Alibi Man by Tami Hoag

A Mystery/Thriller, 2006 by Bantam Books, 351 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Toxic masculinity. Shots of vodka until you puke just to look cool, pulling a gun on someone just to be tough, and insisting you have to defend a woman’s honor at every turn. It’s outdated and exhausting, honestly, and it came from more than one character meaning this antiquated view of masculinity basically permeates this entire book. 
• The gay jokes are rampant and it takes the entire book down to a distasteful level. Add to that the big reveal including something related to being part of the LGBT+ community and it’s pretty gross. 
• A lot of the characters felt like they were leaning too hard into stereotypes. I’m never a fan of that. 

What I Did Like:

• Estes. She’s not the “typical” former cop and I kind of liked her. She comes across as a strong take-no-nonsense character and I like her for that.
• The mystery wasn’t obvious and the bad guy isn’t the one you first suspect. That’s always good in a detective style mystery. 

Who Should Read This One:

• That’s tricky for me as I found it very problematic. I’d say if you aren’t bothered by over-the-top stereotypes or outdated ideals, you’re welcome to give it a try. Of course, I can probably recommend a few others that are better (including some by this author). 

My Rating: 2 stars

• This one was problematic, for me, and that’s unfortunate.