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Max & Angela #1
Bust
5 [IMPORTANT / VALUABLE] LESSONS YOU CAN LEARN BY READING BUST:
1) When you hire someone to kill your wife, don’t hire a psychopath.
2) Don’t use Drano to get rid of a dead body.
3) Those locks on hotel room doors? Not very secure.
4) A curly blond wig isn’t much of a disguise.
5) Secrets can kill.
1) When you hire someone to kill your wife, don’t hire a psychopath.
2) Don’t use Drano to get rid of a dead body.
3) Those locks on hotel room doors? Not very secure.
4) A curly blond wig isn’t much of a disguise.
5) Secrets can kill.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2006
52 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
About the author
Ken Bruen
132 books851 followersKen Bruen was an Irish writer of hardboiled and noir crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
June 17, 2024
QUANDO C’È DA TACERE BASTA STRINGERE LE LABBRA
Di Ken Bruen ho letto il suo romanzo probabilmente più famoso, The Guards – Prima della notte dove entra in scena il suo personaggio più noto, l’ex poliziotto diventato private eye Jack Taylor. Sull’onda dell’entusiasmo ho visto anche uno dei due tv movie che ne sono stati tratti, con Iain Glen nei panni del protagonista detective privato (mi ha fatto rimpiangere il libro).
Presumo, ma non ricordo bene, che sempre sull’onda dell’entusiasmo per quella prima lettura ho voluto approfondire la conoscenza e sono approdato a questo che ho scoperto con mia sorpresa essere scritto a quattro mani, e le due mani in aggiunta sono di Jason Starr (americano mentre Bruen è irlandese), e a questo ne sono seguiti altri due, una lunga collaborazione che mi colpisce.
La sorpresa non si limita alla doppia firma: si tratta di un hard-boiled immerso a fondo nel black humour, fa ridere e più spesso sorridere, è dannatamente divertente. Un esempio su tutti: un tizio inizia a far rapine e per suonare e apparire convincente quando pronuncia la frase di rito “Mani in alto, questa è una rapina” si iscrive a un corso di recitazione: sarà lo studio di Amleto a renderlo un ladro credibile.
Black humour spiazzante che mi ha ricordato molto un bel film – anche quello bello e sorprendente proprio per il bagno di umorismo nero e un paio di performance da sballo (Don Cheadle e Brendan Gleeson e Mark Strong) – dal titolo molto simile al primo romanzo di Bruen su e con Jack Taylor: questo The Guards, quello The Guard che in Irlanda indica la polizia in genere. In italiano il titolo del film è diventato Un poliziotto da happy hour (sigh).
[P.S. Dello stesso regista, il britannico John Michael Mcdonaugh, è più che notevole anche Calvary di nuovo col sempre superbo Brendan Gleeson]
E volendo il parallelo corre a un altro amatissimo scrittore, Jim Thompson, in quanto l’umorismo nero è anche intriso di un coté schizofrenico, una venatura di sadismo, humour quasi malato.
PS
Inutile dire che il titolo originale è tutt’altro: Bust, che con un complotto, doppio o triplo, non ha nulla a che vedere.
Di Ken Bruen ho letto il suo romanzo probabilmente più famoso, The Guards – Prima della notte dove entra in scena il suo personaggio più noto, l’ex poliziotto diventato private eye Jack Taylor. Sull’onda dell’entusiasmo ho visto anche uno dei due tv movie che ne sono stati tratti, con Iain Glen nei panni del protagonista detective privato (mi ha fatto rimpiangere il libro).
Presumo, ma non ricordo bene, che sempre sull’onda dell’entusiasmo per quella prima lettura ho voluto approfondire la conoscenza e sono approdato a questo che ho scoperto con mia sorpresa essere scritto a quattro mani, e le due mani in aggiunta sono di Jason Starr (americano mentre Bruen è irlandese), e a questo ne sono seguiti altri due, una lunga collaborazione che mi colpisce.
La sorpresa non si limita alla doppia firma: si tratta di un hard-boiled immerso a fondo nel black humour, fa ridere e più spesso sorridere, è dannatamente divertente. Un esempio su tutti: un tizio inizia a far rapine e per suonare e apparire convincente quando pronuncia la frase di rito “Mani in alto, questa è una rapina” si iscrive a un corso di recitazione: sarà lo studio di Amleto a renderlo un ladro credibile.
Black humour spiazzante che mi ha ricordato molto un bel film – anche quello bello e sorprendente proprio per il bagno di umorismo nero e un paio di performance da sballo (Don Cheadle e Brendan Gleeson e Mark Strong) – dal titolo molto simile al primo romanzo di Bruen su e con Jack Taylor: questo The Guards, quello The Guard che in Irlanda indica la polizia in genere. In italiano il titolo del film è diventato Un poliziotto da happy hour (sigh).
