Cold Gather

by Tom Buechler

Cold Gather by Tom BuechlerSynopsisCold Gather begins as notorious, self-destructive glassblower Neil Bishop is diagnosed with a malignant, inoperable tumor. Told he has less than six months to live, he turns to his old friend, Jack Scanlon, to organize a “Pre-Wake Party” in their hometown to say good-bye to his friends. At the party, Jack gets his first real look at Neil’s live-in lover of four years, Marla Stone. Neil has often vividly described Marla’s fiendish temper and consuming libido. Jack is instantly pole-axed by her poise, her smoky beauty and her sensuality, generating this inebriated exchange at the end of the day;"I turned to my dear friend, this man with whom I had howled at the moon and raised so much hell across the years and said, 'Of course you realize that, as soon as you're cold…I’m coming after Marla.'He squeezed my shoulder, smiled broadly and said, 'Jack, you should do that. She'd be good for you.'He had never been more wrong, but sometimes we hear only what we want. I could not ignore an imprimatur like this."Neil is dead within three months of the party.It had been rumored over many years, (although no one had seen them), that Neil had finally completed his masterwork…seven large works of molded glass he called "The Deadly Sins." In 1994, he had given the first piece, "Lust", to Jack for safekeeping. The existence and whereabouts of the other six pieces were unknown until Jack's first trip to visit Marla in California. As an intensely passionate relationship unfolds between Marla and Jack, she finally takes him to see five mind-blowing pieces—“Envy”, “Gluttony”, “Anger”, “Pride” and “Sloth”-- bequeathed to her by Neil.Beautifully written, Tom Buechler’s muscular first novel revolves around the tempestuous, often explosive, relationship between Jack and Marla as they fall in and out of love during their search for the missing Seventh Sin, ”Greed”.In Cold Gather, Buechler showcases his trademark earthy dialogue and his unique gift for creating offbeat characters. He has crafted a robust story that is smart, bold and darkly funny…with a satisfyingly twisted finale.

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Joleene Naylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Gather tells the story of Marla, a beautiful woman whose good looks and seeming fragility make men want to help her the minute she bats an eye, but she has dark secrets under the gorgeous surface. When her mate dies, his best friend "Johnny" finds himself tangled in the dark web. As he falls in love with her, he slowly loses himself, until there is only one possible outcome.

This was a good read and a well written character study on self destructive people and those who love, and in many ways, enable them. I certainly recommend it! (Can't say too much more without spoilers ;) )

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down.. I love the noir style writing. It made me think of Hammett's Maltese Falcon or Chandler's The Big Sleep. If you have an kindle I highly recommend you purchase this one.