C.S.DEWILDT - THE LOUISVILLE PROBLEM (2013)

Synopsis/blurb….

It was such a minor thing really, the Louisville Problem. One dead man, two beautiful women, a bag full of cash, and one pissed off crime boss. It wouldn't be that much trouble to fix. No more trouble than a murder or two.

The Louisville Problem is the third flash novel from Bartleby Snopes Press.

"The Louisville Problem aptly earns the title Flash Novel. In barely 60 pages, CS DeWildt tells a violent and sex-charged tale of crime and dark passion that is a complete story of a very bad man's solution to a complex dilemma."

-- Mike Monson, author of Criminal Love and Other Stories and the upcoming crime novella from Out of the Gutter, The Scent of New Death

"The Louisville Problem creeps along through the narrative, forming a large and hideous shadow. While Jasper Skaggs never comes off as a good guy, he is the guy we all root for. And when he dons that hideous shadow and solves his problems, it makes you wonder if maybe we shouldn't have cheered so loud. DeWildt does it again. Savage, lyrical, unrelenting."

-- Ryan Sayles, author of Subtle Art Of Brutality

Another new author to me and a short novella which added another notch to the reading numbers for last month.

We have our protagonist, Jasper Skaggs who rocks up in a small town and within a short space of time is working for Grover Shutes at his hardware store. Grover has more to offer Jasper than some human kindness and a job. He has an accommodating wife, Elizabeth and a 15 year old teenage daughter, Alice who is just as generous as her mom with her favours. Who says men can’t multi-task?

Skaggs having left Louisville in rather a hurry has no desire to return, but does has a monkey on his back in the shape of Gray, who he ripped off. With a bit of careful planning, Skaggs implements a scheme to get his life back in order. It requires a bit of DIY and his tool of choice is a gun.

Hat on!

I love reading about characters that are capable, adaptable, amoral and devious. I think it takes real skill for an author to write about those characters and not have the reader loathe them.

4 from 5

C. S. DeWildt has his website here

Hat off!

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He has a couple of other offerings available. Dead Animals – a short story collection that sits on my kindle.

Candy and Cigarettes a novella that also waits for me and his most recent work - Love You to a Pulp, a novel about a glue-huffing detective on the trail of a missing girl and a southern friend pill scheme. Another one to go on the list!

I bought copy of this on Amazon recently.