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Notte di sangue a Coyote Crossing
In mezzo allo sconfinato nulla dell’Oklahoma, nella contea di Coyote Crossing, gli abitanti dormono sonni tranquilli, o almeno così credeva il giovane aiuto sceriffo Toby Sawyer, prima di quella notte.
I Jordan sono piombati in città, assetati di vendetta per l’omicidio del fratello Luke, ma il cadavere è scomparso e tutti sembrano avere troppe cose da nascondere per raccontare la verità. Toby deve ritrovare il corpo prima dell’alba, e scoprirà ben presto di non essere il solo a cercarlo: tre killer chicanos gli distruggono il trailer a raffiche di mitra, e lui fa appena in tempo a fuggire con il figlio in braccio, sotto una pioggia di proiettili.
Nello spazio di una notte, senza potersi fidare di nessuno, uomo o donna, amico o collega, il giovane Toby diventerà uomo, scoperchiando segreti pericolosi che lo costringeranno a combattere contro il cuore marcio di un’intera città e a scontrarsi con i Jordan in un’ultima sfida che profuma di O.K. Corral.
Una frenetica corsa contro il tempo tra esplosioni, incendi e inseguimenti mortali. Victor Gischler, adorato non a caso da Joe R. Lansdale e Don Winslow, ancora una volta sfodera humour, velocità e colpi di scena in un noir mozzafiato dal sapore western.
I Jordan sono piombati in città, assetati di vendetta per l’omicidio del fratello Luke, ma il cadavere è scomparso e tutti sembrano avere troppe cose da nascondere per raccontare la verità. Toby deve ritrovare il corpo prima dell’alba, e scoprirà ben presto di non essere il solo a cercarlo: tre killer chicanos gli distruggono il trailer a raffiche di mitra, e lui fa appena in tempo a fuggire con il figlio in braccio, sotto una pioggia di proiettili.
Nello spazio di una notte, senza potersi fidare di nessuno, uomo o donna, amico o collega, il giovane Toby diventerà uomo, scoperchiando segreti pericolosi che lo costringeranno a combattere contro il cuore marcio di un’intera città e a scontrarsi con i Jordan in un’ultima sfida che profuma di O.K. Corral.
Una frenetica corsa contro il tempo tra esplosioni, incendi e inseguimenti mortali. Victor Gischler, adorato non a caso da Joe R. Lansdale e Don Winslow, ancora una volta sfodera humour, velocità e colpi di scena in un noir mozzafiato dal sapore western.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
69 people are currently reading
1036 people want to read
About the author
Victor Gischler
369 books413 followersVictor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 28, 2025
CASINO TOTALE
Casino totale, nel senso di totale bordello, caos. Ma, no, questo qui sopra non c’è. Ma avrebbe potuto. Questa, e le immagini che seguono sono prese dal film “Raising Ariziona-Arizona Junior” di Joel e Ethan Coen, 1987.
Su Wikipedia si legge che l’Oklahoma è il maggior produttore di gas naturale, petrolio e prodotti agricoli, basa la sua economia su energia, telecomunicazioni e biotecnologie, rendendolo nel 2007 uno degli stati con il più rapido sviluppo economico, tra i primi posti per reddito dei suoi cittadini e per crescita del PIL, e si fa fatica a riconoscere il posto che descrive Gischler, che invece è giusto nel buco del culo di niente, un luogo dove i cellulari non hanno ricezione, i soli telefoni che funzionano sono quelli della rete fissa.
Allora, chi ha ragione?
Piacevolmente e abilmente strutturato nell’unità di tempo di una solo lunga notte, ha per protagonista un vice sceriffo, anzi, più correttamente, un aiuto sceriffo, quello che indica il titolo originale (The Deputy): un giovane che sembrerebbe essere un perditempo senza arte né parte, aiuto sceriffo part-time, che si rivela uomo di tempra, decisione e azione. Oltre che incorruttibile.
Intorno a lui quel niente che Gischler definisce buco di culo, intorno a lui gente corrotta super-corrotta, violenta e super-violenta. Intorno a lui accetta pistole fucili fiamme esplosioni pallottole.
Da apprezzare l’ironia che Gischler non risparmia.
Da apprezzare meno che dopo un buon inizio, segnato dalla sparizione di un cadavere, le situazioni diventino un po’ inverosimili, e soprattutto un po’ ripetitive.
PS
Non se la prendano i montaliani duri-e-puri, sono uno di loro, amo Izzo: qui non c’è nulla di quell’anima, di quella densità, di quell'umanità – ma è una storia così incasinata che a un certo punto si trasforma letteralmente in un totale casino.
Casino totale, nel senso di totale bordello, caos. Ma, no, questo qui sopra non c’è. Ma avrebbe potuto. Questa, e le immagini che seguono sono prese dal film “Raising Ariziona-Arizona Junior” di Joel e Ethan Coen, 1987.
Su Wikipedia si legge che l’Oklahoma è il maggior produttore di gas naturale, petrolio e prodotti agricoli, basa la sua economia su energia, telecomunicazioni e biotecnologie, rendendolo nel 2007 uno degli stati con il più rapido sviluppo economico, tra i primi posti per reddito dei suoi cittadini e per crescita del PIL, e si fa fatica a riconoscere il posto che descrive Gischler, che invece è giusto nel buco del culo di niente, un luogo dove i cellulari non hanno ricezione, i soli telefoni che funzionano sono quelli della rete fissa.
Allora, chi ha ragione?
Piacevolmente e abilmente strutturato nell’unità di tempo di una solo lunga notte, ha per protagonista un vice sceriffo, anzi, più correttamente, un aiuto sceriffo, quello che indica il titolo originale (The Deputy): un giovane che sembrerebbe essere un perditempo senza arte né parte, aiuto sceriffo part-time, che si rivela uomo di tempra, decisione e azione. Oltre che incorruttibile.
