“KING OF MAYBE is Junior Bender’s fifth and arguably darkest book. Junior, a hired gun from Los Angeles, is a complex and confused soul who doesn’t let his tragic childhood prevent him from being grounded. Writer Timothy Hallinan has gradually developed his character over the course of what has become a cult series that should be at or near the top of your must-read list, if it isn’t already.
The latest issue builds on the previous volumes, but Hallinan, a masterful wordsmith and storyteller, gives newcomers enough of what they might need so they don’t have to worry about jumping right in. Of course, KING MAYBE is Hallinan’s most ambitious work in the series to date. It’s a mystery/thriller wrapped around the Hollywood “tell all” (or “tell most”). Anyone who has regularly watched movies or television shows and wondered how ideas move from someone’s brain to video or any other format will find the middle parts of the novel interesting, to say the least. In terms of suspense, Hallinan puts Junior in three different heists: at the beginning, (roughly) in the middle, and (near) the end of the book. The mortar between these very strong and tense bricks is made up of memorable dialog and strange characters, some of whom are unforgettable.
Let’s start with the break-ins. The first of them involves Junior stealing a postage stamp from the worst person. He hasn’t even finished this caper when one of his past sins comes back to haunt him, and it’s a ghost that can only be exorcised in one way. It’s through a Hollywood mogul named Jeremy Granger, who is dubbed “The Maybe King” because he accepts script options that might, just might, be turned into a movie. Granger is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, and when Junior runs into him after trying to pay off an old debt, the only way out is for him to do the job for Granger, a job that is nearly impossible for even the most sought-after heist man in Los Angeles. Junior knows it’s difficult, but with a little help from his girlfriend, two 14-year-old computer hackers, and a few other people, he could do it. It turned out to be the worst thing that could have happened to him.
It’s an interesting story, but even if you came for the mystery and suspense, you’ll want to stick around for the characters, who are almost as intriguing as Junior himself. Especially keep an eye out for Harleen Romain, who is introduced about two-thirds of the way through the story and takes about a page to describe a place called Tontine. This description alone makes buying this book the best money you can spend this month. I’ve highlighted the excerpt in both my eReader and physical copy; it’s as good as the rest of the book. Timothy Hallinan is one of our best, and KING MAYBE demonstrates why.