S W Lauden has taken
the potential that he displayed in his debut novel, Bad Citizen Corporation
(BCC) and turned himself into the newest must-read author in the PI genre.
Grizzly Season, the follow up to the kick-ass Bad Citizen Corporation follows
the exploits of Greg Salem as he deals with the aftermath of his heroics in BCC.
While Salem is
looking to clear his head by taking a mountain bike ride with his best friend
and former bandmate, Marco, he stumbles into the clutches of Magnus,a drug
dealer who has a plan to hit the big time with one massive drug deal which will
allow him to retire. Magnus has been developing a high-grade strain of
marijuana that's mixed with some higher potency drugs that delivers a Grizzly
Bear high. He tries to strong-arm Salem to join the operation, but Salem manages
to escape, and while he manages to rescue Kristen, a young drifter caught up in
Magnus’ scheme, he is forced to leave
Marco in the clutches of the dealer.
While Salem may not
have been able to get Marco out of Magnus’ camp, he refuses to give up and
spends his time teaching the mountains and woods for signs of his friend and
Magnus and he is prepared to do anything necessary to rescue his buddy. Mix in
a new love interest for Salem, an impending family life, a desire to be a role
model for his friend’s fatherless son, and the baggage from the shooting of the
boy with the blue hat (detailed in BCC) and you have a book that is on a slow
simmer just waiting to boil over.
In Grizzly Season,
Lauden offers readers the perfect mix of sex, drugs, and (punk)rock-n-roll, but
also infuses it with heart, heart-break, and most importantly, a poet’s touch.
Lauden offers so much more than a standard PI read, he offers up a raw, gritty
picture of the life of the PI, warts and all. Salem is no saint, but he is a
man who has heart, seeks to do the right thing, and is looking to make the
world a better place for those he loves. The fact that Lauden strips Salem down
to the core and shows the reader his struggles to be a good friend, a good
father, and most importantly a good father, while also allowing his
insecurities and vulnerabilities to shine through is a huge strength to this
book. Salem is a character worthy of a series and the ending to this great read
will have you salivating for the next book in this series.
Highly Recommended.
Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski.