Intorno a lui quel niente che Gischler definisce buco di culo, intorno a lui gente corrotta super-corrotta, violenta e super-violenta. Intorno a lui accetta pistole fucili fiamme esplosioni pallottole.
Da apprezzare l’ironia che Gischler non risparmia.
Da apprezzare meno che dopo un buon inizio, segnato dalla sparizione di un cadavere, le situazioni diventino un po’ inverosimili, e soprattutto un po’ ripetitive.
PS
Non se la prendano i montaliani duri-e-puri, sono uno di loro, amo Izzo: qui non c’è nulla di quell’anima, di quella densità, di quell'umanità – ma è una storia così incasinata che a un certo punto si trasforma letteralmente in un totale casino.
November 14, 2016
All part-time deputy Toby Sawyer had to do was keep an eye on Luke Jordan's body. Now the corpse has vanished and people are coming out of the woodwork to put a bullet in Toby's head. Can Toby survive the night with his job and his life intact?
When I got my metric ton of free books at Bouchercon, Kemper mentioned that Victor Gischler was a good writer seconds before he went into his tantrum over the free John Sandford I scored. I have to say that that was one of many occasions when that curmudgeonly Kansan pointed me in the right direction.
Toby Sawyer's a screw-up, no two ways about it. He shows up to the crime scene wearing sweat pants and a Weezer tshirt with his badge pinned to it, wondering how he can wear his holster without his sweat pants falling down. That pretty much sums up his character. He lives in a trailer with his wife and infant son, has a girlfriend on the side, and doesn't have a lot going for him. It took me a little while but I really started getting behind Toby as he slowly stepped up and gifted the wrong-doers with hot lead.
Since The Deputy is told from the first person, I was as in the dark as Toby for most of the book. Tensions ran higher and higher the deeper I got into the book. So much shit gets piled on top of Toby that I didn't think he'd be able to dig his way out. The breakneck pace reminds me of The Wheelman quite a bit. Every time it looks like Toby's going to get a chance to rest, more bad guys come crawling out of the woodwork.
I can't really say much about the plot without ruining the book. It's well done but, like I said, I was in the dark as much as Toby was for most of the book.
The Deputy is a great example of modern day noir. It's not a perfect book by any means but it's an exciting way to spend a few hours. It's an easy four star book.
When I got my metric ton of free books at Bouchercon, Kemper mentioned that Victor Gischler was a good writer seconds before he went into his tantrum over the free John Sandford I scored. I have to say that that was one of many occasions when that curmudgeonly Kansan pointed me in the right direction.
Toby Sawyer's a screw-up, no two ways about it. He shows up to the crime scene wearing sweat pants and a Weezer tshirt with his badge pinned to it, wondering how he can wear his holster without his sweat pants falling down. That pretty much sums up his character. He lives in a trailer with his wife and infant son, has a girlfriend on the side, and doesn't have a lot going for him. It took me a little while but I really started getting behind Toby as he slowly stepped up and gifted the wrong-doers with hot lead.
Since The Deputy is told from the first person, I was as in the dark as Toby for most of the book. Tensions ran higher and higher the deeper I got into the book. So much shit gets piled on top of Toby that I didn't think he'd be able to dig his way out. The breakneck pace reminds me of The Wheelman quite a bit. Every time it looks like Toby's going to get a chance to rest, more bad guys come crawling out of the woodwork.
I can't really say much about the plot without ruining the book. It's well done but, like I said, I was in the dark as much as Toby was for most of the book.
The Deputy is a great example of modern day noir. It's not a perfect book by any means but it's an exciting way to spend a few hours. It's an easy four star book.
February 14, 2012
It’s weird what can screw up your suspension of disbelief. For example, I cheerfully watched three Indiana Jones movies where things like Nazis getting their faces melted off by religious artifacts or one guy killing half the populations of India and Germany didn’t phase me at all, but when Harrison Ford survived a nuclear blast by climbing into a refrigerator, I rolled my eyes and mentally checked out for the rest of the movie.
While The Deputy is a fast and fun action thrill ride in a lot of ways, it unfortunately hit my mental tipping point that made me cry bullshit and hurt my enjoyment of it. It’s not logical or consistent. I’ve recently read more outlandish action stuff like Duane Swierczynski’s Fun & Games and Hell & Gone. I was more than happy to go along with a crazy concept in those, but this one was just a bit too realistic to get me to buy into the wilder parts of it.
Toby Sawyer had briefly escaped his home town of Coyote Crossing, but he came back long enough to knock up a waitress. Now he's married and living in the local trailer park. He’s been working as a part time deputy and hoping to get to full-time status, but he screws up the simple job of guarding the crime scene of a murdered body to go get laid with his mistress, a high school girl. When he returns, the body is gone, and Toby spends a long night trying to figure out what happened to it while everyone in Oklahoma tries to kill him.
Gischler writes fast and funny action, but here’s where he lost me: When the book starts, Toby is a complete fuck-up. He has to stifle a laugh while staring at a murdered body, he’s wearing sweat pants and a Weezer t-shirt at the crime scene, and he can’t handle a simple job of standing around and guarding a dead body without getting bored and wandering off. He’s the none-to-bright small town slacker, and my favorite part of the book is those early bits where he’s being a lazy nitwit because it‘s a genuine and original piece of characterization.
However, Toby swiftly changes from the stupid guy who can’t wear his gun on his waist because it’s pulling his sweat pants down to the capable lawman who can fight off a bunch of people trying to kill him.
And other than complaining about being tired and hungry, Toby seems to suffer no ill effects from any of this. It's like he suddenly morphed from being Randall in Clerks to Jack Bauer in 24. The transition from dumb ass to bad ass is just too jarring, and knocked the rating of this one down quite a bit for me. Still, if you’re in the mood for a fast paced thriller with a sense of humor, this one fits the bill.
While The Deputy is a fast and fun action thrill ride in a lot of ways, it unfortunately hit my mental tipping point that made me cry bullshit and hurt my enjoyment of it. It’s not logical or consistent. I’ve recently read more outlandish action stuff like Duane Swierczynski’s Fun & Games and Hell & Gone. I was more than happy to go along with a crazy concept in those, but this one was just a bit too realistic to get me to buy into the wilder parts of it.
Toby Sawyer had briefly escaped his home town of Coyote Crossing, but he came back long enough to knock up a waitress. Now he's married and living in the local trailer park. He’s been working as a part time deputy and hoping to get to full-time status, but he screws up the simple job of guarding the crime scene of a murdered body to go get laid with his mistress, a high school girl. When he returns, the body is gone, and Toby spends a long night trying to figure out what happened to it while everyone in Oklahoma tries to kill him.
Gischler writes fast and funny action, but here’s where he lost me: When the book starts, Toby is a complete fuck-up. He has to stifle a laugh while staring at a murdered body, he’s wearing sweat pants and a Weezer t-shirt at the crime scene, and he can’t handle a simple job of standing around and guarding a dead body without getting bored and wandering off. He’s the none-to-bright small town slacker, and my favorite part of the book is those early bits where he’s being a lazy nitwit because it‘s a genuine and original piece of characterization.
However, Toby swiftly changes from the stupid guy who can’t wear his gun on his waist because it’s pulling his sweat pants down to the capable lawman who can fight off a bunch of people trying to kill him.
And other than complaining about being tired and hungry, Toby seems to suffer no ill effects from any of this. It's like he suddenly morphed from being Randall in Clerks to Jack Bauer in 24. The transition from dumb ass to bad ass is just too jarring, and knocked the rating of this one down quite a bit for me. Still, if you’re in the mood for a fast paced thriller with a sense of humor, this one fits the bill.
June 30, 2024
From beginning to end this is balls-to- the-wall action. I haven't read anything quite like it; I was exhausted.
December 19, 2011
What’s that, you say you like action stories? What? You say action stories are a dime a dozen and no one really knows how to slap down the type of story you’re looking for: a page-turner with lots of guns, bullets, sex and violence? Well, look no further than Victor Gischler’s The Deputy. Mr. Gischler does the wrong-man plot to perfection and he outshines himself in The Deputy.
In brief: Sad sack Toby Smith is a deputy sheriff in remote Coyote Falls, Oklahoma. A deputy by circumstance rather than choice, Toby, between his marriage and the tenuous hold he maintains on his job, is a man of questionable morals, who is more or less stuck between a couple of different rocks and hard places.
And then the body of redneck Luke Jordan and its nine bullet holes, the body Toby had been assigned to guard, disappears off of Main Street, and the story suddenly goes from drive to overdrive.
Lots of bad guys, lots of bullets, lots of violence and action and through it all Victor Gischler skillfully takes Toby Smith from a rather unsympathetic character to one you find yourself cheering for.
After taking a break with Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse and Vampire a Go Go, Victor Gischler is back to the genre form here and he knocks it out of the park. If you’re looking for a hardboiled thriller that’s heavy on the violence and action then this is your stop. One brief warning - don’t pick The Deputy up unless you plan to finish it quickly because once you’ve started you’re not going to want to stop for anything other than to take a breath every now and then and let your pulse fall back to normal.
Highly recommended.
In brief: Sad sack Toby Smith is a deputy sheriff in remote Coyote Falls, Oklahoma. A deputy by circumstance rather than choice, Toby, between his marriage and the tenuous hold he maintains on his job, is a man of questionable morals, who is more or less stuck between a couple of different rocks and hard places.
And then the body of redneck Luke Jordan and its nine bullet holes, the body Toby had been assigned to guard, disappears off of Main Street, and the story suddenly goes from drive to overdrive.
Lots of bad guys, lots of bullets, lots of violence and action and through it all Victor Gischler skillfully takes Toby Smith from a rather unsympathetic character to one you find yourself cheering for.
After taking a break with Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse and Vampire a Go Go, Victor Gischler is back to the genre form here and he knocks it out of the park. If you’re looking for a hardboiled thriller that’s heavy on the violence and action then this is your stop. One brief warning - don’t pick The Deputy up unless you plan to finish it quickly because once you’ve started you’re not going to want to stop for anything other than to take a breath every now and then and let your pulse fall back to normal.
Highly recommended.
November 16, 2011
The Deputy by Victor Gischler is a fun and wacky (in a good kind of way) adventure of a book. It's probably not going to be noticed by a lot of people or to the media but if you're looking for a quick read that is easy to follow along and won't scramble your brains trying to look for an answer, then definitely give The Deputy a try. These are the kind of books that although you'll definitely find flaws in them, you really won't mind them too much because it's not something you'll take seriously. You purchase it, read it, finish it and that's it. The Deputy places Toby Sawyer, who works part time in the police department at a crappy little town in Oklahoma called Coyote Crossing, in the middle of a sequence of dramatic events one after another after he was tasked to watch over a dead body. All hell breaks loose once he manages to lose that dead body and from there, things escalates faster than he can imagine them.
If I'm not mistaken, the entire events of The Deputy is all told within a nights time frame. However, the author doesn't actually give us the exact time for when events happen. And yes, many events do happen in this book! The story is simple enough. Toby is suppose to watch over a dead body, it goes missing, people then start chasing him to dish out a beat down, and Toby goes on a mission to discover just what the heck is going on.
There's not a whole bunch of stand out characters in The Deputy, being it's a short book and all. You pretty much follow Toby from start to beginning. What makes the story fun is that you just can't help but root for the guy. He's your typical dude who swears a lot, lives in a trailer, has many problems that would plague a normal person as well, enjoys sex and most of all, he considers himself stupid. The last point makes for some hilarious dialogue and moments in the book. You see, Toby did just enough to past the test to get into the police task force. So, he's no Jack Bauer or your typical MI5 operative. He's human and he makes mistakes just like any other.
