All Hawk's Children: Kick-Ass Sidekicks

All Hawk's Children
Kick-Ass Sidekicks

Okay, maybe Robert Parker didn't start it, but the popularity of Spenser and his cool-as-death once and future mob enforcer Hawk, who does the stuff even Spenser won't do, sparked a trend for deadly sidekicks we still haven't quite recovered from.

The Kick-Ass sidekick The Eye

Hump Evans Jim Hardman
by Ralph Dennis Atlanta eye Hardman's trusty black sidekick, Hump Evans is a former pro football player. The series began around the same time as Parker's did, so this one may be a case of great minds thinking alike, actually.

Arnie Kendall Leo Haggerty
by Benjamin J. Schutz A Vietnam vet/martial arts expert/bounty hunter. Schutz claims he made a conscious decision that Haggerty would have to bear his own cupability (unlike some other P.I.s with sidekicks we could mention), that Arnie may have been better at it, but Haggerty was always involved and culpable in any killings.

Mouse Easy Rawlins
by Walter Mosley Easy's stone cold killer pal. Hawk is scary, Mouse is disturbing AND scary.

Joe Pike Elvis Cole
by Robert Crais Elvis' so-called "sociopathic sidekick" is an ex-Marine and part-time mercenary and gunshop owner. He says about four lines of dialogue a book. At least until L.A. Reqiuiem.

Win Myron Bolitar
by Harlan Coben Imagine Hawk if he looked like Niles, on television's Frasier. GQ via Soldier of Fortune.

Ahmad Dakar J.D. Mulroy
by Richard R. Werry A 6'8" black ex-Marine and former pro football player turned karate instructor.

Ranger Stephanie Plum
by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie's bounty-hunting Cuban-American mentor, Ranger, is almost as scary as her grandmother, who is very scary indeed.

In High Five, Evanovich describes him "his features are Anglo, his eyes Latino, his skin is the color of a mocha latte, and his body is as good as a body can get."

Bubba Rogowski Angela Gennaro &
Patrick Kenzie
by Dennis Lehane's Patrick and Angela's friend (and gunrunner by trade) is described in A Drink Before the War as "an absolute anachronism in these times--he hates everything and everybody except Angie and myself, but unlike others of similar inclination, he doesn't waste any time thinking about it. He doesn't write letters to the editor or hate mail to the president, he doesn't form groups or stage marches or consider his hate as anything other than a completely natural aspect of his world, like breathing or the shot glass. Bubba has all the self-awareness of a carburetor and takes even less notice of anyone else--unless they get in his way. He's six feet four inches, 235 pounds of raw adrenaline and disassociated anger. And he'd shoot anyone who blinked at me the wrong way."

Clete Purcell Dave Robicheaux
by James Lee Burke Presenting the anti-Dave. He's a fat, sweaty, morally dubious fuck-up, and doesn't give a shit about anything, except maybe Dave and his pork-pie hat. He's also a nice change of pace from Dave's endless, tiresome self-beatification program.

Cowboy Rafferty
by W. Glenn Duncan This gunshop owner isn't above taking the merchandise out for a test drive. Rafferty refers to him as"the most dangerous man alive."

Spike Sunny Randall
by Robert B. Parker If imitation is the highest form of flattery, here Parker flatters himself. Spike is to Sunny what Hawk is to Spenser, if you can imagine Hawk as a flamboyant gay restaurant owner and martial arts expert.

Bobo Zen Moses
by Elizabeth Cosin And the winner for the Most Unfortunately-Named Psycho Sidekick is...
(No doubt Boo Boo was considered, but Yogi already had a sidekick with that name...)

A special thanks to Gerald So for his help with this one.

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The Kick-Ass sidekick	The Eye
Hump Evans	Jim Hardman by Ralph Dennis	Atlanta eye Hardman's trusty black sidekick, Hump Evans is a former pro football player. The series began around the same time as Parker's did, so this one may be a case of great minds thinking alike, actually.
Arnie Kendall	Leo Haggerty by Benjamin J. Schutz	A Vietnam vet/martial arts expert/bounty hunter. Schutz claims he made a conscious decision that Haggerty would have to bear his own cupability (unlike some other P.I.s with sidekicks we could mention), that Arnie may have been better at it, but Haggerty was always involved and culpable in any killings.
Mouse	Easy Rawlins by Walter Mosley	Easy's stone cold killer pal. Hawk is scary, Mouse is disturbing AND scary.
Joe Pike	Elvis Cole by Robert Crais	Elvis' so-called "sociopathic sidekick" is an ex-Marine and part-time mercenary and gunshop owner. He says about four lines of dialogue a book. At least until L.A. Reqiuiem.
Win	Myron Bolitar by Harlan Coben	Imagine Hawk if he looked like Niles, on television's Frasier. GQ via Soldier of Fortune.
Ahmad Dakar	J.D. Mulroy by Richard R. Werry	A 6'8" black ex-Marine and former pro football player turned karate instructor.
Ranger	Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich	Stephanie's bounty-hunting Cuban-American mentor, Ranger, is almost as scary as her grandmother, who is very scary indeed. In High Five, Evanovich describes him "his features are Anglo, his eyes Latino, his skin is the color of a mocha latte, and his body is as good as a body can get."
Bubba Rogowski	Angela Gennaro & Patrick Kenzie by Dennis Lehane's	Patrick and Angela's friend (and gunrunner by trade) is described in A Drink Before the War as "an absolute anachronism in these times--he hates everything and everybody except Angie and myself, but unlike others of similar inclination, he doesn't waste any time thinking about it. He doesn't write letters to the editor or hate mail to the president, he doesn't form groups or stage marches or consider his hate as anything other than a completely natural aspect of his world, like breathing or the shot glass. Bubba has all the self-awareness of a carburetor and takes even less notice of anyone else--unless they get in his way. He's six feet four inches, 235 pounds of raw adrenaline and disassociated anger. And he'd shoot anyone who blinked at me the wrong way."
Clete Purcell	Dave Robicheaux by James Lee Burke	Presenting the anti-Dave. He's a fat, sweaty, morally dubious fuck-up, and doesn't give a shit about anything, except maybe Dave and his pork-pie hat. He's also a nice change of pace from Dave's endless, tiresome self-beatification program.
Cowboy	Rafferty by W. Glenn Duncan	This gunshop owner isn't above taking the merchandise out for a test drive. Rafferty refers to him as"the most dangerous man alive."
Spike	Sunny Randall by Robert B. Parker	If imitation is the highest form of flattery, here Parker flatters himself. Spike is to Sunny what Hawk is to Spenser, if you can imagine Hawk as a flamboyant gay restaurant owner and martial arts expert.
Bobo	Zen Moses by Elizabeth Cosin	And the winner for the Most Unfortunately-Named Psycho Sidekick is... (No doubt Boo Boo was considered, but Yogi already had a sidekick with that name...)