Nick Kolakowski's Blog - Posts Tagged "thriller"
"A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps" is $0.99 This Month
Hey y'all,
The Kindle edition of "A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps" is a mere $0.99 in February. It's at this low, low price because the sequel, "Slaughterhouse Blues," is coming Feb. 9, and my publisher wanted to give people the chance to read up on the first one before jumping into the second...
The Kindle edition of "A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps" is a mere $0.99 in February. It's at this low, low price because the sequel, "Slaughterhouse Blues," is coming Feb. 9, and my publisher wanted to give people the chance to read up on the first one before jumping into the second...
'Slaughterhouse Blues' is Out Today!
The next book in the 'Love & Bullets' trilogy is (finally!) out in the world. Check it out via whatever paper or digital method you prefer.
Here's the synopsis:
"'Slaughterhouse Blues' catches up with Bill and Fiona, the chattery and gun-happy anti-heroes of A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps, soon after they’ve escaped the Rockaway Mob, the criminal enterprise from which Bill 'borrowed' several million dollars.
"Holed up in Havana, Bill and Fiona know the Mob is coming for them—it’s just a question of time. But they’re not prepared for who the Mob sends: a pair of assassins so utterly amoral and demented, their behavior pushes the boundaries of sanity. Seriously, what kind of killers pause in mid-hunt to discuss the finer points of thread count and luxury automobiles?
"Forced on the run (again), Bill and Fiona will venture from the crumbling streets of Cuba to the steaming jungles of Nicaragua, and finally back to the mean streets of New York City. If they want to survive, our fine young criminals can’t retreat anymore: they’ll need to pull off a massive (and massively weird) heist—and the loot has some very dark history…
Praise for SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES:
“Dark, bleak and in-your-face, take-no-prisoners prose, everything you want in crime fiction.” —Frank Bill author of 'Donnybrook' and 'Crimes in Southern Indiana'
Here's the synopsis:
"'Slaughterhouse Blues' catches up with Bill and Fiona, the chattery and gun-happy anti-heroes of A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps, soon after they’ve escaped the Rockaway Mob, the criminal enterprise from which Bill 'borrowed' several million dollars.
"Holed up in Havana, Bill and Fiona know the Mob is coming for them—it’s just a question of time. But they’re not prepared for who the Mob sends: a pair of assassins so utterly amoral and demented, their behavior pushes the boundaries of sanity. Seriously, what kind of killers pause in mid-hunt to discuss the finer points of thread count and luxury automobiles?
"Forced on the run (again), Bill and Fiona will venture from the crumbling streets of Cuba to the steaming jungles of Nicaragua, and finally back to the mean streets of New York City. If they want to survive, our fine young criminals can’t retreat anymore: they’ll need to pull off a massive (and massively weird) heist—and the loot has some very dark history…
Praise for SLAUGHTERHOUSE BLUES:
“Dark, bleak and in-your-face, take-no-prisoners prose, everything you want in crime fiction.” —Frank Bill author of 'Donnybrook' and 'Crimes in Southern Indiana'
'Boise Longpig Hunting Club' Available for Pre-Order!
'Boise Longpig Hunting Club,' my next novel from Down & Out Books, is now available for pre-order (it comes out August 13). The paperback is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (where it's being offered at a pre-sale discount), along with the Kindle edition.
Plus the Down & Out Books e-store is running a buy-the-paperback-get-the-ebook deal, although probably for a limited time.
Links to iTunes, etc., should be up soon. Here's the book's official description; I like to frame it as a contemporary update of 'The Most Dangerous Game,' only with more snark and a bit of political subtext...
Early praise for BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB:
“Nick Kolakowski spins a ripping pulp yarn of smart-ass bounty hunters and bad-ass crime queenpins caught in the Jean-Claude Van God-Damnedest take on 'The Most Dangerous Game' since 'Hard Target,' but with no bad accents.” —Thomas Pluck, author of 'Bad Boy Boogie' and 'Blade of Dishonor'
Plus the Down & Out Books e-store is running a buy-the-paperback-get-the-ebook deal, although probably for a limited time.
Links to iTunes, etc., should be up soon. Here's the book's official description; I like to frame it as a contemporary update of 'The Most Dangerous Game,' only with more snark and a bit of political subtext...
When you want someone found, you call bounty hunter Jake Halligan. He’s smart, tough, and best of all, careful on the job. But none of those skills seem to help him when a shadowy group starts taking his life apart piece by piece.
