Who in Hell Is Wanda Fuca? (Leo Waterman, #1) by G.M. Ford

Who in Hell Is Wanda Fuca? (Leo Waterman, #1) Reviews

• 
  Zain

  “And So, Hilarity Ensues!”
  
  Leo Waterman and his group of drunken posse are requested by a “friend” to help find a missing woman.
  
  There is a lot of suspicious activity going on at the local bar, located near a reservation.
  
  Leo’s investigation is not going as well as he expected. In fact, he may be in big trouble.
  
  Time to get his posse together. Their help is going to be needed.
  
  These old-timers do their best.
  
  A mystery-thriller, and hilarious to boot. 😊
• 
  Tracy

  Like the beginning of this series. Already downloaded book #2!
• 
  Kathy

  Recently read book #11 and liked it so much I decided to circle back to the beginning. I found it to be a great introduction to Leo and his group of friends. The challenges to his wits, stamina and ability to stay a step or two ahead of trouble sometimes fails, but there are many hilarious moments tucked within the serious threats. The threat to the environment was a major theme as Leo was hired to watch out for a wealthy man's highly spirited granddaughter mixed up with a wacky group.
  I have many books to look forward to and will hope that there will be more that offer this level of humour.
  Available through Kindle Unlimited
• 
  Ed

  Leo Waterman is an exceptionally entertaining character with a laugh out loud wit but I found the environmental activism/American Indian plot lines a little too preachy. I'm not giving up on Leo and his unusually charismatic associates though and will keep hope alive for subsequent books in the series.
• 
  C.

  Goodread reviews of this book seem less excited than Amazon reviews, which tried to tell me the book was hilarious. It was not. It was a lighter read than the average crime thriller, certainly, but hardly "hilarious." Overall, it was okay. I haven't read a PI mystery newer than 1960, so I was curious to see what their more modern brothers are like. Nothing special, if this book is an example.
  
  There was one point in the book, however, where there was a moment of lucid humanity that touched me. A Native American woman was recounting the tragic history of her tribe, of which Leo Waterman, our main character, knew little. He confessed so, "But I know about voids," he told her.
  
  

  Her anger boiled to the surface, dragging mine with it.
  
  “What do you know about voids?" [she demanded.]
  
  "I know that my friend Buddy Knox [a homeless man] was every bit as invisible to the society that surrounded him as your people are. I know that Buddy had some kind of massive hole inside of him that he tried to drink full. Maybe the void wasn't forced on him. Maybe in some way it was. I don't know. It was there. The void is there for a lot of us. It's not an Indian thing or a white thing. It's a people thing. I know you can live smack in the middle of white culture and not be a part of it. All you've got to do is get outside the limits. The minute you become something they don't want to look at, they stop looking at you. It's that simple. You join the void. That much I'm sure of." I decided to shut up before I got myself in trouble.

  
  
  Something there touched me. It reminded me of a time when I more easily became angry, when I more easily ranted, when the trials of the invisible people hurt me more deeply. At that point, I had to put down the book, and simply sat quietly for a long while.
  
  Overall, the book wasn't that great. But it reminded me of something important, which many more enjoyable reads fail to do. I can't say I would recommend the book to anyone, but if I myself should ever stumble across some of his other books, I'd probably pick it up and give it try.
• 
  Caulfield

  For a tale of thriller and to have such title, I expected this book to be fast-paced and have a gripping mystery surrounding the title, but it was far from my expectations. However, the characters are (strangely) memorable, maybe for their quirks. And for that, it wasn't a disappointing read, but it could've been better, in a way, if I took more interest in this case Leo Waterman tried to solve. What I expected to be a casual suspenseful read turned out to be a study on characters and dialogues in the end, because I believe there lies the strength of this book. Would probably give it another try if I ever get to read this author's other works.
• 
  João Jorge