[P.S. Dello stesso regista, il britannico John Michael Mcdonaugh, è più che notevole anche Calvary di nuovo col sempre superbo Brendan Gleeson]
E volendo il parallelo corre a un altro amatissimo scrittore, Jim Thompson, in quanto l’umorismo nero è anche intriso di un coté schizofrenico, una venatura di sadismo, humour quasi malato.
PS
Inutile dire che il titolo originale è tutt’altro: Bust, che con un complotto, doppio o triplo, non ha nulla a che vedere.
May 6, 2011
Max Fischer hires a hitman to kill his wife so he can marry his secretary, the surgically enhanced Angela. Little does he know, the hitman is actually Angela's boyfriend and they're plotting against him. Throw in a blackmailer who catches Max and Angela in a compromising position and you have Bust.
Trying to choose someone to root for in this story is like trying to choose which shit sandwich you want to eat. They're all double dealing. You lose count of all the double crosses in this book as it weaves its serpentine course toward the climax. Wheels within wheels as Jeeves would say. Max Fischer reminds me of a boss I used to have so I was waiting with baited breath for him to take the fall.
Trying to choose someone to root for in this story is like trying to choose which shit sandwich you want to eat. They're all double dealing. You lose count of all the double crosses in this book as it weaves its serpentine course toward the climax. Wheels within wheels as Jeeves would say. Max Fischer reminds me of a boss I used to have so I was waiting with baited breath for him to take the fall.
September 1, 2015
When I picked this book I had no idea of what I was in for. Bust was a book that made me think simultaneously of Fargo and Bonfire of the Vanities. And I enjoyed every minute of it. I wished I had picked it up earlier. It was that good.
Max Fisher is screwing his secretary, Angela. He thinks he's in love with her - or at least he's in love with her ... attributes. The only problem is that bitch of a wife of his will take him for everything he's got if he divorces her. Angela and Max cook up a solution in bed together: hire a hit man to kill Max' wife. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that just about everything can go wrong. And that is what makes this book work. Bust actually made me laugh out loud at several points. (When Max woke up with a little itching and scratching in a tender place I lost it.)
Bust is a dirty, trashy story about nasty, ugly people. Bust is also a cautionary tale - or at least I saw it that way. Bust is a story about what happens when an ordinary man invites evil into his life. As in Fargo, he finds that he cannot control the chain of events that he has unleashed.
If you are looking for a fun, trashy read do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Great fun.
Downgraded to 4 stars after some time and reflection. A fun book but not a five star book.
Max Fisher is screwing his secretary, Angela. He thinks he's in love with her - or at least he's in love with her ... attributes. The only problem is that bitch of a wife of his will take him for everything he's got if he divorces her. Angela and Max cook up a solution in bed together: hire a hit man to kill Max' wife. What could possibly go wrong?
It turns out that just about everything can go wrong. And that is what makes this book work. Bust actually made me laugh out loud at several points. (When Max woke up with a little itching and scratching in a tender place I lost it.)
Bust is a dirty, trashy story about nasty, ugly people. Bust is also a cautionary tale - or at least I saw it that way. Bust is a story about what happens when an ordinary man invites evil into his life. As in Fargo, he finds that he cannot control the chain of events that he has unleashed.
If you are looking for a fun, trashy read do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Great fun.
Downgraded to 4 stars after some time and reflection. A fun book but not a five star book.
October 23, 2014
3.5 stars because I didn't like a single character in the book, but they were all believable & fascinating at the same time. My attention was riveted to the hackneyed plot; man is tired of wife, hires wife killed & then winds up in trouble. Oh, but what trouble! It's fantastic. There weren't many characters, but I felt I'd met each of them at one time or another since they were so well drawn. They actually reminded me of various people I have known.
This was written with Jason Starr. It's a good read with a wonderful pulp cover from Hard Case Crime.
This was written with Jason Starr. It's a good read with a wonderful pulp cover from Hard Case Crime.
January 27, 2016
It is true this one has so many twists and turns you feel washed, scrubbed, and tumble-dried when it’s over. At first it seemed like a clever ploy going down, but toward the middle, end-center it really took off as unique and brilliant with plot execution.
I didn’t latch on in the beginning…the writing style of the opening scene was well-arranged and kept me searching, but then it seemed to slow with Angela to things that, while I could keep reading, it just dragged too much. It didn’t help that none of the characters are likeable here. This is a trademark of Hard Case to have characters you don’t latch on to, but these are really all to be despised.
I didn’t realize it was a black comedy sort until some of the funnier stuff started happening later – the herpes was hilarious, then almost getting old, then funny again. When humor arose it was refreshing and took some of the pressure off the winding tale. Everyone deceives, double crosses, and fools everyone here.