First Jake comes home to find a dead body in his gun safe. He thinks it’s a warning—and when you drag people back to jail for a living, the list of people who want to send that kind of message is very long indeed. With backup from his sister Frankie, an arms dealer and dapper criminal, Jake plunges into the Idaho underworld, confronting everyone from brutal Aryan assassins to cops who want his whole family in jail.
But as Jake soon discovers, those threats are small-time compared to the group that’s really after him. And nothing—not bounty hunting, not even all his years in Iraq—can prepare him for what’s coming next. Jake’s about to become a player in the most dangerous game ever invented…
Boise Longpig Hunting Club is a wild ride into the dark heart of the American dream, where even the most brutal desires can be fulfilled for a price, and nobody is safe from the rich and powerful.
Early praise for BOISE LONGPIG HUNTING CLUB:
“Nick Kolakowski spins a ripping pulp yarn of smart-ass bounty hunters and bad-ass crime queenpins caught in the Jean-Claude Van God-Damnedest take on 'The Most Dangerous Game' since 'Hard Target,' but with no bad accents.” —Thomas Pluck, author of 'Bad Boy Boogie' and 'Blade of Dishonor'
"Main Bad Guy" Available for Pre-Order
"Main Bad Guy," the third book in the "Love & Bullets" trilogy, is available for pre-order today via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and other fine retailers. Here's the jacket description for ya:
Bill and Fiona, the lovable anti-heroes of the “Love & Bullets” trilogy, find themselves in the toughest of tough spots: badly wounded, hunted by assorted cops and goons, and desperately in need of a drink (or five).
After a round-the-world tour of spectacular criminality, Bill and Fiona find themselves back in New York. But it’s not exactly home-sweet-home: Locked in a panic room on the top floor of a skyscraper, surrounded by pretty much everyone in three zip codes who wants to kill them, they’ll need to figure out how to stay upright and breathing… and maybe deal out a little payback in the process.
Can they survive?
Even better, can they make a profit off all this?
Main Bad Guy caps a series described as “a Tarantino movie in prose” (Sons of Spade) and “deliciously deranged” (Raven Crime Reads).
Praise for MAIN BAD GUY:
“It’s no surprise that Nick Kolakowski brought the heat with his latest novel Main Bad Guy. The surprise is that you won’t know which landed harder: His stripped-down, hard-boiled prose, the explosive dialogue, or the wickedly insane and diabolical humor. Grab hold of this one with both hands and hold on tight.” —Eryk Pruitt, author of 'Townies' and 'What We Reckon'
***
"Main Bad Guy" is my homage to siege movies such as John Carpenter's original "Assault on Precinct 13." For years, I've wanted to write something that placed my characters in a small, confined, dangerous space; Bill and Fiona finally gave me the opportunity to do so.
To mark the release of "Main Bad Guy," Down & Out Books and Shotgun Honey have re-issued the first two books in the series, "A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps" and "Slaughterhouse Blues," with new, stunning covers. Amazon is currently running a Kindle sale on those.
Happy Reading!
Bill and Fiona, the lovable anti-heroes of the “Love & Bullets” trilogy, find themselves in the toughest of tough spots: badly wounded, hunted by assorted cops and goons, and desperately in need of a drink (or five).
After a round-the-world tour of spectacular criminality, Bill and Fiona find themselves back in New York. But it’s not exactly home-sweet-home: Locked in a panic room on the top floor of a skyscraper, surrounded by pretty much everyone in three zip codes who wants to kill them, they’ll need to figure out how to stay upright and breathing… and maybe deal out a little payback in the process.
Can they survive?
Even better, can they make a profit off all this?
Main Bad Guy caps a series described as “a Tarantino movie in prose” (Sons of Spade) and “deliciously deranged” (Raven Crime Reads).
Praise for MAIN BAD GUY:
“It’s no surprise that Nick Kolakowski brought the heat with his latest novel Main Bad Guy. The surprise is that you won’t know which landed harder: His stripped-down, hard-boiled prose, the explosive dialogue, or the wickedly insane and diabolical humor. Grab hold of this one with both hands and hold on tight.” —Eryk Pruitt, author of 'Townies' and 'What We Reckon'
***
"Main Bad Guy" is my homage to siege movies such as John Carpenter's original "Assault on Precinct 13." For years, I've wanted to write something that placed my characters in a small, confined, dangerous space; Bill and Fiona finally gave me the opportunity to do so.
To mark the release of "Main Bad Guy," Down & Out Books and Shotgun Honey have re-issued the first two books in the series, "A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps" and "Slaughterhouse Blues," with new, stunning covers. Amazon is currently running a Kindle sale on those.