There are a lot of fast paced action in this book. This keeps the book exciting and to make sure you never want to put it down. Yes, there will be some bloodshed and a whole lot of gun play but for the most part, it's not too gruesome. However, you'll still get the satisfied feeling that sh*t just went down!
In the end, I have nothing but good things to say about The Deputy. While reading the book, I've tried numerous times picturing myself in Toby's shoes and imagine how life would be in such a desolate town out in the middle of nowhere. While some of you might see the ending from a mile away, it shouldn't hamper the book too much. The Deputy was a free download on my Kindle device and many like to use the phrase "You get what you paid for". Well, I'm glad to say that I have read many interesting books in the free Kindle section and some of them even beat one's I've had to pay for. The Deputy is one such book.
If I'm not mistaken, the entire events of The Deputy is all told within a nights time frame. However, the author doesn't actually give us the exact time for when events happen. And yes, many events do happen in this book! The story is simple enough. Toby is suppose to watch over a dead body, it goes missing, people then start chasing him to dish out a beat down, and Toby goes on a mission to discover just what the heck is going on.
There's not a whole bunch of stand out characters in The Deputy, being it's a short book and all. You pretty much follow Toby from start to beginning. What makes the story fun is that you just can't help but root for the guy. He's your typical dude who swears a lot, lives in a trailer, has many problems that would plague a normal person as well, enjoys sex and most of all, he considers himself stupid. The last point makes for some hilarious dialogue and moments in the book. You see, Toby did just enough to past the test to get into the police task force. So, he's no Jack Bauer or your typical MI5 operative. He's human and he makes mistakes just like any other.
There are a lot of fast paced action in this book. This keeps the book exciting and to make sure you never want to put it down. Yes, there will be some bloodshed and a whole lot of gun play but for the most part, it's not too gruesome. However, you'll still get the satisfied feeling that sh*t just went down!
In the end, I have nothing but good things to say about The Deputy. While reading the book, I've tried numerous times picturing myself in Toby's shoes and imagine how life would be in such a desolate town out in the middle of nowhere. While some of you might see the ending from a mile away, it shouldn't hamper the book too much. The Deputy was a free download on my Kindle device and many like to use the phrase "You get what you paid for". Well, I'm glad to say that I have read many interesting books in the free Kindle section and some of them even beat one's I've had to pay for. The Deputy is one such book.
November 23, 2011
This book needs to be a movie already. This is a first person story of a young guy who has a part time job as a deputy in BFE Oklahoma. He's got a wife and a kid and no future. A crime wave strikes his quiet little town and while he is three blocks down the street getting it on with a high school girl the body he was supposed to be guarding disappears. The night just gets worse from there. He gets hit, kicked, scratched, firebombed, shot at, rolls his car...and that's before he finds out. You expect some sort of karma for a guy screwing around but this is overboard. I can just picture this poor guy as the sun rises, an eye swelling shut, a fat lip, a few cuts and scrapes, hair singed, shirt torn, covered in fire extinguisher dust. what a story
January 25, 2015
Crime Thriller
Noir crime author Victor Gischler delivers again with a roller coaster thrill ride of a crime story with a high body count.
Toby Sawyer is basically a slacker, a young, part timer at the Sheriff's Dept. in Coyote Crossing, Oklahoma. With little money, a wife, a baby and a trailer, Toby hopes to someday be hired on a full-time basis. The Sheriff's Dept. in the dusty, desolate area usually deals with barking dogs or the occasional drunk at the local bar.
Local badboy Luke Jordan is found dead at midnight from multiple gunshot wounds. The Sheriff assigns Toby to stay and watch the body until deputies arrive. Toby quickly becomes bored, heads to the bar for a coke, then makes another quick stop. When Toby gets back, Luke's body has disappeared.
Luke's murder, the first ever inside city limits, sets off a wild chain of events. Toby's in a non-stop fight for his life.
Noir crime author Victor Gischler delivers again with a roller coaster thrill ride of a crime story with a high body count.
Toby Sawyer is basically a slacker, a young, part timer at the Sheriff's Dept. in Coyote Crossing, Oklahoma. With little money, a wife, a baby and a trailer, Toby hopes to someday be hired on a full-time basis. The Sheriff's Dept. in the dusty, desolate area usually deals with barking dogs or the occasional drunk at the local bar.
Local badboy Luke Jordan is found dead at midnight from multiple gunshot wounds. The Sheriff assigns Toby to stay and watch the body until deputies arrive. Toby quickly becomes bored, heads to the bar for a coke, then makes another quick stop. When Toby gets back, Luke's body has disappeared.
Luke's murder, the first ever inside city limits, sets off a wild chain of events. Toby's in a non-stop fight for his life.
May 9, 2012
Victor Gischler has never let me down, so I pulled up THE DEPUTY to ring in the new year. Gotta tell you, I think this is my favorite Gischler so far. The novel takes place over the course of one long, blood-soaked night as our young hero—a part-time deputy sheriff with no experience and no skills to speak of—must stay one step ahead of a wily group of professional killers. There’s lots of balls-out action in this one, great characters, and dead-on pacing.
November 25, 2011
Part-time deputy Toby Sawyer is called to the scene of a shooting by the Chief. Designated to be responsible for keeping an eye on the Luke Jordan’s body until the ME arrives, he gets tired of waiting and decides to hop down the street in this backwater Oklahoma town and visit Molly, his extra-marital girlfriend for a quick poke. Problem is when he gets back the body is gone.
Told in the first person, Gischler does a great job of keeping the reader as clueless of events as is Toby. He also wonderfully portrays the quiet desperation of a small Oklahoma town. I hiked the three blocks to Molly’s house. Molly was about the only good thing in this town when I came back. I’d left with a guitar and six hundred bucks I’d saved up mowing lawns and pitching sod. Came back to bury my mother and got stuck. The town hadn’t grown one inch since I’d been away. Hell, we were so far out you couldn’t use cell phones. Satellites didn’t fly over. We might as well have been in another fucking dimension. I’m surprised they bothered putting us on the road maps.
