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Greg Salem #1
Bad Citizen Corporation
An East Los Angeles police officer by day and a beach cities punk rock legend by night, Salem is forced into action when his two worlds violently collide. The search for his friend’s murderer takes him on a treacherous journey through the murky waters of his hometown, forcing him to explore the dark corners of his sun-soaked world.
Without a badge to hide behind any longer, he enlists the help of his drug-addict drummer Marco to help him solve the crime. Over the course of ten days, they survive vicious beatings, car chases, love triangles, kidnapping, and betrayal on Salem’s road to self-discovery.
Without a badge to hide behind any longer, he enlists the help of his drug-addict drummer Marco to help him solve the crime. Over the course of ten days, they survive vicious beatings, car chases, love triangles, kidnapping, and betrayal on Salem’s road to self-discovery.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2015
6 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
S.W. Lauden
26 books47 followersS.W. Lauden’s debut novel, BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, is available from Rare Bird Books. The second Greg Salem novel, GRIZZLY SEASON, was published on October 11, 2016. His standalone novella, CROSSWISE, is available from Down & Out Books.
His short story, “Itchy Feet,” was recently published in UNLOADED: CRIME WRITERS WRITING WITHOUT GUNS (Down & Out Books). His short story, “Big Shots,” is included in the anthology FAST WOMEN AND NEON LIGHTS: EIGHTIES-INSPIRED NEON NOIR (Short Stack Books). His short story, “Customer,” is featured in the upcoming anthology, WAITING TO BE FORGOTTEN: STORIES OF CRIME AND HEARTBREAK INSPIRED BY THE REPLACEMENTS (Gutter Books).
His short fiction has been accepted for publication by Out of the Gutter, Criminal Element, Dark Corners, Dead Guns Magazine, Akashic Books, WeirdBook, Spelk Fiction, Shotgun Honey and Crimespree Magazine.
His short story, “Itchy Feet,” was recently published in UNLOADED: CRIME WRITERS WRITING WITHOUT GUNS (Down & Out Books). His short story, “Big Shots,” is included in the anthology FAST WOMEN AND NEON LIGHTS: EIGHTIES-INSPIRED NEON NOIR (Short Stack Books). His short story, “Customer,” is featured in the upcoming anthology, WAITING TO BE FORGOTTEN: STORIES OF CRIME AND HEARTBREAK INSPIRED BY THE REPLACEMENTS (Gutter Books).
His short fiction has been accepted for publication by Out of the Gutter, Criminal Element, Dark Corners, Dead Guns Magazine, Akashic Books, WeirdBook, Spelk Fiction, Shotgun Honey and Crimespree Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 25, 2015
WOW! S.W.Lauden has given us one dark, cool, kickass novel. What makes a truly kickass book? Think to yourself..Give me a heart-pounding murder mystery with a cool, L.A. police officer that surfs in the morning and plays in a punk band at night. Throw in some colorful characters that we cannot help but love, even the ones we hate. Add some dark, heated love triangles. Make sure it has an intense storyline, with so many twists and turns that you do not know who to trust. Be sure and take us to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and speeding through the dark streets of Los Angeles with a soundtrack of hardcore punk rock cranked up in the background. That is what you will get when you read Bad Citizen Corporation.
Greg Salem is the police officer that has to take a leave from the department, after shooting a suspect. He hooks up with his band one night to play in a local bar. After one of his friends is shot, Salem ends up hunting down the killer. Though he does not have his badge to help him, he does have some cool friends and some demons from his past. You really did not know who to trust or what was going to happen next.
It is hard to believe that this is S.W. Lauden's debut novel. It was a sleek and dark novel that keeps you on your toes all the way to the last page. I know that this is only the beginning of a long career for Lauden. I highly recommend jumping on this book. I know that I cannot get some of the scenes out of my mind. Once again...WOW!
Greg Salem is the police officer that has to take a leave from the department, after shooting a suspect. He hooks up with his band one night to play in a local bar. After one of his friends is shot, Salem ends up hunting down the killer. Though he does not have his badge to help him, he does have some cool friends and some demons from his past. You really did not know who to trust or what was going to happen next.
