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Go Down Hard
Nob Brown is a divorced, disillusioned thirty-something ex-cop turned bottom-feeding tabloid writer. His best friend and occasional lover, Gloria Lopes, is an LAPD detective who needs an Excel spreadsheet to chart her sex life. When Gloria slips Nob the confidential file on the unsolved twenty-year-old murder of a legendary rock-and-roll goddess, Nob hopes to solve the crime and propel himself out of the tabloids and into a lucrative book deal. But he pokes into the wrong holes and unearths rotting secrets that give rise to fresh corpses. As the cold case comes to a fast boil, Nob is forced to battle for his own survival.
372 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
14 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Craig Faustus Buck
27 books19 followersCraig Faustus Buck is an L.A.-based journalist, nonfiction book author, TV writer-producer, screenwriter, short-story writer and novelist.
His first noir mystery novel, Go Down Hard, was published by Brash Books in 2015
His short stories have won a Macavity Award and been nominated for multiple Anthony and Derringer awards.
Among his six nonfiction books, two were #1 NYT bestsellers. He wrote the Oscar-nominated short film Overnight Sensation. He was one of the writers on the seminal miniseries V: The Final Battle.
His first noir mystery novel, Go Down Hard, was published by Brash Books in 2015
His short stories have won a Macavity Award and been nominated for multiple Anthony and Derringer awards.
Among his six nonfiction books, two were #1 NYT bestsellers. He wrote the Oscar-nominated short film Overnight Sensation. He was one of the writers on the seminal miniseries V: The Final Battle.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 23, 2015
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are intertwined in this witty noir novel. The main character, Nob Brown, is an ex-cop turned writer. He is divorced and disillusioned, but happy to make it with a very lusty and busty female cop named Gloria. When Gloria hopes to cheer Nob's mood by handing him a cold case to investigate for a writing piece, Nob is instantly smitten. The cold case involves his teenage rock idol, Lana Strain, who was murdered years before. This sets Nob on a twisting road filled with Russian mobsters, insidious relatives, and two very beautiful and disturbed sisters. I enjoyed the interesting characters, their dilemmas, and the way CF Buck turns a phrase.
September 23, 2015
Review pending
January 5, 2018
Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck is a mystery noir placed in Los Angeles offers the juxtaposition of Hollywood and the porn industry.
Nob Brown, x-cop turned freelance writer--becomes obsessed on the cold case murder of a rock-an-roll singer, celebrity Lana Strain. Add to her a daughter who has entered the same business. Along with Detective Gloria Lopes no pornographer or seedy character is unturned until the mystery is solved.
Another great read from Craig Buck. I am sure there will be many more to come.
Nob Brown, x-cop turned freelance writer--becomes obsessed on the cold case murder of a rock-an-roll singer, celebrity Lana Strain. Add to her a daughter who has entered the same business. Along with Detective Gloria Lopes no pornographer or seedy character is unturned until the mystery is solved.
Another great read from Craig Buck. I am sure there will be many more to come.
August 16, 2015
First I'd like to state I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review and I am happy to say, I picked a really good book. I truly enjoyed this story because it was a nice mix of crime, sex, humor & great characters. Plenty of twists & turns, I didn't find it at all predictable. I loved the sassy dialogue, yet felt quite sad & close to tears at other parts. I also enjoyed the atmospheric "feel" & added history of LA. I look forward to reading more from Craig Faustus Buck & would definitely recommend it.
October 8, 2016
Enjoyable. Good central character, the rock backdrop had the right feel, and the story kept me guessing. It was also racy without being salacious. The best part for me, though, was Buck's spicy use of language. He's got a great stock of zingy one-liners.
June 20, 2015
Once again, late night cruising of NetGalley's genre tabs lead me to find this book among the Mystery & Thriller section. Not a book with a 'G' rating, this book included several adult situations, adult language and plenty of violence. Somehow everything clicked, creating an action-packed thrill ride on the darker side of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. I think part of the reason the story worked so well was based on the fact that the book was told by Nob in a first person point-of-view. This gave a front row seat to all of his thoughts, emotions and inner conflicts as the story unfolded.
So many eccentric characters filled out the cast and each had a corner market on a particular kind of crazy. Nob Brown first appeared as the typical down-on-his-luck guy who spent his days fighting to make ends meet by writing tabloid articles and running from the clutches of his best friend, a hard-as-nails detective with an overactive libido. Throw in several characters who partied like the rock stars they were decades earlier, and you've got a heady mix of ego, paranoia and self-loathing that made it difficult to uncover the truth about the victim, Lana Strain. Even her family members featured a certain level of anxiety. Both of her daughters were polar opposites. One was obsessed with maintaining her mother's image in a very distinct and different way. The other daughter chose to ignore the past and focused on the present. While Lana portrayed herself as a rock-n-roll goddess with a gritty voice and body to match, her father displayed an Ivy league lifestyle, complete with golf games and civil service to boost his credibility in the society pages.
