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Gator Bait
Prohibition-era 1930s… After an affair with the wrong man's wife, seedy piano player Smitty Three Fingers flees the city and finds himself tinkling the ivories at a Louisiana honky-tonk owned by vicious bootlegger Horace Croker and his trophy wife, Grace. Folks come to The Grinnin' Gator for the liquor and burlesque girls, but they keep coming back for Big George, the giant alligator Croker keeps in the pond out back.
Croker is rumored to have fed ex-wives and enemies to his pet, so when Smitty and Grace embark on a torrid affair…what could possibly go wrong?
Inspired by true events, Gator Bait mixes hardboiled crime (James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice) with creature horror (Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive) to create a riveting tale of suspense.
Croker is rumored to have fed ex-wives and enemies to his pet, so when Smitty and Grace embark on a torrid affair…what could possibly go wrong?
Inspired by true events, Gator Bait mixes hardboiled crime (James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice) with creature horror (Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive) to create a riveting tale of suspense.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
10 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Adam Howe
26 books186 followersAdam Howe writes the twisted fiction your mother warned you about. A British writer of fiction and screenplays, he lives in London with his partner, their daughter, and a hellhound named Gino. Writing as Garrett Addams, his short story Jumper was chosen by Stephen King as the winner of the international On Writing contest, and published in the paperback/Kindle editions of King’s memoir. His fiction has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Thuglit, Mythic Delirium, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror, and other places. He is the author of One Tough Bastard, Scapegoat (with James Newman), Tijuana Donkey Showdown, Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, and Black Cat Mojo, and the editor of the Wrestle Maniacs anthology. In the pipeline: The Polack, a gritty 1930s noir co-written with Joseph Hirsch. Stalk him at Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter @Adam_G_Howe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 28, 2017
Poor Smitty aka Three Fingers. He gets caught with his hand in the honey pot.
By the Honey Pot's husband and ends up losing a couple of the fingers on his hand. It could have been worse since there was a "cigar cutter" involved.
He takes off running.
Smitty ends up in the swamp at a bar named "The Grinnin' Gator".
Smitty needs some cash and a place to re-adjust so he takes a job playing the piano at the bar.
But this bar has a story, Croker who owns the bar has a little something extra out back.
Big George.
Big George was captured by Croker on a gator hunt he took with his dad..Croker's leg didn't make it. Daddy might be scarce too.
But poor Big George ended up getting hunted and brought back to the Grinnin' Gator. He is Croker's bestie though and he makes sure that he gets lots of goodies.
Now there is the sad little fact that Smitty has sworn off the Dames after losing his fingers over one...but then enters Grace.
She just happens to be Croker's wife.
Then the shit hits the fan.
Booksource: I paid for this one! I know it shocked me too.
This little book is getting all kinds of loving from my perverted little friends list. So I'm just gonna feature them all.
You got Kelly Susan Melki and Shyane all giving it the big old five stars..then you have Paul agreeing with me and giving it a four star rating. Paul is the smarter one since he agrees with me.
Now when Dan 2.0 comes a trolling saying I read this one wrong I'm gonna sick all you guys on him.
By the Honey Pot's husband and ends up losing a couple of the fingers on his hand. It could have been worse since there was a "cigar cutter" involved.
He takes off running.
Smitty ends up in the swamp at a bar named "The Grinnin' Gator".
Smitty needs some cash and a place to re-adjust so he takes a job playing the piano at the bar.
But this bar has a story, Croker who owns the bar has a little something extra out back.
Big George.
Big George was captured by Croker on a gator hunt he took with his dad..Croker's leg didn't make it. Daddy might be scarce too.
But poor Big George ended up getting hunted and brought back to the Grinnin' Gator. He is Croker's bestie though and he makes sure that he gets lots of goodies.
Now there is the sad little fact that Smitty has sworn off the Dames after losing his fingers over one...but then enters Grace.
She just happens to be Croker's wife.
Then the shit hits the fan.
Booksource: I paid for this one! I know it shocked me too.
This little book is getting all kinds of loving from my perverted little friends list. So I'm just gonna feature them all.
You got Kelly Susan Melki and Shyane all giving it the big old five stars..then you have Paul agreeing with me and giving it a four star rating. Paul is the smarter one since he agrees with me.
Now when Dan 2.0 comes a trolling saying I read this one wrong I'm gonna sick all you guys on him.
March 12, 2016
”My eyes looked like cigarette holes burned through a wino’s rumpled paper bag. I could’ve used a shave and then the razor to cut my throat and put me out of my misery.”
Smitty Three Fingers has trouble keeping his digits off other men’s wives. In fact, he has recently had two of those errant fingers whacked off by an irate husband with a cigar cutter. In the scuffle that ensues, Smitty kills the cuckold and leaves behind his fingers as pretty damning evidence. He flees but not before lifting the man’s money clip. Smitty wanted one more free ride at his expense.
When you make your living playing the piano, losing a couple of fingers can put a crimp in your ability to make money. After some misadventures, Smitty finds himself walking the creaking floorboards of a place called The Grinnin’ Gator. The place is filled with strippers, rednecks, dumbasses, who are all drinking hooch distilled in the bayou and listening to a really bad piano player. Smitty can’t get the smile off his face. He has found the perfect place to hideout from his...erhhh... past indiscretions. Thank goodness he has ”sworn off dames for life.”
