What do you think?
Rate this book
Poser: A Eucalyptus Lane Novel
Ambrose, a failed Bay Area drug dealer, is at the end of his rope after running afoul of his wicked connection one too many times. A friend suggests he hide out at her sister's guest house in Palo Alto by posing as a Stanford grad student. There, Ambrose settles into upscale suburban life and finds himself falling for Jessica, a lonely housewife with the soul of an artist. Disruptor to this new existence is Jessica's husband, Mike, a tech tycoon whose path crossed with Ambrose on a drug-fueled night at a club. When Ambrose's cover is blown, all hell breaks loose as secrets are spilled and lies shatter on a posh, limestone patio deep in the heart of this California dreamscape.
Poser, the first novel in the Eucalyptus Lane series, offers a class-conscious, peeping tom gaze into Silicon Valley's bedrooms and back-alleys, where dreams really do come true and unlikely, life-altering connections are made, for better-or worse.
Poser, the first novel in the Eucalyptus Lane series, offers a class-conscious, peeping tom gaze into Silicon Valley's bedrooms and back-alleys, where dreams really do come true and unlikely, life-altering connections are made, for better-or worse.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2022
1 person is currently reading
422 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 29, 2022
I'm prejudiced. For NEVADA MCPHERSON I mean. The woman writes graphix novels. But now has dropped her kool prose into a mystery/detective joint. And its next level. She combines the detect novel wit hot BAY AREA/PALO ALTO prose into a combine that spits real game about the world of Hustlers and ne'er do wells featuring a cat named AMBROSE. So U kno its on sum kinda/almost FRAT collidge boy shit. Throw in a TECH TYCOON (cuz its da 21st century, rite?) He be dealing dem drugs n shit goes wrong (dont it always) and now is on da run frum dem Bad Guys. This is NEVADA's debut into full length novel shit. And U gotta thank OUTCAST PRESS for taking a chance on one of mah favorite/unknown (butt hopefully not for long) writers. See, Ambrose is POSING like he sum type-a-College fool butt gits fount out and thats when all hell breaks loose. He aint what he POSED 2 B. And neither are other folks. And thats da Genius of this MCPHERSON joint. Deftly handled by mah Gul. I finally got round to it and read it in one Sitting/sumtimes SHITTING cuz I couldnt let it go even when I was on toilet. A skeet taste of JAMES ELLROY and JAMES PATTERSON and even WALTER MOSLEY bumps off these pages. Im only giving U this much cuz Ion wanna spoil it 4 U. NEVADA MCPHERSON is a new voice of choice (in mah book) that needs 2 B heard word for word, ya digg?? U mite say the DRUG GAME story is Dead. U mite. U mite say a DEAL GONE BAD is dead. U mite. Butt in the hands of MCPHERSON it POPS wit da kinda SLOP u will preshate. I always luv me a story where a FOOL fucks up his favors and almost burns his Bridges. Read this. And thank me for introducing U 2 NEVADA MCPHERSON lata.
April 14, 2022
Poser is a quirky book about people re-inventing themselves on the fly. It's like one of those potboiler nighttime soap operas, except everything is just a little off-kilter. Just when you think you know where it's going, it takes an unexpected turn off the main thoroughfare. It's constantly zigging just when you think it's going to zag.
When this book ends, you realize that it's the opening act for what promises to be a twisted saga of self-indulgence, self-discovery, survival, hope, and disappointment. People get together and leave each other, adapting to changing circumstances, and trying to fake it until they make it. The characters all seem to be hanging on by a thread, and the thread seems to be continually unraveling. Underneath it all, like an ominous sustained bass note just below the human audio spectrum, is a slowly developing plot involving greed and some seriously dangerous Russian businessmen.
I'm anxious to see where it's all going. The only thing I'm sure of is that McPherson is going to surprise us all.
When this book ends, you realize that it's the opening act for what promises to be a twisted saga of self-indulgence, self-discovery, survival, hope, and disappointment. People get together and leave each other, adapting to changing circumstances, and trying to fake it until they make it. The characters all seem to be hanging on by a thread, and the thread seems to be continually unraveling. Underneath it all, like an ominous sustained bass note just below the human audio spectrum, is a slowly developing plot involving greed and some seriously dangerous Russian businessmen.
I'm anxious to see where it's all going. The only thing I'm sure of is that McPherson is going to surprise us all.
April 22, 2022
Vivid, Compelling, and Unique
I had a blast with this one! The writing is superb, the characters are engaging, and the interconnected stories are unpredictable. I'm looking forward to reading more from McPherson. Highly recommended!
I had a blast with this one! The writing is superb, the characters are engaging, and the interconnected stories are unpredictable. I'm looking forward to reading more from McPherson. Highly recommended!