The opening chapter left no doubt that this book was an in-your-face type of novel. Those first pages laid the foundation of Nob's inner circle and launched the struggling writer's investigation. Even with so many different characters to juggle, the structure of the book allowed the author to reveal the various twists and secrets at a steady pace and without losing my attention. Because the story was set in California, the author used the various landmarks in and around Los Angeles and its weather to both enhance the story and create situations that often showed Nob in a world of trouble.
Overall, this story was a wild ride from beginning to end. From ballsy characters to action-packed scenes, there seemed to be something for everyone in the novel. I found it entertaining because of the outlandish nature of the characters and the heartbreaking idea that someone could hurt their family so much that death was the only option. The murder of Lana Strain wasn't the only crime on tap to solve. As Nob delved further into his investigation, several more crimes floated to the top of the pile. Each had their time in the spotlight, but the focus remained on Lana. While there were the usual twists scattered throughout the novel, I felt happy when I didn't guess everything that was going to happen. If you like brash, in-your-face characters or multi-level mysteries, then I definitely recommend this book for your reading list.
So many eccentric characters filled out the cast and each had a corner market on a particular kind of crazy. Nob Brown first appeared as the typical down-on-his-luck guy who spent his days fighting to make ends meet by writing tabloid articles and running from the clutches of his best friend, a hard-as-nails detective with an overactive libido. Throw in several characters who partied like the rock stars they were decades earlier, and you've got a heady mix of ego, paranoia and self-loathing that made it difficult to uncover the truth about the victim, Lana Strain. Even her family members featured a certain level of anxiety. Both of her daughters were polar opposites. One was obsessed with maintaining her mother's image in a very distinct and different way. The other daughter chose to ignore the past and focused on the present. While Lana portrayed herself as a rock-n-roll goddess with a gritty voice and body to match, her father displayed an Ivy league lifestyle, complete with golf games and civil service to boost his credibility in the society pages.
The opening chapter left no doubt that this book was an in-your-face type of novel. Those first pages laid the foundation of Nob's inner circle and launched the struggling writer's investigation. Even with so many different characters to juggle, the structure of the book allowed the author to reveal the various twists and secrets at a steady pace and without losing my attention. Because the story was set in California, the author used the various landmarks in and around Los Angeles and its weather to both enhance the story and create situations that often showed Nob in a world of trouble.
Overall, this story was a wild ride from beginning to end. From ballsy characters to action-packed scenes, there seemed to be something for everyone in the novel. I found it entertaining because of the outlandish nature of the characters and the heartbreaking idea that someone could hurt their family so much that death was the only option. The murder of Lana Strain wasn't the only crime on tap to solve. As Nob delved further into his investigation, several more crimes floated to the top of the pile. Each had their time in the spotlight, but the focus remained on Lana. While there were the usual twists scattered throughout the novel, I felt happy when I didn't guess everything that was going to happen. If you like brash, in-your-face characters or multi-level mysteries, then I definitely recommend this book for your reading list.
June 10, 2015
A free download from netgalley.com for my review.
This had the makings for being an excellent book; mix in Rock'n'roll, the porn industry, the Mob, unique characters, a Police element and a cold case.
I feel it started out excellent, then it just gets to ridiculously stupid for me and about half way through, just turned into a slog read for me.
Also for me the author straddled the fence of writing a book that could have been sleazy, but he also caters to keeping it almost clean or tames it down.
With the elements in this one, it would have been better to pick-one.
Your expecting to have Gloria Lopes hopping in and out of bed, but she's pretty tame and Melody doing splits or her legs over her head seems pointless addition.
This was one where I normally would have just stop reading. Just few like I wasted my reading time on this one, especially with other ones that I need to review.
Skip this one, you have better ones out their in the Noir Mystery genred than this one and guess I've gotten a little spoiled by the Hard Case Crime books.
This had the makings for being an excellent book; mix in Rock'n'roll, the porn industry, the Mob, unique characters, a Police element and a cold case.
I feel it started out excellent, then it just gets to ridiculously stupid for me and about half way through, just turned into a slog read for me.
Also for me the author straddled the fence of writing a book that could have been sleazy, but he also caters to keeping it almost clean or tames it down.
With the elements in this one, it would have been better to pick-one.
Your expecting to have Gloria Lopes hopping in and out of bed, but she's pretty tame and Melody doing splits or her legs over her head seems pointless addition.
