First published in 1977, this is the book that introduced Detective Sergeant "Fang" Mulheisen of the Detroit P.D., the protagonist in Jon A. Jackson's excellent series of crime novels. Also appearing for the first time is Joe Service, the mob hit man who would be Mulheisen's long-running nemesis.

The book takes place during a brutally cold and snowy December. As it opens, a beautiful and wealthy young housewife is savagely murdered during the course of an apparent burglary. I mean, one minute you're lounging in the tub with your aromatic bath salts and five minutes later, you're stumbling into the neighbor's house with a knife sticking out of your back. It's just that kind of a day.

Det. Sergeant Mulheisen is soon on the job and is intrigued to learn that the woman's husband is Arthur Clippert, a former gridiron star known as The Clipper back in his glory days. More recently, the Clipper is the last man standing when the Fidelity Trust Insurance Company goes under in an investment scandal of gargantuan proportions. Twenty million dollars is missing in the fraud and Clippert is the only member of the firm who hasn't yet been indicted.

Mulheisen begins doggedly pursuing the case and turns up a sexy young friend of the murdered woman who has some very interesting tales to tell. Things proceed as they naturally will and before you know it, it's Christmas Day; one of the biggest blizzards in history has hit Detroit; the city is basically closed down, and a bunch of really nasty villains are in the wind.

One really shouldn't say more for giving away too much of the plot, but Mulheisen is a very intriguing protagonist, and I'm very much looking forward to re-reading this series and following his career all over again. This story, all of the others, is very well-told; the characters are well-drawn, and there's enough suspense and wry humor to satisfy virtually any crime fiction fan.

If you somehow missed this series, you might well want to look for it. But you should understand that Mulheisen and Joe Service have a long and complicated relationship that evolves over the course of the series. You'll definitely want to start at the beginning and watch it unfold.crime-fiction fang-mulheisen jon-a-jackson16 s Still593 95

Nice considering it’s an introduction to the Sergeant Mulheisen series by Jon A. Jackson.
He’s a cop who solves complicated homicides… not that this is that complicated a case. The reader knows who the culprit/culprits is/are and why.

The pleasure is how Mulheisen dogs the villains trails. Interesting additional character named Joe Service who serves as a private detective who works for the mob. He would have made for a great spin-off series but as far as I can tell, Jackson stayed with the Sgt Mulheisen series.

Recommended series. They’re a bit dated having come out originally in 1977. The entries were favorably reviewed by critics of the day. Setting is a less seedy Detroit than we have today. Reminiscent of early Elmore Leonard- especially the exchanges between the villains.

I had a good time. First time reading this introductory entry. I read some of the other series entries out of sequence. Intending on reading them in sequence this time around.8 s JohnnyAuthor 25 books283

This is the first book in the Fang Mulheisen series and as far as I know, Jackson's first book. It is well-plotted and well-written, both confident and surprising. Jackson is a real pro that is under-read. He is every bit as good as his contemporaries.

A meat and potatoes mystery. As much procedural as hard-boiled detective, the story flows with little fat. Nice detail, character, dialogue. And treats the Detroit setting with an honest "I love this stinking town" approach.

And how can you not a detective hero named "Fang"?4 s Richard309 6

Book one in the series featuring Sgt. Mulheisen, the hard driving Detroit cop featured in Jackson's series that extends to nine. I read this one last given that it is exceedingly hard to find in collectible condition because of the delicate dustjacket, the artwork of which is... memorable. A great series accompanied by a stellar stand alone book "Go By Go" published in 1993 makes up the sum total of Jackson's oeuvre ending in 2004. Perhaps he's said all he has to say and the well ran dry (?).3 s Mark375 10

I recently heard about this series, so as usual I started from the beginning. Written in 1977, The Diehard introduces us to Detective 'Fang' Mulheisen, and what I understand will become his nemesis, Mob hitman Joe Service. I'm always interested to see if a writer can break the detective/private eye mold; the lead characters often seem to be brooding loners with problems with the bottle, their superiors, and women. We don't learn a whole lot about Fang in this first story, but he's not the others. He lives with his mother, enjoys the occasional cigar, doesn't seem to drink much, and actually gets along with just about everyone. The lack of character development was my only gripe, but perhaps we learn more as the series goes along.

The first half of the book is very procedural, as Fang digs into a case involving a young wife found beaten, shot and stabbed, her husband, who may or may nor be involved in a major insurance scam, and a couple of robbers who might be linked to both. And of course the aforementioned Service, who is sniffing around for the insurance money. The story takes place in late December as a crippling blizzard hits Detroit. The author's description of the setting is quite good. The writing really improves in the second half of the book; the characters and setting are more fully developed and the story starts humming.

