This one has a great atmosphere, sort of an Eyes Wide Shut mixed with the drearier work of David Goodis. But this one proves itself to be middle-of-thThis one has a great atmosphere, sort of an Eyes Wide Shut mixed with the drearier work of David Goodis. But this one proves itself to be middle-of-the-road when compared to other Brubaker and Sean Philips work, really petering out at the end into a bit of an anticlimax. Still better than a lot of material out there though and I feel like a re-read might be warranted soon....more
The Rogues, the group of street-level, blue-collar Flash villains out of Central City are popular for being much more grounded supervillains than peopThe Rogues, the group of street-level, blue-collar Flash villains out of Central City are popular for being much more grounded supervillains than people are used to seeing in superhero comic books, as they were envisioned by Geoff Johns in his Flash run. Joshua Williamson now has the wonderful idea of telling the last story of the Rogues, giving them a “one last job” heist story, where an aging, paroled Captain Cold gathers the crew together for one final job, the heist of all heists, stealing a pile of gold from a vault deep within Gorilla City.
It’s a fantastic idea, with double crosses, and plot twists, but I couldn’t help but wish a more capable writer took a crack at it. I barely understood what the plan was and the heist itself was pretty damn weak, and this whole thing was just a bit unremarkable, with characters that felt diluted. I wish someone like Ed Brubaker or Greg Rucka had a crack at something like this. The potential here is a little wasted. ...more
This is a great Noirvember read and my favorite volume of the consistently great Reckless series of hard-boiled graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and SeanThis is a great Noirvember read and my favorite volume of the consistently great Reckless series of hard-boiled graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips about a pulp "detective" named Ethan Reckless, that's a cross between Travis McGee, Jack Reacher, and Matthew Scudder. It's a companion piece of sorts with the last book, The Ghost In You, which focused solely on Ethan's best buddy Anna with only a small hint as to what was going on with Ethan. Here, we get the whole dramatic tale of what happened to him when he takes a missing wife case in post-earthquake San Francisco.
I really enjoyed the story and the way it developed, its focus on abuse, and the cycle of violence that abuse can foster. The book is the best one at building and illustrating Ethan's character since the very first novel, and it does so in small but effective ways. And I was totally surprised by how hopeful and bittersweet the ending is. I'm used to stories in this genre ending with nihilism and negativity, but it was actually refreshing to see somewhat of a happy ending. It's not all sunshine and roses mind you, but it feels perfectly cathartic. Bravo Brubaker and Phillips, you outdid yourselves with this one. ...more
Give them horror or give them heartstrings. Nothing else sticks.
Jordan Harper is one of the best crime writers today and in his latest no
Give them horror or give them heartstrings. Nothing else sticks.
Jordan Harper is one of the best crime writers today and in his latest novel, he’s tackling the underbelly of the City of Angels.
Jordan Harper’s Los Angeles is a place of secrets, black bag PR, sponcons, money and celebrity in excess; a world filled with “noise to hide the whispers” and corruption so widespread that it’s a wonder anything ever gets done. You can feel the love/hate relationship with the city here, with a condemnation of the town so scathing that it could only come from when you love a place.
His two main characters, Mae Pruett and Chris Tamburro, are two people haunted by what they have done for the PR beast and desperate to somehow make things right and regain whatever decency they have left.
It’s a powerful novel, which is not a surprise given how great Harper’s writing here. It reads like something James Ellroy would write if he stepped into 2022. Harper’s writing even evolves into something akin to the Ellroy, with muscular and punchy prose that hits hard and fast. Harper does an amazing job with character here, navigating the emotion maturely and riding that line of sentimentality perfectly.
It’s still early in Harper’s career so it’s exciting to imagine what he has in store next.
“It’s like I’m in this backward purgatory. Like maybe if I commit enough sins, I’ll be able to get free.”
I’ve never once thought to myself, “Self, one thing you’re missing from your life is an erotic fiction novel from Jeff Strand.” That thought has neverI’ve never once thought to myself, “Self, one thing you’re missing from your life is an erotic fiction novel from Jeff Strand.” That thought has never crossed my mind.
But I can say now, with full confidence, that yes, I did very much need to read erotica by Jeff Strand.
"Did you bring condoms?" "Uh, no. Not to a planned murder. That's a whole different level of deviance."
At this point, Strand is a genre unto himself, but there’s no denying that this book is erotic fiction through-and-through (with all of its hot and heavy doses of sex), just with a bit of a twist.
A jealous husband named Ralph decides to approach a hot stud named Kent at a diner and hire him to have bad sex with his wife Julie so she can be dissuaded from cheating. Kent has the hots for Julie and Julie really wants to get laid, so obviously things don’t go as planned. No one has ever said anything about these characters being smart.
Ralph could handle his wife shouting the wrong name during sex, but not the wrong two names.
