What do you think?
Rate this book
Vern in the Heat
Vern is a dangerous man—he makes illegal exchanges safe. Until someone tries to rip off a drug deal he’s working and he gets blamed. Now both gangs involved are after him, including the one he works for. And he’s going to clear his name, no matter who he has to kill in the process.
Praise for VERN IN THE HEAT:
“Rob Pierce is one of the more imaginative literary voices in our new emerging era of noir.” —James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor
“Rob Pierce is urban noir’s high priest from the mean streets.” —Joe Clifford, author of Lamentation and December Boys
“Rob Pierce is a new talent that cuts deep into the underbelly of society and rips the guts and heart out of his protagonist.” —Lou Boxer, Noircon
Praise for VERN IN THE HEAT:
“Rob Pierce is one of the more imaginative literary voices in our new emerging era of noir.” —James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor
“Rob Pierce is urban noir’s high priest from the mean streets.” —Joe Clifford, author of Lamentation and December Boys
“Rob Pierce is a new talent that cuts deep into the underbelly of society and rips the guts and heart out of his protagonist.” —Lou Boxer, Noircon
172 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2016
4 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 12, 2016
One of the greatest compliments I can afford to Vern in the Heat by Rob Pierce is there is not one single character worthy of your sympathy, not your rooting interest. Why is this a compliment? Because Pierce has written a true noir masterpiece in which every character resides in the proverbial gutter and has no hope of getting out of this tale unscathed.
Vern is part of a 2-man operation that performs deliveries for organized crime. When out on one such delivery, a double-crossing goes down and Vern is left in a precarious position; not knowing who to trust nor how to clear his name and avoid certain retribution by his employer. After hooking up with his ex-girlfriend, he sets out to clear his name and, most importantly, keep himself alive. The action gets gritty and violent; just the kind of plot that keeps me interested.
This was a nice follow-up to Pierce’s Uncle Dust. Pierce is showing he has a keen eye for plotting and can keep the action dialed up to a high intensity. The only knock I can find for this book is that it was too short, but when a writer can serve up noir like Pierce can, there is never going to be a book that is long enough.
I am looking forward to the next Pierce offering. If you have a craving for some violent noir, Pierce has a tight novella here that will satisfy your craving.
Vern is part of a 2-man operation that performs deliveries for organized crime. When out on one such delivery, a double-crossing goes down and Vern is left in a precarious position; not knowing who to trust nor how to clear his name and avoid certain retribution by his employer. After hooking up with his ex-girlfriend, he sets out to clear his name and, most importantly, keep himself alive. The action gets gritty and violent; just the kind of plot that keeps me interested.
This was a nice follow-up to Pierce’s Uncle Dust. Pierce is showing he has a keen eye for plotting and can keep the action dialed up to a high intensity. The only knock I can find for this book is that it was too short, but when a writer can serve up noir like Pierce can, there is never going to be a book that is long enough.
I am looking forward to the next Pierce offering. If you have a craving for some violent noir, Pierce has a tight novella here that will satisfy your craving.
April 1, 2016
Not just hard-edged...hard. Hardcore crime fiction.
Vern has a fair bit in common with Rob Pierce's other central figure, Uncle Dust. They're workaday old-school pro criminals. Pierce captures their ethic (if you can call it that) very well. I felt a physical sense of unease as I read this story, which is a good thing.
Pierce also makes excellent use of his location. The way he depicts the grimness of Oakland as a city is a big part of the unsettling sensation. It works especially well in contrast to the chi-chi aspects of the Bay Area that are anathema to Vern.
The Vern-Deria relationship and its surprising development is also a winning feature here.
Vern has a fair bit in common with Rob Pierce's other central figure, Uncle Dust. They're workaday old-school pro criminals. Pierce captures their ethic (if you can call it that) very well. I felt a physical sense of unease as I read this story, which is a good thing.
Pierce also makes excellent use of his location. The way he depicts the grimness of Oakland as a city is a big part of the unsettling sensation. It works especially well in contrast to the chi-chi aspects of the Bay Area that are anathema to Vern.
The Vern-Deria relationship and its surprising development is also a winning feature here.
May 19, 2017
This is a dark crime fiction piece set in the decaying motels and bars of Oakland. It's basically about a deal gone bad and Vern racing around trying to make things right with the Boss. It's bloody, violent, over- the-top realistic, stark, .... There's not a moment is softness, light, or peacefulness. It doesn't attempt to be grandiose or epic, just gritty, hardworking Oaktown.
February 9, 2018
Vern is a delivery man for an Oakland mob and when a pair of rival deliverymen look to rob him when completing a deal, Vern ends up killing one of them and going on the run.
Having vastly enjoyed Rob Pierce's two novels I thought I'd probably enjoy this one and on the face of it the story sounded good, but it turned out to be underwhelming compared his other works. Firstly, where Dust and Vollmer are great characters, Vern is a flimsy cardboard cutout in comparison. We don't know enough about him to make him endearing or deserving of our empathy and as he flies about Oakland there is a lack of suspense and buzz about the story because of this. It's never a good sign when I feel the need to skim read…
Gang boss Keene is a character who recurs in With the Right Enemies along with the Oakland underworld and it's something I was excited to read more about after reading the aforementioned book, but here it doesn't play in the same way.
Ultimately I didn't like this book, but Pierce's other works have enough going for them for me to want to go back and I'd highly recommend them.
Having vastly enjoyed Rob Pierce's two novels I thought I'd probably enjoy this one and on the face of it the story sounded good, but it turned out to be underwhelming compared his other works. Firstly, where Dust and Vollmer are great characters, Vern is a flimsy cardboard cutout in comparison. We don't know enough about him to make him endearing or deserving of our empathy and as he flies about Oakland there is a lack of suspense and buzz about the story because of this. It's never a good sign when I feel the need to skim read…
Gang boss Keene is a character who recurs in With the Right Enemies along with the Oakland underworld and it's something I was excited to read more about after reading the aforementioned book, but here it doesn't play in the same way.
Ultimately I didn't like this book, but Pierce's other works have enough going for them for me to want to go back and I'd highly recommend them.
March 24, 2022
Pages turn effortlessly in this hefty novella of gangster pulp. 4.5 estrellas
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews