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4th out of 93 books
—
126 voters
Beautiful, Naked & Dead (Moses McGuire #1)
by
Josh Stallings (Goodreads Author)
BEAUTIFUL, NAKED AND DEAD is hard-boiled crime novel. Moses McGuire a suicidal strip club bouncer is out to avenge the death of one of his girls. From his East L.A. home, through the legal brothels of Nevada and finally to a battle with the mob in the mountains above Palo Alto, it is a sex soaked, rage driven, road trip from hell.
Paperback, 275 pages
Published
2010
by Heist Publishing
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“We were all children of the battle zone. Growing up in violence you learned to duck and weave, you learned how to read the signs and become whoever you needed to be to keep from getting wacked.”
Stallings’ Moses McGuire is a great anti-hero - he’s a damaged, ex-services, ex –con strip club bouncer, packing a punch. He’s the exact kind of guy you shouldn’t like but you just can’t help yourself, he’s smart and noble and he’s smack bang in the middle of a murder investigation of his one and only fr...more
Stallings’ Moses McGuire is a great anti-hero - he’s a damaged, ex-services, ex –con strip club bouncer, packing a punch. He’s the exact kind of guy you shouldn’t like but you just can’t help yourself, he’s smart and noble and he’s smack bang in the middle of a murder investigation of his one and only fr...more
Blimey. Where to start? I'd heard great things about Josh Stallings and his debut novel, BEAUTIFUL, NAKED & DEAD. Great things. And when I eventually got round to reading it, I realised why.
BEAUTIFUL, NAKED & DEAD is narrated by the protagonist - Moses McGuire - battle-scarred veteran of the Beirut streets of the late seventies, now a bouncer in an LA strip club, with a penchant for drugs, alcohol, and lap dances.
One you could take home to your mum, ladies.
Added to this, Moses has almo...more
BEAUTIFUL, NAKED & DEAD is narrated by the protagonist - Moses McGuire - battle-scarred veteran of the Beirut streets of the late seventies, now a bouncer in an LA strip club, with a penchant for drugs, alcohol, and lap dances.
One you could take home to your mum, ladies.
Added to this, Moses has almo...more
Chandler wouldn't recognize Stallings' L.A., but Raymond would definitely FEEL modern LA from Josh's descriptions. Chandler looms large over every mystery writer -- where would we be if he hadn't invented the mode wherein a tough, lonely private man opens up his innermost feelings to us the voyeuristic reader, as he never would to anyone in real life? But the very best of Chandler's descendants make the style and the poesy their own, unique -- and so it is with Josh Stallings' debut effort, Beau...more
I was really impressed with this novel from the beginning. The main character Moses is fully fleshed out from page one, and I loved the story of him getting thrown in this crazy world. This book was like when you are expecting a nice kiss from your grandma but instead she grabs the back of your head with both hands and head butts you! With a high body count and a unique set of characters this noir novel stands out from any first novel I've ever read. The real crime here is it's only 2.99 for the...more
3 likes · like · see review
There is nothing quite like the cold taste of gun oil on a stainless steel barrel to bring your life in focus.
From the first sentence of Beautiful, Naked, and Dead, you know that Moses McGuire is not your average smart-ass crime noir anti-hero. Mo just might blast himself out of existence by the next few pages. He's the kind of guy that places "Find a reason to live" as number one task on his daily "to-do" list. He's out of luck, up Shit Creek, has only one friend, and that friend will resemble...more
May 03, 2013
Jerry Grahs
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hard-boiled-noir
Meet marine corp vet, ex-con, suicidal strip club bouncer Moses McGuire. If you read one unknown author this month or year for that matter, make it Josh Stallings. The dude can flat out write and has created a noir character worthy of some of the classics characters in the genre. Stallings' slow rolls the plot in favor of developing McGuire's character and really allows you to get into his mind in a way that you rarely see today in the noir genre.