Toby is just a part-time but soon discovers his tenacious side and before long finds himself taking on a gang of Mexican worker smugglers and discovering he has a sense of justice he never knew was in him. Abandoned by everyone, it’s only his infant son that provides the grounding he needs to pull it off. The result is mayhem.
I’ve read several of Gischler’s books and so far, with the exception of the vampire-related one, has never failed to disappoint. See my other reviews for more about the other and his other titles.
Told in the first person, Gischler does a great job of keeping the reader as clueless of events as is Toby. He also wonderfully portrays the quiet desperation of a small Oklahoma town. I hiked the three blocks to Molly’s house. Molly was about the only good thing in this town when I came back. I’d left with a guitar and six hundred bucks I’d saved up mowing lawns and pitching sod. Came back to bury my mother and got stuck. The town hadn’t grown one inch since I’d been away. Hell, we were so far out you couldn’t use cell phones. Satellites didn’t fly over. We might as well have been in another fucking dimension. I’m surprised they bothered putting us on the road maps.
Toby is just a part-time but soon discovers his tenacious side and before long finds himself taking on a gang of Mexican worker smugglers and discovering he has a sense of justice he never knew was in him. Abandoned by everyone, it’s only his infant son that provides the grounding he needs to pull it off. The result is mayhem.
I’ve read several of Gischler’s books and so far, with the exception of the vampire-related one, has never failed to disappoint. See my other reviews for more about the other and his other titles.
December 12, 2011
Part-time sheriff's Deputy Toby Sawyer gives new meaning to the word "hapless." He's given the simple task of keeping his eye on the body of a local tough who turns up murdered. Somehow, he manages to botch even that. His efforts to set his mistake right send him lurching from one life-threatening situation to another, uncovering more and more secrets and corruption with every lurch.
Let's face it, Jack Reacher this guy ain't. But Victor Gischler keeps the action moving so fast, and makes the bad guys so bad, that you end up pulling for the poor schmuck with the tin badge pinned to his Weezer t-shirt.
Fast-paced, tightly plotted, and darkly funny, this is Gischler's best book since his debut, GUN MONKEYS.
Let's face it, Jack Reacher this guy ain't. But Victor Gischler keeps the action moving so fast, and makes the bad guys so bad, that you end up pulling for the poor schmuck with the tin badge pinned to his Weezer t-shirt.
Fast-paced, tightly plotted, and darkly funny, this is Gischler's best book since his debut, GUN MONKEYS.
March 10, 2018
What caught my eye (since these days I read very little non-fiction, I'm obsessed with self-improvement) was that the print inside the book. Chapters looked short and it sounded like a great book. When I started reading, I couldn't stop. I read the book in two days, picking it up whenever I could. What a great read! Anyone that likes fast paced police novels needs to pick this book up. The sales rank on amazon is low which means that its not sold nearly as often as it should be for how great of a book it is! Sometimes the best books are hidden in the deepest piles and its hard to pull 'em up to the top! Help this one do that cuz it sure is a great read! Go buy it from amazon and buy it from meeeeee
July 31, 2024
Action-packed. Soaked in the culture of hole-in-the-road small town Oklahoma. Buckle up. It's a good read, but exhausting.
April 26, 2020
What about the money?
A fun little story. Nothing seemed to go right for the poor young deputy. A long 24 hours for him. Just wondering if he kept some of that stash at the end.
A fun little story. Nothing seemed to go right for the poor young deputy. A long 24 hours for him. Just wondering if he kept some of that stash at the end.
May 21, 2022
RATING: 4.25
May 7, 2010
Toby Sawyer was having a bad night. A part-time deputy hoping to make full time, he'd been left to guard the corpse of Luke Jordan, shot nine times by a jealous Mexican. He only sneaked off for a quickie with his girl friend to get back and find the body gfone.
The police chief couldn't be found. A car was following him around town as he looked for help. Three Mexicans catch and beat him, taking keys from his pocket. The police station is suddenly empty and locked up.
At the fire station, he runs into those same three Mexicans and one of the other deputies discussing him and the deputy berating them for getting the wrong keys. "Go find him and get the right ones!"
Alone, Toby reveals himself to the deputy, only to be attacked, killing the deputy in self-defense. The van Luke Jordan had been driving was parked there and Toby remembers he has Luke's keys in one pocket. Was that what they were looking for?
When he opens the back doors of the van, a load of Mexicans come barreling out and scattered.
What had he stumbled onto here?
To top it off, Luke Jordan's brothers, thugs all, were trying to kill him for killing Luke. What was up with that?
The police chief couldn't be found. A car was following him around town as he looked for help. Three Mexicans catch and beat him, taking keys from his pocket. The police station is suddenly empty and locked up.
At the fire station, he runs into those same three Mexicans and one of the other deputies discussing him and the deputy berating them for getting the wrong keys. "Go find him and get the right ones!"
Alone, Toby reveals himself to the deputy, only to be attacked, killing the deputy in self-defense. The van Luke Jordan had been driving was parked there and Toby remembers he has Luke's keys in one pocket. Was that what they were looking for?
When he opens the back doors of the van, a load of Mexicans come barreling out and scattered.
What had he stumbled onto here?
To top it off, Luke Jordan's brothers, thugs all, were trying to kill him for killing Luke. What was up with that?
January 30, 2012
This is a fun book that moves along at a fast enough pace to make it a one day read. Part time deputy Toby is asked to guard a dead body that was found in the parking lot of the local honky tonk In small town Oklahoma. Of course even in small town America there are distractions for a young part time deputy. When the body turns up missing things will really heat up. The whole book covers one long night for this poor sap and is quite entertaining with plenty of action and some humorous parts as well. There are some predictable parts here and there but overall I really did enjoy the momentary escape from reality into a day in the life of The Deputy.