June 10, 2022
A wholly original drama with crime elements, coming in like the long lost child of Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann and maybe a touch of Elmore Leonard. This refreshing new novel is destined to become a classic among readers of loose melodrama and gritty realism. It introduces a group of true-to-life characters, puts them in legitimate predicaments that keep them having to solve their domestic issues while keeping secrets from each other. The writing is smooth, never cluttered, succinct and the plot cruises along with just enough twists to keep things interesting. The décor is admirable, dialogue sharp and realistic. You feel that something is building up, close to climax and then suddenly, the ending leaves you with several open doors that I'm sure the upcoming sequels will help close. This is the first part of a trilogy and it looks like it'll get more dramatic with the coming story arcs. But this is a story all its own with strange and sometimes perverse actions taken by the characters who are just trying to find some happiness and completeness in their hearts and relationships. The book offers a little of everything: romance, erotica, crime, art and film appreciation and even an appreciation for good food.
June 7, 2022
Poser is what you would get if Quentin Tarantino ever made a lifetime movie. It’s a unique blend of romance, maybe a wee bit of erotica, a study in modern relationships, social commentary, good old-fashioned melodrama, and hard crime. While Ambrose, the erstwhile small-time Bay Area drug slinger made good, sort of, is the protagonist, the novel really features a terrific ensemble of characters. All of whom take turns rotating through the roles of sympathetic character, pathetic character, voice of reason, and wallower in self-pity. Everybody is worried about being found out as a fraud as they all pull off improbable moves, escapes, and dodges as they encounter and reencounter each other under ever-changing circumstances. I also appreciated how McPherson infused pop culture references that I identified with – Detour is one of my favorite Noirs! It’s a fun read and obviously sets up a continuation of the story with the same cast of characters and perhaps a bit more gangsters!
February 17, 2022
"You’re kind of like Philip Marlowe. And Frank Miller said someone like Philip Marlowe’s a—”
"They finish together: 'Knight in blood-caked armor.'
"He stares at her, squeezes her hand. 'Jesus Christ, Bennie. How’d you know that?'
“'I read it somewhere. How’d you know that?'
“I read it. Somewhere.” She leans forward and kisses him. 'Maybe we read it in the same place.'
“'Maybe.' He puts his arms around her, pulls her close to kiss her. A real kiss. Doesn’t get any more real. Nothing—none of this—can get any more real, yet he can barely remember how he got here. And so, what if it is a dream? Roll with it."
— Nevada McPherson, POSER
POSER is a wonderful read, if a thoroughly weird one. It takes some getting used to because — I can't decide — it either doesn't have a plot or simply doesn't allow itself to be tethered to the one it has, with all its scattered ends, character swerves and suspect contrivances. To me, it's more of a series of schematic character sketches and vignettes that weave around one another, loosely, along a theme suggested by the title: the idea that everybody puts up a false front to the world, to varying degrees, and it takes a colorful mix of circumstance and courage to drop one's pretense and be real to the world, and the people who matter most to you within it. It's more of a novel of theme around which plot lurks here and there like a creeper in the shadows whose face you can't quite see.
All of which sounds fine if a little earnest and maybe dull. But POSER is anything but earnest or dull.
In fact, despite its transgressive structure or maybe even because of it, POSER is a pleasure-imbued companion from page to page, with its endearing cast of most good-hearted eccentrics in the suburban Bay Area: Ambrose, the sex-dungeon worker and failed drug dealer who's a sweet misunderstood boy at heart; Bennie, Ambrose's sex-dungeon co-worker, who surprisingly not very jealous to lose her crush to her sister; Randy, the down-and-out dirty ex-cop who could have emerged as a one-dimensional villain but instead emerges as something more thoughtful and unexpected; and many equally original others. All unreal at various points. And all real by the end.
No small amount of credit goes to author Nevada McPherson, who not only infuses every character with charm and color to spare, but has a deceptively hardboiled prose style that moves with effortless glide. As a result, I couldn't stop reading even as I wondered just what the hell I was reading, and that is a rare quality that identifies Nevada McPherson as a rare talent. I can't wait to read more of her work.
"They finish together: 'Knight in blood-caked armor.'
"He stares at her, squeezes her hand. 'Jesus Christ, Bennie. How’d you know that?'
“'I read it somewhere. How’d you know that?'
“I read it. Somewhere.” She leans forward and kisses him. 'Maybe we read it in the same place.'
“'Maybe.' He puts his arms around her, pulls her close to kiss her. A real kiss. Doesn’t get any more real. Nothing—none of this—can get any more real, yet he can barely remember how he got here. And so, what if it is a dream? Roll with it."
— Nevada McPherson, POSER
POSER is a wonderful read, if a thoroughly weird one. It takes some getting used to because — I can't decide — it either doesn't have a plot or simply doesn't allow itself to be tethered to the one it has, with all its scattered ends, character swerves and suspect contrivances. To me, it's more of a series of schematic character sketches and vignettes that weave around one another, loosely, along a theme suggested by the title: the idea that everybody puts up a false front to the world, to varying degrees, and it takes a colorful mix of circumstance and courage to drop one's pretense and be real to the world, and the people who matter most to you within it. It's more of a novel of theme around which plot lurks here and there like a creeper in the shadows whose face you can't quite see.
All of which sounds fine if a little earnest and maybe dull. But POSER is anything but earnest or dull.