It is hard to believe that this is S.W. Lauden's debut novel. It was a sleek and dark novel that keeps you on your toes all the way to the last page. I know that this is only the beginning of a long career for Lauden. I highly recommend jumping on this book. I know that I cannot get some of the scenes out of my mind. Once again...WOW!
December 3, 2015
This was quite a trip, but it felt as fulfilling as binge-watching five seasons of a great television show. There are a lot of palpable influences on BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, but on top of my mind think Ross MacDonald meets Gerald Petievich written with the understated touch that made Hemingway such a deceptively complex writer. It's more of a cerebral pleasure than an adrenaline rush and an emotional experience, but it's a novel that tirelessly works you up. The pacing of BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is as steady and relentless as a water leak flooding a basement you're prisoner of.
It's a weird novel, but it's part of what makes it so endearing. The plot is deceptively simple and will throw you off using smoke and mirror and that deliberately screws with the signifiers: there are things that happen that you need to take at face value, some not. It's very atypically thought for a mystery and it will destabilize many readers. BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is a dark, intricate and sophisticated hardboiled mystery that isn't like anything that's availible out there on the market. It definitely is a breath of fresh air.
It's a weird novel, but it's part of what makes it so endearing. The plot is deceptively simple and will throw you off using smoke and mirror and that deliberately screws with the signifiers: there are things that happen that you need to take at face value, some not. It's very atypically thought for a mystery and it will destabilize many readers. BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is a dark, intricate and sophisticated hardboiled mystery that isn't like anything that's availible out there on the market. It definitely is a breath of fresh air.
October 24, 2015
Lauden pulls of something that you’d think would be borderline impossible. Actually two something’s. 1. He gives you a look at LA through a new set of eyes. Describing and rambling through the town in a way you have not see before. Considering how LA has been blanketed over the years with movies, TV and fiction of all genres, this is no small chore (not to mention, I lived in LA for almost a decade.) 2. He gives you a new LA cop story. A different slant on the grizzled LA anti-hero—a cop with a punk rock pulse. If you dig crime fiction, independent or mainstream, you’ll have a blast with Bad Citizens Corp. A fast, blistering read written in a style and rhythm that fits its punk rock foundation.
December 7, 2017
Police officer by day, punk rocker by night, surfer whenever he can get the time in. Set in a version of Southern Cal that feels like a few small surfing towns strung together. Filled with police shootings, wannabe gangbangers, real estate investors, recovering alcoholics, and a bar where everyone seems to know each other. Well-paced and a quick read. Characters with complex pasts. Thanks to Rare Bird Books for providing a copy.
November 9, 2015
This gritty debut took me on an adrenaline-fueled journey through the dark alleys of East Los Angeles to the dive bars of the South Bay. Greg Salem is a Virgil Heights cop who is still recognized by punk rock fans as Fred Despair, the lead singer of Bad Citizen Corporation. He still plays the occasional gig but his punk rock days are far behind him. At least that’s what he thought. After his guitarist/best friend is murdered, Salem vows to bring the killer to justice despite his recent suspension from the department. With the help of his drummer/friend Marco, Salem dives right back into the underworld of his hometown filled with greedy land developers, drug dealers, and old flings. BCC is hard core, in-your-face, blast-the-roof-off storytelling, and as a longtime Hermosa Beach resident, it’s about damn time a novel pays proper homage to the birthplace of Pennywise and Black Flag.
November 12, 2015
If I were in trouble, I'd want Greg Salem by my side. S.W. Lauden's protagonist gets under your skin that much, as does his coterie of damaged, addicted, warily optimistic friends, in this debut novel that grows on you like a song you don't want to get out of your head.
