I can't recall if I've seen mention of Charlie Huston on this
list before, but I read all three of his books last year and
grew to like his work more and more. The first, _Caught
Stealing_, introduces Hank Thompson, a typical guy in New
York who agrees to look after his neighbor's cat. This leads
him, bit by bit, into a labyrinthine plot wherein he's
attacked by Russian mobsters, a corrupt policeman, a pair of
bank-robbing brothers, etc., and in which his friends are
tortured and killed. At times, I thought the killings got a
bit too much and some of the gore and torture scenes were
over-the-top. But the book had an undeniable fascination that
kept me turning the pages to see how or if Hank would be able
to pull himself out of this mess.
The follow-up, _Six Bad Things_, finds Hank in hiding in
Mexico, living on the beach and trying to stay out of sight.
He's managed to escape with millions of dollars of ill-gotten
gains and the deaths of numerous people are on his
conscience. He's the subject of true crime novels and
television programs and has earned quite a bit of notoriety.
When a Russian backpacker shows up and starts asking
questions, Hank realizes his safe haven may not be so safe
anymore and finds himself on the run, heading back to the
States to make sure his parents are safe and will remain so.
This sequel has more of the intense violence and the
tightly-wrapped plot that leaves Hank little room to move or
breathe. It also has more heart to it--you fear for Hank and
those he cares about as numerous forces collide and clash,
all trying to get their hands on his money. The book
obviously shows some growth and development on Huston's part,
and it was recently nominated for an Edgar.
Hot on the heels of _Six Bad Things_, there appeared _Already
Dead_, a vampire (or "vampyre") detective novel featuring Joe
Pitt, a rogue vampire trying to survive in a New York City
divided up between a number of competing vampire clans. There
are those who are dedicated to maintaining the vampires'
secrecy. Another clan of radicals want to someday integrate
vampires and humans. And another group is pursuing a monastic
existence, deliberately not feeding in an attempt to push the
envelope of the superhuman abilities that the vampire "vyrus"
affords those infected by it. Joe survives by doing favors
for the various clans and so maintains a sense of
independence. He is called upon to track down a young girl
who has disappeared into the goth subculture, while at the
same time trying to track down those responsible for a recent
rash of zombie, or "shambler," violence, which is bad for
everyone since it brings unwanted attention. I realize a
vampire detective is probably th
e last thing most Rara-Avians would want to read about,
but this really was a great book, with a real, seedy New York
ambiance to it. Huston has a website, www.pulpnoir.com, where
he talks about his writing and projects (he'll be writing a
Moon Knight re-vamp for Marvel Comics) and has contact email
addresses. I sent an email to congratulate him on his Edgar
nom and he responded within a couple of hours!
Craig Larson Plymouth, MN
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