Welcome. Let's start right in with the reviews.
Hurt Machine, by Reed Farrel Coleman, Tyrus Books (Dec. 18, 2011)
Reviewed by Ann Snuggs
Wow!
It's hard to strike a balance between a hard-edged crime tale and a novel involving a man dealing with the news of a possibly fatal cancer eating away at his body but in Hurt Machine Reed Farrel Coleman does just that. With the skill and grace of an ace tightrope walker, Coleman creates an absorbing story of murder, lies and secrets investigated by aging private investigator Moe Prager, who has just learned that he has a golf ball-sized, malignant tumor in his stomach.
Moe is looking forward to his daughter Sarah's rapidly approaching wedding, especially now that he is facing surgery, chemo and all the pain that goes along with a cancer. He will not announce the news before that event. Distractions before that are welcome. And, his oncologist did tell him it might be wise to "get your house in order."
Yet an unwelcome distraction pops up as Moe waits--impatiently--for his girlfriend Pam to join him for a pre-wedding party.
His ex-wife Carmella Melendez walks around the corner and back into Moe's life, pulling him into a maelstrom of emotional upheaval--his at seeing her again after eight years of absence and also the raw emotions of those involved in the case she asks him to take for her--the murder of her sister, Alta Conseco. Moe cannot refuse her.
Alta was stabbed on the street outside Gelato Grotto, a popular pizzaria. The police got little help from the witnesses. Alta was persona non grata in many places since she and her EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) partner, Maya Watson, refused treatment to a man who died less than two months before her death.
Twists and blind alleys abound as Moe begins his scrutiny of the murder, the untreated victim, the senders of hate mail, the webs of connections, the secrets. They form a net of intrigue that is hard to escape--for Moe and for the reader. Moe feels a need to find out who killed Alta but, even more, he needs to know why she and her partner let Robert Tillman die. Was there a link between the two incidents?
Through every step of the investigation, the tumor rides along with Moe like a persistent mosquito. His philosophical musings meld into the story beautifully, adding texture and richness. After all, he is dealing with death. The ones for which he seeks answers are violent, surrounded by ugly rumors, hatred, bitterness and questions, but the cancer within also reeks of death-- his own--and much sooner than his natural lifespan.
Every old friend, acquaintance or enemy that he runs across in the investigation brings not only the present but also the past to mind. The cancer makes him more reflective, more blunt and more inclined to ruminate about his past and the meaning of life. He also sees the new people he meets in a different light. It's interesting how facing a more immediate end of life can bend a man's viewpoint.
Prager does run across quite a jumble of characters as he follows the winding trail to find out the whys and whos of the case. One who makes a wavering first impression on the reader but improves with acquaintanceship is Detective Jean Jacques Fuqua. Perhaps the good detective merits a series of stories in his own name. He would make a smashingly good protagonist. Just a thought.
Hurt Machine transcends the standard P.I. novel. While bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young readers might become impatient with Moe's philosophical ponderings, serious readers will see that this enhances the narrative, taking it a level above.
This is a don't-miss entry in the crime/detective genre. Its release date makes it fine for Christmas giving.
(Thanks to Leyane Jerejian of FSB for the review copy of Hurt Machine.)
**************************************************************
The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick deWitt, Ecco; Reprint edition (April 26, 2011)
Reviewed by Poker Ben (aka Ben Springer)
I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I admit the minute that I saw the cover for the “The Sisters Brothers” I had to read it. There was just something special about it that drew me in. Maybe it was the clever multi-view cover image, or maybe it was the retro color scheme, but what ever it might have been, I’m glad it got my attention because the book didn’t disappoint.
The Sisters brothers Charlie and Eli are killers for hire. They’re sent by their boss, the Commodore, to go from Oregon City to Sacramento, California, to kill gold prospector Hermann Kermit Warm. A simple job, that turns out to be anything but.
The story is sprinkled with a unique and memorable cast of characters throughout, and you never quite know who or what to expect as you turn the pages. From a near fatal spider bite, to a strange night spent with a witch, to the obsession with the newly invented toothbrush and powder.
Patrick deWitt manages to take the classic western novel and turn it into something completely his own, all the while retaining the familiarity of the genre, while keeping the reader glued to the page with his poetic prose.
Whether you’re a fan of westerns or not, definitely seek this novel out. Highly recommended.
(Thanks to Mark Ferguson and Danielle Plafsky of HarperCollins for the review copy of The Sisters Brothers.)
**************************************************************
Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham, Naxos AudioBooks
Reviewed by Poker Ben
William Lindsay Gresham’s Nightmare Alley is noir at its finest. Originally published in 1946, this reissued audiobook is a pinnacle of the genre.
Stanton Carlisle wants what most everyone does, fame and fortune. The American dream. He will stop at nothing to achieve it. Working his way up from an amateur sleight-of-hand artist in the traveling Ten-in-one shows, to a successful fake mind-reading act in vaudeville, the more he gets, the more he wants. Together, he and his wife Molly start a ministry where they attract wealthy “marks” for seances to contact loved ones in the afterlife. All Stanton and Molly need is one big score, and they’ll be set for life. But greed is a dangerous thing, and sometimes if you’re not careful the tables can turn on you.
With stark detail Gresham shows the life of a traveling carnival. Every detail of the ups and downs are chronicled, along with characters so real to life that they could jump off the page. Including some of the best dialogue in fiction. You could tell he really knew the subject well, and that shows through in spades. His insight into human psychology, and the vernacular of the times really make this novel powerful.
I listened to this audio version and found the narration by Adam Sims extremely satisfying. He had a different voice for each character’s dialogue, and I found that it enriched the story nicely.
I truly believe this to be one of the best noir novels I’ve ever read (or listened to). It’s a shame the author didn’t write but two novels, but there is also something fitting about that as well. It seems to make this book all the sweeter. Highly recommended.
(Thanks to Kelly Rach of Naxos Audiobooks the review copy of Nightmare Alley.)
**************************************************************