Well, he may have swore an oath, but the message didn’t get to his remaining fingers or to his eyeballs. ”I hated to see her leave, but I loved to watch her go. Grace was just the right name for her.”
Grace is married to the owner of the establishment, a one legged man named Horace Croker. Even missing some fingers, Smitty sounds like Liberace compared to the milksop Croker has been paying. Needless to say, Grace noticed. ”You play piano as good as me, the dames can’t wait to find out if your magic fingers can tickle the ovaries like they tinkle the ivories.”
Wait, didn’t he swear he was leaving the dames alone?
And then there is the gator. Yes, a big ‘un, over fifteen feet long, and a pet that Croker uses to entertain his customers. Big George ate Croker’s leg, and Croker has had a special relationship with the gator ever since.
Now if you are hearing The Postman Always Rings Twice playing in your head, you aren’t far wrong. This is 63 pages of pure blissful Swamp Noir that will have you grinning and cringing in equal measures. Smitty has never been in so much trouble, but the fun part is watching his dawning realization that this time he might lose more than a couple of fingers.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Smitty Three Fingers has trouble keeping his digits off other men’s wives. In fact, he has recently had two of those errant fingers whacked off by an irate husband with a cigar cutter. In the scuffle that ensues, Smitty kills the cuckold and leaves behind his fingers as pretty damning evidence. He flees but not before lifting the man’s money clip. Smitty wanted one more free ride at his expense.
When you make your living playing the piano, losing a couple of fingers can put a crimp in your ability to make money. After some misadventures, Smitty finds himself walking the creaking floorboards of a place called The Grinnin’ Gator. The place is filled with strippers, rednecks, dumbasses, who are all drinking hooch distilled in the bayou and listening to a really bad piano player. Smitty can’t get the smile off his face. He has found the perfect place to hideout from his...erhhh... past indiscretions. Thank goodness he has ”sworn off dames for life.”
Well, he may have swore an oath, but the message didn’t get to his remaining fingers or to his eyeballs. ”I hated to see her leave, but I loved to watch her go. Grace was just the right name for her.”
Grace is married to the owner of the establishment, a one legged man named Horace Croker. Even missing some fingers, Smitty sounds like Liberace compared to the milksop Croker has been paying. Needless to say, Grace noticed. ”You play piano as good as me, the dames can’t wait to find out if your magic fingers can tickle the ovaries like they tinkle the ivories.”
Wait, didn’t he swear he was leaving the dames alone?
And then there is the gator. Yes, a big ‘un, over fifteen feet long, and a pet that Croker uses to entertain his customers. Big George ate Croker’s leg, and Croker has had a special relationship with the gator ever since.
Now if you are hearing The Postman Always Rings Twice playing in your head, you aren’t far wrong. This is 63 pages of pure blissful Swamp Noir that will have you grinning and cringing in equal measures. Smitty has never been in so much trouble, but the fun part is watching his dawning realization that this time he might lose more than a couple of fingers.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
October 14, 2015
BUMP: 'Cause Shelby noticed this is free today and it's not too often I come across an author who might be even weirder than me. Bonus points from Mitchell for gifting him a soon-to-be-read-book with a character named "Boar Hog' Brannon." That Mitchell, what a cheap sell he is. Anyway, go get you some Gator Bait rightchere: http://www.amazon.com/Gator-Bait-Adam...
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“’It’s a delicate operation I’m running here. Any man rocks the boat, he’s going overboard.’
Or below deck, I thought.”
An . . . uhhhhhhh unfortunate incident . . .
forced our MC to hightail it out of the city with no money to his name and minus a couple of fingers to boot. Ending up in a “backwater tonk in the willywags” it’s soon discovered that he can play a right fine pianey which earns him a job and the moniker “Smitty Three Fingers.”
Home of some world famous hooch and bare-it-all coochie gals, The Grinnin’ Gator is quite the destination. Smitty discovers he’s landed himself a pretty sweet gig. He has a roof over his head, is earning pert near city dollars even though he’s back in the stix, and he’s been lucky enough to stay on the owner’s good side so he’s not too worried about a close encounter with the resident badass, Big George . . .
Everything will remain gravy as long as he remembers he has “sworn off dames for life” . . . .
When I saw the title Gator Bait my mind immediately went in one direction . . .
Which, of course, morphed into something else . . .
Which led to . . . .
Which is pretty much the same as saying . . .
or #sploosh since I don’t have a peen and all that.
Even though I bought it awhile back, I finally heard enough (I’ll get to handing out the credit in a second) to get off my dumper and read the dang thing. At under 100 pages I really have zero excuse for being tardy to this party. If you’re a fan of the ewwwww as well as some seriously developed characters and story all wrapped up in a tight little bundle, this one’s for you. And the noir tone? Yummmmmmmm. Just like icing on the cake. Unfortunately Mitchell came across this quote . . .
“Big George’s diet consisted mostly of chickens and rabbits . . . and once a PRIZED BOAR HOG . . . “
So he was out. He also demanded that I give it 1 Star, but I just shoved a sock in his mouth and found a replacement buddy to finish the read with me . . .
Frank Engator says 7 Stars (he’s new at this reviewing stuff and how the Goodreads rating system works). He also sympathizes with ol’ Smitty and his lack of digits since he suffers the same affliction. Should’ve kept your damn paws out of the honey pot, Frank!