  This is a safe bet for lovers of the PI genre. It has a healthy mix of humor, investigation and even a bit of heart. It does have a few problems. Leo Waterman is mostly a “blank” character, without much personality besides a “bit” of a drinking problem and some recollections about a “larger than life” politician father, long dead. He´s never really developed in either of those aspects, though, and as a result he´s a somewhat stale, bland protagonist. Its amusing and realistic how he´s not a complete badass, kicking the hell out of bad guys left and right but more or less, useless when “the going gets tough” but its not enough to make him stick out in a genre so saturated with much more complex and interesting main characters.
  The writing is decent, with some very realistic and sometimes funny dialogs and the book moves along at a good pace. The plot, when its all said and done, is decidedly silly but there are enough twists and turns and interesting characters to keep things entertaining. The ending is tense and satisfying and I will surely read more of the series.
  Its a well written, amusing and entertaining tale. It wont leave a lasting impression or figure in your favorites list but its definitely successful in providing a few relaxed hours.
• 
  Patricia

  This is the beginning of a wonderful ride! In his creation Leo Waterman, G. M. Ford gives the world a splendid, intense, but somewhat flawed man. In fact, Leo is so flawed (as noted by his father) that his father's will has stipulated that he cannot inherit the fortune his father acquired through various legal, but mostly illegal, means, until he is quite past new adulthood. Thus his unconventional means of making of living - as a hired detective.
  He does not go about this alone, but rather has a group of misfits, street rats, who assist him by working in the background where only the invisible can be.
  Working in this environment, certain - well - insufficiencies - must be accepted. Thus the title - Who the Hell is Wanda Fuca! (Juan de Fuca, as in the Straits of).
  In what would become a hallmark of the Leo Waterman stories, suspense builds, bodies drops, and eventually, after Leo and his cronies are in dire trouble, even nearly murdered, he discovers the source of the troubles, the miscreants are either destroyed or hauled off to jail, and something like peace reigns ... although, only until the next book!
• 
  LJ

  WHO IN THE HELL IS WANDA FUCA - Ex
  Ford, G. M. - 1st in Leo Waterman series
  
  Leo Waterman, a Seattle private detective, is hired by elderly mobster Tim Flood, who wants Leo to find his granddaughter and bring her home safely.
  
  1996 Top Read - This was one of those wonderful surprises that make you close the book and say "Wow!". Great protagonist and unique secondary characters. Loved it!
• 
  Jon

  I read this book back when it was new in 1995, long before there was a Goodreads and almost before there was an internet. I just re-read it, having also read some of the more recent ones in the series, and I think in some ways it's improved over time. I remembered it as being disjointed and a little out of control, but still very entertaining for a first book. Now I'd say the author had a lot of different ideas he was trying to squeeze in, and he pretty much succeeded. He was ahead of his time in dealing with American Indian issues, but his detective has a group of Baker Street Irregulars to help him--homeless men and women, middle-class folks who got screwed by the system and fell into drunken, drug-addled poverty. They are endearing and unreliable, but life-savers in the end. That whole trope doesn't wear very well.
• 
  Pam

  I read this book when it was nominated for a mystery award back in 1995. Very old school (e.g., early Connelly, Coben, Lehane) but enjoyed the setting and revisiting what was state of the art.
• 
  Stacy

  I go back and forth between a 3 and a 4 star on this, so maybe a 3.5 would be the most accurate. I originally read this because an author friend suggested it as a good example of strong dialogue. The plot synopsis didn't grab me and I almost decided to skip it, but read a few chapters and decided I wanted to read more. The dialogue is fun though with a bit more of an edge to it than the books I tend to read (a bit more cussing and more description of blood and gore in deaths). I think of it as a more modern example of Raymond Chandler - not quite as many effective one liners, but close. The title itself was entertaining, but I was glad the author explained it as I hadn't heard that pun before.
  The characters were well drawn - especially the four guys he uses as his main informants - and the dialogue flowed easily. The protagonist, Leo Waterman, feels like he may have been modeled after Philip Marlowe, but Waterman's Seattle is more oddball than the tough L.A. settings Raymond Chandler set Marlowe in. I did love the adaptation of Holmes' Baker Street Irregulars in which instead of using small street urchins (who obviously aren't in fresh supply in late 20th century U.S. as they were in Victorian London) Waterman uses homeless people as friends and informants to get information. I've seen modern shows like Elementary adapt a similar idea. I'm not sure if Ford was the first one to come up with this idea, but he is the first author I have read to do it which made it entertaining. Sometimes I did feel that Ford's ideas were a bit cliche for mysteries. For example the opening scene of Leo Waterman trying awkwardly to talk a guy down from the ledge and the ensuing pandemonium felt like something straight out of a Lethal Weapon plot. However, overall I found the plot to be well done. I enjoyed the twist at the end and the fact that the protagonist wasn't superman and got beat up and lost fights as often as he won them. Since this appears to be the author's first book, I'm looking forward to seeing how the writing improves over time and intend to continue the series.
• 
  Greg Tymn