Happy Reading!
"Boise Longpig Hunting Club" Turns One!
One year ago, Down & Out Books published "Boise Longpig Hunting Club," my rural-noir thriller about a bounty hunter and his arms-dealer sister who find themselves trapped in the most dangerous game. It's one of my favorite things that I've written, and I'm pleased overall with the response that it's gotten -- including random jokes from fans about monkeys and rocket launchers.
In any case, to celebrate this one-year anniversary, the book is $0.99 on Amazon Kindle, so if you need some beach reading, go for it!
In any case, to celebrate this one-year anniversary, the book is $0.99 on Amazon Kindle, so if you need some beach reading, go for it!
'Boise' for $0.99, Plus 'Rattlesnake' Upcoming!
If you've been meaning to read 'Boise Longpig Hunting Club,' my neo-noir Western (or maybe it's a neo-Western noir?) that landed some extremely solid reviews when it rolled out in 2018, Amazon is selling the Kindle edition for $0.99 for a limited time.
For those who've never been properly introduced to 'Longpig,' here's the summary for ya:
When you want someone found, you call bounty hunter Jake Halligan. He’s smart, tough, and best of all, careful on the job. But none of those skills seem to help him when a shadowy group starts taking his life apart piece by piece.
First Jake comes home to find a dead body in his gun safe. He thinks it’s a warning—and when you drag people back to jail for a living, the list of people who want to send that kind of message is very long indeed. With backup from his sister Frankie, an arms dealer and dapper criminal, Jake plunges into the Idaho underworld, confronting everyone from brutal Aryan assassins to cops who want his whole family in jail.
But as Jake soon discovers, those threats are small-time compared to the group that’s really after him. And nothing—not bounty hunting, not even all his years in Iraq—can prepare him for what’s coming next. Jake’s about to become a player in the most dangerous game ever invented…
Boise Longpig Hunting Club is a wild ride into the dark heart of the American dream, where even the most brutal desires can be fulfilled for a price, and nobody is safe from the rich and powerful.
Meanwhile, the sequel, 'Rattlesnake Rodeo,' is slated to drop from Down & Out Books on Oct. 26. I'm not going to post the summary here, just because it contains mild spoilers, but if such a thing doesn't bother you, you can head over to Amazon for the full description; it's also for sale via Barnes & Noble, your local favorite indie, and everywhere else. (Right now, you can pre-order various e-versions, but the paperback pre-orders should be imminent.)
Last but certainly not least, if you're in a podcast mood, I'm on the latest episode of the Reading and Writing podcast, discussing "Lockdown" (the charity anthology I co-edited for Polis Books) as well as the difficulties and unexpected upsides of writing and editing during a pandemic. Check it out!
For those who've never been properly introduced to 'Longpig,' here's the summary for ya:
When you want someone found, you call bounty hunter Jake Halligan. He’s smart, tough, and best of all, careful on the job. But none of those skills seem to help him when a shadowy group starts taking his life apart piece by piece.
First Jake comes home to find a dead body in his gun safe. He thinks it’s a warning—and when you drag people back to jail for a living, the list of people who want to send that kind of message is very long indeed. With backup from his sister Frankie, an arms dealer and dapper criminal, Jake plunges into the Idaho underworld, confronting everyone from brutal Aryan assassins to cops who want his whole family in jail.
But as Jake soon discovers, those threats are small-time compared to the group that’s really after him. And nothing—not bounty hunting, not even all his years in Iraq—can prepare him for what’s coming next. Jake’s about to become a player in the most dangerous game ever invented…
Boise Longpig Hunting Club is a wild ride into the dark heart of the American dream, where even the most brutal desires can be fulfilled for a price, and nobody is safe from the rich and powerful.
Meanwhile, the sequel, 'Rattlesnake Rodeo,' is slated to drop from Down & Out Books on Oct. 26. I'm not going to post the summary here, just because it contains mild spoilers, but if such a thing doesn't bother you, you can head over to Amazon for the full description; it's also for sale via Barnes & Noble, your local favorite indie, and everywhere else. (Right now, you can pre-order various e-versions, but the paperback pre-orders should be imminent.)
Last but certainly not least, if you're in a podcast mood, I'm on the latest episode of the Reading and Writing podcast, discussing "Lockdown" (the charity anthology I co-edited for Polis Books) as well as the difficulties and unexpected upsides of writing and editing during a pandemic. Check it out!
'Rattlesnake Rodeo,' the Fiery Sequel to 'Boise Longpig Hunting Club' Is Here!
