September 2020 - Lethal Injection

[Melki, Femme fatale]

This month's book, Lethal Injection, was originally published in 1987, and quickly gained status as a cult classic. James Ellroy praised the book as "an unheralded masterpiece of the Noir genre."

Jim Nisbet is the author of over a dozen novels and several books of poetry. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times, shortlisted for the Hammett Prize, and published in ten languages. And, unlike many noir authors, Nisbet has apparently dabbled in carpentry as well as his literary efforts. Aged 73, he lives in San Francisco, California.

Please check out the author's website for more details, plus photos of his carpentry projects.

http://noirconeville.com/jcorblurb2.html

[Lawrence]

I'm a quarter of the way in and if the rest of the book is as good as what I have read so far, i'll have to figure out a way to thank you and Still for the introduction to this author.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan), Hard-Boiled]

very good choice for September. I've read the first chapters and it's compelling, I would say even better than "The Green Mile", which I tried earlier this year.

[Lawrence]

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book and I keep thinking, wow, there is so much out there that I have never heard or seen. There are just too many good books to read.

This book had the feel of Jim Thompson. Royce just slowly spirals down and down, until, well, no spoilers from me.

[Melki, Femme fatale]

Sorry I've been absent so much lately.

Since the library has an open-air patio, we were allowed to have our annual book sale - which has somehow become my responsibility. It was a lot of work, but we made over seven grand for the library - a new record - and money sorely needed, as it was our only fundraiser this year.

And . . . then I got a puppy, which is why I'm up at 3 am.

Anyway - about the book. I was having real trouble getting into this one, until I realized it's not really a book best read a few pages at a time. So I gave it a full hour one day, and read straight through til I finished. I got a real James M. Cain vibe from all the doom hovering in the air. You know things aren't going to end well for at least one of these three characters - the fun part is figuring out who's not going to make it to the end.

[Monique]

"He felt like a tourist in Manhattan, speaking no English, who suddenly wakes up to the fact that it's 3:00am on a Tuesday, and he's wandering around Times Square wearing suspenders and lederhosen and a Miss Liberty T-shirt with a passport and two thousand dollars in traveler's checks sticking out of his back pocket and an expensive camera on a strap around his neck: vulnerable."

I love this line. The writing is brilliant, and I agree the pages up until the execution were gripping, although the transitioning between POVs were a little confusing at first. Once we are with Royce though, it's like watching a train wreck. I'm still reading, so no plot spoiling!