, by the end of the story you've forgotten This for me, is the most disjointed of the Nate Heller stories. The result is, by the end of the story you've forgotten completely about the characters who served as the catalysts for the action. Still, Heller's fun to follow around and once again Collins unabashedly resorts to a hefty dose of name-dropping to keep things interesting.

Now if only he'd stop describing characters as "patting the air" and avoid over-using the word "natty". Nov 25, Debbie rated it liked it. I started out liking this right up there with other Nate Heller's I've read, but then it seemed to lose any semblance of a plot. Then it slows way down and eventually Nate ends up in California and Las Vegas with the likes of Virginia Hill, whom he does not like, ang Ben don't call me Bugsy Segal. At the very end the first murderis answered by the second.

It still has a lot of local and era color to it and I started out liking this right up there with other Nate Heller's I've read, but then it seemed to lose any semblance of a plot. It still has a lot of local and era color to it and Nate's great cynical view of life like this comment on being offered much more money for a job he had already turned down, "that raised my eyebrows and lowered my standards. Mar 15, Ken Bour rated it really liked it Shelves: This particular story covers the late criminal underworld based in Chicago and winding up in Las Vegas at Ben "Bugsy" Siegel's financially ruinous attempts to bring the Flamingo Hotel and Casino to fruition.

As a fan of the movie "Bugsy," I was pleased that Collins' story line tracked pretty closely. Overall, this was an enjoyable continuation of the Heller detective series. Dec 29, Jeff J. Another great entry in the Nathan Heller historical crime series. In the fourth book in the series Heller encounters Bugsy Siegel. A few years ago I stayed at the Flamingo hotel while attending a conference in Las Vegas, so I enjoyed getting some background on its construction and central role in Vegas history.

My one disappointment in the book was that Collins failed to write an afterword discussing where he embellished the true story. Colorful historical fiction It's not an action-packed nail-biting thriller, but it's an entertaining read none the less. Based on real-life characters and events from the Chicago mob scene in the early s, after Nathan's assignment to protect his friend turns deadly, the investigation which follows leaves him with more professional mob connections than he cares for.

Not the strongest one in the series so far. But a weak Collins novel is still a pretty damn good novel. Love the characters especially Heller but felt the plot a little light and it seemed to drag a little. As much as i loved the ending and loved that it connected back to the events in Chicago at the beginning of the novel but wished the ending was more satisfying.

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May 02, Jeffrey Cavanaugh rated it really liked it. An enjoyable romp that explores the seedy, interconnected worlds of mob-tainted national racing wires and the glittering, newly-built gambling palaces of late '40s Las Vegas. As usual, our hard-boiled hero serves as the author's eyewitness to, and often unwilling participant in, underworld history. Mar 24, Greg Trosclair rated it really liked it. This one was a slow start but became quite engaging.

What I enjoy about Max Allan Collins Nate Heller series are the historical tie ins and how his character fits into the history so seamlessly. This book covers Heller's experience in early Vegas and his dealings with Bugsy don't call him that Siegel. I enjoy Collins characters voice. This was pretty good. Oct 20, Ed rated it really liked it Shelves: When Ragen is gunned down and almost killed, the question is whether the hit was ordered by "Greasy Thumb" Guzik or "Bugsy" Siegel. May 11, Sandee Priser rated it liked it. I hadn't read any Nate Heller books before, so am not able to compare to the others.

I found it to be an interesting old school PI story, though really enjoyed the Chicago references as it is interesting to see them how they were a long time ago and which icons still endure. Seems clear that Collins did a lot of homework for this one. Oct 17, Glen rated it liked it Shelves: I really think Bugsy was treated a bit too sympathetically, and the same with George Raft. I keep coming back for both the light, lively style of the writing and that attention to detail. Jul 26, Shayna Varadeaux rated it it was amazing.

Jan 30, Jane rated it really liked it. I really enjoy this series. History mixed with mystery. Jan 15, Jackie rated it it was amazing.

Mar 15, Nev Thomas rated it liked it. Good 40's noir type crime novel. Sep 30, Dorrie rated it it was amazing. I just love this series! Another great chapter in the life of PI Nate Heller! Jan 30, John rated it liked it Shelves: Solid and fun historical fiction.