  I've read 3 of the Leo Waterman series to date. This first in the series books was nominated for a Shamus, among other awards. Written in 1995, the story holds up well in today's world (although I don't know if Seattle has pay phones any longer).
  
  I've become a fan. The mixture of good storytelling, irony and humor captures the essence of a fine detective novel and can stand alongside other giants of the genre. With one exception, this was a perfectly executed novel. I highly recommend it.
  
  The exception? It is rare to find an author who truly understands the firearms that they write about. As far as I know, there are no "80 round" magazines available for assault hardware. More importantly, Leo carrying 4 loaded 80-round magazines plus the carbine would be around 30 pounds. Not likely for a civilian, even a PI. I'd suggest consulting with a firearms aficianado prior to putting errors in print.
• 
  Eliana

  Funny, funny, improbable and lovable characters. Set in Seattle where the lone P.I. solves cases with the help of his version of the Baker Street regulars, a bunch of winos from downtown's Pioneer Square. Well written, political humor and atypical shamus investigations form the basis of these novels.
• 
  David Beck

  A surprisingly good story about a private investigator who uses street people to help him with his job. Leo gets involved in a case of eco-terrorism and illegal waste dumping at the behest of a mobster friend. Explosions, murders, and lots of mayhem later Leo is able to bring the bad people to justice.
• 
  Pamela Allen

  If you live in or know the Seattle area in general this series is fun to read. It is nice to be able to picture what is going on and where it is happening. In addition, the author does a couple of things to make it an enjoyable read.
• 
  Francis

  Dated but humorous and fun to read, including a great collection of characters.
• 
  Karin

  Different
  
  Enjoyed the action and use of "street people" as integral characters in the story. I read this book before but forgot. It was well worth a second read.
• 
  Kathryn

  Fun read. I have never been to Seattle, but this mystery created a great sense of place. Good characters too.
• 
  Marianne Douglas

  Funny, funny, funny !!! Enjoyed every word ... can't wait 'til I read the next Leo Waterman episode ... if he was real, this is one guy I'd love to meet ... alas, only in books!!!
• 
  M. Sprouse

  I read the second book of this series first, just because it was available. After reading both I had the same reaction, "Damn:". They hang there in limbo between four and five stars. For both I settle on four,with a slight nod going to the second book, (take that sophomore jinx). G.M. Ford does an excellent job of making you like his Leo Waterman protagonist and getting him into interesting, though dangerous situations. As an avid reader of PI books, I think Leo might just be too good to be true. However, "Damn". His cadre of down and out assistants are amusing, but Mr. Ford should be careful that they don't hijack the novels.
  
  As mentioned Leo often acts in ways that aren't too smart or safe, but you'll follow him all the way and like it. I was a little disappointed with Caroline Nobel, the author started her out fine. She didn't develop much after the initial meeting and had loads of potential in being bad and "bad" in a good way. Also, thought the title was a bit poor. I don't think I've ever commented about a book's title, but seriously, it was from one line that just wasn't that clever. The ending and a few of the twist weren't too hard to predict, but G.M. Fords writing and Leo keep you engaged. The strengths far outweigh the short comings. I recommend and plan on reading every last book in the series.
• 
  Damo

  There’s a lot to like about this first book in the Leo Waterman series by G.M. Ford. The tone tends towards the humorous and features the main protagonist who is a P.I. working in Seattle, Washington.
  