While there are many players, it is certainly NOT a character-orientated novel. Purely plot-driver, and while the story was all over the place, it still almost manages to sustain believability. After the weaker pacing, build-up, the pacing took off and never let go of the rush afterword. Dark humor reared its head in a few places, making me doubt myself at times if it was intended or not. Once the book is through, though, it’s evident it was always there waiting to be discovered.
As for the ending? As is typical with these crime noir books, irony is rich but karma isn’t always dependable.
I didn’t latch on in the beginning…the writing style of the opening scene was well-arranged and kept me searching, but then it seemed to slow with Angela to things that, while I could keep reading, it just dragged too much. It didn’t help that none of the characters are likeable here. This is a trademark of Hard Case to have characters you don’t latch on to, but these are really all to be despised.
I didn’t realize it was a black comedy sort until some of the funnier stuff started happening later – the herpes was hilarious, then almost getting old, then funny again. When humor arose it was refreshing and took some of the pressure off the winding tale. Everyone deceives, double crosses, and fools everyone here.
While there are many players, it is certainly NOT a character-orientated novel. Purely plot-driver, and while the story was all over the place, it still almost manages to sustain believability. After the weaker pacing, build-up, the pacing took off and never let go of the rush afterword. Dark humor reared its head in a few places, making me doubt myself at times if it was intended or not. Once the book is through, though, it’s evident it was always there waiting to be discovered.
As for the ending? As is typical with these crime noir books, irony is rich but karma isn’t always dependable.
![Profile Image for Ed [Redacted].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1429513592i%2F3968676.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 18, 2012
The story of a man, Max Fischer, having an affair with his conniving secretary. Fischer hires a psycho to kill his wife. The psycho is the secretary's boyfriend. In true noir fashion, everything goes to hell. This was a collaboration involving Ken Bruen and Jason Starr. I have never read any Starr. My feelings about Bruen are overwhelmingly positive. I found this book to be generally worthwhile to read, though I do not think it stands up to any of Bruen's solo material. I will read the two others in this series at some point.
January 21, 2022
Terrible, sleazy people doing awful things to each other and everyone around them.
April 1, 2018
Sometimes blurbs blow my mind. And I should know better than to believe them. While this was an okay read it certainly wasn’t “hilarious” or “extremely funny”. It had some nonsensical character actions and some pointless and mindless plot twists. Readable but certainly not something you couldn’t miss.
September 6, 2016
Riveting crime-thriller brilliantly plotted.
Up there with the best of Donald E. Westlake's thrillers.
Highest Recommendation!
December 10, 2025
Terrific modern noir crime story.
August 29, 2017
Good book but not sure I enjoyed it. I'm not usually bothered by unlikeable characters but these people were so unredeeming, it spoiled the enjoyment of the book.
August 24, 2022
This was a lot of fun - 4 characters that constantly moved the goalposts and utterly looked out for themselves throughout the whole story.
February 21, 2009
The best part of Bust is its title and cover. The title is great because of its intentional ambiguity. Does it mean an arrest, a failure, a statue, or a woman’s breasts? The cover is neat because of its five important lessons to be learned by reading Bust: not to pick a psycho as a hit man to kill your wife; not to use Drano for getting rid of a corpse; not to depend on hotel room locks, not to use a curly, blonde wig as a disguise; and not to keep secrets that can kill.
Inside the novel is a world where the “F” bomb is thrown around as carelessly as in a Quentin Tarantino movie or Tom Wolfe’s attempt to emulate college “F-speak” in his novel about Charlotte Simmons. The only time I’ve quit reading a novel because of the language was the aforementioned Tom Wolfe book, and when I tried to watch Pulp Fiction, I literally fell asleep. I just couldn’t connect with those characters and I think the explosive, machine-gun profanity was part of that disassociation.
Now, I’m not a total prude—in spite of this tirade against abusive language. There is a place for profanity in art. I just don’t believe that place is up front and center all the time. I don’t want my gangsters saying, “Well, I’ll be danged!” But how many “F” and “S” bombs do we need in one conversation?
Perhaps, I wouldn’t have been as offended if I didn’t feel like I was reading warmed-over Elmore Leonard or Donald E. Westlake. I felt like the authors were trying so hard that they “jumped the shark.” They were so over the top that they were giving me foul-mouthed Martin Short when I needed some cool objectivity a la Steve Martin.
Without providing spoilers, let me just say that the identity of the hit man was no surprise, the resolution of the attempted blackmail was no surprise, and the eventual resolution of the “love affair” was no surprise. I kept reading this book because I like 90% of the Hard Case Crime line and have tremendous respect for the publisher. As a result, I kept expecting there to be something special, something interesting, and something to surprise me. It simply wasn’t there. Bust is to Little Girl Lost or The Colorado Kid as one of those Gold Key comic books licensed from television series is to Frank Miller’s Sin City or 300, not even in the same league.