Salem, seen from the outside, is a walking paradox: a minor punk-rock legend who, years after his band flamed out, has became a cop in East LA. He's an ex-drinker, a beach rat and still, occasionally, a singer, even if he can't remember all the words anymore and there's no touring involved. Salem lives, plays and makes his mistakes around the small town where he grew up, with people he's known since childhood. His equivalent of an AA group meets on surfboards.
Soon, in Lauden's skillful telling, the contradictions fall away. The common thread uniting punk rocker, surfer and cop seems to be a kind of honesty, of the kind a song can have, or a wave, or a friendship that's lasted a lifetime. For Salem, bad cops - lazy, authoritarian, abusive - are bullshit, and he reckons he can do better himself. It's an appealing proposition.
But Salem shoots a kid while on duty, believing him armed, and has to give up his badge pending an inquiry. Was there really a gun in the kid's hand? One of Salem's best friends, a bandmate, is then killed at a gig. In the background, a real-estate scam is gradually upping its own body count. Mysteries from the past - Salem's brother's suicide prime among them - float in the sun-soaked, exhaust-tainted air. Salem won't - can't - let things go.
Salem's kind of honesty lands him in trouble, as it always has. He's not afraid of a fight. As Lauden draws the threads of his plot together, Salem shows himself to be resourceful, physically brave, but not too tightly wrapped. His capacity for loyalty - gritty, day-to-day, showing up when others don't - vies with demons he hasn't vanquished, and may never. Clear-eyed about most things, including the grim realities of addiction in himself and his friends, he has trouble seeing straight in matters of love. Jealousy - of a dead man, no less - especially warps his perspective. Yet his weaknesses give him an unpredictable edge.
"Bad Citizen Corporation" - named for Salem's band, back in the day - is a compelling read, if uneven in places. Some similes fall with a thunk; some comic relief works fabulously. Lauden's insights - into addiction, and the damage people can do to each other - have the feeling of lived wisdom, calling to mind the work of zen punk writer Brad Warner.
Lauden leaves several threads hanging, which suggests a sequel is in the works. It will be welcome.
(In the spirit of disclosure, I know Lauden, though not well; we have good friends in common.)
Salem, seen from the outside, is a walking paradox: a minor punk-rock legend who, years after his band flamed out, has became a cop in East LA. He's an ex-drinker, a beach rat and still, occasionally, a singer, even if he can't remember all the words anymore and there's no touring involved. Salem lives, plays and makes his mistakes around the small town where he grew up, with people he's known since childhood. His equivalent of an AA group meets on surfboards.
Soon, in Lauden's skillful telling, the contradictions fall away. The common thread uniting punk rocker, surfer and cop seems to be a kind of honesty, of the kind a song can have, or a wave, or a friendship that's lasted a lifetime. For Salem, bad cops - lazy, authoritarian, abusive - are bullshit, and he reckons he can do better himself. It's an appealing proposition.
But Salem shoots a kid while on duty, believing him armed, and has to give up his badge pending an inquiry. Was there really a gun in the kid's hand? One of Salem's best friends, a bandmate, is then killed at a gig. In the background, a real-estate scam is gradually upping its own body count. Mysteries from the past - Salem's brother's suicide prime among them - float in the sun-soaked, exhaust-tainted air. Salem won't - can't - let things go.
Salem's kind of honesty lands him in trouble, as it always has. He's not afraid of a fight. As Lauden draws the threads of his plot together, Salem shows himself to be resourceful, physically brave, but not too tightly wrapped. His capacity for loyalty - gritty, day-to-day, showing up when others don't - vies with demons he hasn't vanquished, and may never. Clear-eyed about most things, including the grim realities of addiction in himself and his friends, he has trouble seeing straight in matters of love. Jealousy - of a dead man, no less - especially warps his perspective. Yet his weaknesses give him an unpredictable edge.
"Bad Citizen Corporation" - named for Salem's band, back in the day - is a compelling read, if uneven in places. Some similes fall with a thunk; some comic relief works fabulously. Lauden's insights - into addiction, and the damage people can do to each other - have the feeling of lived wisdom, calling to mind the work of zen punk writer Brad Warner.
Lauden leaves several threads hanging, which suggests a sequel is in the works. It will be welcome.
(In the spirit of disclosure, I know Lauden, though not well; we have good friends in common.)
March 1, 2016
“I’ve lived through every second of my life and I still don’t know how I got to exactly this moment.” — Greg Salem
Greg Salem can be forgiven for being a bit confused about the state of his life. After all, he’s traveled a bit of an unusual path. Currently an East Los Angeles police officer, once upon a time Greg was known as Fred Despair, punk legend/lead singer of the band Bad Citizen Corporation (BCC).
Though he’s pretty much kicked the excesses of his former punk lifestyle, Salem’s still a bit of a square peg in the round hole that is the police department. When he’s not on the job, Salem still appears occasionally with BCC for special one-off gigs, and also enjoys indulging his passion for surfing.
It’s an interesting balancing act, one that starts to unravel after Salem is involved in an on-the-job shooting.
Though Salem swears the young sexual assault suspect he corned in an alley after a foot pursuit reached for a gun in his waistband, by the time backup reached Salem an agitated mob of citizens had formed and no gun was ever found.
Put on suspension while the investigation and consideration of indictment unfolds, Salem seeks solace in a gig with BCC, only to have that go horribly off the rails when his best friend Ricky, BCC’s lead guitarist, is shot dead during a melee at the club where BCC is playing. Now, Salem is haunted by two deaths, left wondering if there is anything he could have done to prevent either. Knowing he can’t get involved in the official investigation of his own case, Salem vows to do right by his best friend and get to the bottom of his murder.
Complicating matters, friends of the kid Salem shot aren’t content to wait for the outcome of the official investigation—they are actively stalking and harassing Salem, bent on handing out their own brand of justice. Needing some off the books backup, Salem enlists the help of BCC’s former drummer, Marco, despite Marco’s ongoing drug habit, a situation that threatens to test Salem’s hard fought for sobriety. And as if that weren’t enough, Salem’s good friend, and old flame, Junior is having problems with her real estate broker ex-husband that require Salem’s intervention. It all makes for a helluva messy state of affairs that’s going to require Salem to dig deeper than he ever has if he’s going to sort it all out.
Taking at first what appear to be several very disparate setups — Salem’s on-the-job shooting, Ricky’s nightclub murder, Junior’s problems with her ex — author S.W. Lauden deftly weaves each plot thread together into a stunning tapestry of a novel. Things that initially seem completely unrelated are slowly revealed to all fit together in ways both Salem and the reader discover together bit by bit as the story unfolds. Along the way, Salem is forced to reevaluate his life, both the past that brought him to where he is, as well as what he thought he wanted for his future. Without consciously intending it, Salem ends up discovering just as much about himself as he does the truth behind the shooting in that alley and the murder of his best friend.
Bad Citizen Corporation is a wonderfully complicated, and accomplished, piece of writing. That it’s Lauden’s debut full-length novel is quite impressive, and serves notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Greg Salem can be forgiven for being a bit confused about the state of his life. After all, he’s traveled a bit of an unusual path. Currently an East Los Angeles police officer, once upon a time Greg was known as Fred Despair, punk legend/lead singer of the band Bad Citizen Corporation (BCC).
Though he’s pretty much kicked the excesses of his former punk lifestyle, Salem’s still a bit of a square peg in the round hole that is the police department. When he’s not on the job, Salem still appears occasionally with BCC for special one-off gigs, and also enjoys indulging his passion for surfing.
It’s an interesting balancing act, one that starts to unravel after Salem is involved in an on-the-job shooting.
Though Salem swears the young sexual assault suspect he corned in an alley after a foot pursuit reached for a gun in his waistband, by the time backup reached Salem an agitated mob of citizens had formed and no gun was ever found.