What follows is quite possibly one of the funniest books I’ve read, causing numerous moments of out-loud laughter as I marveled at the terrible decisions the characters made and the hilarious dialogue exchanges that Strand conjured up. One of the things that makes Strand’s work so irresistible and fun to read is the feeling that he’s having the time of his life writing this filth....more
While not the hard-hitting gut-punch noirs that I’ve come to love from the author, like The Posthumous Man, No Tomorrow, or his recent Dry County, thiWhile not the hard-hitting gut-punch noirs that I’ve come to love from the author, like The Posthumous Man, No Tomorrow, or his recent Dry County, this new Hinkson novel is still a solid thriller in the vein of The Big Ugly, and it also might be his most accessible book with arguably his most likable characters.
The strength here is in how enjoyable it is to follow our protagonist Lily Stevens, a devout and pregnant one-ness Pentecostal teenager who bravely steps outside of her sheltered life to go full amateur dick and track down her missing baby daddy. Even if you can’t relate to her background and religion, it’s hard not to get swept up by her determination and zeal. Allan is also another great character, a kind man with a fondness for Reba McEntire, and a sense of morality that he can’t shake, no matter how much it might get him in trouble. These two together make for a satisfying read and another great entry into Jake Hinkson’s bibliography!...more
One of the best teams in comics is back at it again, and this time with a series of pulp graphic novels following a problem-solver/trouble-maker-for-hOne of the best teams in comics is back at it again, and this time with a series of pulp graphic novels following a problem-solver/trouble-maker-for-hire in the same vein of Travis McGee, Parker, or Jack Reacher. In the 1980’s, Ethan Reckless gets a visit from an old flame that not only brings back ghosts of the past, but plunges him into a plot of graphic revenge.
This first book in the series actually turned out to be pretty middle-of-the-road work for Brubaker and Philips. It proved to be a little forgettable and the climax seemed to just fizzle out in a lazy way. But middle-of-the-road from these guys is still better than half the work out there, and with its cracking first half, this book is still a promising beginning to what could be a good series. ...more
It should be no surprise that the short stories in Jason Starr’s new collection are a lot like his novels. They’re all contemporary crime noir focusedIt should be no surprise that the short stories in Jason Starr’s new collection are a lot like his novels. They’re all contemporary crime noir focused on losers and degenerates of all kinds, ranging from degenerate gamblers, stock market assholes, sleazy old misogynists, and heartless serial daters.
The first half of stories are pretty good: short, efficient, and filled with Starr’s tragic sense of humor. But it’s strange how the last half of stories sort of fell off the cliff. All of these stories felt incomplete and lazily written, with less than compelling resolutions. But my overall favorites were: “The Graveyard of Jimmy Fontaine,” about gambler with the most terrible luck, and “Last Pick,” about a bullied kid finally getting the revenge he deserves....more
This novel is sold as a tense noir in the same vein as a classic James M. Cain book with a successful filmmaker recounting his cutthroat rise to fame This novel is sold as a tense noir in the same vein as a classic James M. Cain book with a successful filmmaker recounting his cutthroat rise to fame by stealing his mentor’s film and wife. It had some potential but ultimately, there’s not enough there to really live up to its hype and promise.
The characters aren’t nearly as compelling as they should be and once the lumbering plot gets going about halfway through, it proves to be barely existent beyond a maddeningly basic noir skeleton that can be summarized in a couple of sentences. The entitled asshole protagonist got on my nerves and the femme fatale was completely without nuance. And the ending…goodnes, what a timid cop-out that doesn’t at all stand up to the stories that it professes to be influenced by....more
This creative and fascinating novel blends murder mystery, horror, small-town rural legends, and family secrets into a highly satisfying tale coming iThis creative and fascinating novel blends murder mystery, horror, small-town rural legends, and family secrets into a highly satisfying tale coming in just over 200 productive pages. It tells the story of a small-town detective named Russ Buchanan driven to reopen the cases of recent violence in his Colorado town, including the fire-suicide of a girl named Lizzy Greiner. As Buchanan investigates, the story is told with a variety of narrative conventions, including Lizzy's journal, Buchanan's footnotes, articles, photographs, etc. All of this provides an absorbing tapestry that builds as the story unfolds.
"I was not looking for a confession. I only wanted her soul to be freed."
It was awesome getting sucked into this short novel. The epistolary and multiple-point-of-view style it's presented in makes everyone an unreliable narrator and you never quite know what's true and what's not as you're reading. And while it has elements of horror and crime, it ultimately tells a story that shows the tragic disintegration of a family and tackles mental health issues like depression and obsession. The author's innovative style lends an interesting mood throughout the novel and a tense, uneasy reading experience. This is my second novel by author Jon Bassoff and while it couldn't be any more different than the first one I read, it's further proof of how much of a singular talent he is.
"It's only flesh my darling. And flesh is meant for the fire."
Loading...