This was one where I normally would have just stop reading. Just few like I wasted my reading time on this one, especially with other ones that I need to review.
Skip this one, you have better ones out their in the Noir Mystery genred than this one and guess I've gotten a little spoiled by the Hard Case Crime books.
November 2, 2015
I received this book from Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this book as it has many of what I like in a book - interesting characters, good crime story, a few twists along the way with some that might be considered predictable but most that aren't. This book follows some other aspects common to crime books - a main character in Nob Brown who's an ex-cop, who's broke with an ex-wife who he's supporting, who also has a somewhat interesting and varied sex-life. Although Nob Brown often investigates and gets into situations common to a Private Detective, he's actually a struggling reporter. In this case, he's hoping to write a story about the twenty year old murder of Lana Strain, the goddess rock and roller of his youth.
Craig Faustus Buck is working on a sequel and I'm certainly looking forward to reading more about Nob Brown.
I really enjoyed this book as it has many of what I like in a book - interesting characters, good crime story, a few twists along the way with some that might be considered predictable but most that aren't. This book follows some other aspects common to crime books - a main character in Nob Brown who's an ex-cop, who's broke with an ex-wife who he's supporting, who also has a somewhat interesting and varied sex-life. Although Nob Brown often investigates and gets into situations common to a Private Detective, he's actually a struggling reporter. In this case, he's hoping to write a story about the twenty year old murder of Lana Strain, the goddess rock and roller of his youth.
Craig Faustus Buck is working on a sequel and I'm certainly looking forward to reading more about Nob Brown.
September 8, 2015
Former cop and free-lance writer Nob Brown always had a "thing" for Lana Strain, a rock and roll singer. She was his fantasy woman until she was murdered twenty years ago; an unsolved case that his Detective friend just handed him to write about. Nob decides he's going to solve the case rather than just write an anniversary piece, and that's when things get deadly. Someone wants the past to stay buried, and wants to bury Nob along with the past.
Go Down Hard is a book that can't be put in a single niche; mystery,, hard boiled detective, noir, humor. It has elements of all of these, and I couldn't quit reading it. The second book featuring Nob Brown and Detective Gloria Lopes (rhymes with Hopes) GO DOWN SCREAMING is high on my to be read list.
Thanks to Brash Books at Netgalley for the free Copy in return for my review.
Go Down Hard is a book that can't be put in a single niche; mystery,, hard boiled detective, noir, humor. It has elements of all of these, and I couldn't quit reading it. The second book featuring Nob Brown and Detective Gloria Lopes (rhymes with Hopes) GO DOWN SCREAMING is high on my to be read list.
Thanks to Brash Books at Netgalley for the free Copy in return for my review.
September 3, 2015
The protagonist is a 30 something former LA cop who is now a tabloid writer. A friend (and frequent sexual partner) loans him the 20 year old open murder case of a rock "Goddess". The more he investigates the case, the more involved he gets in the remaining family of the woman, her two daughters, her former husband and her father. There is incest, murder and general mayhem throughout the novel. It is not family reading in any way, but for those who like thrillers with complex characters it is an excellent novel.
Thanks to Net Galley and Brash Books for letting me read an ARC for an honest review. I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series.
Thanks to Net Galley and Brash Books for letting me read an ARC for an honest review. I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series.
April 19, 2015
Not your typical thriller! The characters are fresh, different and interesting, the story is exciting and suspenseful, and the reader is kept enthralled to the very end. I enjoyed reading this book every step of the way, and I went back and read it again before writing this review. Buck combines a great story, interesting characters and a smooth writing style. You can't go wrong with this book.
June 24, 2015
This review is based on the ARC from NetGalley:
Former cop turns writer looks into the 20 year old murder of his younger self's favorite rock star. What he turns up, causes the murder and mayhem and the occasional belly laugh. Fun new series from a prolific author who doesn't hesitate to plug his own non-fiction works in the narrative.
Former cop turns writer looks into the 20 year old murder of his younger self's favorite rock star. What he turns up, causes the murder and mayhem and the occasional belly laugh. Fun new series from a prolific author who doesn't hesitate to plug his own non-fiction works in the narrative.
November 1, 2015
This book was sharp, smart and funny, and the mystery was gripping. The writing was terrific: witty with a big dash of Chandler, if he was writing today. And while it's classified as noir, justice is served at the end, which is very satisfying. Just an all-around great read.
April 23, 2015
GO DOWN HARD is a great book that keeps you guessing. The story twists and turns so that you are kept guessing at who is really responsible and why. Great read!