We’re out in paperback, and on Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, and Google Books, although I’m always big on encouraging folks to buy indie. Here's the summary:
Plus, we got some early reviews:
“Rattlesnake Rodeo is high-octane noir. A classic "man on the run" plot on steroids with enough artillery and action for readers looking for adrenaline rush, but with that dark, doomy core that is noir. While it's more fast-paced than Boise Longpig Hunting Club, which takes its time setting all the elements in place for a big finish, it shares the previous novel's emphasis on character and relationships.”
- Pulp Serenade
“This is a story to be consumed like vodka or tequila, in quick swallows that burn the back of your throat; this rattlesnake has a bite.”
- Crime Fiction Lover
“If you are looking for an adrenaline rush of a novel that presses the pedal all the way down, you owe it yourself to pick up Kolakowski’s latest.”
- Econoclash Review
"Nick Kolakowski is known for his insightful essays on complex social issues and controversies within the world of crime fiction but, for those unfamiliar with his fiction, Rattlesnake Rodeo (and its fantastic predecessor, Boise Longpig Hunting Club) are terrific starting points. At turns ruthless and intimate, but always with a touch of humor, Rodeo takes readers on a violent, memorable journey through the new American West and the dark violence plaguing his characters' souls."
- E.A. Aymar, author of The Unrepentant
Three nights ago, Jake Halligan and his ultra-lethal sister Frankie were kidnapped by a sadistic billionaire with a vendetta against their family. That billionaire offered them a terrible deal: Spend the next 24 hours in the backwoods of Idaho, hunted by rich men with the latest in lethal weaponry. If Jake and Frankie survived, they'd go free; otherwise, nobody would ever find their bodies.
Jake and Frankie managed to escape that terrible game, but their problems are just beginning. They're broke, on the run, and hunted by every cop between Oregon and Montana. If they're going to make it through, they may need to strike a devil's bargain-and carry out a seemingly impossible crime.
Rattlesnake Rodeo is a neo-Western noir filled with incredible twists. If you want true justice against the greedy and powerful, sometimes you have no choice but to rely on the worst people...
Plus, we got some early reviews:
“Rattlesnake Rodeo is high-octane noir. A classic "man on the run" plot on steroids with enough artillery and action for readers looking for adrenaline rush, but with that dark, doomy core that is noir. While it's more fast-paced than Boise Longpig Hunting Club, which takes its time setting all the elements in place for a big finish, it shares the previous novel's emphasis on character and relationships.”
- Pulp Serenade
“This is a story to be consumed like vodka or tequila, in quick swallows that burn the back of your throat; this rattlesnake has a bite.”
- Crime Fiction Lover
“If you are looking for an adrenaline rush of a novel that presses the pedal all the way down, you owe it yourself to pick up Kolakowski’s latest.”
- Econoclash Review
"Nick Kolakowski is known for his insightful essays on complex social issues and controversies within the world of crime fiction but, for those unfamiliar with his fiction, Rattlesnake Rodeo (and its fantastic predecessor, Boise Longpig Hunting Club) are terrific starting points. At turns ruthless and intimate, but always with a touch of humor, Rodeo takes readers on a violent, memorable journey through the new American West and the dark violence plaguing his characters' souls."
- E.A. Aymar, author of The Unrepentant
"Love & Bullets" About to Mega-Bomb!
My next book is coming out next week from Shotgun Honey, award-winning publisher of gonzo crime fiction! The mega-sized, all-extras-added, phone-book-thick "Love & Bullets" combines three original novellas ("A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps," "Slaughterhouse Blues," and "Main Bad Guy") with a whole mess of new material, including a new middle, the revival of a previously dead character, and an even more splattery/fiery ending!
If you're interested in snagging the paperback, head over to the Shotgun Honey website, which is handling paper pre-orders. E-book-wise, it's also available on Kindle (and more platforms soon).
Here's what some fine folks have been saying about "Love & Bullets" so far (more to come):
"Nick Kolakowski takes us on another incredibly visceral and vivacious ride among the lowlife and the lovers that populate his unique imagination. 'Love and Bullets' is vintage Nick: Funny, fast paced and just tinged with just enough darkness to make you afraid for his characters. Not to be missed!" - Shawn A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of RAZORBLADE TEARS and BLACKTOP WASTELAND
"It’s fitting that this darkly funny novel of criminals hunting criminals is dropping in the middle of the Great Resignation, a time when burnout–among other factors–is prompting many workers to give their notice or just walk out the door." - Small Press Picks
"The exploits of Bill and Fiona are long on banter and short on causation. This one’s for die-hard Kolakowski fans!" - Publishers Weekly
If you're interested in snagging the paperback, head over to the Shotgun Honey website, which is handling paper pre-orders. E-book-wise, it's also available on Kindle (and more platforms soon).
Here's what some fine folks have been saying about "Love & Bullets" so far (more to come):
"Nick Kolakowski takes us on another incredibly visceral and vivacious ride among the lowlife and the lovers that populate his unique imagination. 'Love and Bullets' is vintage Nick: Funny, fast paced and just tinged with just enough darkness to make you afraid for his characters. Not to be missed!" - Shawn A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of RAZORBLADE TEARS and BLACKTOP WASTELAND
"It’s fitting that this darkly funny novel of criminals hunting criminals is dropping in the middle of the Great Resignation, a time when burnout–among other factors–is prompting many workers to give their notice or just walk out the door." - Small Press Picks
"The exploits of Bill and Fiona are long on banter and short on causation. This one’s for die-hard Kolakowski fans!" - Publishers Weekly
"Payback Is Forever" Is Almost Here!
It's no secret that I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of the Richard Stark novels, particularly his Parker series. For those unfamiliar, Parker is a master thief who meticulously plots his heists down to the last detail... which doesn't prevent them from going wrong in bloody, brutal, and occasionally hilarious ways. Much of the books' fun is seeing how Parker is going to get out of this one.
A couple years back, I decided to attempt an homage to Parker. The result: "Payback Is Forever", which is coming out March 25 from Shotgun Honey. It involves a master thief who, while trying to hide out in 1960s New York, finds himself ensnared in a plot involving Nazi gold, tiny assassins, and a long-lost painting. There are elements of David Lynch in there, as well.
If you want to pre-order the paperback, it's available on the Shotgun Honey website. The Kindle is available on Amazon. As we get closer to the release date, I'll add the usual links to Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. I think you'll dig this one!
Some early praise:
“Like a demented fun-house mirror version of a Richard Stark novel, Kolakowski deconstructs hoary crime cliches with the sort of panache you don’t want to miss. Our tour guide, Miller, is cut from the tough-guy mold, but twisted so askew by the end of the book, he’s carved out his own niche.”
-Brian Asman, author of Man, Fuck This House
A couple years back, I decided to attempt an homage to Parker. The result: "Payback Is Forever", which is coming out March 25 from Shotgun Honey. It involves a master thief who, while trying to hide out in 1960s New York, finds himself ensnared in a plot involving Nazi gold, tiny assassins, and a long-lost painting. There are elements of David Lynch in there, as well.
If you want to pre-order the paperback, it's available on the Shotgun Honey website. The Kindle is available on Amazon. As we get closer to the release date, I'll add the usual links to Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. I think you'll dig this one!
Some early praise:
“Like a demented fun-house mirror version of a Richard Stark novel, Kolakowski deconstructs hoary crime cliches with the sort of panache you don’t want to miss. Our tour guide, Miller, is cut from the tough-guy mold, but twisted so askew by the end of the book, he’s carved out his own niche.”
-Brian Asman, author of Man, Fuck This House
"Boise Longpig Hunting Club" is on sale for $0.99!
"Boise Longpig Hunting Club" remains a book I'm proud of. Writing it involved *a lot* of research, and I ended up talking to a number of bounty hunters and soldiers about their experiences in order to add a layer of realism to the whole endeavor. Plus, it involves a shootout in a clown-themed motel, and how can you go wrong with that?
Plus, readers seem to have responded to it. It remains a solid seller more than three years after it was released, those numbers encouraged me to write the sequel, "Rattlesnake Rodeo," which I also really like.
All this is a long-winded way of saying: Thank you. A solid reader response helps us writers feel a little less lonely as we peck away at our keyboards night after night. If you haven't yet experienced "Hunting Club," the Kindle version is on sale this week on Amazon for a mere $0.99 (it's also the same price on other platforms, such as B&N's Nook). Check it out!
Plus, readers seem to have responded to it. It remains a solid seller more than three years after it was released, those numbers encouraged me to write the sequel, "Rattlesnake Rodeo," which I also really like.
All this is a long-winded way of saying: Thank you. A solid reader response helps us writers feel a little less lonely as we peck away at our keyboards night after night. If you haven't yet experienced "Hunting Club," the Kindle version is on sale this week on Amazon for a mere $0.99 (it's also the same price on other platforms, such as B&N's Nook). Check it out!