Put on suspension while the investigation and consideration of indictment unfolds, Salem seeks solace in a gig with BCC, only to have that go horribly off the rails when his best friend Ricky, BCC’s lead guitarist, is shot dead during a melee at the club where BCC is playing. Now, Salem is haunted by two deaths, left wondering if there is anything he could have done to prevent either. Knowing he can’t get involved in the official investigation of his own case, Salem vows to do right by his best friend and get to the bottom of his murder.
Complicating matters, friends of the kid Salem shot aren’t content to wait for the outcome of the official investigation—they are actively stalking and harassing Salem, bent on handing out their own brand of justice. Needing some off the books backup, Salem enlists the help of BCC’s former drummer, Marco, despite Marco’s ongoing drug habit, a situation that threatens to test Salem’s hard fought for sobriety. And as if that weren’t enough, Salem’s good friend, and old flame, Junior is having problems with her real estate broker ex-husband that require Salem’s intervention. It all makes for a helluva messy state of affairs that’s going to require Salem to dig deeper than he ever has if he’s going to sort it all out.
Taking at first what appear to be several very disparate setups — Salem’s on-the-job shooting, Ricky’s nightclub murder, Junior’s problems with her ex — author S.W. Lauden deftly weaves each plot thread together into a stunning tapestry of a novel. Things that initially seem completely unrelated are slowly revealed to all fit together in ways both Salem and the reader discover together bit by bit as the story unfolds. Along the way, Salem is forced to reevaluate his life, both the past that brought him to where he is, as well as what he thought he wanted for his future. Without consciously intending it, Salem ends up discovering just as much about himself as he does the truth behind the shooting in that alley and the murder of his best friend.
Bad Citizen Corporation is a wonderfully complicated, and accomplished, piece of writing. That it’s Lauden’s debut full-length novel is quite impressive, and serves notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
December 9, 2015
Good, but SO many dumb little errors. Is Greg carrying a Glock or a "service revolver"? The author seems to think they are interchangeable terms. Is Greg's sweet old landlady named Ruth or Judy? Depends on which sentence you're reading.
I know these are nit-picky complaints but it's little things like that (and a few typos) that tend to pull me right out of the story.
As for the story itself, it's OK, nothing special. A little too much is made about Greg being a "punk-rock cop" but other than a disrupted stage show, a magazine article and a few song mentions there isn't really any "punk-rock" feel to the main character. He's just guy.
Marco (his drug-addicted friend), however, deserves a book of his own.
Decent book, but don't go in with high expectations.
I know these are nit-picky complaints but it's little things like that (and a few typos) that tend to pull me right out of the story.
As for the story itself, it's OK, nothing special. A little too much is made about Greg being a "punk-rock cop" but other than a disrupted stage show, a magazine article and a few song mentions there isn't really any "punk-rock" feel to the main character. He's just guy.
Marco (his drug-addicted friend), however, deserves a book of his own.
Decent book, but don't go in with high expectations.
October 27, 2015
Lauden has crafted a modern noir novel for any reader who loves a good mystery, wonderfully drawn characters, and a gift of prose that slips easily off the page and into the reader's imagination. The only problem...I want more.
Bravo! From the sun drenched "South and North Bay" to the gritty streets of East LA, follow Greg, the Punk rock cop, as his worlds collided into one hell of a ride. Strap on your seat belt and get ready, these pages turn themselves!
Bravo! From the sun drenched "South and North Bay" to the gritty streets of East LA, follow Greg, the Punk rock cop, as his worlds collided into one hell of a ride. Strap on your seat belt and get ready, these pages turn themselves!
November 9, 2015
Bad Citizen Corporation is S.W. Lauden’s debut novel. This murder mystery features a surfing, punk rocking, cop! Greg doesn’t have his badge at the moment but that isn’t stopping him from turning the town upside down looking for his friend’s murderer. He enlists the help of his drummer friend Marco. Their adventures will keep you flipping pages wondering what they will get into next.
October 28, 2015
A tight mystery and a great cast of characters make this crime novel sing. I've read quite a few books that take place in LA recently and this stands out both in place and tone. Looking forward to more from Lauden and Greg Salem.