August 14, 2011
I have only one bad thing to say about Gischler, and that's that the bulk of his books are one-sitting reads. You dive head first into the characters and circumstances he's created, are dragged by the nose through all the action, and then dumped out on the last page breathless and wondering a bit as to what exactly just happened. This one is no different. Toby is a quintessential slacker-made-good as he stumbles his way through the most unlikely night of his life.
April 14, 2012
This was quick and pleasant. Not the deepest read, but at the same time it doesn't bother with any of the pitfalls it would've if it tried to be deep. Nice, apt portrait of small towns with some bulldozer, bloodthirsty action. The events are happening over one single night which is very cool. I'd call that a summer read or a beach read, whatever is your name for it. It does a limited number of things as a novel, but what it does, it does very good.
January 22, 2017
Good noir
The Deputy is a good action packed noir set in a little small town in Arkansas. This was the first book by Gischler I've read and it was a fast paced suspenseful ride. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And if you like well written small town crime fiction you will too.
The Deputy is a good action packed noir set in a little small town in Arkansas. This was the first book by Gischler I've read and it was a fast paced suspenseful ride. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And if you like well written small town crime fiction you will too.
August 18, 2012
Great! Gischler is the man. Noir at its finest.
September 4, 2017
Three plus stars. Very fast read, all the action, and there's plenty of it, takes place in one night. A pretty late night at that as Toby Sawyer is called to watch over a dead body at the crime scene. Toby is a part time deputy, full time screw up with slacker and jerk rounding out the picture. He wants to make that full time deputy if the municipal budget allows so he grabs his badge, pins it to his Weezer t-shirt, is troubled by the fact that in his haste to get there he hadn't considered that his holster was incompatible with sweatpants. So, big crime, little Oklahoma town and while rest of law enforcement charges off to pursue leads Toby is left on the street to keep watch over the corpse. Toby gets bored and wanders off for a diet Coke and a quick visit to his underage girlfriend (he really is a jerk), the guy is already dead, what can happen? Upon his leisurely return he finds the body is missing. The mystery is solved with plenty of mayhem, car chases, and a high body count.
Fun, very fast read but gentle readers should be warned there are swears and Toby is mostly a jerk.* And you really need to know this is a crazy romp of a thriller/western with a noir feel to it. It somehow reminded me of Raising Arizona, long before Toby's dash to the Texaco to procure milk and diapers in the middle of the whole crazy thing.
* I kept thinking, another F bomb, just ditch this thing but it was seriously a one sitting, page turner of a read and I am at a loss as to how to excuse myself beyond the Raising Arizona feel. And the fact that my limited reading choices at present are based entirely on desperate library sale cart purchases.
Fun, very fast read but gentle readers should be warned there are swears and Toby is mostly a jerk.* And you really need to know this is a crazy romp of a thriller/western with a noir feel to it. It somehow reminded me of Raising Arizona, long before Toby's dash to the Texaco to procure milk and diapers in the middle of the whole crazy thing.
* I kept thinking, another F bomb, just ditch this thing but it was seriously a one sitting, page turner of a read and I am at a loss as to how to excuse myself beyond the Raising Arizona feel. And the fact that my limited reading choices at present are based entirely on desperate library sale cart purchases.
December 12, 2017
I had picked this book up at a sale, as the back seemed interesting. I have a soft spot for weird noir.
The book should have a subtitle of "Worst Night of Toby's Short Life". All but the epilogue takes place in the span of a few hours. Its like if Jack Reacher arrived in town and instead of super detective dude, you get this punk kid who desperately wants to be full time cop, mainly to pay for the diapers.
It is filled with sad characters, ones that are very flawed. It felt like the author was channeling his Oklahoma roots. To me it felt like a piece of South Dakota, just farther south. Which is probably about right. Down to the creaking of the single wide trailer as you walk through it.
A quick read, so not too much for depth of story. The story is there to give the characters something to do while you gape at their small town ways.
The book should have a subtitle of "Worst Night of Toby's Short Life". All but the epilogue takes place in the span of a few hours. Its like if Jack Reacher arrived in town and instead of super detective dude, you get this punk kid who desperately wants to be full time cop, mainly to pay for the diapers.
It is filled with sad characters, ones that are very flawed. It felt like the author was channeling his Oklahoma roots. To me it felt like a piece of South Dakota, just farther south. Which is probably about right. Down to the creaking of the single wide trailer as you walk through it.
A quick read, so not too much for depth of story. The story is there to give the characters something to do while you gape at their small town ways.
January 10, 2015
Probabilmente anche Victor Gischler è un autore che ho fatto attendere troppo e il cui momento nel frattempo è ormai passato, come il Lansdale de
Il lato oscuro dell’anima
(anzi, forse è stato proprio Lansdale, in un’intervista letta chissà quanto tempo fa, a farmi scoprire Gischler mettendolo fra gli autori secondo lui da leggere assolutamente): fino a qualche anno fa noir duri, sporchi e anche ultra-violenti erano, se non proprio “il mio pane”, abbastanza frequenti fra le mie letture. Ora invece vedo che forse, per quanto mi riguarda, il filone è un po’ esausto: oltre al già citato caso di Lansdale, altre recenti mezze delusioni sono state
La notte e la città
,
Le api randage
,
Il potere del cane
,
Chiamami Buio
(naturalmente ci sono anche i casi positivi, vedi
Miami Blues
, vedi Brandstetter).