May 20, 2015
GO DOWN HARD goes down easy. Fleet and sweet, Craig Faustus Buck's tough tale of murder, betrayal, and swinging sex is gritty, comedic, and touching.
August 6, 2021
First, a disclaimer: I wrote this book. The idea of reviewing my own book never occurred to me until another Goodreads author mentioned that she always does. Obviously, this won't be a real review, but rather, an update.
I've had a lot of readers ask when the sequel is coming out. Good question. I'm juggling a number of writing projects at the moment, not to mention life projects, but this particular book is taking longer than usual, even for me who wastes a lot of time as a seat-of-the-pants writer.
When I first started writing the sequel, tentatively titled "Go Down Screaming," I thought it would be a straightforward task, but having already spent three years inside Nob Brown's head, I really needed a change. So I decided to tell the next story from the POV of his best friend LAPD Detective Lieutenant Gloria Lopes. The same cast of central characters, but from a different perspective.
When I started in on that, I still felt like the process was déjà vu, so I decided to change it from a mystery to a suspense thriller. This brought up a whole new set of problems because the first book was written in the first person. Alfred Hitchcock once described the difference between mystery and suspense as a person climbing a set of stairs in an eerie house. There's a door at the top of the stairs. In a mystery, the reader and the antagonist have no idea what's behind that door. In a suspense thriller, the antagonist may have no idea, but the reader knows there's an armed killer waiting to pounce.
Suspense pretty much demands that the reader knows about looming peril. In other words, some of the story should be told from the antagonist's POV. First-person narrative doesn't generally work. So the entire structure of the book had to change.
All of these changes take time, first to realize, then to sink in, and finally to execute. Ergo, the sequel is on its way, but it has been sidetracked. Hold onto your seats.
I've had a lot of readers ask when the sequel is coming out. Good question. I'm juggling a number of writing projects at the moment, not to mention life projects, but this particular book is taking longer than usual, even for me who wastes a lot of time as a seat-of-the-pants writer.
When I first started writing the sequel, tentatively titled "Go Down Screaming," I thought it would be a straightforward task, but having already spent three years inside Nob Brown's head, I really needed a change. So I decided to tell the next story from the POV of his best friend LAPD Detective Lieutenant Gloria Lopes. The same cast of central characters, but from a different perspective.
When I started in on that, I still felt like the process was déjà vu, so I decided to change it from a mystery to a suspense thriller. This brought up a whole new set of problems because the first book was written in the first person. Alfred Hitchcock once described the difference between mystery and suspense as a person climbing a set of stairs in an eerie house. There's a door at the top of the stairs. In a mystery, the reader and the antagonist have no idea what's behind that door. In a suspense thriller, the antagonist may have no idea, but the reader knows there's an armed killer waiting to pounce.
Suspense pretty much demands that the reader knows about looming peril. In other words, some of the story should be told from the antagonist's POV. First-person narrative doesn't generally work. So the entire structure of the book had to change.
All of these changes take time, first to realize, then to sink in, and finally to execute. Ergo, the sequel is on its way, but it has been sidetracked. Hold onto your seats.
April 18, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Nob Brown is a divorced, disillusioned thirty-something ex-cop turned bottom-feeding tabloid writer. His best friend and occasional lover, Gloria Lopes, is an LAPD detective who needs an Excel spreadsheet to chart her sex life. When Gloria slips Nob the confidential file on the unsolved twenty-year-old murder of a legendary rock-and-roll goddess, Nob hopes to solve the crime and propel himself out of the tabloids and into a lucrative book deal. But he pokes into the wrong holes and unearths rotting secrets that give rise to fresh corpses. As the cold case comes to a fast boil, Nob is forced to battle for his own survival.
Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll...and Russian thugs, murder and a load of humour.
That pretty much sums up this very good Los Angeles noir-mystery novel where solving a crime has never been more fun to read about.
Nob is an excellent MC and is ably assisted by a support cast such as Melody and Gloria. The dialogue between them all was fresh and exciting, loaded with zippy one-liners and big doses of throwback to classic detective stories.
If you are looking for something a little fun, a little feisty and more than just a little fantastic, then this could be the mystery novel for you!
Paul
ARH
Nob Brown is a divorced, disillusioned thirty-something ex-cop turned bottom-feeding tabloid writer. His best friend and occasional lover, Gloria Lopes, is an LAPD detective who needs an Excel spreadsheet to chart her sex life. When Gloria slips Nob the confidential file on the unsolved twenty-year-old murder of a legendary rock-and-roll goddess, Nob hopes to solve the crime and propel himself out of the tabloids and into a lucrative book deal. But he pokes into the wrong holes and unearths rotting secrets that give rise to fresh corpses. As the cold case comes to a fast boil, Nob is forced to battle for his own survival.
Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll...and Russian thugs, murder and a load of humour.
That pretty much sums up this very good Los Angeles noir-mystery novel where solving a crime has never been more fun to read about.
Nob is an excellent MC and is ably assisted by a support cast such as Melody and Gloria. The dialogue between them all was fresh and exciting, loaded with zippy one-liners and big doses of throwback to classic detective stories.
If you are looking for something a little fun, a little feisty and more than just a little fantastic, then this could be the mystery novel for you!
Paul
ARH
August 9, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was OK; I certainly didn't actively dislike it. But I had reservations about Nob, the main character. And I didn't have a particularly high opinion of Lana, the dead main character, as she lived the tough life of a rock star. Ginger and Sophia were also not very likeable. Now I don't feel I have to love all the characters in a book to enjoy it, but this whole book was very put-downable, then I'd have trouble picking it up again because I wasn't particularly interested to find out what happened. Who cares how Lana died--it was 20 years ago!
Buck wrote quite well with some clever turns of phrase, catching my attention for short spans of time. But overall I thought the story was too complex, with several red herrings that confused me and made it difficult to keep track of all the loose ends. All that being said, it was a fairly satisfying ending, but I'll admit I was happy to wind things up. It all dragged out a little too long and took me a whole month to read.
"I can tell she's thinking I pissed off the Russian mob and bought her a ticket to Collateral Damageville."
"Gloria has her thermostat set to 'Oldsmobile,' as she calls it, by which she means eight-eight. I turn it down to 'trombones." Seventy-six."
This book was OK; I certainly didn't actively dislike it. But I had reservations about Nob, the main character. And I didn't have a particularly high opinion of Lana, the dead main character, as she lived the tough life of a rock star. Ginger and Sophia were also not very likeable. Now I don't feel I have to love all the characters in a book to enjoy it, but this whole book was very put-downable, then I'd have trouble picking it up again because I wasn't particularly interested to find out what happened. Who cares how Lana died--it was 20 years ago!
Buck wrote quite well with some clever turns of phrase, catching my attention for short spans of time. But overall I thought the story was too complex, with several red herrings that confused me and made it difficult to keep track of all the loose ends. All that being said, it was a fairly satisfying ending, but I'll admit I was happy to wind things up. It all dragged out a little too long and took me a whole month to read.
"I can tell she's thinking I pissed off the Russian mob and bought her a ticket to Collateral Damageville."
"Gloria has her thermostat set to 'Oldsmobile,' as she calls it, by which she means eight-eight. I turn it down to 'trombones." Seventy-six."
October 31, 2023
Bravo, Mr. Buck for your rollicking, Byzantine, Hollywood page-turner. A lusty, 21st century offspring of Raymond Chandler.
September 10, 2015
This book has a lot of glowing reviews. I'm going to step outside the norm; I didn't love it. For the most part, I didn't even like it.
The genre is marketed as a "noir mystery", but it's more like whodunit crime fiction. The attempt at noir mainly comes through as sarcastic humor and juvenile sex references. This is only an observation meant for those serious readers looking for a true noir experience. Genre isn't an important factor for me when I read, though it does create expectations.
With any fiction book, I'm always drawn to characters first. These characters, for me, are stereotypical and one-dimensional. The story is told in first person, from Nob's perspective. He's a cop-turned-writer who acts like an inexperienced PI. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to his professional training. I didn't like him. He's sarcastic, all the time, and rarely has a serious or honest conversation.
Then there's Gloria, his best friend with benefits. She's an unprofessional homicide detective, who is brash and apparently can't keep her clothes on around Nob. I think the author intended her to be bold and independent, but she comes off instead as childish, impetuous, and needy. She's always grabbing at his crotch and making inappropriate comments in public, which feel more like she's trying to lay claim to property than her being a free sexual spirit. This is accented by the fact that, despite claims of her not being monogamous and wanting new sex partners all the time, Nob is the only man she's falling all over.
We also have Nob's assistant, Melody, who has a small and annoying part. I can only assume the author intended for her to be quirky. I thought she was ridiculous. Throughout the book, she'd randomly drop into a split or stick her foot up behind her ear, in the midst of a conversation, just because she could. She behaved like an eight-year-old.
And, finally, I have to mention the cast of bad guys. They were all thoroughly interchangeable, like stock characters picked off a shelf. Each had all the expected bad guy traits - nothing more and nothing less.
Now on to the plot. From my perspective, it's kind of a tangled mess. I have to give the author credit for his attempt in tackling a serious topic. But the sarcastic, childish nature of the characters took away from any real meaning behind the content.