Alright, now to give credit where credit is due. Melki gets a shout out and Shayne gets a shout out and Susan gets a shout out and Paul gets a shout out . . .
Your reviews reminded me that I should stop being a lazy pile. I also owe a thanks to the author himself who gave me the greenlight to gif the shit out of my review . . .
You write good stuff, Mr. Howe, and you’ve earned yourself a fan. At a buck (or free if you have Kindle Unlimited) everyone else should give Gator Bait a try this Stabtober as well.
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“’It’s a delicate operation I’m running here. Any man rocks the boat, he’s going overboard.’
Or below deck, I thought.”
An . . . uhhhhhhh unfortunate incident . . .
forced our MC to hightail it out of the city with no money to his name and minus a couple of fingers to boot. Ending up in a “backwater tonk in the willywags” it’s soon discovered that he can play a right fine pianey which earns him a job and the moniker “Smitty Three Fingers.”
Home of some world famous hooch and bare-it-all coochie gals, The Grinnin’ Gator is quite the destination. Smitty discovers he’s landed himself a pretty sweet gig. He has a roof over his head, is earning pert near city dollars even though he’s back in the stix, and he’s been lucky enough to stay on the owner’s good side so he’s not too worried about a close encounter with the resident badass, Big George . . .
Everything will remain gravy as long as he remembers he has “sworn off dames for life” . . . .
When I saw the title Gator Bait my mind immediately went in one direction . . .
Which, of course, morphed into something else . . .
Which led to . . . .
Which is pretty much the same as saying . . .
or #sploosh since I don’t have a peen and all that.
Even though I bought it awhile back, I finally heard enough (I’ll get to handing out the credit in a second) to get off my dumper and read the dang thing. At under 100 pages I really have zero excuse for being tardy to this party. If you’re a fan of the ewwwww as well as some seriously developed characters and story all wrapped up in a tight little bundle, this one’s for you. And the noir tone? Yummmmmmmm. Just like icing on the cake. Unfortunately Mitchell came across this quote . . .
“Big George’s diet consisted mostly of chickens and rabbits . . . and once a PRIZED BOAR HOG . . . “
So he was out. He also demanded that I give it 1 Star, but I just shoved a sock in his mouth and found a replacement buddy to finish the read with me . . .
Frank Engator says 7 Stars (he’s new at this reviewing stuff and how the Goodreads rating system works). He also sympathizes with ol’ Smitty and his lack of digits since he suffers the same affliction. Should’ve kept your damn paws out of the honey pot, Frank!
Alright, now to give credit where credit is due. Melki gets a shout out and Shayne gets a shout out and Susan gets a shout out and Paul gets a shout out . . .
Your reviews reminded me that I should stop being a lazy pile. I also owe a thanks to the author himself who gave me the greenlight to gif the shit out of my review . . .
You write good stuff, Mr. Howe, and you’ve earned yourself a fan. At a buck (or free if you have Kindle Unlimited) everyone else should give Gator Bait a try this Stabtober as well.
July 15, 2016
Fresh from an altercation with a woman's husband that left him missing a couple fingers, "John Smith" scores a job playing piano at a redneck bar, the Grinning Gator, named after a monstrous alligator in a pond out back. But the alligator isn't as dangerous to "John Smith" as the owner's wife...
Gator Bait is a fun little morsel of redneck noir. You've got the abusive husband, the long-suffering wife that wants to be rid of him, and the new guy who just can't keep his penis in his pants. Throw in an alligator pit and you've got something special on your hands.
I've never read an Adam Howe story before but I think I'll be reading them all now. His writing reminds me of Joe Lansdale with a taste of Gil Brewer. My favorite line in the book was when Smitty described a stripper as "Being built for beef or dairy."
Gator Bait felt like an old pulp story that was rediscovered, not something written recently. I mean that as a compliment. It's raw, bloody, and has some great twists. Now that I know what Adam Howe can do with a short story, I'll have to give one of his novels a shot. Four out of five stars.
Gator Bait is a fun little morsel of redneck noir. You've got the abusive husband, the long-suffering wife that wants to be rid of him, and the new guy who just can't keep his penis in his pants. Throw in an alligator pit and you've got something special on your hands.
I've never read an Adam Howe story before but I think I'll be reading them all now. His writing reminds me of Joe Lansdale with a taste of Gil Brewer. My favorite line in the book was when Smitty described a stripper as "Being built for beef or dairy."
Gator Bait felt like an old pulp story that was rediscovered, not something written recently. I mean that as a compliment. It's raw, bloody, and has some great twists. Now that I know what Adam Howe can do with a short story, I'll have to give one of his novels a shot. Four out of five stars.
December 21, 2015
Swamp Noir. Yes, it's a thing now and I'm on board.
With all the attributes featured in a Noir story, but set in a Louisiana swamp bar, (The Grinnin' Gator),in the 30's. Prohibition is in effect and rotgut is being served while the women dance. Their clientele does not consist of doctors and lawyers; there's maybe a full set of teeth between them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. There is nothing about this story that is tame or politically correct, so if you're easily offended, I suggest you pass this one up. But if nothing I've said has turned you off so far, then it's to you that I recommend this swamp noir creature feature!
Have fun and don't blame me if you have dreams about man-eating gators.