Inside the novel is a world where the “F” bomb is thrown around as carelessly as in a Quentin Tarantino movie or Tom Wolfe’s attempt to emulate college “F-speak” in his novel about Charlotte Simmons. The only time I’ve quit reading a novel because of the language was the aforementioned Tom Wolfe book, and when I tried to watch Pulp Fiction, I literally fell asleep. I just couldn’t connect with those characters and I think the explosive, machine-gun profanity was part of that disassociation.
Now, I’m not a total prude—in spite of this tirade against abusive language. There is a place for profanity in art. I just don’t believe that place is up front and center all the time. I don’t want my gangsters saying, “Well, I’ll be danged!” But how many “F” and “S” bombs do we need in one conversation?
Perhaps, I wouldn’t have been as offended if I didn’t feel like I was reading warmed-over Elmore Leonard or Donald E. Westlake. I felt like the authors were trying so hard that they “jumped the shark.” They were so over the top that they were giving me foul-mouthed Martin Short when I needed some cool objectivity a la Steve Martin.
Without providing spoilers, let me just say that the identity of the hit man was no surprise, the resolution of the attempted blackmail was no surprise, and the eventual resolution of the “love affair” was no surprise. I kept reading this book because I like 90% of the Hard Case Crime line and have tremendous respect for the publisher. As a result, I kept expecting there to be something special, something interesting, and something to surprise me. It simply wasn’t there. Bust is to Little Girl Lost or The Colorado Kid as one of those Gold Key comic books licensed from television series is to Frank Miller’s Sin City or 300, not even in the same league.
December 10, 2007
Now this was a nice change. I was just starting to get burnt on the clever protagonist says witty things to get out of a jam and gets away with the dame and the loot type stories. No shiny side to this one. Almost need to take a shower after reading it. Not a single character is entirely sympathetic, you just pick your favorite scumbag and hope they come out on top of the scumbag dog pile. I wasn't rooting for any particular low-life and I was pleasantly surprised by the result. Only one flaw-- the imagery begat by the title was way too ham-handed. It's like if that movie "Snatch" was about a guy who really REALLY liked mommy parts. We get it... move on.
Homonym...
Homonym...
June 18, 2018
I mentioned this before,but an irish friend told me that in Belfast(Circa the Troubles)the kids played tag with hatchets.I almost feel guilty that I laughed at the shenanigans in this book,but...I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
September 17, 2011
Meet Max & Angela--the George & Gracie of crime. They are two of the most unlikable characters you will ever meet in the pulp world of crime novels. They are greedy, immoral, psychotic & above all, stupid with a capital "S". He is a corrupt businessman who is always looking for a con while she is his smokin' hot, herpes carrying secretary who is banging him for his money--the one who talks Max into hiring her serial killing boyfriend to knock off Max's wife for the insurance money. Little does Max know the killer he's hiring is Angela's boyfriend. So you see where this going: double cross after double cross & throw in a wheelchair bound blackmailing creep & you have a great pulp fiction tale that could only be dreamed up by Ken Bruen & Jason Starr. They are the dynamic duo of fucked up roman noir.
On top of this, it's hilarious. Don't let any of the negative reviews convince you this is not worth your time. How do I put this?: To have someone tell you to hate this novel is like your friend saying the movie SLAP SHOT sucks. They just don't get it. If you are heavily into pulp crime novels; if you love Hard Case Crime's books because they are like crack to you, then you must pick up this one. Trust me. You will not be sorry.
& then get the continuing hilarity in the sequel: SLIDE.
Worth it, worth it, worth it--so worth it!
On top of this, it's hilarious. Don't let any of the negative reviews convince you this is not worth your time. How do I put this?: To have someone tell you to hate this novel is like your friend saying the movie SLAP SHOT sucks. They just don't get it. If you are heavily into pulp crime novels; if you love Hard Case Crime's books because they are like crack to you, then you must pick up this one. Trust me. You will not be sorry.
& then get the continuing hilarity in the sequel: SLIDE.
Worth it, worth it, worth it--so worth it!
April 23, 2019
I sped through it, so that's obviously a good sign. But a small chunk from the end, I lost interest, as all of the characters just began playing ping pong with the Idiot Ball. I skipped to the end, and was extremely disappointed that
August 23, 2011
I find myself agreeing with other reviewers: every character in the book is dispicable. I wouldn't think this would bother me given my number one pet peeve with most commercial fiction: the flawless protagonist. So I don't know...I guess I like my bad guys to be a little more badass.
The authors might've reolved the nobody-to-like problem by having a larger role for the police detective.
The authors might've reolved the nobody-to-like problem by having a larger role for the police detective.
April 1, 2008
Highly entertaining neo-noir from Hard Case Crime. Like a vintage noir, but with serious curse words. Brisk and bleak with black humor. By a substantial margin, the best Hard Case original (i.e, not a reprint) thus far.
November 29, 2008
forgettable.
March 12, 2016
Like Fargo it just keeps going wrong.
April 18, 2018
“Basically, he wanted Deirdre gone.” Deliciously reprehensible. Surprisingly light on its feet too; fifty pages of this stuff goes down like a shot. ‘Stuff’ is ‘kill the wife’ and it goes south most entertainingly. “Bust” isn’t anything you haven’t seen before but it won’t half make the commute fly by.
This is a soufflé, a romp, populated by cartoonishly horrible people out to do each other over in search of money and sex and whatever else they can get. We have Dillon – a.k.a. “Popeye” – a psychotic Irish lunatic and the ‘Begbie’ of this piece, coronary-waiting-to-happen businessman Max, the wily Angela (Lady Macbeth crossed with Jessica Rabbitt), ex-vet Bobby Rosa and various cops who get in the way of the dance. Everyone is potty-mouthed and out for themselves (and those that aren’t don’t last very long) and get lots of opportunities for devilment. The prose is simple, the chapters are short and the POV changes between each one, so you’re never bored. Characterisation is…hyperbolic: Dillon is such a psycho he not only hits Angela, not only takes a dump in the house he breaks into, not only kills tourists for lolz then watches cartoons but kills his own dog when its starts whining because Dillon hasn’t fed it for a week. Max’s slow motion descent into ruin recalls Robert Lindsay in Channel 4’s “G.B.H.” series and of course Angela is an angel, if you like lots of silicon which all the men do here. Everything is heightened such that you’re watching these characters and laughing with them but you’re not wholly gripped by them. There are plenty of gags (“And Zen there were none!”) and fun escalations and these edge the plot closer to classic farce in its later stages. Strangely, with Angela getting covered in blood and Dillon having dreams of a Banquo-esque Tinker he once killed it can sometimes feel as if the novel is trying to strain for some sort of Shakespearean element but then there’s another murder, Angela switches sides yet again and the plot races on.
It’s quite a skill, by the way, to deploy all of this so expertly. No, it’s not going to change the world but it’s a great little ride. However you do end up with the nagging wish that the two authors had deployed their obviously considerable skills on something really pitch black, something that got you to experience the true quagmire of the human soul. “Bust” is pure entertainment, nothing more or less and when its done this well it feels churlish to take the number of stars down from the heights of the real knock-out classics but down they must come. It’s slight but, “bejaysus”, it’s bloody good fun. “If he’d just had a thing for flat-chested women none of this would have happened.”
This is a soufflé, a romp, populated by cartoonishly horrible people out to do each other over in search of money and sex and whatever else they can get. We have Dillon – a.k.a. “Popeye” – a psychotic Irish lunatic and the ‘Begbie’ of this piece, coronary-waiting-to-happen businessman Max, the wily Angela (Lady Macbeth crossed with Jessica Rabbitt), ex-vet Bobby Rosa and various cops who get in the way of the dance. Everyone is potty-mouthed and out for themselves (and those that aren’t don’t last very long) and get lots of opportunities for devilment. The prose is simple, the chapters are short and the POV changes between each one, so you’re never bored. Characterisation is…hyperbolic: Dillon is such a psycho he not only hits Angela, not only takes a dump in the house he breaks into, not only kills tourists for lolz then watches cartoons but kills his own dog when its starts whining because Dillon hasn’t fed it for a week. Max’s slow motion descent into ruin recalls Robert Lindsay in Channel 4’s “G.B.H.” series and of course Angela is an angel, if you like lots of silicon which all the men do here. Everything is heightened such that you’re watching these characters and laughing with them but you’re not wholly gripped by them. There are plenty of gags (“And Zen there were none!”) and fun escalations and these edge the plot closer to classic farce in its later stages. Strangely, with Angela getting covered in blood and Dillon having dreams of a Banquo-esque Tinker he once killed it can sometimes feel as if the novel is trying to strain for some sort of Shakespearean element but then there’s another murder, Angela switches sides yet again and the plot races on.
It’s quite a skill, by the way, to deploy all of this so expertly. No, it’s not going to change the world but it’s a great little ride. However you do end up with the nagging wish that the two authors had deployed their obviously considerable skills on something really pitch black, something that got you to experience the true quagmire of the human soul. “Bust” is pure entertainment, nothing more or less and when its done this well it feels churlish to take the number of stars down from the heights of the real knock-out classics but down they must come. It’s slight but, “bejaysus”, it’s bloody good fun. “If he’d just had a thing for flat-chested women none of this would have happened.”
