Six Bad Things

Hank Thompson #2

by Charlie Huston

Hank Thompson is living off the map in Mexico with a bagful of cash that the Russian mafia wants back and many, many secrets. So when a Russian backpacker shows up in town asking questions, Hank tries to play it cool. But he knows the jig is up when the backpacker mentions the money . . . and the family Hank left behind. Suddenly Hank’s in a desperate race to get to his parents in California before anyone can harm them. Along the way he’ll face Federales and Border Patrol, mafiosi and vigilantes, extortionists and drug dealers, and a couple of psychotic surf bums with an ax to grind. From the golden beaches of the Yucatán to the seedy strip clubs of Vegas, Charlie Huston opens a door to the squalid underworld of crime and corruption–and invites the reader to live it in the extreme.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Noir, Suspense, Ebooks

305 pages, Trade Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Charlie Huston is an American novelist, screenwriter, and comic book writer known for his genre-blending storytelling and character-driven narratives. His twelve novels span crime, horror, and science fiction, and have been published by Ballantine, Del Rey, Mulholland, and Orion, with translations in nine languages. He is the creator of the Henry Thompson trilogy, beginning with Caught Stealing, which was announced in 2024 as a forthcoming film adaptation directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Austin Butler. Huston’s stand-alone novels include The Shotgun Rule, The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, Sleepless, and Skinner. He also authored the vampire noir series Joe Pitt Casebooks while living in Manhattan and later California. Huston has written pilots for FX, FOX, Sony, and Tomorrow Studios, served as a writer and producer on FOX’s Gotham, and developed original projects such as Arcadia. In comics, he rebooted Moon Knight for Marvel, contributed to Ultimates Annual, and penned the Wolverine: The Best There Is series.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the most confusing and unfulfilled story of all time. Make that 7 Bad Things. 0 of 10 stars

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn. This was good. Extreme carnage, great dialogue, along with a number of darkly funny moments. Six Bad Things actually starts out slowly, with Thompson hiding out (see the first book in the series, Caught Stealing) on a beach in Mexico. But don't let that fool you, as you sense approaching danger through Thompson's always wary eyes. Thompson, you see, has left a lot of dead bodies in his wake, and he has a bag full of money that some Russian folks want back. One day someone shows up, with a good memory and a good eye. Things go downhill from there. If you haven't read the first book, it seems like Huston does a good job teasing out parts of the earlier story, while at the same time keeping the current tale moving. It's been a number of years since I read the first book, so my memory of the specifics has faded. It works for me, but I don't know how this entry works as a standalone for the uninitiated. For one thing, Six Bad Things strikes me as darker, more tragic, not so much because of new levels of violence, but because of the hardening of Thompson's character. In the first novel, he was something of a hapless victim, who had a knack for getting lucky when people started dying. The second novel shows Thompson as a man transitioning into a role he never wanted: a truly dangerous man.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX BAD THINGS, the second book in the Hank Thompson trilogy echoes Elmore Leonard’s dialogue with Charlie Huston’s trademark dark humour, action packed violence and comedic-like killer routine. Following on from the events of CAUGHT STEALING, Hank finds himself living a life of leisure on an off-the-grid beach haven surrounded by colourful characters who know just enough to buy his cover as a wealthy American taking time out from his high pressure, fast living lifestyle. Before long, the Russian Mafia learns of his whereabouts and Hank is once again transformed from average Joe to accidental murderer.

Much like CAUGHT STEALING, SIX BAD THINGS has a lot of descriptive violence. The scenes Huston depicts aren’t designed for the squeamish, after all it’s called noir for a reason – this stuff is supposed to be bleak and dangerous. Somehow Hank managers to escape the clutches of the Russian Mafia, police, crazed Mexicans, and strung out strippers as he attempts to track down his 4 million dollar bounty held safe by a friend in New York recently located to Vegas while promising pay offs to keep his mother and father free from harm.

SIX BAD THINGS is pretty action heavy. Hank is put through the grinder more times than I care to count. However, his resilience and survival instinct are commodities which bleed nicely into A DANGEROUS MAN, the last book in the trilogy while opening up some new job prospects along the way. Huston manages to make Hank endearing and dangerous at the same time. Despite often harming people in very graphic and seemingly painful ways, you cant help but feel him. Continuing on from the ‘wrong man’ theme of CAUGHT STEALING, Huston maintains a semblance and Hanks former self while further developing him into the character he’s ultimately destined to be in A DANGEROUS MAN.

I liked SIX BAD THINGS much better the second time. Having read it initially in June 2008 and giving it 3.5 stars, the second read was easily it 5 stars. The back of the book compares Huston to Crumley and co. SIX BAD THINGS is the reason why.


My review of CAUGHT STEALING can be found here:
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

This review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guy's Book

There is probably the literary equivalent of the "chick flick."

This isn't it.

Hank Thompson seems like your average beach bum. An American ex-pat whiling away his days on Mexico's Yucatan coast - sun, surf, a beach bungalow, passive owner of an open-air beach bar dive. But as the story unfolds, we learn he is also a man with a history. A dangerous man living off a pile - a big pile - of cash that its rightful thieves want back. When a Russian backpacker unwittingly blows Hank's Mexican cover, he heads back across the border to protect his family and resume his briefly interrupted trail of mayhem.

With this backdrop, author Charlie Huston takes us on an extraordinary odyssey of evasion and murder unparalleled in pop fiction. Huston's lean and uneven, slightly nonlinear style is surprisingly effective. With shades of Boston Teran's sinister "God is a Bullet", or of Cormac McCarthy were he a Californian beach dude writing on while on Quaaludes, this is simply not your average thriller. Drugs, hookers, psychotic surfers, Las Vegas at its seamiest, the flat out depths of despair in society - this is "Six Bad Things". Addictive, engaging, powerful fiction. But like I said, it's not for everyone. For the rest, there's always "The Ya Ya Sisterhood".
Comment

[Jonathan Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like his series character Hank Thompson, Charlie Huston is a man who sometimes operates under the influence. Where Hank indulges in illicit substances, Huston slips into overly slavish imitations of his crime fiction forebears: Elmore Leonard, Quentin Tarantino, George Pelecanos. The voice of little Charlie Huston can get buried amid all that clamor, but it's a voice that gets clearer and stronger as Huston develops as a novelist. It's a voice well worth hearing. In "Six Bad Things," Hank is hiding out in Mexico after the slaughter of the previous novel, "Caught Stealing." It wouldn't be much of a crime thriller if all the hero did was swim and get toked up, tan and tattooed, so someone comes looking for the loot Hank stole from the Russian mob, and soon he's on the run again. That hot pursuit pretty much continues thru the rest of the novel. Huston's not long on plot, but he is big on nonstop, adrenalized, bullet-riddled thrill rides. It would be a four-star adventure, but I must deduct one star for a seriously ridiculous ending.

[Joanne Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The follow up to the great Caught Stealing finds Hank Thompson living the life in Mexico with his cat Bud until a Russian backpacker shows up asking questions Hank doesn't want to answer. He quickly finds himself on the run again from the Russian mafia, vigilantes, extortionists and drug dealers, and a couple of psychotic surf bums with an ax to grind .
Like Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things starts with a bang and never lets up, taking us on a wild and crazy ride.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

If this book proved anything for me, it’s that just like movies, great books can sometimes have godawful sequels. I read Caught Stealing last summer in preparation for the movie, and I loved it! I wanted to wait until after the movie to read the other books. Now I’ve read the second one, and I should have stopped at Caught Stealing 🤦‍♀️

I get it: Hank is a wanted man because he unwillingly got himself into a LOT of trouble in New York. He’s not exactly a criminal mastermind. Do you know what Six Bad Things made him out to be? A COMPLETE F***ING IDIOT!!!!!! 😡😡😡😡 I didn’t at any point feel sorry for him the way I did in Caught Stealing. All I wanted to do was throttle him and say “Would you just kill these people already?!??!??!” I didn’t like any of the new characters, either. Not only were they all also complete idiots, but the new villains weren’t that scary or intriguing, and the new friends were a bunch of trashy losers. There was also a big plot hole that was very difficult for me to get my head around in 2025 in the post-MeToo world, but I don’t have the energy for a spoiler cut. The ending was also a load of crap. Everything ultimately built up to nothing.

I’m not sure I’ll read A Dangerous Man. If I do, it won’t be for a while. This is going to sound bad, but now this makes me kind of glad that the movie Caught Stealing isn’t doing well at the box office. I’m not sure I’d want Six Bad Things to get adapted. If that were the case, I would be begging for drastic changes.