The Deputy (nell’edizione italiana, invece di tradurre semplicemente il titolo con “Il vice”, si è optato per un più pittoresco Notte di sangue a Coyote Crossing) è il resoconto, narrato in prima persona, della folle notte del giovane Toby Sawyer, poliziotto “part time” e ultima ruota del carro nella stazione di polizia di Coyote Crossing, Oklahoma, un buco dimenticato da Dio in mezzo alle praterie sconfinate. Il turno di notte inizia in modo inaspettato ma tutto sommato gestibile: Luke Jordan, un tipo poco raccomandabile, viene trovato morto ammazzato; mentre il capo si allontana per avvisare la famiglia, il giovane aiuto viene lasciato lì a fare la guardia al cadavere. Si prospettano lente ore di noia assoluta, ma l’incarico, per il resto, non pare impossibile da portare a termine. Ma Toby, per ammazzare il tempo, si concede qualche minuto a casa dell’amante e scopre, al suo ritorno, che il corpo è scomparso: si vede già cacciato a pedate e per lui, che deve mantenere moglie e figlio, è una pessima notizia. Ma quello è solo l’inizio, perché, nella sua totale inesperienza e ingenuità, senza volerlo ha intralciato i piani di una banda di criminali che trasporta immigrati clandestini dal Messico, che scatena una caccia all’uomo feroce contro il giovane (ma, man mano che la notte e la battaglia avanzano, sempre meno sprovveduto e sempre più consapevole di essere rimasto, lui che fino a quel momento ben poco rispetto aveva saputo suscitare nei suoi concittadini, l’unico vero “rappresentante della legge” nel vero senso della parola).
Non ci si aspetti grande verosimiglianza: l’azione si svolge frenetica tutta nello spazio di un’interminabile notte, un uomo solo o quasi ha ragione di un’intera banda scatenata contro di lui, c’è un massacro per le strade ma, in questo buco di poche anime, nessuno si accorge di niente e tutti restano tranquillamente a dormire, e il posto è talmente isolato e in mezzo al nulla che i telefoni cellulari, naturalmente, non funzionano… Ma la verosimiglianza non è certo la qualità per cui la narrativa pulp è famosa, e non è ciò che vi cerca il lettore, ma divertimento e adrenalina: cioè proprio le due componenti (la “battuta da film” sempre pronta, le continue sparatorie e scazzottate e inseguimenti in auto ad ogni capitolo) che, verso la metà del libro, hanno cominciato a stancarmi (ho già detto che la narrazione è in prima persona, pertanto non era neanche possibile essere troppo “in ansia” per la sorte del nostro protagonista, visto che in un modo o nell’altro se la sarebbe cavata!). Gli stereotipi vengono sparsi un po’ a piene mani, non manca neppure una strizzatina d’occhio al pubblico femminile: le donne ci fanno, tutto sommato, una figura migliore degli uomini (non sfuggono neanche loro, comunque, al rischio cliché, tipo la killer messicana; in generale nessun personaggio qui si fa particolarmente notare tranne il nostro eroe, stravolto, pesto, disorientato, incazzato, ma anche onesto e sempre fondamentalmente capace di agire, anche suo malgrado, anche se fa mostra di non crederci, secondo “giustizia”).
Comunque, nonostante questi difetti, è stata una lettura del tutto dimenticabile ma non sgradevole: merito soprattutto della prima metà, dei momenti precedenti allo scoppio del casino, e dell’epilogo, in cui si sente meglio il tono amaro e dolente della vita nella grande provincia americana: se non altro, l’autore riesce a dipingerti efficacemente davanti agli occhi lo scenario di Coyote Crossing, due strade, la stazione di polizia, un emporio e qualche casa sparsa e poi il buio infinito della notte. Questo postaccio infame che il protagonista, in passato, ha cercato invano di lasciarsi alle spalle e in cui ora invece si ritrova a vivere, alla fine mi è sembrato quasi attraente e davvero lo vedevo con gli occhi dell’immaginazione.
Un altro libro di Gischler, sempre stra-lodato e stra-raccomandato, che ho da anni in lista d’attesa (forse anche da prima di The Deputy) è The Pistol Poets (lo cito col titolo originale perché quello italiano è proprio scemo): a questo punto non sono poi così impaziente di leggerlo, visto che, a meno che Gischler non si dimostri capace di sorprendermi, mi aspetto un po’ lo stesso canovaccio che, evidentemente, ormai non riesce più a dirmi granché.
3/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2013/1...
The Deputy (nell’edizione italiana, invece di tradurre semplicemente il titolo con “Il vice”, si è optato per un più pittoresco Notte di sangue a Coyote Crossing) è il resoconto, narrato in prima persona, della folle notte del giovane Toby Sawyer, poliziotto “part time” e ultima ruota del carro nella stazione di polizia di Coyote Crossing, Oklahoma, un buco dimenticato da Dio in mezzo alle praterie sconfinate. Il turno di notte inizia in modo inaspettato ma tutto sommato gestibile: Luke Jordan, un tipo poco raccomandabile, viene trovato morto ammazzato; mentre il capo si allontana per avvisare la famiglia, il giovane aiuto viene lasciato lì a fare la guardia al cadavere. Si prospettano lente ore di noia assoluta, ma l’incarico, per il resto, non pare impossibile da portare a termine. Ma Toby, per ammazzare il tempo, si concede qualche minuto a casa dell’amante e scopre, al suo ritorno, che il corpo è scomparso: si vede già cacciato a pedate e per lui, che deve mantenere moglie e figlio, è una pessima notizia. Ma quello è solo l’inizio, perché, nella sua totale inesperienza e ingenuità, senza volerlo ha intralciato i piani di una banda di criminali che trasporta immigrati clandestini dal Messico, che scatena una caccia all’uomo feroce contro il giovane (ma, man mano che la notte e la battaglia avanzano, sempre meno sprovveduto e sempre più consapevole di essere rimasto, lui che fino a quel momento ben poco rispetto aveva saputo suscitare nei suoi concittadini, l’unico vero “rappresentante della legge” nel vero senso della parola).