I won't give you plot details, you can find thos...more
I won't give you plot details, you can find thos...more
Josh Stallings, much like Moses McGuire (the protagonist of Beautiful, Naked & Dead) kicks some serious ass in his debut novel about a slain strip club barmaid and her knight in rusty armour. Exploring the crime underworld of adult entertainment, BN&D takes the reader on a journey from East L.A to Sin City and all manner of clubs and brothels in between as Moses seeks a form of vengeance as natural to the ex marine as breathing. As mobsters and would be tough guys fall, blood flows equal...more
A hell of a ride with an awesome driver, Moses McGuire is a damaged piece of meat but the kind of guy you'd want to cover your back on a tour of California scum pits like this. A gripping read that I barreled through, eager to see where he took me next. Crime lovers take note: get in on the ground floor, Stalling is on the express elevator to the top.
"Let us put on manly readiness". - Macbeth
Mobsters and strippers and hookers and shootouts....oh my!
Tony Scott wishes he was still alive to direct this into a feature. It was definitely in the vein of his 1991 film "The Last Boy Scout", in the sense that while the story is well layered to serve its purpose, the masculinity of this story is very over the top. In fact, there is not one female character in this novel that is not a stripper or a hooker. Is it sexist? Hell yes. Sexist, with redeemabl...more
Mobsters and strippers and hookers and shootouts....oh my!
Tony Scott wishes he was still alive to direct this into a feature. It was definitely in the vein of his 1991 film "The Last Boy Scout", in the sense that while the story is well layered to serve its purpose, the masculinity of this story is very over the top. In fact, there is not one female character in this novel that is not a stripper or a hooker. Is it sexist? Hell yes. Sexist, with redeemabl...more
A first novel from a promising author. I read somewhere that he self published. This book is good, infact I had to stick with it until finished. It has the classic trait that comes with crime novels of making you want to finish it as quickly as possible. However, that said, I think that the writer should have held off, put it away for another couple of months and then revisited it with a more critical eye. There are many things in it that work, but unfortunately many other things that don't - in...more
You know what, forget Moby Dick and A Tale of Two Cities because Beautiful, Naked & Dead by Josh Stallings has one of the best opening lines of a book I’ve ever read: “There is nothing quite like the cold taste of gun oil on a stainless steel barrel.” If that doesn’t pique your hard-boiled interest then this might not be your genre. If it does, then take the phone off the hook and cancel your plans because once you get past that opening sentence you’re not going to want to talk to anyone or...more
4 likes · like · see review
Moses Mcguire is at the end of his rope. An ex-marine scarred by a peacekeeping tour of Lebanon and a convict scarred by a prison sentence, he wakes up each day with a gun in his hand, wondering if he can muster up the courage to end the pain once and for all. Moses works as a bouncer at a seedy Los Angeles strip club, mind-numbing work where he is only kept sane by talking to Kelly, the shy waitress who is too bashful to take off her clothes and dance for the lonely, haunted men who patronize t...more
This was one of those books that could have easily been published in the traditional manner, making you wonder what some of the publishing houses out there are thinking. Thankfully, there the self-pub route is available, otherwise, we’d lose a lot of good books by the roadside.
The plot is fast and fun, a thriller of the best sort, with lots of twists and a pervasive sexual undertone that goes well with the gritty images of mob bosses and drug pushers. There is not a single boring moment. It is t...more
The plot is fast and fun, a thriller of the best sort, with lots of twists and a pervasive sexual undertone that goes well with the gritty images of mob bosses and drug pushers. There is not a single boring moment. It is t...more
First, let me say that I was more-than impressed with the caliber of writing in this novel. Stallings has a first-rate way with the written word, so much so that I found myself wanting to highlight passages while reading - a rare occurrence with me and one that speaks volumes towards the exacting prose.
I'll skip the synopsis, because that's what blurbs are for.
Told from the perspective of the novel's main character, Moses, the language is clean, cutting and often insightful. It's been a while...more
I'll skip the synopsis, because that's what blurbs are for.
Told from the perspective of the novel's main character, Moses, the language is clean, cutting and often insightful. It's been a while...more
Mar 20, 2011
Lisarose
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Noir, crime, hard boild detective
I'll I admit it: I'm the author's sister- Warning my review is probably biased- That said I'm so proud of the kid; it's a great read and a hell of a dark ride. Beautiful Naked and Dead is classic hard-boiled detective fiction in the tradition of Ramon Chandler and Water Mosely. Moses McGuire, the protagonist, is the archetypal wounded knight- The poor sucker has a fierce moral code- so wants to do right- but is blinded by rage, wounds, and alcoholism. The first lines of the novel are: "There is...more
I almost decided to stop reading this book early on in the first chapter. I found the negative suicidal attitude of the principle character too depressing to force myself to visualize the environment as his slanted view perceived it. Now, I'm glad I persevered! As the story rolled on, the self destructive nature of Mo (Moses) balanced the grimy climate of the strip clubs, porno sites and Nevada legal prostitution houses where Mo sought answers to explain the brutal torture death of the one girl...more
Moses McGuire is depressed. He's so depressed that he's considering ending it all. However, his delivery of hot lead to his grey matter is rudely interrupted by a call for help from a friend. Moses jumps on his trusty Norton and heads over to the strip joint where he works to rendezvous with his damsel in distress.
Beautiful, Naked and Dead is the literary equivalent of a Tarantino movie. You have all the ingredients needed: Mobsters, wise cracking characters, fast cars, girls and guns. However,...more
Beautiful, Naked and Dead is the literary equivalent of a Tarantino movie. You have all the ingredients needed: Mobsters, wise cracking characters, fast cars, girls and guns. However,...more
It can be hard writing book reviews some times even if it is for a book you loved. Ultimately it's worth it though. I get the satisfaction of having produced something and every once in awhile I get something out of it, like being turned onto the works of a new writer. That's what happened several months back when Josh Stallings approached me about his debut novel, "Beautiful, Naked & Dead." Stallings believed that because I was a fan of Charlie Huston's work I would like his work as well. I...more
4.5 Stars
Wow, what a book. Great writing. Thoroughly loved Mo. Excellent read. Thank you very much for my copy Josh Stallings - I look forward to the next book :)
Wow, what a book. Great writing. Thoroughly loved Mo. Excellent read. Thank you very much for my copy Josh Stallings - I look forward to the next book :)
Intense and fast-paced, this novel seems very well-described by its title. Filled with sex and violence, the author weaves a compelling story, but often the plot appears to be merely a vehicle to carry forward the fights, shooting and sex. Still, I have to admit, I was totally involved in this book and I would probably read more by this author. The book probably really deserves three and one-half stars.
Beautiful, Naked and Dead is a hardboiled caper novel that starts at a fair clip and keeps motoring along until its bloody climax. Everything about the book is hard-edged with soft undertones: the characters, the plot, the prose. Moses McGuire at one level is a cookie-cut hard man, but Stallings makes him a little vulnerable and complex with a firm moral compass despite his own shady past. The other characters are a little one-dimensional and cliched, but they perfectly fit the plotline and the...more
Forty-three year old Moses McGuire wakes up every day with a decision to make: go to his job as a bouncer at a strip club, or kill himself? The job at the strip club is relatively new, he got that shortly after being released from prison, but the thoughts of suicide aren’t. In fact, as Moses recalls it he was six years old the first time the thought seriously crossed his mind.
Somehow he made it another thirty-seven years down a rugged road without topping himself, but not without hitting a few m...more
Somehow he made it another thirty-seven years down a rugged road without topping himself, but not without hitting a few m...more
This is one of the best books that I've read this year. No question. If there are any publishers out there reading this, you should put that coke back in the drawer and call Josh Stallings. Trust me, you want to be in the Josh Stallings business. This guy has crazy skills.
Lean, but with depth. Violent, yet human. BEAUTIFUL, NAKED & DEAD shines as a perfect example of what can still be done within genre work. While it embraces many of the conventions, it also finds its own way with humor and...more
Lean, but with depth. Violent, yet human. BEAUTIFUL, NAKED & DEAD shines as a perfect example of what can still be done within genre work. While it embraces many of the conventions, it also finds its own way with humor and...more
4 likes · like · see review
Meh, I should have stopped but have a hard time not finishing a book once I pick it up. A good crime thriller very easily play like a movie in your head, this one played a bad late night basic cable movie. Its a world of strippers and bouncers and I don't really know that world, but when he tries to write about anything other then that it gets even worse. In one part he tries to describe IP address's and get's it horribly wrong, he claims in the book the contain five series of numbers that corre...more
May 14, 2011
Weasel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Joe Lansdale
Shelves:
first-reads,
mystery
I won a copy of this through first-reads last month and unfortunately various things kept me from getting to it right away.