[Ladiibbug · Rating 5 out of 5]

#2 Hank Thompson trilogy - Noir Crime Drama

First Read: Approx. 2009, 5 stars
Second Read: 3/2016, 5 stars

After the hair-raising, exciting and violent events in book 1, the excellent Caught Stealing, Hank Thompson has, for the time being, dodged the numerous dangerous groups who are hot on his trail. Hank could be the poster boy for the cliché "No good deed goes unpunished."

Hank is living "off the map" in Mexico with the cash the Russians, among others, want back. When a Russian backpacker who shows up in Hank's area asking questions about Hank's parents and the missing money, Hank's quiet exile ends. Hank decides his intentional distance from his parents, for their safety, must end. With great difficulty, he returns to California to defend them.

The action never ends, with extortionists, drug dealers, psychotic surf bums, vigilantes and the Russian Mafia all hot on Hank's trail. A real hold-your-breath rollercoaster, if you are not overly sensitive to extreme violence.

I rarely reread, due to my huge TBR, but author Charlie Huston is definitely worth the reading time. His noir series, featuring vampire Joe Pitt, kicks off with Already Dead. I'll reread this gritty, intriguing tale of vampire groups (including vampire bikers), who have split up Manhattan. It's an uneasy peace, to say the least. 5 stars, all five books

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

After what I thought was a remarkable first novel(Caught Stealing), Huston returns us to Hank's pulpy world in this book. I really found myself quite impatient as I read through this short piece of fiction. The plot was dull, plain, and done oh so many times before...

Our anti-hero is not much of a hero at all. Where as  in the first book Hank's hands are tied and he is forced into making some incredibly difficult decisions and to do the unthinkable. In this book he sets off on a very linear path that is destined from the beginning to have the outcome that takes place.  There us no further backstory in this book. No insight into the thoughts and feelings of our protagonist. Heck, there is no reason for us to care one iota about Hank and his money. Huston took a well pieced together story in the first book that we the reader could easily identify with and appreciate and simply threw it to the main stream. Boring.

Move the story forward in an obvious straight line and then end it in a way that makes me like Hank even less. I am a huge fan of the bad boy anti-hero, Hank however is neither to me.

I normally like to add in a quote or two to add to a point of mine, or to point out the prose. I never came across one worth remembering...This book, like my lack of found quotes will be quickly forgotten.

This is a fast read and Huston does a great job at penning out action and chase scenes. His first person narrative give these novels a noir feel that is very enjoyable. These two books are definitely pulpy and my cup of tea. I look forward to reading more by Huston but will have a tough time finishing this series.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

The friend who recommended this book to me said that it was much better than Caught Stealing, but I liked it less.

The plot is much less fun. This one doesn't have multiple sides going for the same goal, which results in less double crossing and general mayhem.

Henry also does something at the very end of the book that I found to be totally out of character. I realize that this book is meant to be his transition from "I was just babysitting a cat" to "this is my life", but I didn't buy it.

Still, Huston can write. Sharp dialog, fast-moving plot.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a continuation of "Caught Stealing." In the first book in this series Henry is a victim of circumstance. He agrees to watch a neighbor's cat little knowing there is a key to $4.5 million dollars in the bottom of the cat box. In this book Henry tries to protect his parents from the thugs who are trying to get their $4.5 million dollars back. This series is an adrenalin rush! I could not put this book down. R-rated for language and violence.

[Allan MacDonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

More blood is swirling around on the pages of Charlie Huston’s Six Bad Things than in a bloody vampire novel. And Six Bad Things—unlike the books in Huston’s Already Dead series—is not even a vampire novel! This hyper-violent and seedy road trip flips past so fast that the improbable body count can be consumed in one intense, highly gratifying sitting. You can’t really think of the Russian mobsters, Mexican smugglers, homicidal surfers, double-dealing drug dealers and that one hooker with a heart of gold in Six Bad Things as providing mindless entertainment, not after the book eats your complete brain for eight hours in a row.

[Lisa Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who’s seen my reading list & reviews knows I loooooove a good anti-hero and really enjoy a good urban fantasy! This series so far has all the madness of urban fantasy (think Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series) but in this case it’s real life criminals, mobsters & a general pack of insane madmen who are all after Henry Thompson & his ill gotten $4m.
Fast-paced action, moments of completely Tarantino-like incidental violence & all this around Henry who is fading from his good guy gone bad to truly bad guy role.
I rarely jump from one book to another but I am downloading book 3 as I write this! Have to see how this all ends!