Not sure how popular this series is (my library's copy was checked out only three times between 1977-1985) but I'm definitely in for the next one. 3 s Burt213 1 follower

Series mysteries are always fun - provided that you can find the right series. I am searching for a new series and thought that I would give Jon A. Jackson’s The Diehard a try. It’s the first of Jackson’s ten novels featuring the Detroit PD’s “Fang” Mulheisen.

Unfortunately, I thought that The Diehard was just middling. As one might expect, the book spends a bit of time introducing Fang. He’s a cynical officer who lives with his mother (!) outside Detroit. (He uses a phony address in order to meet the Detroit PD’s residency requirement). Fang’s reasonably interesting, but not compelling enough to make you think that you must read more about him.

The case he’s investigating involves the murder of a wealthy woman named Jane Clippert in Detroit’s historic Indian Village neighborhood. It turns out that Jane is married to a former University of Michigan football star turned attorney named Arthur Clippert, who is in business with some people who have been arrested in a $20 million swindle. As the book opens, Arthur isn’t facing charges, but he’s under suspicion.

It’s difficult to say exactly why I wasn’t thrilled with The Diehard. It’s sort of hearing a hit song or watching a popular movie that just doesn’t do much for you. Author Jackson does some things very well - including using the Detroit setting and describing a blizzard that hits Detroit around Christmas. (It was nice to read the book at the same time of the year).

Many of the problems come from two sources - weak characters and questionable prose. To me, the characters need more depth. They tend to be one dimensional and - therefore - uninteresting and unbelievable. The plot and the manner in which Jackson presents it are also mediocre. The ending will be overly familiar and builds only minimal suspense. The prose itself too often tells the reader what to think rather than showing him or her the characters through their dialogue or actions.

The Diehard isn’t terrible. But I’m obviously not much of a fan. If I read Jackson again, that’s OK; but if not, I won’t feel a sense of loss.detroit fiction michigan ...more K944 17

A terrific beginning to what I anticipate will be a very enjoyable series. Det. Sergeant Mulheisen (aka "Fang" due to his long teeth) is a richly drawn character that puts me in mind of some of Don Westlake's and Ed McBain's characters (high praise, indeed). He is relentless, flawed (of course) and sardonic-- all the traits one needs to be a good detective in a series such as this. Along with way he encounters both bad guys and sexy women, written equally well by this talented author. In fact, I found myself really able to visualize the characters in this book, more so than in many other novels. For some reason, it was easy to connect with the people populating Mr. Jackson's pages, and the plot moves them along their respective trajectories smartly.
This is less a true "mystery" than it is a well told story involving murder, conspiracy, greed, lust, narcissism, and desire for connection-- ingredients that Jackson mixes well into a tasty treat.
I look forward to reading more of Det. Mulheisen's cases. Larry241

fun, unique mystery series with quirky detective and bad guysmystery Thomas Kozlowski3

Was a very good read, it was difficult to put down, hence why I finished it in one day Steve MitchellAuthor 1 book8

Another old 'read' from my shelf. This is very good gumshoe yarn spinning. Motor City mid-seventies is caught very well by ex-Detroiter-always-a-Detroiter Jackson. The main story is solid enough, but a real gem appears in the middle - a totally unconnected few pages of pure color on a senseless shootout off Livernois Avenue involving a squad of burly cops known as "The Big Four". Those few pages alone are worth picking up this book. Noir with a wry edge. I emailed Jackson once to gush about this book and confess my own writing aspirations and, the gentleman he is, he responded in classy and encouraging fashion. Thanks, Jon. I look forward to putting more Mulheisen on my 'to-read' shelf. Definitely check this man's books out. Fredrick Danysh6,844 178

When all the officials of Fidelity Trust are indicted except Arthur Clipper, unrest grows in the section known has Indian Village. This is a poor sector of town where the "Clipper" lives. Detective Sergeant Mulheisen must wade through a series of crimes after Arthurs wife is found stabbed to death. Aaron17 1 follower

I enjoyed the style of Jackson's 1977 debut, but I felt Sergeant Mulheisen's character was far too underdeveloped. There was a similar problem with his antagonists as well. In the last few pages, I discovered a new humorous tone to the writing, something that was promised in on the back cover of this edition. I will mostly return to the read the other books in the series. John Treanor217 4

Excellent first novel. I'm glad I decided to start with Jackson's first Mulheisen story, as it looks I'm going to enjoy reading through the rest of the series. Jim Crocker211 26

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