It's the age-old story:
Man has affair with secretary and decides to kill wife
Secretary recommends sociopathic hit man to kill wife
Hit man is secret boyfriend of secretary and together they
plan to kill man
With a storyline like that, you know it will have a happy
ending...
This modern take on the classic noir story was crafted by
Ken Bruen and Jason Starr. It has a fresh angle on the subject
that offers numerous surprising twists, wonderfully flawed
characters with dark humor, crisp dialogue and a very realistic
setting. Having read other works by Bruen, I had an idea
what to expect from this collaboration. But this book exceeded
my expectations by taking both author's strengths and creating
an exciting ride that kept me hooked until the last page.
The cast of characters are the strongest elements. The self-made,
self-important and self-deluded Max Fisher, the opportunistic
and yet naïve Angela Petrakos, Max's secretary who
is willing to do anything to achieve her dreams and Thomas
Dillon, the deeply disturbed IRA outsider who's erratic
behavior makes him a menace to everyone, including himself.
Each one has brief moments when you almost feel sympathy
for them despite everything you know about them.
Also watch for SLIDE, the sequel to BUST available October
2007 from Hard Case Crime.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Kevin Einarson is the publisher of Spinetingler Magazine. His short
fiction has appeared in Mouth
Full of Bullets, Flashing in the Gutters and Spinetingler.
Return to Spring 2007 Table of Contents ©
2007 SPINETINGLER Magazine - All rights reserved
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