[Sheridan Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

although it was just as difficult to put down as the first book, I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much. I found it a bit confusing at times and occasionally questioned if it was even written by the same author. will still likely read the last book as well though…

[William Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another twisted, vulgar, violent, hilarious romp. The 2nd in a trilogy. Stay away if you're faint of heart, or if you haven't read the first.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.25

Hank Thompson has a series of six hash marks tattooed on his arm, one for each of the bad things that he has done. Well, he's done a lot more bad things than that, but in this case, bad things means "people murdered". And by the end of this book, he's going to need to see the tattooist again.

As a result of a wild and complicated killing spree in New York, Hank had an urgent need to leave town. He's been living in an isolated spot in Mexico, tending his adopted cat, Bud. With some of the 4.5 million dollars that he obtained in that earlier adventure, he's bought into a beach bar and spends most of his days swimming, eating well and living a quiet life. But we all know that he's not going to spend his days whiling away on the beach. It's just a matter of time before: the Russian mob, the Mexican Federales, New York gangsters, hero wannabes, drug dealers and/or other shady characters zero in on Hank and try to relieve him of that huge pile of money.

It begins with a Russian, which ultimately results in the need for another hash mark and Hank is of necessity forced to leave his paradise. He sends the money to a friend in Vegas and heads toward his parents' place in California. His entourage continues to grow; he makes it to Vegas, but his friend is no longer there. Whenever Hank is around, it's pretty safe to assume that mayhem will ensue, and it does. More hash marks.

The first book in this series, CAUGHT STEALING, sets up the character of Hank and how he got himself into these life-shattering predicaments. In an almost comic way, Hank turns into a stone cold killer. SIX BAD THINGS is outrageous and noir and extreme—and it's a book that I found amazing, and actually enjoyed much more the first. Fortunately for me, the series was conceived as a trilogy, and the ending of this book indicates a very interesting future for Hank.

SIX BAD THINGS is a book that is decidedly unique, with characters who leap off the page and force you to read the next page and the next and the next…there's blood and there's guts, but there's also pathos and humanity. The one thing that you can count on is that you can't really count on knowing what Hank is going to do next. It could be something touching and sweet, or it could be something gruesome and horrible. In either case, I'm going along for the ride.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six Bad Things is the second in the Hank Thompson trilogy, though it can be read as a standalone (though I’d recommend reading the excellent Caught Stealing first). It starts relatively sedately with a wonderful scene about how Hank has become addicted to cigarettes, gains a little pace and then opens out full throttle. Huston excels at writing fast paced action sequences and riffing dialogue (the conversations between Hank and Sally are exceptionally good), and he strings these together into an endless succession of scrapes, highs and lows, and twists and turns. Hank is an engaging lead character, teetering on an anti-hero tightrope between goody and baddy, and the other characters are well penned, providing interesting foils. Whilst the story is an enjoyable romp, it’s not quite as engaging as Caught Stealing, a couple of bits seemed a little over-contrived, and the end was a wee bit flat, working more to set up the third instalment rather than closing this one off. Nevertheless, it is superior stuff, and anyone who enjoys fast-action noir with wise-cracking dialogue, will gallop through it wearing a wry smile. Bring on A Dangerous Man, the final instalment in the series.

[J.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If It Wasn't For Bad Luck, I'd Have No Luck At All

Six Bad Things is a worthy sequel to the phenomenal Caught Stealing. It was another hard core ride into non stop running, hiding, terror, and the worst of luck.

The antihero, Henry Thompson, has been living safely in Mexico for several years when he is discovered by the nephew of the Russian mob. What happens next? More of the same as happens in Caught Stealing, only with a whole new cast of characters.

Charlie Huston has continued his wonderful trademark noir, cast with grit, dirt, swearing, and non-stop, grip you by the throat action. While not as good as Caught Stealing, it is certainly a worthy followup and a great transition into the final volume of this trilogy, A Dangerous Man.

This book is a must read for Noir fans and Charlie Huston readers. While the first book could be a stand alone book, this one catapults it into a must read set of three books. You should not miss this one, if you have already.