December 21, 2025
The main story was not bad. However, I didn't reall ylike the writting style of these authors. It felt starnge. The way they wrote a sentance, and then put "said" then what teh person was saying. I know it sounds petty but it really bugged me throughout this story. I also didn't enjoy all the IRA and Irish references. Again, not my thing, and there was a LOT of that in this book.
The main rason this lost stars though was the way it built up the characters and then just killed them off just like that. Felt very rushed and like they wanted to just finish the story.
I'm sure I'll read the other 2 in the trilogy at some point but I'm in n rush to.
2.5 to 3 star read for me.
The main rason this lost stars though was the way it built up the characters and then just killed them off just like that. Felt very rushed and like they wanted to just finish the story.
I'm sure I'll read the other 2 in the trilogy at some point but I'm in n rush to.
2.5 to 3 star read for me.
June 18, 2019
Actual rating 4.0 stars.
Slick, dirty, crude and dark humour.
This book caught me off guard as I expected it to be set somewhere between the 1960s-1980s. However the word "online" was used in the first 20 or so pages and instantly realised I was wrong.
Plenty of twists and surprises in this one and you cannot assume any of the characters are going to do what they set out to achieve as there is much plotting afoot.
Slick, dirty, crude and dark humour.
This book caught me off guard as I expected it to be set somewhere between the 1960s-1980s. However the word "online" was used in the first 20 or so pages and instantly realised I was wrong.
Plenty of twists and surprises in this one and you cannot assume any of the characters are going to do what they set out to achieve as there is much plotting afoot.
July 5, 2016
As I was reading (and enjoying this) I found myself thinking about the parallels between hardboiled/noir fiction and the sonnet. Each is a form that implies a subject: sonnets are fourteen lines of metered verse, and they’re usually about love, requited or otherwise. Noir is a short novel with clipped sentences, and it’s usually about murder, sex, and betrayal, There are great exceptions in either case (think of Auden’s sonnets or James Ellroy’s noir) but part of what makes each great is that the “rules” are so formalized. As writers and readers we enter into an implicit contract: surprise us by giving us just what we expect.
In that light, Bruen – or maybe Bruen and Starr since this is my first Starr – are flat-out pros. Maybe they aren’t Shakespeares of the form (that would be Hammett and Chandler in this metaphor, I suppose) but they’re awfully good. They make it seem easy and they make it seem fresh. Yet I know as both a reader and a writer that it’s tough to pull this off.
Some of the reviews tout Bruen’s humor, and I think that’s fair. There is a dark humor here, a skilled laughing at the absurdities of the dark side of life. Consider this line from late in the book, “If he’d just had a thing for flat-chested women, none of this would have happened.” Or this one. “Who said money couldn’t buy happiness? Some dumb bastard who bought discount, probably.” Those are great lines, but they’re not simply punch lines. They’re earned as insight into the characters who utter them. In other words, there’s a lot to laugh at here, but the laughs come after the fundamental human comedy: we’re programmed to do stupid things
I could point out that most of the characters here are clichés: the fiery Irish femme fatale, the paunchy and horny middle-aged businessman, the off-his-rocker IRA assassin, even the bitter U.S. army vet (who happens to be wheelchair bound). But if I do point that out, it’s not in complaint; it’s in admiration. We’ve seen these pieces of the puzzle before – we’ve heard voices like this one before – but there’s still something new in the way they come together here.
The novel is part of a tradition, and it revels in that. Each chapter has a quote to start off, a tip of the battered cap to classic noir, to a friend’s work, or to the authors’ own. It knows it isn’t doing entirely original, but that’s the point. You don’t expect originality in a sonnet either; you expect instead a variation on an established theme. You don’t get it all that often, so celebrate it when you do.
In that light, Bruen – or maybe Bruen and Starr since this is my first Starr – are flat-out pros. Maybe they aren’t Shakespeares of the form (that would be Hammett and Chandler in this metaphor, I suppose) but they’re awfully good. They make it seem easy and they make it seem fresh. Yet I know as both a reader and a writer that it’s tough to pull this off.
Some of the reviews tout Bruen’s humor, and I think that’s fair. There is a dark humor here, a skilled laughing at the absurdities of the dark side of life. Consider this line from late in the book, “If he’d just had a thing for flat-chested women, none of this would have happened.” Or this one. “Who said money couldn’t buy happiness? Some dumb bastard who bought discount, probably.” Those are great lines, but they’re not simply punch lines. They’re earned as insight into the characters who utter them. In other words, there’s a lot to laugh at here, but the laughs come after the fundamental human comedy: we’re programmed to do stupid things
I could point out that most of the characters here are clichés: the fiery Irish femme fatale, the paunchy and horny middle-aged businessman, the off-his-rocker IRA assassin, even the bitter U.S. army vet (who happens to be wheelchair bound). But if I do point that out, it’s not in complaint; it’s in admiration. We’ve seen these pieces of the puzzle before – we’ve heard voices like this one before – but there’s still something new in the way they come together here.
The novel is part of a tradition, and it revels in that. Each chapter has a quote to start off, a tip of the battered cap to classic noir, to a friend’s work, or to the authors’ own. It knows it isn’t doing entirely original, but that’s the point. You don’t expect originality in a sonnet either; you expect instead a variation on an established theme. You don’t get it all that often, so celebrate it when you do.
January 18, 2023
2,5 stars
По меркам криминального чтива «Bust» это откровенный фастфуд. Действие стремительно, от сюжетных поворотов укачивает, как от горного серпантина. Романчик читается со свистом, и, подозреваю, со свистом забудется. Авторы (кстати, что такого здесь нужно было написать двоим, с чем не справился бы один?) осознают легковесность своей затеи и явно не просят воспринимать их всерьез — среди открывающих каждую главу эпиграфов встречаются Будда, Ганди или Каммингс, и даже сами Бруэн и Старр.
По меркам криминального чтива «Bust» это откровенный фастфуд. Действие стремительно, от сюжетных поворотов укачивает, как от горного серпантина. Романчик читается со свистом, и, подозреваю, со свистом забудется. Авторы (кстати, что такого здесь нужно было написать двоим, с чем не справился бы один?) осознают легковесность своей затеи и явно не просят воспринимать их всерьез — среди открывающих каждую главу эпиграфов встречаются Будда, Ганди или Каммингс, и даже сами Бруэн и Старр.
September 18, 2017
Класическият ноар винаги ме е привличал с мрачната изисканост на времето около сухия режим и депресията, смелите, но някак благородни бандюги и коравата им до някъде справедлива жестокост. От много време си мислех да подхвана модерните наследници на този жанр и след кратко проучване реших, че тандемът Бруен-Стар е перфектното начало.
Не съм доволен, ама никак. Лишен от романтиката на миналото жанрът се изражда в грозно и безсмислено насилие, прилагано от сбъркани, счупени хора, водени от животински пориви.
Макс Фишър е задник в буквален и преносен смисъл – Скръндза, развратник, свиня и сексист. Решава да убие жена си, не без насоки от любовницата си секретарка, но наема аматьор и нещата отиват по дяволите.
Анджела е полу ирландка – полу гъркина, израстнала в бедно семейство и научена от малка, че тялото и е единственото и оръжие. Опитва се да напредне в живота, без особено много да се замисля и оплита редки интригантски мрежи около шефа и любовника си, които водяд до катострофални последици.
Дилън е убиец психопат и ИРА уонаби гангстер, когато приятелката му го въвлича в убийството на жената на шефа си, той го обръща на кървава баня, без абсолютно никакви опити да се прикрие от полицията. Гарнира с още няколко безпричинни убийства и полека завлича всички конспиратори към дъното.
Боби е бивш престъпник и още по-бивш ветеран от Ирак. Има перверзно хоби да снима жени из градските паркове и изгарящо желание да докаже на себе си, че инвалидната количка не го прави по-малко опасен. Когато случайно бързо скалъпената му схема за изнудване удря на Макс и Анджела, нещата съвсем се объркват.
Сравненията със Син сити и Тарантино са пълна щуротия. Тук нямаше нито един симпатичен герой, както и нито един изненадващ сюжетен обрат. Единствената изненада беше, че книгата свърши като одрязана с нож, без никаква развръзка, а на този етап вече четях само заради нея.
Давам една звезда в повече заради така наречения хумор, на който простака в мен се смя на няколко пъти с глас.
Не съм доволен, ама никак. Лишен от романтиката на миналото жанрът се изражда в грозно и безсмислено насилие, прилагано от сбъркани, счупени хора, водени от животински пориви.
Макс Фишър е задник в буквален и преносен смисъл – Скръндза, развратник, свиня и сексист. Решава да убие жена си, не без насоки от любовницата си секретарка, но наема аматьор и нещата отиват по дяволите.
Анджела е полу ирландка – полу гъркина, израстнала в бедно семейство и научена от малка, че тялото и е единственото и оръжие. Опитва се да напредне в живота, без особено много да се замисля и оплита редки интригантски мрежи около шефа и любовника си, които водяд до катострофални последици.
Дилън е убиец психопат и ИРА уонаби гангстер, когато приятелката му го въвлича в убийството на жената на шефа си, той го обръща на кървава баня, без абсолютно никакви опити да се прикрие от полицията. Гарнира с още няколко безпричинни убийства и полека завлича всички конспиратори към дъното.
Боби е бивш престъпник и още по-бивш ветеран от Ирак. Има перверзно хоби да снима жени из градските паркове и изгарящо желание да докаже на себе си, че инвалидната количка не го прави по-малко опасен. Когато случайно бързо скалъпената му схема за изнудване удря на Макс и Анджела, нещата съвсем се объркват.
Сравненията със Син сити и Тарантино са пълна щуротия. Тук нямаше нито един симпатичен герой, както и нито един изненадващ сюжетен обрат. Единствената изненада беше, че книгата свърши като одрязана с нож, без никаква развръзка, а на този етап вече четях само заради нея.
Давам една звезда в повече заради така наречения хумор, на който простака в мен се смя на няколко пъти с глас.
July 24, 2013
“In this business, it’s make or break, and you gotta go for bust.”
I was pleased to see the Hard Case Crime sale and jumped at a chance to read all three of these books for under $10.00. I buy books all the time (too many) and don't often read them as soon as I buy them, but in this case I started BUST right away. I suspect my expectations were unreasonable... the idea that Ken Bruen and Jason Starr teamed up to write a three book series received a lot of hype in 2007... and our MostlyFiction.com reviewers liked the series.. in fact re-reading the review of this book it is smack on:
I was pleased to see the Hard Case Crime sale and jumped at a chance to read all three of these books for under $10.00. I buy books all the time (too many) and don't often read them as soon as I buy them, but in this case I started BUST right away. I suspect my expectations were unreasonable... the idea that Ken Bruen and Jason Starr teamed up to write a three book series received a lot of hype in 2007... and our MostlyFiction.com reviewers liked the series.. in fact re-reading the review of this book it is smack on:
June 30, 2017
Bust is a modern noir crime novel by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr. Even though this book is a collaboration between two authors, it's impossible to tell who wrote which parts. All you need to do is read the
first page to know this book is beyond awesome. Max, who owns some computer networking company, meets a crazy Irish hit man in a NY pizzeria. Max pays Popeye ten grand to kill his wife. Meanwhile, Bobby Rosa sits in his wheelchair in Central Park snapping boob shots of
sunbathers. Bobby has the photos on all the walls of his apartment and a heavy box filled with guns and ammo. Bobby later comes up with the idea of photographing couples having affairs in a skanky hotel.
Speaking of which, the reason Max is so hot to have his wife killed is Angela Petrakos, his executive secretary. "Most of her money went on clothes. The most basic lesson she learned was that if you
wore a short skirt, killer heels, and a tight top, guys went ape." Funny, Angela finds Max his hit man. Who's playing who here.
This book rolls down the highway at breakneck speed. It's comedic without getting stupid. Great crime writing. Highly recommended. Gotta wonder if the
title is a reference to Max's preoccupation with certain feminine assets or what happens when a murder for hire goes sideways.
first page to know this book is beyond awesome. Max, who owns some computer networking company, meets a crazy Irish hit man in a NY pizzeria. Max pays Popeye ten grand to kill his wife. Meanwhile, Bobby Rosa sits in his wheelchair in Central Park snapping boob shots of
sunbathers. Bobby has the photos on all the walls of his apartment and a heavy box filled with guns and ammo. Bobby later comes up with the idea of photographing couples having affairs in a skanky hotel.
Speaking of which, the reason Max is so hot to have his wife killed is Angela Petrakos, his executive secretary. "Most of her money went on clothes. The most basic lesson she learned was that if you
wore a short skirt, killer heels, and a tight top, guys went ape." Funny, Angela finds Max his hit man. Who's playing who here.
This book rolls down the highway at breakneck speed. It's comedic without getting stupid. Great crime writing. Highly recommended. Gotta wonder if the
title is a reference to Max's preoccupation with certain feminine assets or what happens when a murder for hire goes sideways.
January 2, 2008
This book was a bit like a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed chair. I can admire the artistry involved but it's not very comfortable to sit on. Similarly, this book was well-put together and noir-ishly funny but not much fun to read. That is, I hated pretty much every character and wanted them all to bite it by about page 154 (out of 254). Though I appreciated how the authors captured each character's self delusions perfectly, I have decided I need a little Sam Spade in my "there's a million stories in the naked city." I need one character, no matter how flawed, that I can root for and Bruen/Starr didn't give it to me. Though I suspect this was the point, I can now say that that is not my taste.
That said, I am curious to read some of the other titles in the "Hard Case Crime" series which to quote the book jacket, "brings you the best in hard-boiled crime fiction, from lost pulp classics to new work by today's most powerful writers, all in handsome and affordable paperback editions."
That said, I am curious to read some of the other titles in the "Hard Case Crime" series which to quote the book jacket, "brings you the best in hard-boiled crime fiction, from lost pulp classics to new work by today's most powerful writers, all in handsome and affordable paperback editions."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews