Thumbs of the Nose

Of course, not every private eye writer necessarily admires and respects his or her contemporaries. There have also been more than a few pot-shots at various beloved characters created by rival writers. for example, you could probably fill a small book with cheap shots at Robert B. Parker and his creation, Spenser, for example. Literary oneupmanship, or plain ol' sour grapes?
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• In The Witchfinder by Loren D. Estleman, Amos Walker, just sprung from the hospital, finds a novel by Andrew Vaachs featuring his detective Burke sadly wanting:
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  "The headache was in remission and I was seeing single again. I was probably hungry--I.V. fare doesn't last much longer than Chinese--but I didn't feel like eating. Instead I read two chapters of a detective novel I didn't remember buying, about a New York investigator who specialized in child abuse cases. The tough-guy narrator described incidents of abuse with all the detailed slavering rapture of a serial killer recalling past dismemberments. It was the biggest waste of time since leeching and made me want to wash my hands with boric acid."
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• Here's another dig by Loren D. Estleman. In chapter 6 of Sugartown, Amos Walker slams Spenser and his buddy Hawk:
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  "There was nothing on television and I sat up for a while smoking and trying to read a paperback mystery
  
  I'd picked up in a drugstore once while tailing someone. It was about a private eye back East who wore expensive running shoes with everything and squawked so much about the things he wouldn't do that you had to wonder what the people had hired him for in the first place. His partner was a professional killer and if there was a mystery to it at all I couldn't find it and gave up. To hell with P.I.'s with codes they have to keep hauling out and looking at like pocket watches..."
  
  Amos goes on to complain about women, but we won't go there...

Of course, some folks find this kinda stuff quite clever, and others find it just a little childish. Contributor Bluefox808 sums up the two views nicely: "I guess since he's the most Shamus-nominated writer of all, Estleman must think he's entitled to take potshots at other PIs. So far it's been funny because Estleman only describes the PIs, never names them. But if he ever scores off my man Travis McGee, I'll stop reading Estleman's books on principle. For now, he's one of my favorite PI writers."

For the flip side, see also Tips of the Fedora.

Thanks to Bluefox808 for his help with this page.