The noir infused plot had promise but was hindered by writing which felt shallow and lacked depth; at times the book read more like a story outline raThe noir infused plot had promise but was hindered by writing which felt shallow and lacked depth; at times the book read more like a story outline rather than a fully fledged novella in its own right.
A couple characters saved the book from being completely derailed with Issy and later Rachel being written perfectly into their roles; one as an accidental victim, the other as a 'hopes and dreams dashed damsel in distress'. However, 'protagonist' Mark, for his part, didn't fit the hero troupe, as much as I like the a-typical, there needs to be some plausibility and his character just didn't work.
I was really looking forward to giving this a shot and I'm still glad I did, I just wish the writing had more depth. Still a solid 3.5/5 stars. ...more
Line your stomach before delving into the depths of this book; its vivid imagery and gore-infused sequences of delicious madness are not for the squeaLine your stomach before delving into the depths of this book; its vivid imagery and gore-infused sequences of delicious madness are not for the squeamish.
Coil's plot is wound tight by a dangerously deranged and morally deprived killer lucking deep in the bowels of a densely populated futuristic post apocalyptic cityscape, plucking victims and pulling stings of gang leaders and peace keepers alike.
It's an imagined future most ferocious where body modification, transmutation, and a mashing of the ideals behind inanimate object and living organisms rein supreme.
Add in some poetic prose and deftly crafted depictions of inner city slum life and this makes for a great read.
The combination of noir, horror, and sci-fi broaden Coil's appeal but it's the protagonist and antagonist which make this something special; two sides of the same grime and blood crusted coin. Key characters in Stark, Burneo, Nia, and co. all add a little something to the Bone/Rope equation which contributes to the meaty feel of the book.
My rating: 5/5 stars.
Side note - check out that 80's retro horror cover art! I reckon I'll go buy the physical book too....more
Fogtown is a hard boiled graphic novel, heavy with genre troupes. The art matches the tone; dark inks in black and white, femme fatales drawn with a sFogtown is a hard boiled graphic novel, heavy with genre troupes. The art matches the tone; dark inks in black and white, femme fatales drawn with a sexy and dangerous intensity which ooze sensuality, and a protagonist of the muscle bound, chiseled jaw stereotype. Like the story, any notion of shades of grey is an abstract concept.
The 1953 period setting in San Francisco plays to a post WWII era backdrop as eviscerated prostitutes, shady men hiding behind religious fanaticism, and a complex PI in Frank Grissel who's secret provides a tasty side dish to the brutal main course, form a compelling and well paced plot.
My rating: 4/5 stars. Part of the now defunct (which is a damn shame) Vertigo Crime series, Fogtown is well worth the time to track down and devour; an easy flowing single sitting dose of hardboiled crime....more
Deke is a street cop assigned to work undercover for the misguided purpose of punching his boss's ticket to become Chief of Police. Tim, is an Irish FDeke is a street cop assigned to work undercover for the misguided purpose of punching his boss's ticket to become Chief of Police. Tim, is an Irish FBI agent, who too, is given an undercover op to infiltrate a rap mogul's business and turn the table on some illegal dealings. The two on the same blue line collide in a hailstorm of bullets in a perfect case of the right hand not letting the left know what's going on. In between there's some double-crossing and a little character development but all roads were clearly drawn down the barrel of a gun with a bar room battle, the crescendo reeking of cordite. Cowboys was a fun read, complemented by on-point art. ...more
It was always little things that unlocked the blackout doors. Details... the lipstick makes him remember a smile. The smile leads to a voice...then a It was always little things that unlocked the blackout doors. Details... the lipstick makes him remember a smile. The smile leads to a voice...then a face. And that's how Charlie realized whose house he'd woken up in...right before he found her lying dead on the living room floor.
Bars, blackouts, limelight and lowlifes. The Fade Out is A-grade noir set in the Hollywood's golden era of film, where stars shone their brightest and studio cover-ups were commonplace - it was a time where murder was more hindrance than heinous .
When screenwriter Charlie Parish stumbled upon starlet Valeria Sommers lifeless body less than twenty feet from where he was sleeping off 'the night before' in a bathtub, his first thought was to cover his tracks, his second thought, was the studio, the third - panic, for last night was drowned out in a watery wall of booze.
What follows is a murder mystery, a studio cover-up to make Sommers' untimely death a suicide, and the introduction of a bunch of seedy bit players all with something to gain by ignoring the murder.
The only thing holding The Fade Out (Act One) back is the incomplete ending. Rather than tying loose ends, the story progressively evolves as the fictitious Hollywood branches out into new character side stories - each interesting enough but given this arc ran for 4 issues, the core plot element is largely left unresolved.