With all the attributes featured in a Noir story, but set in a Louisiana swamp bar, (The Grinnin' Gator),in the 30's. Prohibition is in effect and rotgut is being served while the women dance. Their clientele does not consist of doctors and lawyers; there's maybe a full set of teeth between them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. There is nothing about this story that is tame or politically correct, so if you're easily offended, I suggest you pass this one up. But if nothing I've said has turned you off so far, then it's to you that I recommend this swamp noir creature feature!
Have fun and don't blame me if you have dreams about man-eating gators.
October 6, 2015
'A fly buzzed around his open, largely toothless mouth; drool dangled from his bottom lip like a limp lasso.'
A typical customer at The Grinnin’ Gator.
Gator Bait is a novella by Adam Howe set in the Louisiana swamp and The Grinnin’ Gator, a saw dust on the floor type bar with dirty booze, strippers and dodgy music. A place where you watch your step unless you want to end up as both lunch and desert for the big mouthed occupant of the water that this friendly bar sits over.
John Smith or Mr Hammond in a previous life is a top quality piano player, or he was right up until a jealous husband chopped off two of his fingers with a cigar cutter. Now he's on the run because said husband is dead and unfortunately he ends up at The Grinnin’ Gator, where there's a one legged owner called Horace Croker. One leg because George the gator took it for a snack and he's now the avenue for any trouble via a push from the patio or worst case, the hidden trapdoor.
So we have Johnny Smith now playing piano minus two fingers, Croker the boss, his beautiful wife Grace, who's a dreadful tease it has to said and big old George, always hungry, big teeth.
'She started backing from the room— but as she pulled the door closed she shot me another glance that shivered down my spine like footsteps on the grave.'
A wicked tale of dirty swamp noir, degenerate skank infested, sweat ridden, mosquito riddled dump of amoral intemperance. Where everyone's got an angle to play and the twists don't always go the way you expect. The only question? Who's gonna get fucked.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
A typical customer at The Grinnin’ Gator.
Gator Bait is a novella by Adam Howe set in the Louisiana swamp and The Grinnin’ Gator, a saw dust on the floor type bar with dirty booze, strippers and dodgy music. A place where you watch your step unless you want to end up as both lunch and desert for the big mouthed occupant of the water that this friendly bar sits over.
John Smith or Mr Hammond in a previous life is a top quality piano player, or he was right up until a jealous husband chopped off two of his fingers with a cigar cutter. Now he's on the run because said husband is dead and unfortunately he ends up at The Grinnin’ Gator, where there's a one legged owner called Horace Croker. One leg because George the gator took it for a snack and he's now the avenue for any trouble via a push from the patio or worst case, the hidden trapdoor.
So we have Johnny Smith now playing piano minus two fingers, Croker the boss, his beautiful wife Grace, who's a dreadful tease it has to said and big old George, always hungry, big teeth.
'She started backing from the room— but as she pulled the door closed she shot me another glance that shivered down my spine like footsteps on the grave.'
A wicked tale of dirty swamp noir, degenerate skank infested, sweat ridden, mosquito riddled dump of amoral intemperance. Where everyone's got an angle to play and the twists don't always go the way you expect. The only question? Who's gonna get fucked.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
June 30, 2016
★★★★☆
I first heard of this novella from my friend Melki, but eventually it began to pop up all over the place when it was included in the short story collection Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet. Many of my friends have shelved this as Swamp Noir. Is that a real thing? I'm not quite sure, but in the meantime I think it'll fit quite nicely here in my Hick Lit pile, and like damn near every one of those other books, I loved this one, as well.
After a rather nasty encounter with a jealous husband leaves him a few digits short, Smitty “Three Fingers” finds himself on the wrong end of the law, and in desperate need of some cash. That’s when he stumbles into a jumping little joint, out in the willywags, serving up grade-A firewater with a side of burlesque. The Grinnin’ Gator is owned by a ruthless bootlegger with a trophy wife, and you guess it a pet alligator who likes to put on a show of his own for the locals. Ole Smitty might even find that work he’s after, as long as he can keep his hands out of the honey pot, which shouldn’t be any trouble at all since he’s “sworn off dames for life.”
What a fun little tale with a pitch-perfect ending. I enjoyed the noir style, and unlike Mr. Anonymous over there with that ridiculous Red Mohawk this is one British author who absolutely nails that southern vernacular. Kudos, Mr. Howe, keep up the good work. Go ahead and mark me down as a fan, and I'll look forward to some more twisted tales in the future.
4 stars: highly satisfying, but a bit predictable.
I first heard of this novella from my friend Melki, but eventually it began to pop up all over the place when it was included in the short story collection Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet. Many of my friends have shelved this as Swamp Noir. Is that a real thing? I'm not quite sure, but in the meantime I think it'll fit quite nicely here in my Hick Lit pile, and like damn near every one of those other books, I loved this one, as well.
After a rather nasty encounter with a jealous husband leaves him a few digits short, Smitty “Three Fingers” finds himself on the wrong end of the law, and in desperate need of some cash. That’s when he stumbles into a jumping little joint, out in the willywags, serving up grade-A firewater with a side of burlesque. The Grinnin’ Gator is owned by a ruthless bootlegger with a trophy wife, and you guess it a pet alligator who likes to put on a show of his own for the locals. Ole Smitty might even find that work he’s after, as long as he can keep his hands out of the honey pot, which shouldn’t be any trouble at all since he’s “sworn off dames for life.”
What a fun little tale with a pitch-perfect ending. I enjoyed the noir style, and unlike Mr. Anonymous over there with that ridiculous Red Mohawk this is one British author who absolutely nails that southern vernacular. Kudos, Mr. Howe, keep up the good work. Go ahead and mark me down as a fan, and I'll look forward to some more twisted tales in the future.
4 stars: highly satisfying, but a bit predictable.
April 22, 2016
I fled the city two fingers short and sworn off dames for life.
Smitty just can't seem to keep his mitts off other men's wives. He's a quivering tower of aspic when it comes to broads, and it's already cost him a couple of digits. If he keeps it up (pun intended), it may end up costing him a whole lot more.
What a fun little hunk o' swamp noir this was!
The piano player had a puss like a redneck Picasso.
She was built for both dairy and beef . . .
Holy moley - who writes like that any more? I LOVE it!
I can't help wondering how someone who lives in London has managed to totally nail this Southern hick-lit thing. What's next? Kate Middleton writing a book about baseball-playing cowboys?
Anyway . . . five wags of a gator's tail for this one.
Smitty just can't seem to keep his mitts off other men's wives. He's a quivering tower of aspic when it comes to broads, and it's already cost him a couple of digits. If he keeps it up (pun intended), it may end up costing him a whole lot more.
What a fun little hunk o' swamp noir this was!
The piano player had a puss like a redneck Picasso.
She was built for both dairy and beef . . .
Holy moley - who writes like that any more? I LOVE it!
I can't help wondering how someone who lives in London has managed to totally nail this Southern hick-lit thing. What's next? Kate Middleton writing a book about baseball-playing cowboys?
Anyway . . . five wags of a gator's tail for this one.
June 6, 2016
To all my friends who recommended this to me and/or reviewed it: You are some absolutely fucking sick weirdos. And I love you.
Gator Bait is a delightful lil bit of noir full of missing body parts, horrible people, violence and a gator named Big George who would like to snack on a limb if you have one to spare.
Smitty has a little problem. He got caught being a bit more than friends with a married woman. Her husband didn't take kindly to this, but he did take a couple of Smitty's fingers (with a cigar cutter!) Forced to run south, Smitty finds himself in the swamp, playing piano in The Grinnin' Gator, a bar where the liquor and desperation are plentiful. The bar's owner, Horace Croker, is more than a little crazy (not to mention super racist), but Smitty needs the job. So despite Big George, the giant man-eating gator in the swamp behind / under the bar, and his dangerous desire for Horace's wife Grace, the Grinnin' Gator is Smitty's new home.
So. This story?
Short, pulpy, and bloody, noir and delightfully fun! I was deeply satisfied with how it ended too. I finished it and was just SUPER happy! Also, a lil sleepy, but I'm basically always sleepy. I think if I could nap every day, I would. I napped today!
If you haven't read this one yet, go for it! It was free on Kindle when I picked it up, but it's well worth its (current) 99¢ price tag. It's short, original, and loads of fun! Plus there's a man eating gator. It's weird in the best way.
I can't wait to read more from this author and I'm so glad my weird friends made me read this. I'm as happy as Chloe in a box!
Gator Bait is a delightful lil bit of noir full of missing body parts, horrible people, violence and a gator named Big George who would like to snack on a limb if you have one to spare.
Smitty has a little problem. He got caught being a bit more than friends with a married woman. Her husband didn't take kindly to this, but he did take a couple of Smitty's fingers (with a cigar cutter!) Forced to run south, Smitty finds himself in the swamp, playing piano in The Grinnin' Gator, a bar where the liquor and desperation are plentiful. The bar's owner, Horace Croker, is more than a little crazy (not to mention super racist), but Smitty needs the job. So despite Big George, the giant man-eating gator in the swamp behind / under the bar, and his dangerous desire for Horace's wife Grace, the Grinnin' Gator is Smitty's new home.
So. This story?
Short, pulpy, and bloody, noir and delightfully fun! I was deeply satisfied with how it ended too. I finished it and was just SUPER happy! Also, a lil sleepy, but I'm basically always sleepy. I think if I could nap every day, I would. I napped today!
If you haven't read this one yet, go for it! It was free on Kindle when I picked it up, but it's well worth its (current) 99¢ price tag. It's short, original, and loads of fun! Plus there's a man eating gator. It's weird in the best way.
I can't wait to read more from this author and I'm so glad my weird friends made me read this. I'm as happy as Chloe in a box!
August 28, 2015
This was an expertly written piece of swamp noir. Blood and booze, dames and drunks, and a hungry bull 'gator named Big George.
June 15, 2016
Hardboiled noir fiction done superbly, Gator Bait had everything I want in a story of this ilk. A quick-witted if somewhat gullible protagonist, a bad guy oozing menace, and a super hot femme fatale who is the cut of ham between their slices of less than wholegrain bread. And then of course, there's the huge alligator lurking just beneath proceedings ...
Wonderfully written and a joy to speed read through, Adam Howe has won himself a new fan in less than 63 pages with Gator Bait and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the rest of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet when I get to it for Horror After Dark.
4.5 Messy Ends for Anyone Who Deserves it for Gator Bait.
Wonderfully written and a joy to speed read through, Adam Howe has won himself a new fan in less than 63 pages with Gator Bait and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the rest of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet when I get to it for Horror After Dark.