J.Stoner

[gert · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love charlie huston. i was late in the game, but am hustling to make up for it. which makes my decision to stop this series right here, and not read the third, seem strange. why am i stopping? because i think hank thompson was his best when he was on the fence - the third book puts him firmly on one side of good versus bad. plus, he gets ugly. no thank you. i'd rather have my last taste of hank be the hank i like.

anyway, this - the 2nd in the series - book is an awesome continuation of the story. hank still has soft spots - bud, his friend in mexico (where he's been living since his dramatic escape from NYC), and of course his long-suffering parents. but he seems to have been able to recognize his other side, the one that earned the tattoos representing his 'six bad things'.

a pretty good story line - hank's running again. but now its not ONLY the russians chasing him. the addition of some truly bad slash bumbling criminals really helps to show hank as he truly is. he's no psycho, but he plays one very, very well.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in Charlie Huston's Hank Thompson series starts two years after the first book. Hank is basking on a secluded Mexican beach but the bad guys are still after him. Of course, he cannot stay hidden and decides to go back to California when he discovered his parents have been threatened. Hence another Huston novel of unrelenting action, twisted humor and quotation free dialogue (Cormac, what have you wrought!). Hank Thompson is a nice guy throw into a violent world, a last-resort killer that mourns the days when he could make better choices. He is a reluctant anti-hero who we can have empathy for even as the body count rises. It is Huston's complex protagonists that carry his action pulp thrillers and places them high above his competitors in the pulp fiction field. Watch your back, Mr. Lansdale!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars? Well that was certainly a lot darker and more violent than I had anticipated. Despite that, I did still find the story intriguing, although I was a bit confused in the beginning (but that’s probably my bad because I didn’t read book 1). Regarding the main character, I liked him all right at times, but at other times I was appalled... granted the situation that he was in was quite the clusterf***.

Oh!!!! The one thing I found extremely extremely annoying was how much football talk there was, I mean there were multiple times where I was fast forwarding through like 2 minutes + of talking about football (I like football fine, but come on, it really doesn’t have anything to do with the plot)!!

I am planning to read book 3.

Tw: suicide ideation & attempt

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Huston is all about pace. Quick dialogue and non-stop action. This is the third book of his that I have read, and that pace is consistent throughout. Very fun reads.

However (and we knew there had to be a however), with a pace as frantic as the one Huston provides, the little time taken for character emotion and introspection always feels forced and a begrudgingly mandatory part of the narrative.

And because this story is more about the action than the character, the end reveals itself as more teaser than conclusion. Like the end of Part One of a two part book.

Read this book for its strengths. A solid popcorn read.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violent, ruthless, shocking, disturbing. How I love this short series by author Charlie Huston. This book continues with the trials and harsh tribulations of Hank Thompson...hard-core killer and nice guy all at the same time. Hank is in hiding in Mexico until his life is blown up again when multiple people come after him...and the four million dollars that he killed for. And off we go to California for more violence and killing. You can't help but be sucked into this book. You'll find that you can't turn the pages fast enough. Huston is an edgy writer that knows how to take a simple thriller and turn it into a wonderful "Pulp Fiction" novel.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointment after the first one. I got the sense the author, much like his protagonist, felt exhausted throughout. The pacing was off, the supporting characters were more hollow, and there was so much meaningless dialogue and other tedious nonsense (Miami Dolphins recaps??). Overall, this felt like a wholly unnecessary installment in the trilogy to explain the character's transition to hitman. Couldn't this have just been a chapter or two?

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome crime novel from Charlie Huston. I tore through it quickly and felt nauseous, tired, disgusting and vaguely depressed when I finished. Exactly what I look for in a novel like this. I started the next one immediately.

I especially liked that I got it as a free download for my phone! (You can too, till February 2009.)

[Charisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! Fast moving, full of action - LOTS of action! Huston is a great writer - he had me rolling at points with Hank's narrative... "what is this - Deliverance?!" :) Anyway, I've found a new favorite writer. I want to go back and read the first in this series. This book definately stands on its own.

Thanks to Bob for bringing Huston to my attention!!

[Jaybee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have long been a huge Charlie Huston fan, but either this series isn't for me, or I'm not longer a huge fan. I'm going with the former and am stepping away from the trilogy. I love the writing and the characters, but halfway through I just felt tired and bored, in spite of all of the action.

[Jessica Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is a bit all over the place and while the pages are rittled with violence, the 3 different story lines just didn't add up. If you're not looking for anything too serious and just want to read super violent things then this is for you. His vampire series is way better.

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculously stupid.

[Jan Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but the language is bad. Turns me off to the author.