I was also bugged by some inconsistencies. For instance, early in the story Nob mentions that Lana named her two daughters after classic movie stars. Then, later in the story when a clue pops up having to do with classic movies, Nob states that he never saw Lana as the "classic movie type". Also, at one point in the story he digs out his gun for protection, commenting that he rarely carries one because they make him uncomfortable. He was a cop! I likely noticed this stuff more because I was already irritated by all the sarcasm, brashness, and unprofessional behavior.
I wish I could be as enthusiastic about this book as the majority of readers. I was excited to read a book combining rock 'n' roll with the noir genre, but it just didn't work for me.
*I was provided with a free copy by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
The genre is marketed as a "noir mystery", but it's more like whodunit crime fiction. The attempt at noir mainly comes through as sarcastic humor and juvenile sex references. This is only an observation meant for those serious readers looking for a true noir experience. Genre isn't an important factor for me when I read, though it does create expectations.
With any fiction book, I'm always drawn to characters first. These characters, for me, are stereotypical and one-dimensional. The story is told in first person, from Nob's perspective. He's a cop-turned-writer who acts like an inexperienced PI. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to his professional training. I didn't like him. He's sarcastic, all the time, and rarely has a serious or honest conversation.
Then there's Gloria, his best friend with benefits. She's an unprofessional homicide detective, who is brash and apparently can't keep her clothes on around Nob. I think the author intended her to be bold and independent, but she comes off instead as childish, impetuous, and needy. She's always grabbing at his crotch and making inappropriate comments in public, which feel more like she's trying to lay claim to property than her being a free sexual spirit. This is accented by the fact that, despite claims of her not being monogamous and wanting new sex partners all the time, Nob is the only man she's falling all over.
We also have Nob's assistant, Melody, who has a small and annoying part. I can only assume the author intended for her to be quirky. I thought she was ridiculous. Throughout the book, she'd randomly drop into a split or stick her foot up behind her ear, in the midst of a conversation, just because she could. She behaved like an eight-year-old.
And, finally, I have to mention the cast of bad guys. They were all thoroughly interchangeable, like stock characters picked off a shelf. Each had all the expected bad guy traits - nothing more and nothing less.
Now on to the plot. From my perspective, it's kind of a tangled mess. I have to give the author credit for his attempt in tackling a serious topic. But the sarcastic, childish nature of the characters took away from any real meaning behind the content.
I was also bugged by some inconsistencies. For instance, early in the story Nob mentions that Lana named her two daughters after classic movie stars. Then, later in the story when a clue pops up having to do with classic movies, Nob states that he never saw Lana as the "classic movie type". Also, at one point in the story he digs out his gun for protection, commenting that he rarely carries one because they make him uncomfortable. He was a cop! I likely noticed this stuff more because I was already irritated by all the sarcasm, brashness, and unprofessional behavior.
I wish I could be as enthusiastic about this book as the majority of readers. I was excited to read a book combining rock 'n' roll with the noir genre, but it just didn't work for me.
*I was provided with a free copy by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
September 27, 2015
We all remember that female singer that made us crazy as adolescent boys. The one that you fantasized about meeting up close in the most intimate and very personal way. Okay, don’t admit it, but I did. I am also not about to say who that was, but I still have all her records. Not CDs like the kids today have, but the old vinyl records. For Nob Brown that certain singer was, and to a certain extent still is, Lana Strain. Her murder twenty years ago remains an unsolved case.
LAPD Lieutenant Gloria Lopes has decided to give the murder book to Nob in an effort to cheer him up. Nob used to be a cop before he walked away from the job. These days Nob is having a hard time on a variety of fronts including working as a freelance writer. The Lieutenant, who also happens to be his frequent bedroom and anywhere else sexual partner, says that she is giving him the book for six days so that he can do research and just maybe sell a piece on the murder as part of a twenty year retrospective on the stunning beautiful singer. Considering Nob is known as a true crime writer, as well as any other kind of writing that pays the mounting bills, this temporary gift of the murder book for a legendary cold case that is still a hot bed of publicity just might save him form the financial ruin of his recent divorce.
Lana Strain died when Nob was 17. It rocked his world at the time and the incident still shakes him to the core when he sees the brutality of the crime scene photos. While giving him the murder book for the stated reason of Nob’s being able to sell some writing is one goal, Nob is highly motivated to solve the crime the LAPD has not been able to for all these years.
Twenty years after Lana’s violent death in her home, Nob’s poking around will bring him contact with her family, Russian organized crime, porno peddlers, and more in Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck. It also might get him and everyone he cares about killed as someone works to tie off loose ends uncovered by his poking into the cold case.