Non ci si aspetti grande verosimiglianza: l’azione si svolge frenetica tutta nello spazio di un’interminabile notte, un uomo solo o quasi ha ragione di un’intera banda scatenata contro di lui, c’è un massacro per le strade ma, in questo buco di poche anime, nessuno si accorge di niente e tutti restano tranquillamente a dormire, e il posto è talmente isolato e in mezzo al nulla che i telefoni cellulari, naturalmente, non funzionano… Ma la verosimiglianza non è certo la qualità per cui la narrativa pulp è famosa, e non è ciò che vi cerca il lettore, ma divertimento e adrenalina: cioè proprio le due componenti (la “battuta da film” sempre pronta, le continue sparatorie e scazzottate e inseguimenti in auto ad ogni capitolo) che, verso la metà del libro, hanno cominciato a stancarmi (ho già detto che la narrazione è in prima persona, pertanto non era neanche possibile essere troppo “in ansia” per la sorte del nostro protagonista, visto che in un modo o nell’altro se la sarebbe cavata!). Gli stereotipi vengono sparsi un po’ a piene mani, non manca neppure una strizzatina d’occhio al pubblico femminile: le donne ci fanno, tutto sommato, una figura migliore degli uomini (non sfuggono neanche loro, comunque, al rischio cliché, tipo la killer messicana; in generale nessun personaggio qui si fa particolarmente notare tranne il nostro eroe, stravolto, pesto, disorientato, incazzato, ma anche onesto e sempre fondamentalmente capace di agire, anche suo malgrado, anche se fa mostra di non crederci, secondo “giustizia”).
Comunque, nonostante questi difetti, è stata una lettura del tutto dimenticabile ma non sgradevole: merito soprattutto della prima metà, dei momenti precedenti allo scoppio del casino, e dell’epilogo, in cui si sente meglio il tono amaro e dolente della vita nella grande provincia americana: se non altro, l’autore riesce a dipingerti efficacemente davanti agli occhi lo scenario di Coyote Crossing, due strade, la stazione di polizia, un emporio e qualche casa sparsa e poi il buio infinito della notte. Questo postaccio infame che il protagonista, in passato, ha cercato invano di lasciarsi alle spalle e in cui ora invece si ritrova a vivere, alla fine mi è sembrato quasi attraente e davvero lo vedevo con gli occhi dell’immaginazione.
Un altro libro di Gischler, sempre stra-lodato e stra-raccomandato, che ho da anni in lista d’attesa (forse anche da prima di The Deputy) è The Pistol Poets (lo cito col titolo originale perché quello italiano è proprio scemo): a questo punto non sono poi così impaziente di leggerlo, visto che, a meno che Gischler non si dimostri capace di sorprendermi, mi aspetto un po’ lo stesso canovaccio che, evidentemente, ormai non riesce più a dirmi granché.
3/5
http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2013/1...
September 7, 2023
The Deputy by Victor Gischler
Toby has a normal mediocre life. A bit dull (He is) stuck in a rut and yearning for change. He faces life full force, not quite sure where he is heading.
While working part time for the local Sheriff in his small town, incidents occur and bad people as after him. Life is no longer dull as he tries to navigate and do what is right.
Moving at a fast pace, with true to life dialog, flawed characters and non stop action. Classic crime noir at its best. I was hooked from the first page, cheering Toby on along the way.
I highly recommend The Deputy to those who enjoy crime fiction. A good read!
Toby has a normal mediocre life. A bit dull (He is) stuck in a rut and yearning for change. He faces life full force, not quite sure where he is heading.
While working part time for the local Sheriff in his small town, incidents occur and bad people as after him. Life is no longer dull as he tries to navigate and do what is right.
Moving at a fast pace, with true to life dialog, flawed characters and non stop action. Classic crime noir at its best. I was hooked from the first page, cheering Toby on along the way.
I highly recommend The Deputy to those who enjoy crime fiction. A good read!
September 15, 2023
Nice noir book. I understand why it has always been in most lists of good noir books. For some reason, I couldn't find the e-book on kindle UK, but I found the audiobook on audiable.
Theme wise, it is straight country noir. Think Chris Offutt with a comic book gloss.
Texture is the strongest point in this book. Lots of memorable quotes and grade A similies.
Plot is the weakest point in terms of believability. The books runs its course through one night in fast paced manner with our protagonist runs to and from people who wants to kill him and events he couldn't understand in a town where people sleep is the deepest I've seen. Quite a light and fun read. Essential for any noirhead.
Theme wise, it is straight country noir. Think Chris Offutt with a comic book gloss.
Texture is the strongest point in this book. Lots of memorable quotes and grade A similies.
Plot is the weakest point in terms of believability. The books runs its course through one night in fast paced manner with our protagonist runs to and from people who wants to kill him and events he couldn't understand in a town where people sleep is the deepest I've seen. Quite a light and fun read. Essential for any noirhead.
May 25, 2018
Imagine if Forrest Gump had a long lost twin who grew up on the other side of the tracks.
Now imagine that for some reason, he'd become a deputy and was asked to babysit the body of a bad apple who was most probably mixed-up with corrupted people of all kind.
And now imagine that hot Oklahoma night filled with the same level of action as a Lars and Shane novel.
That one was one sweet hell of a ride. It's too bad that Victor Gischler seems to stick to fantasy now...
Now imagine that for some reason, he'd become a deputy and was asked to babysit the body of a bad apple who was most probably mixed-up with corrupted people of all kind.
And now imagine that hot Oklahoma night filled with the same level of action as a Lars and Shane novel.
That one was one sweet hell of a ride. It's too bad that Victor Gischler seems to stick to fantasy now...
September 19, 2017
This one would have been a lot more fun if there was not a child involved whose care gets shuffled from one person to the next. The child's father purports to believe that the sun rises and sets on his son, yet he has little compunction to leave the toddler with a woman who openly confesses no knowledge of child care and little desire to change that status.
Read
July 9, 2024I started this one but didn't finish it. I didn't like the protagonist, a part-time deputy in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma who is supposed to be guarding a dead body but instead sneaks off to visit his teenage (almost legal) girlfriend. I decided that was not my cup of tea and gave up. What I did read had some funny parts, so maybe another book sometime by this author? I don't know.
February 3, 2017
What a fun romp. The beginning of the book shows a real loser twentysomething, who grows to a responsible adult in about 300 pages. It's the short form of a great coming of age story told from an immature viewpoint. The writing isn't great, but you'll have some fun along the way.
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