In fact, despite its transgressive structure or maybe even because of it, POSER is a pleasure-imbued companion from page to page, with its endearing cast of most good-hearted eccentrics in the suburban Bay Area: Ambrose, the sex-dungeon worker and failed drug dealer who's a sweet misunderstood boy at heart; Bennie, Ambrose's sex-dungeon co-worker, who surprisingly not very jealous to lose her crush to her sister; Randy, the down-and-out dirty ex-cop who could have emerged as a one-dimensional villain but instead emerges as something more thoughtful and unexpected; and many equally original others. All unreal at various points. And all real by the end.
No small amount of credit goes to author Nevada McPherson, who not only infuses every character with charm and color to spare, but has a deceptively hardboiled prose style that moves with effortless glide. As a result, I couldn't stop reading even as I wondered just what the hell I was reading, and that is a rare quality that identifies Nevada McPherson as a rare talent. I can't wait to read more of her work.
January 11, 2024
My fav Outcast Press book. Grit & glam, fraud & fantasy-good romance, retro Benny & sweet Raj, a goofy crooked cop & luxurious dominatrix or two.
March 20, 2022
Author Nevada McPherson’s book, Poser, new this year from Outcast Press, throws readers to the ugly side of life, then delivers us into the even uglier suburbs of affluence and privilege.
McPherson’s debut novel comes with a mess of problems for Ambrose, a small potatoes drug pusher and our lead character, who is a lot more charming than his ambitions tell. Ambrose may be up for anything to make a buck, including turning a trick or two, but he just can’t stay out of trouble. Thankfully, his good nature and innocently-sexy looks afford him a few trustworthy friends. With their help, Ambrose manages to hide out in Silicon Valley, where he poses as a graduate student until his troubles cool off. Little does Ambrose realize; one promising idea may lead to a world of misfortune.
Kissed with romance and taut with threat, Poser is a smartly-plotted debut novel in what is sure to be a memorable noir series.
McPherson’s debut novel comes with a mess of problems for Ambrose, a small potatoes drug pusher and our lead character, who is a lot more charming than his ambitions tell. Ambrose may be up for anything to make a buck, including turning a trick or two, but he just can’t stay out of trouble. Thankfully, his good nature and innocently-sexy looks afford him a few trustworthy friends. With their help, Ambrose manages to hide out in Silicon Valley, where he poses as a graduate student until his troubles cool off. Little does Ambrose realize; one promising idea may lead to a world of misfortune.
Kissed with romance and taut with threat, Poser is a smartly-plotted debut novel in what is sure to be a memorable noir series.
October 27, 2022
Started on Monday October 17th 2022
Finished on Friday October 21st 2022
Through a series of violent circumstances a young drug dealer is thrown from his cramped Bay Area apartment to the Palo Alto suburbs under the pretense that he can stay as long as he doesn’t reveal who he really is.
As the relationships become more entangled; waiting for these two high contrast worlds to reveal themselves to each other in all their honesty is a collision that is felt brewing with every page.
A tender thriller that touches on themes like the roles we all play and the masks we present to the world.
Proceeds likes a smooth running engine.
Lean and fast paced but the right amount of development to get a feel for the cast and to get onto the groove of the momentum of the plot.
Structurally we see characters stories collide in a satisfying baton-passing way
Builds anticipation and curiosity
Great expression of internal feelings with outward actions
Very cinematic in its dramatics and visual language
You can tell that this is a very visual author with a history in comics.
Works as a singular piece and as the beginning of something that is going to satisfy the cravings it establishes with the next books in the series
Finished on Friday October 21st 2022
Through a series of violent circumstances a young drug dealer is thrown from his cramped Bay Area apartment to the Palo Alto suburbs under the pretense that he can stay as long as he doesn’t reveal who he really is.
As the relationships become more entangled; waiting for these two high contrast worlds to reveal themselves to each other in all their honesty is a collision that is felt brewing with every page.
A tender thriller that touches on themes like the roles we all play and the masks we present to the world.
Proceeds likes a smooth running engine.
Lean and fast paced but the right amount of development to get a feel for the cast and to get onto the groove of the momentum of the plot.
Structurally we see characters stories collide in a satisfying baton-passing way
Builds anticipation and curiosity
Great expression of internal feelings with outward actions
Very cinematic in its dramatics and visual language
You can tell that this is a very visual author with a history in comics.
Works as a singular piece and as the beginning of something that is going to satisfy the cravings it establishes with the next books in the series
August 22, 2022
Cody’s McPherson’s debut noir revs up its engines with a plot setup that had me chortling like “Get Shorty” and “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” then shifts into overdrive with a unique blend of offbeat characters, brilliant writing and plot twists, an expert sense of timing, and generous dashes of sex and romance. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish and highly recommended.
November 30, 2024
I went to a reading in a graveyard that Nevada did at the Twentynine Palms Book Festival and just had to read one of her books after. Her character development has me hooked and I’ve already purchased the other books for this series.
Want to read
February 26, 2024Thank you to Goodreads, the author, and the publisher for the review copy.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews