Finally. The book where I finally get what the big fuss is about. The two other books by Ken Bruen that I've read, I either didn't like (AMERICAN SKIN) or was a little underwhelmed (THE GUARDS: good but not great).

This novel finds a balance between character and setting. The tone, details, and humanity shine from the gutter. The unapologetic approach to the hero is exactly what hardboiled writing is all about.

And to top it off, Bruen has thankfully limited the amount of pop culture and music references and chose to concentrate on the story. Not the plot mind you. The "mystery" that the story is supposedly about is incidental, taking up the last fifteen pages. However, the rest of the book is a study in loss and desperation.

If Bruen can combine the strengths of this book with an actual plotline, rather than the loose drunken stagger of a plot in this book, he has it in him to write a crime novel that is truly a classic. Maybe he has. I will keep reading Bruen and see where it takes me.