While some reviews have referred to this as a mystery noir spoof that would imply far more humor and slapstick than there is in the book. Nothing in this hard hitting and often violent book is remotely slapstick. At times graphic in terms of language and descriptions, this is a crime noir style story with an underpinning of sarcasm throughout the read. Nob Brown tends towards the sarcastic in word and action, but when things get dangerous he is prepared to be one hundred percent serious to get the job done.
According to the recent interview with the author on The Rap Skeet Blog this is the start of a new series. That is excellent news and this book was incredibly good. Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck, recently published by Brash Books, is very much worth it and one you should not miss. It is one of those books that if the award committees and voters in various organizations have any sense next spring it will be up for quite a few awards.
Go Down Hard
Craig Faustus Buck
http://www.craigfaustusbuck.com
Brash Books
http://www.brash-books.com
May 2015
ASIN# B00UIVNIIC
E-Book (also available in print)
368 Pages
$3.99
Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
LAPD Lieutenant Gloria Lopes has decided to give the murder book to Nob in an effort to cheer him up. Nob used to be a cop before he walked away from the job. These days Nob is having a hard time on a variety of fronts including working as a freelance writer. The Lieutenant, who also happens to be his frequent bedroom and anywhere else sexual partner, says that she is giving him the book for six days so that he can do research and just maybe sell a piece on the murder as part of a twenty year retrospective on the stunning beautiful singer. Considering Nob is known as a true crime writer, as well as any other kind of writing that pays the mounting bills, this temporary gift of the murder book for a legendary cold case that is still a hot bed of publicity just might save him form the financial ruin of his recent divorce.
Lana Strain died when Nob was 17. It rocked his world at the time and the incident still shakes him to the core when he sees the brutality of the crime scene photos. While giving him the murder book for the stated reason of Nob’s being able to sell some writing is one goal, Nob is highly motivated to solve the crime the LAPD has not been able to for all these years.
Twenty years after Lana’s violent death in her home, Nob’s poking around will bring him contact with her family, Russian organized crime, porno peddlers, and more in Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck. It also might get him and everyone he cares about killed as someone works to tie off loose ends uncovered by his poking into the cold case.
While some reviews have referred to this as a mystery noir spoof that would imply far more humor and slapstick than there is in the book. Nothing in this hard hitting and often violent book is remotely slapstick. At times graphic in terms of language and descriptions, this is a crime noir style story with an underpinning of sarcasm throughout the read. Nob Brown tends towards the sarcastic in word and action, but when things get dangerous he is prepared to be one hundred percent serious to get the job done.
According to the recent interview with the author on The Rap Skeet Blog this is the start of a new series. That is excellent news and this book was incredibly good. Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck, recently published by Brash Books, is very much worth it and one you should not miss. It is one of those books that if the award committees and voters in various organizations have any sense next spring it will be up for quite a few awards.
Go Down Hard
Craig Faustus Buck
http://www.craigfaustusbuck.com
Brash Books
http://www.brash-books.com
May 2015
ASIN# B00UIVNIIC
E-Book (also available in print)
368 Pages
$3.99
Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
August 27, 2015
Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down. - Ray Bradbury
I loved this book. Loved the story, loved the characters, loved the humor.
Nenad "Nob" Brown is a tabloid writer - kinda. He's an ex-cop, ex-husband. His friend with benefits, LAPD police detective Gloria Lopes (rhymes with hopes), gets Nob the case file on dead rock singer Lana Strain, who died under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago.
Now Nob really needs this material for a story. He's behind on payments to his ex-wife and is about to lose his house. But he really wants the story because Lana Strain was his teenage pinup girl and he wants to find out how she really died.
I thought Gloria Lopes was a great character, with her hot pink powder-coated handcuffs and her free and easy lifestyle. I also liked Nob's part-time assistant Melody Elvinstar, who can twist herself into pretzel shapes and is always there when Nob needs a helping hand.
Sisters (who are the daughters of the dead Lana), the porn industry, an aging rock star father, an attorney for the mob, a psychiatrist with no morals, incest, murder - all wrapped up in a whodunit that was tons of fun to read.
I am thrilled to read that there is to be a sequel to this book - GO DOWN SCREAMING.
NOTE: I received this book from Brash Books through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. (I also received a copy of the book from the author and will be keeping it in my library to read again one of these days.)
I loved this book. Loved the story, loved the characters, loved the humor.
Nenad "Nob" Brown is a tabloid writer - kinda. He's an ex-cop, ex-husband. His friend with benefits, LAPD police detective Gloria Lopes (rhymes with hopes), gets Nob the case file on dead rock singer Lana Strain, who died under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago.
