“You’re the dirt in
which you stand. You’ve never been anything. You’ll never be anyone. You’ll
always get taken, be brought down, get kicked in your ribs. …the truth is in
your bones- you’re a nobody”
It
has been said bad news comes in threes and Matt Phillips proves it true by
offering three bad-ass hits of noir in his ass-kicking new offering, AccidentalOutlaws. These three stories contain reoccurring characters who help link these
tales of misery and despair. It has been a while since a new All Due Respect
book crossed my E-Reader, but the wait has sure been worth it. Phillips and ADR
is a match made in heaven; both are known to focus on the fringe players of
society and both prove novels and stories work best when they are left without
a bow to tie them up, instead they reflect the truth that life rarely has neat
ending.
My
favorite of the three stores was Mesa Boys. Phillips paints a bleakness in this
story which features no good men doing no good crimes. When Ronnie aligns himself
with the untrustworthy Marl in an attempt to steal from his uncle, he sets a
series of fallen dominoes into action and in true noir fashion, there are no
winners when the chips are down. I really liked the manner in which Philips
sets the stage with characters no one can root for. This story needed
characters who play off each other and the reader has no vested interest in
seeing one character emerge as a victor, instead you find yourself immersed in
the story and just enjoy the misery each character inflicts on themselves and
others.
The
Feud is the second story and it is a doozy in its own right. Rex finds himself
seething inside as he reflects on his shitty life and his anger finds a target
in Garrett, a local pot dealer who Rex deems as a no-good piece of crap who
holds no job benefits off the misery of others. As Rex finds his anger boiling
to the point he can’t contain it anymore, the wheels of fate begin to dish out
punishment and retribution to the lowlifes that inhabit this tale. The ending
comes out of nowhere and leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction.
The
final story, Bar Burning, has a fairly likable character Packard, who believes
“A man has to make things burn. He’s got no choice about that. But what he
burns, that’s what tells you who he is”. Packard overhears local bar owner, Sketchy,
disparage another man and something about that doesn’t sit right with him. His
decision to burnt he bar down sets off a chain reaction that has Packard pick
up the bar owner’s former girlfriend, which adds fuel to their new war. With
each man intent on getting the upper hand, the potential for violence ratchets
up to a fever pitch level and keeps the reader flying through the pages.
Phillips
writes in a style which is authentic, true, and meaningful. His characters jump
to life and are well-fleshed out. The reader will find their actions
understandable, if not inevitable. The truth of the noir lifestyle is evident
in every story, paragraph, sentence, and word Phillips choices in include, and
exclude. While there are no winners in the pages within this collection, the
true winners are the readers of these tightly written masterpieces and Phillips
himself, who continues to impress me with each new offering.
Highly
Recommended.