November 12, 2015
I loved it! I really couldn't put it down, I read slowly and really only on the subway commute but I tore through this book. I really liked the main character, the setting was perfect and the writing is crisp and fun and dark all at the same time.
December 3, 2015
Like the best punk song ever played, Bad Citizen Corporation is raw and unpolished , it rips and roars, screams and pounds. There is also something sadly sentimental, looking back on who and what we were and shall never be again. I look forward to seeing where the punk rock cop goes next.
October 27, 2015
Excellent
Lauden has crafted a modern noir novel for any reader who loves a good mystery, wonderfully drawn characters, and a gift of prose that slips easily off the page and into the reader's imagination. The only problem...I want more.
Bravo!
Lauden has crafted a modern noir novel for any reader who loves a good mystery, wonderfully drawn characters, and a gift of prose that slips easily off the page and into the reader's imagination. The only problem...I want more.
Bravo!
March 15, 2018
Good solid crime novel, with an interesting setting and the only ex-punker rocker, surfer policeman I've ever encountered as a main character. I'll be seeking the other in this series out. Recommended.
February 6, 2018
I loved this book!
It's an exciting mystery with colorful characters and a unique and interesteing sense of place.
The music that runs through this book is great and that adds to it's charms.
It's an exciting mystery with colorful characters and a unique and interesteing sense of place.
The music that runs through this book is great and that adds to it's charms.
August 20, 2017
When I first read the premise for this book, I expected it to be a fun pulpy noir like something you would read in a comic book/graphic novel. While it is a very intriguing and tense novel, it is much more introspective than I expected it to be. It's a great book about love, loss, regret, grief, depression, and how unexpected life can be. And not once does it ring false or feel shoehorned in. But it still is a great mystery that is always at the center. All of the characters were distinct and Lauden really helps you paint a picture of these people and the world. I really enjoyed Marco and it is clear Lauden did too as he helps lighten the mood and provide some much needed breaking of the tension. But Greg himself is a very interesting protagonist. I like how he wasn't a badass and how Lauden allowed him to behave how a human would when they lose someone they love or are in pain. It helped ground the novel. As a fan of punk music too, the novel feels authentic in its use of the punk scene.
The only major issue I have with this is the resolution of the mystery. When all of it was coming together towards the end I went "really?". And not in a "this ruins the novel" really. But more in a "this isn't exciting as I would hope" kind of way. The resolution makes sense though and was definitely plausible. It's just that all of the other things about the book, like the relationships of the characters and the story, are more interesting than the mystery itself by the end. This might sound like that it ruins the book but it is actually far from it. I tend to remember the other great things about this book as a whole than the mystery.
If you are a mystery/noir/detective fan then you should check this out. The ending of the mystery might not have excited me as much, but the journey itself and everyone involved with the story should keep you hooked. It is definitely a great start to what seems like a fun and thrilling series.
The only major issue I have with this is the resolution of the mystery. When all of it was coming together towards the end I went "really?". And not in a "this ruins the novel" really. But more in a "this isn't exciting as I would hope" kind of way. The resolution makes sense though and was definitely plausible. It's just that all of the other things about the book, like the relationships of the characters and the story, are more interesting than the mystery itself by the end. This might sound like that it ruins the book but it is actually far from it. I tend to remember the other great things about this book as a whole than the mystery.
If you are a mystery/noir/detective fan then you should check this out. The ending of the mystery might not have excited me as much, but the journey itself and everyone involved with the story should keep you hooked. It is definitely a great start to what seems like a fun and thrilling series.
January 5, 2018
Greg Salem is a cop with the Virgil Heights P. D. in East L.A. but he was a former 'bad boy' surfer and his alter ego, 'Fred Despair', the lead singer with his punk band Bad Citizen Corporation. Greg gets suspended from his job for the apparent 'bad shooting' of a suspect but also on the night of a re-union gig with his band, his guitarist and best friend gets shot and murdered following some bad blood in the crowd.
