Strong Narrator, Bold Voice, Great Read

Louden's voice grabs you by the ears - so strong, you can hear him speaking to you - and makes you turn the page: a mix of magic realism, a pinch of folk tale, all told with an R-rated sense of humour yet a good heart at the bottom of it. No head stuck-in-the mud despair is this, at the end, there's a feeling of hope for something better. Oh, and a good laugh. He may be influenced by writers such as Bukowski, but the voice is all his own.

Love It!

A YEAR AND A HALF on and we're looking back at some of the reviews from Lost Angeles...and maybe even convince you to buy yourself a copy. Yup, that's right I'm that much of a whore.

This book warmed me, upset me and excited me!  An excellent read made all the better by the Norn Irish references.

[Amazon USA] [Amazon UK]

Madness...

A YEAR AND A HALF on and we're looking back at some of the reviews from Lost Angeles...and maybe even convince you to buy yourself a copy. Yup, that's right I'm that much of a whore.

But sad and romantic. The episodes of rambling and just enough coherence make this book believable in Doug's story. Because of his lack of clarity through so much of his thought process the errors in grammar and spelling didn't even bother me as much as they usually would. I enjoyed how much of a messed up romantic prick he was. The best and worst of him made me actually want to run into him in the street one day

[Amazon USA] [Amazon UK]

From Belfast to LA; a Ride for the Reader

A YEAR AND A HALF on and we're looking back at some of the reviews from Lost Angeles...and maybe even convince you to buy yourself a copy. Yup, that's right I'm that much of a whore.

Doug, the protagonist and narrator of Dave Louden's debut novel, Lost Angeles, may find himself lost as he navigates between memories of his native Belfast and the L.A. to which he's run; but the reader is never lost in the sure hands of this storyteller.

From the opening chapter which catapults Doug into Los Angeles, straight off the plane from Belfast and into a near-fight in a fast food box, the reader is taken for a ride. Louden owes a debt to Bukowski, but he has nevertheless his own original voice: wry, sharp and sarcastic, confident. He has an amazing facility with words which may be a tribute to the Irish gift for story-telling, but is surely his own gift, too.

Lost Angeles partakes of the picaresque genre, except that Doug does grow as a character, coming to grips with what has hurt him so by the end of the novel. The story earns its ending, in which Doug, having exorcised his ghosts, or at least come to grips with them by staring them straight on, finds his calling. This reader, for one, hopes that the author of Lost Angeles has, too. The novel's final sentence is perfection.

[Amazon USA] [Amazon UK]

Lost Angeles: A Novel

A YEAR AND A HALF on and we're looking back at some of the reviews from Lost Angeles...and maybe even convince you to buy yourself a copy. Yup, that's right I'm that much of a whore.

I read this story and thought it to be a good story overall, seeing how his life went into a downward spiral and everything he goes through, give off some good pointers on things that go on in lives and just some interesting moments that make you read into the book some more. So I give this book 4 stars.

[Amazon USA] [Amazon UK]

The Big Sleep meets The Big Issue

When Ernie Politics is brutally murdered his best friend Ray Cobb sets out to discover why, no matter the cost.

There's something about Noir that both draws me in and repells me, largely because the genre is so heavily punctuated with code and convention that it's incredibly difficult to pull together a Noir story that's fitting or the genre yet original enough to merit spending the time reading it. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ERNIE POLITICS is an excellent example of why it's always important to take the risk and read it anyway.

Not only does it have an fascinating contemporary lead detective in Ray Cobb but writer Grusnick has populated the novel with well-drawn and interesting characters that not only drive the narrative but keep the reader turning the page. It's a fast read, a funny read and a genuinely enjoyable read with some great turns along the way. The homeless PI is a great twist on the genre and surely the kind of logic take on the almost nomadic gumshoe that crime writers everywhere will slap hand to head and ask themselves "how did I not see that?!"

Short & (Bitter) Sweet

Some of the most striking, powerful, and down-trodded prose you're ever likely to read. Memorising and maniacal in equal measure. One or two shorts show the influence of Fante's work in a way that's beautifully evolutionary.

With Nails, With Humour, With Balls

WITH NAILS is unlike any "celeb" diary publication, largely because it reads better than them. It reads like a novel, has touches of the Beat writers and a fascinating picaresque glimpse into the life of 'the actor'. Grant pulls few punches, which is what makes it all the more interesting.

Pulp'd

Noir with a heavy dose of the surreal and the metaphorical PULP is Bukowski's finally gift to the world before his passing. Nick Belane is old school, old Hollywood and hot on the straight of a French writer presumed dead and the Red Sparrow, amongst other things. Most interesting Hank penned this having made BARFLY and written HOLLYWOOD. What do you think that says?

The Mad Old Man With Fire In His Belly

There's a richness to old Hank's flirtations with insanity on the edges of skid row. Some of the short stories contained are the manic old man at his absolute best, some are so chaotic and dense that the true value will only be unearthed with multiple readings and others are written for magazines for money. He's a writer unlike any other, polarising sure but intense. He feels every word and doesn't just ponce around in the shallow waters of fashionable genres like so many writers who got/get fat and rich and lazy.