Let me say, while it’s not perfect, this book is awesome.
First the negatives, so you don’t think I’m some gushing fan-boy, or relative of the author. I don’t care for the “what music he’s listening to now” asides, though that’s just a matter of taste. The beginning of chapter 7 with the car and equipment description comes close to reading more like a catalogue than a novel...more
Let me say, while it’s not perfect, this book is awesome.
First the negatives, so you don’t think I’m some gushing fan-boy, or relative of the author. I don’t care for the “what music he’s listening to now” asides, though that’s just a matter of taste. The beginning of chapter 7 with the car and equipment description comes close to reading more like a catalogue than a novel...more
1 like · like · see review
In Moses McGuire, Josh Stallings has given us a new hero. Battle-scarred, cynical and suicidal, frequently drunk and a regular dry-humper of strippers, he might not sound like the sort of person you’d see coming to the rescue, but don’t be fooled: Moses is one of the most loyal, decent and moral people you’ll meet (certainly between the pages of this novel).
In Beautiful, Naked and Dead, Moses is an avenging angel, albeit one with a pocket full of drugs and bullets. It’s a long, hard journey he t...more
In Beautiful, Naked and Dead, Moses is an avenging angel, albeit one with a pocket full of drugs and bullets. It’s a long, hard journey he t...more
Despite his tendency toward violence (much of it directed at himself) you can't help but like Moses McGuire, Stalling's protagonist. Sure his world view is bleak, but yours would be too if you'd been through all the shit he has. And he's no reluctant hero--Moses jumps head first into the hunt for the killer of the one woman he considers a friend. He might've even been in love with her, not that Moses would allow himself to be loved back. Not at first, anyway.
Moses is fearless, which makes him a...more
Moses is fearless, which makes him a...more
A ball-crunching tale of what happens when a man with nothing to live for sets out to avenge the murder of a close friend. Moses McGuire is neither a PI, police-man, lawyer or anywhere near legal so goes about the job in any way he can, often with messy, violent consequences. You will end up rooting for Moses even if some of his actions are a bit extreme - if you've read this type of book before you know what to expect yet Josh Stallings manages to keep it all fresh & the pace never stops. Y...more
Prior to reading Beautiful, Naked & Dead by Josh Stallings, I hadn't dreamt about a book I was reading since my Oscar Martello reading days right before Christmas. I was starting to think I'd lost my, uh... touch, for lack of a better word. I mean, it's not like I can will a character into a dream. In fact, my one and only dream about Oscar Martello didn't even have Oscar Martello in it. Moses McGuire on the other hand...
****
Having never been in a club that featured GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! I...more
****
Having never been in a club that featured GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! I...more
this is a great book. The characters are awesome. my favorite characters are Moses and Cass. a real page turner.
won this copy from goodreads.
won this copy from goodreads.
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Josh Stallings is author of the critically acclaimed Moses McGuire crime books. This latest book is All The Wild Children a noir memoir.
He has been in no particular order, a film editor, taxi driver, criminal, father, husband, club bouncer, a trailer editor, a screen writer, a bad actor and a good friend.
He lives in the city of his birth, Los Angeles with his wife Erika, two dogs and a cat.
More about Josh Stallings...
He has been in no particular order, a film editor, taxi driver, criminal, father, husband, club bouncer, a trailer editor, a screen writer, a bad actor and a good friend.
He lives in the city of his birth, Los Angeles with his wife Erika, two dogs and a cat.
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“There is nothing quite like the cold taste of gun oil on a stainless steel barrel to bring your life into focus. ”
—
8 people liked it
“Pulling out onto the highway I noticed a stone pillar commemorating the Donner Party. They were a true testament to the American spirit, push forward at all costs and eat the dead when necessary. Wasn’t that the American dream in a nutshell.”
—
5 people liked it
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May 06, 2011 09:06am