4.5 Messy Ends for Anyone Who Deserves it for Gator Bait.
September 16, 2015
An eight fingered piano player, sworn off dames and on the lamb, ends up in a broken down swamp tonk only to find himself knee deep in moonshine, deceit, adultery and murder. Damn. What more could you possibly want? How about a humongous monster alligator named Big George with a taste for human flesh. Yeah, that should round it out nicely.
This was really a great story. A short but hard hitting and well written tale of noir on the bayou. Adam Howe makes it look easy. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. A Solid 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended.
This was really a great story. A short but hard hitting and well written tale of noir on the bayou. Adam Howe makes it look easy. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. A Solid 4+ Stars and Highly Recommended.
March 1, 2016
Fun. Yep
Dirty. Yep
Well written. Yep
Gator. Yep
Dames. Yep
Recommend. Yep
October 29, 2021
3.5 stars. Great bayou setting for a fairly predictable hardboiled crime story about a guy on the run who stumbles into a job, an erotic obsession and thoughts of murder. Very James M. Cain, but tons more gore. The novelty (as you can guess from the title and cover) of course being a big ol' gator with a taste for human flesh.
October 30, 2015
4.5 stars
This was completely formulaic, completely predictable, and completely awesome.
The writing was outstanding and the story, while nothing new to the noir genre, was like watching a train wreck: you know exactly what is going to happen but can't look away.
This was completely formulaic, completely predictable, and completely awesome.
The writing was outstanding and the story, while nothing new to the noir genre, was like watching a train wreck: you know exactly what is going to happen but can't look away.
September 26, 2015
Very well done,very atmospheric. At times hard to read,this short story is filled with characters that are multi dimensional,it moves quickly and it is fresh.
Would recommend and I will be reading more of this author's body of work.
Would recommend and I will be reading more of this author's body of work.
March 16, 2016
Yowza! Nothing entirely unique, but such a sharp pulpy noir voice Howe brings to the story.
May 22, 2016
Ugly Characters, really ugly people, deep down UGLY, top them with a terror filled racist swap tale and you have this short novel. Gore, murder, gore, blood, more murder, abuse and one big hungry alligator are the basic actions. The thing was as much as I disliked all the characters and even the story I wanted to read it to the end. The writing was sticky and I couldn't stop myself. I didn't like it but I admire the writing.
June 8, 2016
Read in the collection, DIE DOG OR EAT THE HATCHET--full review under that title!!
June 11, 2016
WhoooWheee!!! That was a crazy ride!
I'm a huge fan of Swamp People, but I always kinda want the gator to win one. Well in this story the gator finally wins!
Awesome storytelling! This might be a new genre..Hick Noir!
I'm a huge fan of Swamp People, but I always kinda want the gator to win one. Well in this story the gator finally wins!
Awesome storytelling! This might be a new genre..Hick Noir!
August 17, 2015
Gator Bait is my first experience of Adam Howe's work, and as the cliche goes, it won't be the last.
Down in the 1930s Deep South, Smitty is on the run after again getting involved with a married woman. He ends up in the roughest of rough bars owned by a particularly foul man named Croker...who has a beautiful wife named Grace. You can see where this is going, can't you? Well, you'd be right, but the inevitability of events isn't the main issue in the story. Its focus is on how sometimes our greatest enemies are ourselves and how some people (no spoilers) are just so broken or evil that they're beyond redemption.
There's a great atmosphere throughout this short tale (not sure if it qualifies as a novella in terms of wordcount; maybe a novellete)- one so strong, you can smell the sweat, the humidity and the beer. Not to forget a certain 'pet' of Croker who lives under the bar. One who likes to bite as you might have guessed given the title.
Gator Bait is definitely on my recommended list. Nicely done atmosphere and characters real enough to make the reader not want to spend any time with them. Highly enjoyable.
Down in the 1930s Deep South, Smitty is on the run after again getting involved with a married woman. He ends up in the roughest of rough bars owned by a particularly foul man named Croker...who has a beautiful wife named Grace. You can see where this is going, can't you? Well, you'd be right, but the inevitability of events isn't the main issue in the story. Its focus is on how sometimes our greatest enemies are ourselves and how some people (no spoilers) are just so broken or evil that they're beyond redemption.
There's a great atmosphere throughout this short tale (not sure if it qualifies as a novella in terms of wordcount; maybe a novellete)- one so strong, you can smell the sweat, the humidity and the beer. Not to forget a certain 'pet' of Croker who lives under the bar. One who likes to bite as you might have guessed given the title.
Gator Bait is definitely on my recommended list. Nicely done atmosphere and characters real enough to make the reader not want to spend any time with them. Highly enjoyable.
October 22, 2015
good..
Porkies Meets Cows
Porkies Meets Cows
October 15, 2015
Smitty is a womanizer, piano player and opportunist who finds himself faced with a score too good to pass up; a dame to kill for, and bucket load of cash to run away with. The only thing standing in his way? The husband and owner of said cash, not to mention the monstrous gator lurking in the swap surrounding the Grinnin' Gator - the hotel/bar Smitty works (which is also owned by Croker - said dames husband).
GATOR BAIT is a delicious dip into debauchery; a swamp pulp that perfects the prohibition period setting, playing homage to the pulps of yesterday.
Smitty is a character that you either love or hate. His actions are brass and not without consequence yet you almost feel like he's the one being played - a puppet to his very own perversions taken advantage of by Croker's wife, Grace who knows how to get what she wants or make others get it for her.
GATOR BAIT is a fast paced read that doesn't waste a word exploiting the plot for all its worth and then some.