Feb 10, Michael rated it really liked it. Another enjoyable Nathan Heller mystery. Apr 14, David Highton rated it really liked it. Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. There was a problem filtering reviews right now.

Please try again later. I thought I'd sent this in the other day, but here goes again. It arrived very quickly. Collins is an eminently readable author, and as a historian I enjoy having Nate intrude into real-life history. His characterization of the leading protagonists is what brings his novels alive! But I can't figure out why Nate is so successful as a private eye businessman, since so many of his bodyguard clients, this time Buggsy Siegel, end up dead! Collins realizes that, and makes sly jokes in several of his novels. One person found this helpful. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading about Mob politics, graft, and murder.

It rated 4 stars, so I was ready to tackle another Collins book. This one didn't disapppoint, and I may become a true Mob junky, particularly since the two books I've tackled so far have involved historical as well as fictional characters. But perhaps the main reason I chose this book is that it's about the birth of Las Vegas. Well, the book takes place both in Chicago and Las Vegas, but it's interesting to see how Mob tentacles reach or sometimes don't reach across the U. But I didn't really know much about the story behind the killing, and that part of the book was very interesting, as well as the way Bugsy took charge of every detail in the casino's development.

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Also, just the way the Mob operates, and how it has its own rules of conduct that are generally although not always observed, is fascinating. I like the inevitable private dectective, Nathan Heller, also, and look forward to his continuing adventures. Needless to say, he is flawed, but generally comes out on the right side of the law and of the good guys. Two women spice up the action, one being Bugsy's girl, who is a true Mobster herself.

Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Nathan Heller is hired to guard racketeer James Ragen.

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Ragen has been threatened by mobsters who want to take over his gambling wires. Something goes wrong and Ragen is shot in an ambush. Complicating the matters is Ragen's niece Peggy Hogan. Peggy and Nate have a past that is unknown to her family. Peggy wants Nate to find her uncle's attackers. Heller investigates trying to locate who hired the killers.

The investigation eventually leads him out west where he meets up with Virginia Hill and finally with Benjamin Siegel. Siegel has gone west with the vision of turning the sleepy town of Las Vegas into a gambling paradise. Before he knows it Heller is involved with Siegal and helping him to train his security staff to spot pickpockets and to find out why so much material is disappearing from the casino sight.

Of course all of this is complicated by the lovely Peggy who Nate is completely in love with. The only trouble, she has the hots for Siegal. The story takes place in Chicago and Las Vegas in This is great modern noir at its best. Nathan Heller does not disappoint. Pick up this volume and enjoy the gangsters, cops, private eyes, and lovely ladies from the end of the gangster era. The first half of the book is about a s mobster hit in Chicago but the second half, and for my money, the best part of the novel is an interesting portrait of the mobster, Bugsy Siegal and the building of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in Collins throws in a whodunit plot line, which is fun but still plays second fiddle to the portrait of Siegal.

The mob history remains the central focus and, as usual, Nate Heller acts as more of a witness to history than a classic private eye.

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It all adds up to an enjoyable read that made me want to read more about the history of Las Vegas. And read more Nate Heller novels. In fact, I kind of felt it was a crime story and not a mystery until the surprise at the end. Because of this I wasn't able to guess the ending and it took me completely by surprise. Others may be able to guess it but I wasn't able to. The only problem I had with this was that it kind of dragged in the middle a bit.

However, it really picked up after Bugsy Siegel was introduced.

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In fact, I couldn't put it down for the last third of the book. Finally, as I said before, I found the wrap up exciting and logical. If you like the Nate Heller novels or hardboiled detective fiction you probably will like this one. If you enjoy this genre, you will probably like this book. All the expected character names are there such as "Bugsy" and "Two Gun Pete".

The storyline was like any other dimestore detective novel; gangsters, girls, patsys, etc. Some research errors jumped out at me: Like the hero flying from Chicago's Midway airport in when it wasn't called Midway until and having the hero's girlfriend wearing an Eishenhower jacket when those didn't become fashionable until or so.

The opposite of a page-turner for me, it took me weeks to finish it because I'd read minutes then put it down for days.

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