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Cracker: A Eucalyptus Lane Novel, Book 2
BOOK 2, SEQUEL TO POSER "This is what you would get if Quentin Tarantino ever made a Lifetime movie." --Whiskey Leavins, author of T he Devil's Own Piss and Other Stories , as well as Murder in Greasepaint
In this installment of the Eucalyptus Lane series, Ambrose fights through heartbreak, loss, and a trip to Texas to battle demons--current and recurring--then reconnect with his imprisoned brother, Butch. When Ambrose returns to the Bay Area, he faces his biggest challenge a showdown with the villains who've been antagonizing his dominatrix boss and now have designs on her dungeon, Dover, Inc.. Boundaries are pushed and loyalties tested as Ambrose finds himself once again sucked into criminal activity, stretching his resourcefulness to the outer limits. It's a trembling walk down the tightrope between domestic bliss in Palo Alto, California, and constant jeopardy back in San Francisco.
In this installment of the Eucalyptus Lane series, Ambrose fights through heartbreak, loss, and a trip to Texas to battle demons--current and recurring--then reconnect with his imprisoned brother, Butch. When Ambrose returns to the Bay Area, he faces his biggest challenge a showdown with the villains who've been antagonizing his dominatrix boss and now have designs on her dungeon, Dover, Inc.. Boundaries are pushed and loyalties tested as Ambrose finds himself once again sucked into criminal activity, stretching his resourcefulness to the outer limits. It's a trembling walk down the tightrope between domestic bliss in Palo Alto, California, and constant jeopardy back in San Francisco.
194 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2023
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Nevada McPherson
15 books31 followersNevada McPherson writes in the southern Gothic town of Milledgeville, GA, home of Flannery O’Connor and once site of the world’s largest “lunatic” asylum.
Her new book, Cracker, second in the neo-noir Eucalyptus Lane series (beginning with her debut novel, Poser) is set in the darker corners of Silicon Valley.
A graduate of L.S.U.’s MFA Screenwriting Program, Nevada has written several award-winning screenplays, as well as graphic novels, a couple of stage plays, short stories, nonfiction pieces and countless to-do lists.
Her new book, Cracker, second in the neo-noir Eucalyptus Lane series (beginning with her debut novel, Poser) is set in the darker corners of Silicon Valley.
A graduate of L.S.U.’s MFA Screenwriting Program, Nevada has written several award-winning screenplays, as well as graphic novels, a couple of stage plays, short stories, nonfiction pieces and countless to-do lists.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 18, 2023
On the surface, Nevada McPherson's Eucalyptus Lane series is a romance, a genre I usually don't care for, but McPherson bends and twists the genre, adding transgressive behavior and an ominous underworld crime element. The result is a captivating neo-noir "anti-romance" of sorts, and I'm totally on-board with it.
What I love about McPherson's flawed characters is that they are, to a certain extent, self-aware: they know they are damaged, and they are trying (to the best of their abilities) to improve the direction of their lives. But they are also clueless about a great many important things going on in their lives (and within themselves), and, more often than not, their efforts at conflict resolution just make matters worse. And even when things seem to be working out, underlying forces continually threaten to doom their efforts.
Some of these underlying forces involve character flaws, questionable decisions, and poor communication skills, but almost exactly halfway through Cracker the criminal element that had been lurking in the murky depths of the story pushes itself to the surface and adds real darkness to the lives of the struggling characters. Characteristically, none of these characters realize the extent of what is happening under their noses, not even when two of them find themselves dumping a body into the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe in the dead of night.
By the end of Cracker, the revelation of certain mysteries suggest that the third book in the series will be the darkest yet, and I'm eager to find out how Ambrose, Jessica, Bennie, Randy, Rajit, Phoebe (you'll find out), and the other characters respond to the forces threatening to tear their lives apart. I have no idea what is coming, but I know that on Eucalyptus Lane, as is the case everywhere, actions have consequences. It's going to be fun finding out what happens next!
Oh yeah, one last thing--please bring back Mignon!
What I love about McPherson's flawed characters is that they are, to a certain extent, self-aware: they know they are damaged, and they are trying (to the best of their abilities) to improve the direction of their lives. But they are also clueless about a great many important things going on in their lives (and within themselves), and, more often than not, their efforts at conflict resolution just make matters worse. And even when things seem to be working out, underlying forces continually threaten to doom their efforts.
Some of these underlying forces involve character flaws, questionable decisions, and poor communication skills, but almost exactly halfway through Cracker the criminal element that had been lurking in the murky depths of the story pushes itself to the surface and adds real darkness to the lives of the struggling characters. Characteristically, none of these characters realize the extent of what is happening under their noses, not even when two of them find themselves dumping a body into the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe in the dead of night.
By the end of Cracker, the revelation of certain mysteries suggest that the third book in the series will be the darkest yet, and I'm eager to find out how Ambrose, Jessica, Bennie, Randy, Rajit, Phoebe (you'll find out), and the other characters respond to the forces threatening to tear their lives apart. I have no idea what is coming, but I know that on Eucalyptus Lane, as is the case everywhere, actions have consequences. It's going to be fun finding out what happens next!
Oh yeah, one last thing--please bring back Mignon!
January 11, 2024
More mob developments. Marriages & murders. This book focused on relationships I didn’t expect, a highlight def being a jail visit to Ambrose’s bro. More glamour when it comes to the Parisian lily herself, Miss Dover.
July 2, 2025
"Poser" provided not always likable characters that somehow wormed their way into my heart. I hurried through it. A breezy read. "Cracker" brought the same group back to Eucalyptus Lane, and I welcomed them into my heart all over again. Some good intrigue and surprises. Looking forward to getting my hands on the third book. Well done.
December 22, 2023
Nevada McPherson has followed up her debut of the Eucalyptus Lane series, Poser, with a real cracker. It’s called, well, Cracker. Once again, we are duped into thinking this is a romance series, but soon enough are reminded that it is romance played by the same rules as a figure-eight demolition derby. The main foursome, Ambrose, Jessica, Bennie, and Randy are back, paired off more-or-less the way we left them in the previous outing. To say they are flawed characters is an understatement of gargantuan proportions. In a contest of bad judgement calls, they all take a turn in first place. But, hey, reliable, reasonable, responsible protagonists rarely make for a fun story, right? And we genuinely root for them all to get their collective shit together. Throw in some gangsters, some molly-induced-horniness, a violent death or two, an S&M dungeon, and a wonderfully delicious appearance by everyone’s favorite dominatrix, Mignon, and you’ve got yourself a ripping yarn. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews