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Baller: A Eucalyptus Lane Novel: Book 3
BOOK 3: SEQUEL TO POSER AND CRACKER. Though Ambrose should be clinking drinks with Jessica on the patio, he keeps his knuckles tense to prevent his life in the city from encroaching on the picture-perfect one in Palo Alto. There's hardly time to contemplate his next move, let alone one from Russian gangster Alexei. Miss Dover’s deceit still haunts him, along with the body at the bottom of Lake Tahoe and Randy’s knowledge of it.
Throw in those confusing, lingering feelings for Bennie, the ill-gotten money tied up in the new business, his ex-con brother Butch coming to live in the guesthouse—and the massive bulk below the surface just keeps growing. No wonder Ambrose and everyone close to him are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
All his life, Ambrose has only had one to stay alive. Now there’s that plus Jessica’s growing distrust, a baby on the way, his betrayal of Bennie, his brother's disapproval of his posse despite the irony of Butch becoming increasingly tight with Randy. Add in Alexei’s silky, seductive tales of untold riches and future backing for things Ambrose would very much like to pursue--even though he should absolutely know better by now—and the "perfect" life he's built for himself threatens to crash and burn.
Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way.
Throw in those confusing, lingering feelings for Bennie, the ill-gotten money tied up in the new business, his ex-con brother Butch coming to live in the guesthouse—and the massive bulk below the surface just keeps growing. No wonder Ambrose and everyone close to him are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
All his life, Ambrose has only had one to stay alive. Now there’s that plus Jessica’s growing distrust, a baby on the way, his betrayal of Bennie, his brother's disapproval of his posse despite the irony of Butch becoming increasingly tight with Randy. Add in Alexei’s silky, seductive tales of untold riches and future backing for things Ambrose would very much like to pursue--even though he should absolutely know better by now—and the "perfect" life he's built for himself threatens to crash and burn.
Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2024
2 people want to read
About the author
Nevada McPherson
15 books31 followersNevada McPherson writes in the southern Gothic town of Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor and once site of the world’s largest “lunatic” asylum.
Her new book, Cracker, second in the neo-noir Eucalyptus Lane series (beginning with her debut novel, Poser) is set in the darker corners of Silicon Valley.
A graduate of L.S.U.’s MFA Screenwriting Program, Nevada has written several award-winning screenplays, as well as graphic novels, a couple of stage plays, short stories, nonfiction pieces and countless to-do lists.
Her new book, Cracker, second in the neo-noir Eucalyptus Lane series (beginning with her debut novel, Poser) is set in the darker corners of Silicon Valley.
A graduate of L.S.U.’s MFA Screenwriting Program, Nevada has written several award-winning screenplays, as well as graphic novels, a couple of stage plays, short stories, nonfiction pieces and countless to-do lists.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 2, 2024
So many twists and tied ends I would've never guessed after book 2. I will miss everybody but am happy they all ended in a place that felt natural. Randy's still my complicated fav though Butch really was an unexpected contender.
December 30, 2024
Against all my preconceived expectations, I loved this series from beginning to end. It's essentially a romance with noir and transgressive overtones, and it's so twisted and bizarre that it could all be true.
When last we left Ambrose, Jessica, Bennie, and Randy, they were all on the verge of breakdowns, and things don't get any easier for them in Baller. Driven by ambition, image (both public and self), rebellion, and shame, these four flawed and frustrating characters careen through life like blind rats in a cheese shop, which is to say just like most of us do. Turns out that the wisest and most stable character on Eucalyptus Lane is ex-con Butch (Ambrose's brother). His relationship with Mary-Ann, an ambitious socialite whose well-intended, but ultimately selfish acts of charity make her the subject of ridicule and drive her into a deep depression, provides a strong countercurrent to the complicated lives of the main characters. The two of them demonstrate that simple, honest communication is essential to happiness, and this might be the strongest message in this series.
My favorite character, though, is Ambrose, because he is the most flawed of the lot. There's a lot of The Great Gatsby in him, and it was fun to hear one of the characters in the story acknowledge the comparison. His good looks, charm, and cleverness--combined with more good fortune than anyone has a right to--take him from the outhouse to the penthouse. He fakes it until he makes it, but does he have the inner strength to maintain it? I don't want to give anything away, but Nevada McPherson's scene featuring Ambrose's reunion with a certain fashion designer and former dominatrix is a brilliant piece of writing.
The noir elements that bubbled under the main plotlines of Poser (Book 1 of the series), and that surfaced in Cracker (Book 2), are more dominant in Baller, and they create delightfully complex moral dilemmas, particularly for Ambrose. This series is a true trilogy, and Baller brings the character arcs and plot developments to logical and satisfying--if not necessarily predictable--resolutions. The walk down Eucalyptus Lane is filled with unexpected shadows and hidden pitfalls, and I'm glad I took it.
When last we left Ambrose, Jessica, Bennie, and Randy, they were all on the verge of breakdowns, and things don't get any easier for them in Baller. Driven by ambition, image (both public and self), rebellion, and shame, these four flawed and frustrating characters careen through life like blind rats in a cheese shop, which is to say just like most of us do. Turns out that the wisest and most stable character on Eucalyptus Lane is ex-con Butch (Ambrose's brother). His relationship with Mary-Ann, an ambitious socialite whose well-intended, but ultimately selfish acts of charity make her the subject of ridicule and drive her into a deep depression, provides a strong countercurrent to the complicated lives of the main characters. The two of them demonstrate that simple, honest communication is essential to happiness, and this might be the strongest message in this series.
My favorite character, though, is Ambrose, because he is the most flawed of the lot. There's a lot of The Great Gatsby in him, and it was fun to hear one of the characters in the story acknowledge the comparison. His good looks, charm, and cleverness--combined with more good fortune than anyone has a right to--take him from the outhouse to the penthouse. He fakes it until he makes it, but does he have the inner strength to maintain it? I don't want to give anything away, but Nevada McPherson's scene featuring Ambrose's reunion with a certain fashion designer and former dominatrix is a brilliant piece of writing.
The noir elements that bubbled under the main plotlines of Poser (Book 1 of the series), and that surfaced in Cracker (Book 2), are more dominant in Baller, and they create delightfully complex moral dilemmas, particularly for Ambrose. This series is a true trilogy, and Baller brings the character arcs and plot developments to logical and satisfying--if not necessarily predictable--resolutions. The walk down Eucalyptus Lane is filled with unexpected shadows and hidden pitfalls, and I'm glad I took it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews