I
reread Les Edgerton’s Bomb this weekend and I was blown away.
“Wait!” you are
crying, “Bomb is a new release and you read it twice?” I actually read it years ago when it was
titled The Perfect Crime (after all, if you aren’t reading Edgerton who the
hell are you reading?). While the years have erased my recollection of the
story, I can tell you The Perfect Crime was my first introduction to Edgerton
and I have devoured everything he has published since then. The Perfect Crime
was tight in plot, the characters were real, and the story kicked-ass.
Impossible as I would have thought it to be, Gutter Books has tightened the
edges even further, streamlined parts here and there, and have released this
beautifully written slice of noir onto an unsuspecting public and it will leave
each of you gasping for air.
Reader
Kincaid is a badass genius that begins his next plot while incarcerated. He
uses the knowledge he gains from other criminals to devise a foolproof (or at least
he thinks it is) plan to rob a bank by strapping a bomb to a banker and sit
safely on the sidelines. But as his plan starts to unfold, cracks begin to appear
and allegiances among Edgerton’s characters are called into question, leaving
the reader trying to guess what will happen and who will come out ahead of
their adversaries.
Edgerton
follows the cardinal writing rule and he writes what he knows. Having been
incarcerated, he knows the lingo and the characters and that is what helps his
writing jump off the page and come to life. He hooks you from the beginning
paragraph and once he has you, he never lets go. He is a master crime writer
and he is in prime form here. Edgerton has put out some of the best books of
the past few years and deserves more recognition for his ability to get inside
his characters and explain their motivations in a manner that leaves you, while
not rooting for them, understanding them and being invested in them.
I
will ask the question again: If you’re not reading Edgerton, what the hell are
you reading? Grab a copy of this book pronto and lose yourself in a killer
crime novel.
Highly
Recommended.
Reviewed
by Derrick Horodyski.