Fans of Gill Brewer and Elmore Leonard will spot the similarities in dialogue and character and enjoy every bite sized chunk of GATOR BAIT.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
GATOR BAIT is a delicious dip into debauchery; a swamp pulp that perfects the prohibition period setting, playing homage to the pulps of yesterday.
Smitty is a character that you either love or hate. His actions are brass and not without consequence yet you almost feel like he's the one being played - a puppet to his very own perversions taken advantage of by Croker's wife, Grace who knows how to get what she wants or make others get it for her.
GATOR BAIT is a fast paced read that doesn't waste a word exploiting the plot for all its worth and then some.
Fans of Gill Brewer and Elmore Leonard will spot the similarities in dialogue and character and enjoy every bite sized chunk of GATOR BAIT.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
June 14, 2016
Right off the bat with a massive bite this book is Swamp Noir set in the 1930s I could feel the humidity coming off this book. Set somewhere in the deep Louisiana swamp in a dingy speak easy ((I don't even know if they had them in the swamps, but just go with me here.)) is the Grinnin Gator. Were sawdust on the floors and moonshine is plenty. It was somewhere John Smith needed to be after he was sworn off dames for life.
An awesome tale of southern Dirty stinking swamps noir at its finest just watch out for Mister George though he's a mean fucker.
An awesome tale of southern Dirty stinking swamps noir at its finest just watch out for Mister George though he's a mean fucker.
October 27, 2015
Gator Bait by Adam Howe has such a fantastic cover, I knew I had to read this novella. I was sure it would be full of grisly horror and I was not disappointed. The creature feature was inspired by true events and that only added to my eagerness to read on.
Adam Howe spun a tale that had me laughing at the tone of the writing, all the while cringing, waiting for the bad to snap at me from the pages I read. The action began from the opening pages and took me to the bad place I knew I was going to visit.
The Grinnin’ Gator, a honky tonk in the swamps of Louisiana, can only contribute to Smitty’s, well, I would say bad luck, but he tends to bring it on himself. Of course, there is a dame, and she belongs to the “club” owner. He has a very interesting pet and a very bad reputation.
I don’t think there is a good person among the lot, so maybe they all get what they deserve.
Gator Bait starts with blood, torture and murder. It continues with the evil and twisted “fun” the characters of The Grinnin’ Gator do for entertainment. After all, it is in the isolated swamps of Louisiana during Prohibition, which is as bad or worse than the Wild West.
It ends…
OMG! The ending blew me away and I couldn’t help but laugh. I never could have seen ALL that coming and I love it. The best laid plans often go awry and boy, oh boy, do they.
This is my first adventure with Adam Howe and I can only tell you, it will not be my last!
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
Adam Howe spun a tale that had me laughing at the tone of the writing, all the while cringing, waiting for the bad to snap at me from the pages I read. The action began from the opening pages and took me to the bad place I knew I was going to visit.
The Grinnin’ Gator, a honky tonk in the swamps of Louisiana, can only contribute to Smitty’s, well, I would say bad luck, but he tends to bring it on himself. Of course, there is a dame, and she belongs to the “club” owner. He has a very interesting pet and a very bad reputation.
I don’t think there is a good person among the lot, so maybe they all get what they deserve.
Gator Bait starts with blood, torture and murder. It continues with the evil and twisted “fun” the characters of The Grinnin’ Gator do for entertainment. After all, it is in the isolated swamps of Louisiana during Prohibition, which is as bad or worse than the Wild West.
It ends…
OMG! The ending blew me away and I couldn’t help but laugh. I never could have seen ALL that coming and I love it. The best laid plans often go awry and boy, oh boy, do they.
This is my first adventure with Adam Howe and I can only tell you, it will not be my last!
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com
August 7, 2015
An early release from Adam Howe's upcoming book from Comet Press, DIE DOG OR EAT THE HATCHET, "Gator Bait" is right up there with my favorite Adam Howe story, "Of Badgers & Porn Dwarfs."
"Gator Bait" has a plot similar to THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE but of course Adam puts his own black-humor spin on it and comes up with a top-shelf magnum of spirited neo-noir strong enough to make you dizzy with suspense. The dialog is dead-on and the first-person narrative crackles with cynical humor. The characters live, breathe and sometimes bleed.
A heady brew of crime, horror and humor, "Gator Bait" is well worth taking.
"Gator Bait" has a plot similar to THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE but of course Adam puts his own black-humor spin on it and comes up with a top-shelf magnum of spirited neo-noir strong enough to make you dizzy with suspense. The dialog is dead-on and the first-person narrative crackles with cynical humor. The characters live, breathe and sometimes bleed.
A heady brew of crime, horror and humor, "Gator Bait" is well worth taking.
August 10, 2015
Now this was a fun story. Quick, witty dialogue with a lot of character. The protagonist is like a character out of a classic Gil Brewer crime novel, a guy who, right off the bat, has failed to learn a lesson or two about the way he's conducting his life. It's probably inevitable that such a character would end up somewhere like the Grinnin' Gator. Howe does a great job rolling a classic noir/crime story into a piece that also has some solid creature feature blood in its veins.
It's wild, it's fun, and it has me primed for reading more from Adam Howe. Grab yourself a copy and get to know Big George. You'll be glad you did.
It's wild, it's fun, and it has me primed for reading more from Adam Howe. Grab yourself a copy and get to know Big George. You'll be glad you did.
May 20, 2016
This was amazing.
I came across this bad boy when Kelly and Dan actually agreed on something for once. And it was an amazon freebie, so how could I possibly say no?
This had me on the edge of my seat, while screwing my face up at some of the squicky bits and just generally loving everything about it.
I was sold as soon as I read this line:
Dark, dingy, dirty. Very enjoyable. I would happily read more from this author!
4 sworn-off-dames-for-life Stars
I came across this bad boy when Kelly and Dan actually agreed on something for once. And it was an amazon freebie, so how could I possibly say no?
This had me on the edge of my seat, while screwing my face up at some of the squicky bits and just generally loving everything about it.
I was sold as soon as I read this line:
"You play the piano as good as me, the dames can't wait to find out if your magic fingers can tickle the ovaries like they tinkle the ivories."
Dark, dingy, dirty. Very enjoyable. I would happily read more from this author!
4 sworn-off-dames-for-life Stars
March 18, 2016
Gator Bait is a taut, toothy grin from beginning to end.
You know you’re in for a rollicking ride when the spilled blood soaks in to the sawdust floor, and Smitty Three Fingers plays that bad boy boogie on the ol’ pee-anna down at The Grinnin’ Gator.
Author Adam Howe sets this blistering story of backwoods noir in Prohibition-era America, and populates his seedy gin joint with lunkhead henchmen, a fabulous femme fatale and a possessive proprietor who Smitty should steer well clear of. He doesn’t, of course, and almost immediately he’s up to his ass in less than allegorical alligators.
Howe hits all the right notes with his dry dialogue and single-line descriptions that skilfully skewer their subjects. He submerges the reader in the stink, sweat and threats of a suffocating swamp honkytonk without wasting a word and delivers Deep South dialect with aplomb. Honing a truly hardboiled story – even a relatively short novella like this one – is a tougher trick than it looks, and many writers simply can’t sustain the sardonic tone of a knowing narrative for the entire tale. Adam Howe makes it look easy.
You won’t find deep philosophical debate or 21st century angst in this story. Instead it’s a solid rendition of old-skool noir: deeply nasty in parts; intense, explicit and exhilarating throughout. A great way to meet an intriguing new author.
9/10
You know you’re in for a rollicking ride when the spilled blood soaks in to the sawdust floor, and Smitty Three Fingers plays that bad boy boogie on the ol’ pee-anna down at The Grinnin’ Gator.
Author Adam Howe sets this blistering story of backwoods noir in Prohibition-era America, and populates his seedy gin joint with lunkhead henchmen, a fabulous femme fatale and a possessive proprietor who Smitty should steer well clear of. He doesn’t, of course, and almost immediately he’s up to his ass in less than allegorical alligators.
Howe hits all the right notes with his dry dialogue and single-line descriptions that skilfully skewer their subjects. He submerges the reader in the stink, sweat and threats of a suffocating swamp honkytonk without wasting a word and delivers Deep South dialect with aplomb. Honing a truly hardboiled story – even a relatively short novella like this one – is a tougher trick than it looks, and many writers simply can’t sustain the sardonic tone of a knowing narrative for the entire tale. Adam Howe makes it look easy.
You won’t find deep philosophical debate or 21st century angst in this story. Instead it’s a solid rendition of old-skool noir: deeply nasty in parts; intense, explicit and exhilarating throughout. A great way to meet an intriguing new author.
9/10
September 21, 2015
Get hooked!
Gator Bait is a great example of pulp fiction that delves quite a bit into EC Comics territory, giving off the same kind of fun vibes as some of the best Tales from the Crypt episodes I grew up watching. The moment Smitty, our skirt chasing, piano playing, Casanova protagonist, glances up at the red neon sign outside the Grinnin' Gator honky tonk, I knew this was going to be special. I think the author, Adam Howe does a great job in painting the seediness that permeates throughout the wonderful setting. The slimy little patch of world where this nasty piece of pulp takes place is so well written you truly feel the humid stench of the swamp as you turn the pages. Surprisingly enough the author is British but you'd never realize it from reading his authentic take on such an American style of literature. Anyways without giving anything away, if you want a tone perfect tale of violence, hot buxom women, men that can't keep it in their pants, one nasty over the top heavy and his ball-shrinking pet all set against the backdrop of prohibition era Louisiana swamplands, then this is for you. Looking forward to reading more from Howe. Great job dude!
Gator Bait is a great example of pulp fiction that delves quite a bit into EC Comics territory, giving off the same kind of fun vibes as some of the best Tales from the Crypt episodes I grew up watching. The moment Smitty, our skirt chasing, piano playing, Casanova protagonist, glances up at the red neon sign outside the Grinnin' Gator honky tonk, I knew this was going to be special. I think the author, Adam Howe does a great job in painting the seediness that permeates throughout the wonderful setting. The slimy little patch of world where this nasty piece of pulp takes place is so well written you truly feel the humid stench of the swamp as you turn the pages. Surprisingly enough the author is British but you'd never realize it from reading his authentic take on such an American style of literature. Anyways without giving anything away, if you want a tone perfect tale of violence, hot buxom women, men that can't keep it in their pants, one nasty over the top heavy and his ball-shrinking pet all set against the backdrop of prohibition era Louisiana swamplands, then this is for you. Looking forward to reading more from Howe. Great job dude!
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