Synopsis/blurb….
You can only take so
much from a man before he has nothing left to lose... Calvin G. Redbone,
veteran, is a simple man with a simple routine. He lives in a travel trailer,
details cars, takes practice swings with his Louisville Slugger. His weekdays
are always the same: nothing more complicated than deciding whether to doctor
his morning coffee with a splash of bourbon. Until his world begins to change.
Until his best friend winds up dead. Until Calvin realizes that nothing is as
simple as it appears on the surface. Maybe not even Calvin G. Redbone himself.
As he begins to unravel the truth about his friend’s life and death, the
question becomes: what’s Calvin going to do about it?
Written in
sharp-edged prose, Redbone is a captivating murder ballad-noir. Number Thirteen
Press is building a list of #13 crime novellas, published over #13 months, on
the 13th of each month.
First taste of author Matt Phillips and similarly my first
time around the block with the publisher, Number Thirteen Press.
A short, sharp and dark tale about Calvin Redbone and his
life and what happens when his equilibrium gets disturbed. Calvin, ex-military
and now single is eking out a Groundhog Day style existence. Alarm clock goes
off, up he gets, same breakfast, same work clothes, same walk to work to his
janitorial-cum-cleaner boy duties at the car showroom. There’s a tinge of
bitterness and regret every time he spies the divorce lawyers’ office over the
road on his way to work, the one that presumably assisted the former Mrs
Redbone’s passage out of his life and there’s a rueful reminiscing of happier
times when passing the locked up and disused Sammy’s drive-in theatre; the one
he spent many happy hours at, again in the company of the former Mrs Redbone.
Calvin’s fairly well liked around town. At the Speakeasy bar
he frequents, Mona always has a kind word; at Jimmy’s donut shop he always jokes
with the owner. At the trailer park he chats easily with the young Ricky Fife,
the town’s rising football star and plays chess and knocks back drinks with the
alluring and perpetually nightie-clad, trust-fund supported Marnie. His best
friend though is Mister.
One day – Calvin’s world explodes…….Mister takes his head
off with a gun, Calvin loses his job and a mystery developer reveals plans to replace
Sammy’s derelict drive-in with a strip mall. Calvin already to a degree living
his life in the past, before the time in the military and before the divorce,
snaps…..and the consequences aren’t pretty.
Great characters and
setting, Calvin retained my sympathies even after he crossed the line.
Dark, but very enjoyable.
4 from 5
Matt Phillips is on Twitter here - @MRPhill25.
I got a review copy of this from the publishers – Number Thirteen
Press. Their website is here.
That premise - what does it do to a person to lose everything? - is interesting, Col. When it's done well, it can be really compelling. Not sure, honestly, that this one's for me, but I can see why you liked it, and I'm glad you found it well-written.
ReplyDeleteMargot thanks. Probably more me than you, but it would be dull if we all went for the same thing.
DeleteSounds a good solid book, I might need more encouragement actually to pick it out when there are so many books on the pile.
ReplyDeleteToo many books...we're all in the same boat I think, one day this one then, maybe?
DeleteCol, Calvin G. Redbone's situation sounds familiar in the real world. Yet, most of us would simply move on instead of deciding to do something about it. I think I'd like to read Calvin's story, and the "great characters" and "sharp-edged prose" are appealing too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Most of us do nothing, it's interesting to observe a man who just won't take it any more.
DeleteSounds very, very dark. A good price and a good length. I will have to think about it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one and yes its not any longer than it needed to be.
Delete