Synopsis/blurb…….
Wiley's Lament is a
violent, profane, and graphic look at a life that has spun off its rails in the
wrong part of town, but it's also about remorse, renewal, and the flickering
possibility of redemption.
Wiley is a man who
ripped his life apart with his bare hands and is now drifting through the
remains like a ghost, making ends meet by playing poker when the cards run well
enough and ripping off drug dealers when the cards run bad. He is separated
from his long-suffering wife-permanently, so far-and his daughter hadn't spoken
to him for a year by the time she turns up in a motel room cut deep, too deep
to keep breathing, by a really bad man.
Wiley drifts through
the nasty underside of Portland's sex industry in search of the murderer, but
he takes two steps back for every forward stride. His progress impeded by the
life he has been living, Wiley re-examines his existence as the bullets fly,
blood flows, and love (or a reasonable facsimile) flickers faintly.
By the time the
journey winds to its final dead end, Wiley has begun the process of getting to
know himself and the daughter he lost. Where exactly that leaves him remains to
be seen, but then that's why sequels were invented.
A new-to-me author – Lono
Waiwaiole with the first from his three book series featuring an outlaw
called Wiley.
A fantastic, breakneck start with our main man Wiley ripping
off a drug gang for cash in Seattle.
I picked Seattle because you don’t
piss in your own peonies, and because Seattle’s tendency to look down on the
rest of us had always rubbed me a little raw.
That’s the problem with having the
Space Needle for a nose – the thing sticks straight up in the air.
His temporary elation at this success is soon shattered by
the news his estranged daughter, Lizzie has been murdered. We have a split
narrative – so are with Lillie when she encounters her killer. We know who he
is and kind of what he’s a part of. Fernando is violent, sadistic, amoral and
totally ruthless. He’s also part of a drug cartel and is the inside man, involved
with a US government agency takedown of his boss. His handlers are prepared to
allow him some latitude as the operation’s success is deemed more important
than the death of a sex-worker.
Wiley tears around Portland searching for Leon – his best
friend and landlord, but someone also involved in the city’s sex trade and who
Wiley deems responsible for Lizzie’s death. Leon and Lizzie having had a thing together
for a while. Leon seems conspicuous by his absence.
When they eventually catch up with each other, Leon dissuades
Wiley from his initial course of action and together the pair of them team up
and with the reluctant agreement of the local law start the hunt for our
killer, Fernando.
In the meantime efforts to keep Fernando on a short leash
and under control, prove futile as he conducts a clean-up operation around
town, endeavouring to eliminate anyone who can connect him back to the killing.
His babysitters are complicit upto a point – ok covering tracks, but they aren’t
openly sanctioning a bloodletting.
An interesting scenario as we have two teams chasing around –
one covering tracks and eliminating the dots, whilst the other is endeavouring
to find them and connect them. Neither one too concerned about operating within
the boundaries of the law.
Very violent, but with a lot more going on as well. Grief,
regrets, loss and a search for answers and retribution. For our killer – just another
day at the office.
Pretty damn good. A series I may read more of in the future.
4 from 5
Lono Waiwaiole
has a website
here.
His 3 Wiley books were initially published back in the
2000s.
1. Wiley's Lament (2003)
2. Wiley's Shuffle (2004)
3. Wiley's Refrain (2005)
Down and Out Books have recently re-released them in digital format.
Their website is
here.
Thanks to Eric at Down and Out for my copy of this one.
