I was having a discussion, the other day, with a fellow writer. Said fellow writer was very much a fan of the traditional publishing method of claiming “authorship”. The discussion inevitably turned down the path of how a few rotten apples ruin the reputation for so many small presses. To that I brought up Edward Lorn’s Hope for the Wicked. Why? Let me explain.
I read a number of books in 2012. The trad to small press ratio was pretty even. But of all the books I read that year, one of them stood out, heads above the rest. That book? Hope for the Wicked. What is Hope for the Wicked? Here’s the description:
Sometimes, bad people do good deeds.
Larry and Mo Laughlin are retired killers turned private investigators with monetary woes. So when their handler introduces them to the Trudeaus, one final job is placed on the docket.
Jacob and Bernice Trudeau need their teenage daughter, Amy, found, and they also want the men responsible dead. Two million dollars is an offer Larry and Mo can’t refuse.
To find Amy, the Laughlins must travel to Mexico, where they are thrust into a world of debauchery so foul they will be forever changed.
One crazed pimp, a veterinarian turned doc-for-hire, and an enigmatic facility called “The Show” lie in wait for the wayward couple.
Is there any hope for the wicked?
This book is a thriller of a dark ride, that takes the reader down paths some might not be comfortable reading. Thankfully, the path was paved by Mr. Lorn, who manages to tackle the taboo task with a grace and sensibility that many other writers couldn’t manage. Because of this, you simply go along for the ride and never hesitate to continue forward. When you’re done, you look back and think Wow, that was a hell of a ride!
One of the main criteria by which I judge a book is how long it takes me to read from cover to cover. I am a rather slow reader. Hope for the Wicked was the first book, in decades, that I managed to complete within a weekend. How is that? The book is not only impeccably written, the twisted thriller of a plot flies by like a maddening roller coaster you will never forget. And, in the end, you will be left hoping like hell the author plans on taking Larry (the Private Investigator protagonist) on plenty of these dark and twisty stories.
If you are a lover of thrillers, especially those a bit outside the norm (and a main character with plenty of skeletons in his closet), you must read Hope for the Wicked, by Edward Lorn. It’s books like this, and authors like Mr. Lorn, that give credence to the small press movement.
Purchase your copy of Hope for the Wicked from Amazon.
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