Permanently Entertaining

Perez's book is incredibly polarising and it's certainly worth arguing that people who don't like it don't get it. Permanent Obscurity is a cautionary tale of modern excess of getting life easy while at the same time it's the struggle of art over commerce. Narratively it's strong, dangerous and brave. His use of language for characterisation is second to none and he has a way of making you care about the characters, even when there's nothing to really like about them.

A powerful and important voice.

Less Than Zero

I read a review recently of Less Than Zero were the reviewer said they felt stressed when they left it unfinished. I know what they mean, and I don't know how Ellis does it. But it's great.

I don't buy into the "why should I care about his characters when he doesn't" bullshit. It takes a hell of a lot of work to make it feel this discarded. His train of thought narrative is exceptional and comedy so dark it'll stain your soul.

Brilliant Bandini

The early days of Arturo Bandini and family as they battle poverty, religion, matrimonial problems and the unforgiving Colorado winter. Wait Until Spring, Bandini is a power, moving, lyrical example of how and what literature can be when it's handled by someone with all the right tools. Incredible...the movie isn't a damn patch on these 210 pages.

A Hell of a Woman, A Hell of a Book

There's a lot to A Hell of a Woman that most people won't like, and that's kind of the point. All too often great characters do great things and the world watches and it's...well...great. But life isn't always like that and every once and a while there's a book like this. Unreliable narration, irredeemable characters and a lot of wrong that'll make you question your expectations as a reader.

Escaping Psychiatry

1. CANNON FODDER

Olga Nunez Miret's trilogy of novellas about wannabe writer Mary Miller and her exploits in her primary field of psychiatry carry with them three very distinct feels.  First up is Cannon Fodder which has Mary working with a young African American man by the name of Cain White who is on trial for inciting a religious riot.  Cain claims to be hearing the voice of God and with none of the evidence pointing towards a mental disorder it's up to Mary to dig through the past to find the truth of the present.

I really enjoyed Cannon Fodder, I didn't know what to expect but I found myself unable to put it down.  The writing style, as required in a novella, dives straight into the narrative and allows much of the characterisation to be born out of circumstance.  An interesting and honest piece of fiction that's not afraid to tackle the big issues.

2. TEAMWORK

When Police Captain Tom McLeod has a young officer struggling to deal with the violent death of his partner/mentor he calls on old friend Mary to see if the psychiatrist can offer any help for the promising young cop but is there more to deal with than survivor guilt?

Teamwork followed on from Cannon Fodder in a natural way, not only showcasing Miret's writing style but also in the characterisation and development of Mary Miller.  It has a matter of fact way of writing that undercuts characters, plots and motives in a way that's exciting and involving.  Miller is a great protagonist who journey is as bitterly beautiful as it is poignant.

3. MEMORY

Memory not only finishes the trilogy but takes the reader in a different direction as Mary becomes the victim of a violent sexual assault that results in the loss of her memory but when the psychiatrist becomes the patient who and what can be trusted when there's no recollection of the events?

It's a real change of pace to Cannon Fodder and Teamwork but it lets Memory develop the central character in a different way that not only showcases her vulnerability but also supporting characters from the other novellas.  Read them all, and in order and you'll really enjoy them.

More Good Words from Goodreads

Lost Angeles was shopped out on the freebie for Valentine's Day.  Sometimes you wonder whether anyone has so much as opened a book when they get it for free so the review below was really nice to see.  Big thanks to anyone on Amazon or Goodreads that not only take the time to read it but take the extra time to spread the word...

"Thank you! Loved it!"

"There was a point that I didn't know if I wanted to throw the book out of sorrow and frustration or kill the characters! It was so...emotional? heartbreaking? thought provoking? Honestly, a great book. I would have never thought to look up this book. "

"Honestly, there were point where I wanted to slap Doug so hard! Screaming at the book sufficed though jajaja and while you're reading you realize that while everything is happening you're shaking, or clenching your muscles, god it was heartbreaking!" 

Grape Expectations

Fante's Brotherhood of the Grape is billed as his most mature work...because it is.  It's a powerful piece of literature about a family and how there's always another chance to make a connection.  What it creates in emotion and maturity it somewhat loses in the passion you'd get from a character like Arturo Bandini but you can see how every word is beautiful, carefully hand picked and perfect.  There are echoes of 1933 Was A Bad Year and you can see the chapters that influenced Bukowski so greatly.  The man was something truly special, the most important American writer since Henry James?

Choke on This!

Choke is one of those novels that seems to divide people and that's why I love it.  Most people will have been introduced to Chuck Palahniuk through Fight Club and would have come to his other works with a set of expectations that are quickly dashed.  Choke has some of the same stylish turns of his most famous work but it's a strong, intelligent and deviant book in it's own right.  Clever & filthy in equally enticing measures.

Strange, Short and Sweet

Love is tough to write.  The balance between honest emotion and hallmark diabetic coma is a fine one but it's one that's skilfully executed in this little gem.  The author has a way of changing her voice with each narrative that makes it not only fresh but also energetic and unpredictable.

The Alcoholics

Jim Thompson's The Alcoholics is one of those books that everyone who has read it can't understand why those who haven't haven't.  It's a great read with some fantastic turns of phrases and beautifully simplistic characterisation that says more than could ever be put down on the page. The only issue with it is how criminally short it is, failing that it's a stylish and colourful beat novel that's a must for any lover of the soiled souls and fallen angels of literature.