Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale

Hap Collins and Leonard Pine are best friends. They live near one another and they just understand each other. Leonard is a cocky gay black vietnam vet who doesn't find Hap attractive at all, and likes to take care of his dogs. Hap is a straight liberal white ex-con who still has it bad for his ex-wife Trudy. Hap and Leonard make their living doing blue collar work and like to relax listening to Hank Williams on vinyl while drinking their beers and sharing their life stories and tall tales.

Hap's ex-wife Trudy shows up unexpecedtly and spins a yarn too good to be true. A half million dollars is in a muddy creekbed somewhere in the Sabine River near East Texas wrapped up in water-proof containers. Hap and Leonard have nothing better to do, so they join up in the search. Not that Leonard needed his arm twisted for a cut of some cash, even though he can't stand Trudy and the way she treats Hap. But, they meet up with an ex-radical from the sixties, and a few idealists who want to save the world and go diving. Finding the money is only half the battle. The other half is keeping their lives! Leonard and Hap are really not surprised to see themselves the victims of betrayal. The ending of this well-spun tale will have you on the edge of your seat!

SAVAGE SEASON is a thrilling, laugh out loud, page-turning adventure. Hap and Leonard compliment each other perfectly and had me rooting for them while clutching my sides in laughter. I can just see the two of them on the big screen, and hope to in the future. Lansdale does a wonderful job of depicting the action and the bantering between Hap and Leonard had me hooked from page one. The first in the Leonard and Hap series, I am looking forward to more wonderful adventures with these two crazy and noble characters.