Now Nob really needs this material for a story. He's behind on payments to his ex-wife and is about to lose his house. But he really wants the story because Lana Strain was his teenage pinup girl and he wants to find out how she really died.
I thought Gloria Lopes was a great character, with her hot pink powder-coated handcuffs and her free and easy lifestyle. I also liked Nob's part-time assistant Melody Elvinstar, who can twist herself into pretzel shapes and is always there when Nob needs a helping hand.
Sisters (who are the daughters of the dead Lana), the porn industry, an aging rock star father, an attorney for the mob, a psychiatrist with no morals, incest, murder - all wrapped up in a whodunit that was tons of fun to read.
I am thrilled to read that there is to be a sequel to this book - GO DOWN SCREAMING.
NOTE: I received this book from Brash Books through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. (I also received a copy of the book from the author and will be keeping it in my library to read again one of these days.)
September 16, 2015
Most of us have big turning points in our lives: the crash of the Hindenburg...the acceptance letter from Harvard...the gloomy postcard from your local draft board.
For Nob Brown—ex-cop and ex-husband making a living from a keyboard—that moment came when legendary blues singer Lana Strain was murdered by persons unknown then...and still unknown 20 years later, when the cold case custom-made for him literally falls into his lap.
Curiosity is kindled, and investigation ensues: with Nob turning over timeworn rocks all over L.A. to see what might come crawling out. (Hint: plenty of stuff does come crawling out.)
This is a fast-moving yarn, with a broad landscape of memorable characters and an honestly funny one-liner on almost every page.
The length is a little problematic, considering the traditions of the genre. But, viewed from another perspective, this qualifies the book as another Kindle Bargain of the Century at just four bucks. Definitely recommended. [PLEASE NOTE: a copy of this book was received, free of charge, in exchange for a fair and honest review — Nate Briggs, Kindle Book Review]
For Nob Brown—ex-cop and ex-husband making a living from a keyboard—that moment came when legendary blues singer Lana Strain was murdered by persons unknown then...and still unknown 20 years later, when the cold case custom-made for him literally falls into his lap.
Curiosity is kindled, and investigation ensues: with Nob turning over timeworn rocks all over L.A. to see what might come crawling out. (Hint: plenty of stuff does come crawling out.)
This is a fast-moving yarn, with a broad landscape of memorable characters and an honestly funny one-liner on almost every page.
The length is a little problematic, considering the traditions of the genre. But, viewed from another perspective, this qualifies the book as another Kindle Bargain of the Century at just four bucks. Definitely recommended. [PLEASE NOTE: a copy of this book was received, free of charge, in exchange for a fair and honest review — Nate Briggs, Kindle Book Review]
October 4, 2015
A fast paced story of a cop turned writer, which he has no luck and is not currently on high demand. So as the anniversary of the murder of a high profile singer, which he was obsessed as a teenager, is just around the corner, he is given the police file of the unsolved case by his good friend Gloria, with the hope that he could made an article and flip his luck. This story is full of sexual references that makes it difficult to digest, most because is placed as porn and vulgar.
Note: I received a copy free from Netgalley.
Note: I received a copy free from Netgalley.
October 14, 2015
Wow! Craig Faustus Buck’s debut novel Go Down Hard hits like its title – mean, tough, the kind of book your mother would ground you for if she caught you reading it. What starts out as a regular well-written mystery veers into a wild psychosexual journey as the detective’s teenage crush’s mysterious death decades ago leads to dizzying involvement into her insane world, via her lookalike daughters, horrific father, gangsters, quack shrinks… altogether a fascinating trip into the dark underside of the dark. Hard to put down, fast-paced, and unendingly fun.
May 8, 2015
Nob Brown is a divorced tabloid writer who used to be a cop. When his friend with benefits slides him an unsolved crime file on a murdered rock star, he jumps at the chance to solve it so he can write a book and put himself back on top. This is my first read in the Noir genre, so it was a little different for me. I found the characters interesting and the plot well written. I would probably read more from this author.
March 27, 2016
Pisser. Non-stop action and a few good chuckles. Seems betrayal is a family trait but it’s sorting out who is worse amongst a cast of characters as different as snowflakes. Speaking of flakes some of the characters portrayed would trump (pun?) anyone I have met so far. But in the part of the country where this takes place flakes are in abundance. Pure entertainment with afore mentioned chuckles by a talented writer.
October 19, 2016
A fun and enjoyable read - Craig has the gift of being able to write clever and interesting stories without sounding juvenile or forced. Good characters, good plot, good action - I'll be looking for his next book.
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