A brief note on the art: Fantastic, moody, perfectly captures the essence of noir soaked Hollywood.
My rating: 4/5 stars. As mentioned early, The Fade Out (Act One) lacks a conclusion and fails to deliver a single cohesive and self contained story, rather, continuing to build an elaborate and intrinsically linked cast of characters with backstories as dark as the back-alleys they deal. I loved this story arc, but think it would've been better with an extra issue or two, conceptually - 5/5....more
A vengeance fueled noir dulled by an overbearing and unrealistic hard man yet is still addictive and compulsive reading. Literary noir this is not. EnA vengeance fueled noir dulled by an overbearing and unrealistic hard man yet is still addictive and compulsive reading. Literary noir this is not. Enjoy it for what it is. ...more
"I can see the end of the road. And it ends with me dead."
"But it ends with a lot of other people dead first."
Nick Bellamy, a former mob enforcer, now"I can see the end of the road. And it ends with me dead."
"But it ends with a lot of other people dead first."
Nick Bellamy, a former mob enforcer, now in his late 70's has his peaceful existence shattered when bullets break the glasshouse he had for so long hoped the mob wouldn't throw stones at.
With his elderly wife caught in the hail of death and his life in his own hands, Nick, who had never forgotten the feel of a crushed windpipe beneath his palms, once again revels in the violence that comes with his form of vengeance.
Sunset is all I could hope for from a revenge fueled romp and then some. Author Christos Gage balances out the bloodshed with some comedic moments which not only provide a brief form of respite from the bullets and bashing's but also help the characters grow and appear more real.
Sure Nick is a bad guy but he's damn fun to cheer for. You know he's done wrong and been wronged yet all this makes it right. Sunset isn't so much about redemption as it is finding closure through the cross-hairs yet the redemption and redeeming themes become more prevalent throughout adding an extra layer of depth to what is an already solid story.
My rating: 5/5 stars - as per the intro by Duane Swierczynski, this is geezer-noir at its finest....more
The first Australian book in the Akashic Noir series, Sydney Noir, envelopes the reader in a shroud of criminal activity, where in that blackness beatThe first Australian book in the Akashic Noir series, Sydney Noir, envelopes the reader in a shroud of criminal activity, where in that blackness beats the dark hearts of men and women prone to violence, and are well versed in deceit to aide their deadly deeds.
Spread across Sydney city and its surroundings, Sydney Noir brings murder to the doorsteps of Balmain, Redfern, Newtown, and even the iconic Sydney Harbor and more through a delectable dish of diverse stories encompassing family drama and murder in The Birthday Present by Mandy Sayer, drug abuse and the brutal consequences of over indulgence in Black Cul-De-Sac by Phillip McLaren, and the perils of love and lust in Leigh Redhead's scary-good short story The Transmutation of Sex.
The anthology is a celebration of Aussie crime, with authors slicing up the Sydney city crime dominion into chewy, bloody morsels of fiction each just as mouth watering as the last.
Some of my favorites include the aforementioned Black Cul-De-Sac by Phillip McLaren, The Transmutation of Sex by Leigh Redhead as well as cleverly written The Passenger by Kirsten Tranter, The Patternmaker by Julie Koh, and the patient payoff in the aptly titled Slow Burn by Gabrielle Lord to name a few, but really, you could throw a dart at any of the stories in this collection and be impressed.
My rating: 5/5 stars. It's great to see the Noir anthology make landfall in Australia. Sydney, with Kings Cross as its heart is a perfect destination for this anthology. Highly recommended.
Illustrator Darywn Cooke's adaptation of the classic blood soaked revenge fueled noir, The Hunter by Donald Westlake's most renowned pseudonym RichardIllustrator Darywn Cooke's adaptation of the classic blood soaked revenge fueled noir, The Hunter by Donald Westlake's most renowned pseudonym Richard Stark captures the essence of the novel and manages to better it by adding a layer of grit to the grime, in the process creating a visually perfect picture to compliment he prose.
Parker is a professional thief, taking only the most profitable jobs; its high stakes, high risk, high reward.
When an opportunity arises to take a cut of a cool 90k, he goes all in only to be betrayed by the women he loves and double crossed by his partners.
Left for dead, Parker emerges like a hellfire Phoenix and sets out to get revenge on those who wronged him.
My rating: 5/5 Stars. Parker is a great character; his brutal nature perfectly captured in this adaptation. If you're a fan of the novels, this is a must read graphic novel. ...more
Sunburn is the kind of book which hooks the reader with mystery and suspense while questioning the authenticity of the main characters motive and purpSunburn is the kind of book which hooks the reader with mystery and suspense while questioning the authenticity of the main characters motive and purpose throughout.
Thought provoking with an simmering level of intensity which feels like its threatening to boil over at any moment, Sunburn reads equal parts Lisa Lutz (The Passenger) and James M Cain (The Cocktail Waitress) - suburban noir at its finest.
At its heart, Sunburn tells the tale of a woman scorned, searching for a better life who isn't afraid to bury bodies in the wake of her passing through. Author Laura Lippman devilishly adds complexity to the main character in Polly, by infusing her backstory with seemingly murderous and heartless wrongdoings but balances that out by providing her with a likable firecracker quality, equally dangerous and exciting
A note on the audiobook: Regina Reagan's narration compliments the book perfectly. Her tone and style matches the sass and general nature of the character exceptionally well.
My rating; 5/5 stars. I couldn't get through this fast enough and loved every minute....more
Hard-man Jack Carter returns home to Doncaster following the unexpected death of his brother Frank. Straight away the scene doesn't seem on the level;Hard-man Jack Carter returns home to Doncaster following the unexpected death of his brother Frank. Straight away the scene doesn't seem on the level; firstly, the cause of death (Frank, drunk, allegedly drove his car of a cliff) doesn't fit given Frank hardly touched the hard stuff, secondly, Jack's bosses, the criminally inclined Les and Gerald don't want Jack putting noses out of joint down in Doncaster for fear of him endangering their criminal enterprise.
What follows is a rampage of violence as Jack steadily draws lines through names of his former associates on the path to a kind of street justice. Sure, he can't reverse Frank's death but he can put a whole lot of hurt on those responsible.
Get Carter is the book which epitomizes British noir; the protagonist is a criminal (though we don't know what exactly he does for Les and Gerald) whose morals are questionable (he's sleeping with his boss's wife, prone to violence against women, and is happy to abuse the kindness of strangers), while the undercurrent of crime is exemplified by police corruption, prostitution, murder, assault, and under-aged pornography - all this circling the drain surrounding the death of Frank.
My rating: 4/5 stars. I enjoyed Get Carter and would've given the book 5 stars had it read as a second in a series; I felt like I was dropped into Jack's life without a lot of backstory surrounding his current employer or the seemingly meaningful relationships he has with people who crossed Frank. ...more
Not being familiar with the TV series or the character prior to picking this up, I had no preconceptions as to what to expect from this collection of Not being familiar with the TV series or the character prior to picking this up, I had no preconceptions as to what to expect from this collection of three supposedly interlinked short stories.
This was also my first foray into the gimmick Kindle-In-Motion ebook, of which I also had no idea what to expect.
Contrary to popular opinion on Goodreads, I was entertained by the fun fast paced stories but not all that impressed with what the stories themselves had to offer nor the ‘extras’ by the author or the experience offered by the Kindle-In-Motion gimmick.
What worked: - Fun fast-food stories for the mind which were well paced, and easy to read - Letty is a cool character with loads of potential
What didn’t: - I didn’t see the connection from story to story, each reads as a one-and-done episode - The images from the kindle in motion didn’t match the prose (location/time of day/Letty’s clothing etc.); visual and text continuity was inconsistent - The author rundowns at the end of each story re: the corresponding TV episode and footnotes – it just didn’t interest me - The ending of the last story – it felt forced and a little dumb, shame as I had been enjoying it prior to,
My rating; 3/5 stars, Good Behavior would work well as a full length novel featuring Letty’s backstory, and a high level heist or two, rather than the episodic take on this collection....more
Violence, vengeance, rage and revenge. Through a blood shattered window we see Ray Kelly's life unfold as it almost ends. Discharged from the Air ForcViolence, vengeance, rage and revenge. Through a blood shattered window we see Ray Kelly's life unfold as it almost ends. Discharged from the Air Force, he's home and reunited with his father only to loose him in a seemingly unprovoked hail of hell-fire. Punctured with lead, Ray's father's death open wounds fresh on Ray as he delves deep into the hidden life his father once led learning truths better left lies, all the while acting as the reaper, bringing a the sickle to a gunfight.
Donald Westlake's 361 is pure noir. Conceptually well executed and well plotted though let down by inconsequential introspective dialogue and a weak leading man in Ray Kelly - his hard man persona exemplified at every opportunity read too false and provided little room for any character depth. This hurt the overall feel of the story, making it an average read when it could've been great.
My rating: 3/5, I have previously read the print edition some time ago and enjoyed the audiobook about the same, the narrator captured Ray's intensity and did the story justice. ...more
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