  His main point of difference, the thing that keeps him fresh, is the fact that he uses a gang of homeless people as his eyes and ears on a case. There are many obvious downsides to using this group of drunks and misfits as well as potential for some amusing moments. But there is also the big benefit that these people go largely ignored by the general population, making them great when working surveillance.
  
  In the first case in which we have the privilege of following, Leo is hired by aging mobster (and friend of Leo’s late father) Tim Flood to return his granddaughter home. The granddaughter, Caroline Nobel, is hanging with a bunch of wannabe environmentalists who express their views in fairly extreme ways.
  
  From eco-terrorism, illegal waste dumping on an unprecedented scale and murder, the stakes ramp up quickly and the action rarely lets up. This is a very solid detective story that combines a multi-faceted mystery with some good humour, engaging characters and straight-shooting plotting.
  
• 
  MisterLiberry Head

  Recommended in the days of Covid-19 lockdown, G.M. Ford’s first in his ‘Leo Waterman’ series is a soothing read for stressed-out mystery-lovers. Decent, humorous and discriminating (“I’d never shot a woman before,” p336) and solidly grounded in his Seattle hometown, p.i. Leo is good company. He deploys a small grubby army of homeless folks and drunks as surveillance operatives, one of whom vocalizes the title of WHO IN HELL IS WANDA FUCA? Leo exemplifies an ethos he shares with best-remembered fictional detectives from Sam Spade to Harry Bosch, here expressed by a client’s admiring gunsel: “you do what you say you’re gonna” (p341). Equally as calming as Leo’s narrative voice is the timeline in which he operates – a world without smartphones, laptops, or the Web, where characters can frequently exclaim: “We need to get to a phone” (p247). Cars have V-8 engines, and the EPA actually has enforcement teeth. Leo is the sort of guy who – when the leader of his bar-hugging gang of down-and-outers is murdered on the job, wants justice for the “old drunk who worked for me” because he understands that: “He was part of the complicated superstructure of relationships which gave me a sense of time and place and kept me getting out of bed every morning” (p111).
• 
  Amanda

  I had read one of the newer Leo Waterman's before I read the first one. I really enjoyed the other one more. I feel like the author got better the more he wrote. I still enjoyed this one. It's funny to see that some things haven't changed that much. The story was good. I believe this was written in the 1990's. I've had to stop reading some mystery series written in the 90's b/c it seemed really outdated. This book did not feel that way. Obviously some things were b/c it has been over two decades but, it was definitely manageable. I enjoy the characters and after reading further in the series it is nice to see there has been some character development which I always appreciate. I will definitely continue the series.
• 
  Ken Bour

  I got through this book, and generally followed the story line, but I found the writing obscure at times and way too many characters to remember and track. Part of the problem may be my own habit, which is to read a few chapters each night. When books have a lot of complexity and moving parts, it becomes challenging to recall the specifics from session to session. In any event, the only thing I found "hilarious" about this novel was the title. I'm not sure what book other reviewers were reading, but I don't remember laughing internally once or even being mildly amused. Hmmm... I am not giving up on G. M. Ford and intend to try "Leo Waterman #2" before making a final determination on this author.
• 
  D. Starr

  Today's Hard Boiled Detective
  
  For Mature Readers
  Violence - some pretty explicit
  Harsh language
  Sexual references
  Humor
  
  Leo Waterman, detective, is hired by a sketchy client to find a young woman who is part of an extreme environmentalist group. With the help of Leo's brand of Baker Street Irregulars, in other words our society's invisible street people, he uncovers almost unbelievable corruption.
  Great character development.
  Amusing tough-talking detective dialog.
  
  There are apparently other novels in the series, but you don't need to read them to enjoy this one.
  
  Recommended -- but beware. This is no sweet little Miss Marple cozy.