Being a fan of the Joe Pitt series, I purchased this book as a gift for a friend who likes to read crime novels. But he returned the book to me after reading only a few pages, arguing he didn't like the slightly disgusting introduction (is such a thing really necessary to write a good crime story?!) and did not want to find out what the rest of the book would bring.
I was immediately tempted to find out for myself wether the book was really that bad. So I started reading and after the first pages thought well, this is not so very different from the Pitt novels. I read the book straight to the end, and now I am thinking about getting the second part soon...
Yes, this book is disgusting, it is violent and brutal. But it also tells a fascinating story of a nice guy turning into a really bad criminal almost by accident: meeting wrong people, being forced to act and making wrong decisions only to find out later. Finally, not giving a damn and willingly comitting crimes, Hank Thompson never lost my sympathy, as he always remained true to himself.
If you liked the Joe Pitt novels, you should give Hank Thompson a try, and if not - do it anyway.