This is a collection of one novella, the title story "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," and five short stories, among them some of Heinlein's strongest. I really loved the opening novella, which is a mix of science fiction, fantasy, horror--and noir mystery. It focuses on a husband/wife detective team, Teddy Randall and Cynthia Craig. They really are among Heinlein's best drawn couples--I'm sorry we never saw more of them. At times I have my issues with how Heinlein drew women, but not in the case of Cyn. She comes across as brave and competent without ever being kittenish. I'm not particularly impressed with the story's premise or plot, but the characters made it for me. "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" is a sweet tale, and pure fantasy, not science fiction, but not to me a standout. "All You Zombies" is about a "temporal agent"--it's a twisty and memorable time travel story. "They" is an interesting study in paranoia--a theme that runs through most of the stories in this collection. "Our Fair City" features one of my favorite Heinlein characters--"Kitten"--a whirlwind. I'd call "And He Built a Crooked House" unique--and unforgettable. A story surely only an engineer such as Heinlein could have conceived. All of these stories are well worth the read--particularly if you're a science fiction or Heinlein fan.