Greg and his drummer, recovering addict Marco, decide to investigate the murdered despite being warned off the case by local Police Chief, Officer Bob, a nemesis of Greg's from his younger days. Greg and Marco get drawn into a tangled web of drugs, dodgy property deals, wannabe gangbangers and Greg's complicated love life but they always seem one step behind the perpetrators.
I've got mixed feelings about this one as I thought crime and the punk rock scene would be a great mix for a novel but I did feel a little let down by the end. Greg is also a recovering alcoholic who manages to fall off the wagon during the course of the investigation and this partnered with Marco's drug intake maybe doesn't auger well for crime investigation. I also felt that the pair just seemed to stumble from one predicament to another and there didn't really seem to be a great deal in the way of structured investigation - more a case of (bad) luck !
This forms the first in a trilogy of Greg Salem novels but I'm still undecided if I want to take the plunge and experience more of Salem's world.
Greg and his drummer, recovering addict Marco, decide to investigate the murdered despite being warned off the case by local Police Chief, Officer Bob, a nemesis of Greg's from his younger days. Greg and Marco get drawn into a tangled web of drugs, dodgy property deals, wannabe gangbangers and Greg's complicated love life but they always seem one step behind the perpetrators.
I've got mixed feelings about this one as I thought crime and the punk rock scene would be a great mix for a novel but I did feel a little let down by the end. Greg is also a recovering alcoholic who manages to fall off the wagon during the course of the investigation and this partnered with Marco's drug intake maybe doesn't auger well for crime investigation. I also felt that the pair just seemed to stumble from one predicament to another and there didn't really seem to be a great deal in the way of structured investigation - more a case of (bad) luck !
This forms the first in a trilogy of Greg Salem novels but I'm still undecided if I want to take the plunge and experience more of Salem's world.
March 26, 2018
If Greg Salem was rapper instead of a punk rocker/cop he might have written 99 Problems before Jay Z did. In Lauden’s Bad Citizen Corporation, Salem’s problems mount up page by page from the shooting an allegedly armed suspect, his brother’s death ruled a suicide (but it’s probably murder), one of his best friend’s gunned down while performing on stage, and another friend being forced to sell his bar. Salem is also a recovering addict and hated by his home town’s police. Conflict moves along plot, but all of this conflict is too much for any man to bear, even a fictional one.
Lauden’s tells an engaging story as Salem tries to figure out who killed his best friend and why. We follow Salem as he fights all of his demons while still trying to live what would be his normal life. Some scenes drag on for several pages too long and could have been cut down with a loss to story or plot, specifically I’m thinking of the funeral and reception afterwards as well as a lunch with his landlord. That said Lauden develops strong characters, even those on the periphery, whether they are his on-and-off-again girlfriend Quincy or members of a street gang that are always menacing him.
I wish Bad Citizen Corporation was a touch shorter, but that’s not too big of a complaint. I’ve read and enjoyed Lauden’s Tommy & Shayna series, Crosswise and Crossed Bones, so I’m quite sure Grizzly Season will be tighter and Salem’s problems might be down to a manageable baker’s dozen.
Lauden’s tells an engaging story as Salem tries to figure out who killed his best friend and why. We follow Salem as he fights all of his demons while still trying to live what would be his normal life. Some scenes drag on for several pages too long and could have been cut down with a loss to story or plot, specifically I’m thinking of the funeral and reception afterwards as well as a lunch with his landlord. That said Lauden develops strong characters, even those on the periphery, whether they are his on-and-off-again girlfriend Quincy or members of a street gang that are always menacing him.
I wish Bad Citizen Corporation was a touch shorter, but that’s not too big of a complaint. I’ve read and enjoyed Lauden’s Tommy & Shayna series, Crosswise and Crossed Bones, so I’m quite sure Grizzly Season will be tighter and Salem’s problems might be down to a manageable baker’s dozen.
May 3, 2018
I'm a sucker for crime fiction that can hook me with an interesting character and SW Lauden did that with his protagonist, Greg Salem. You see, Salem is not only a police officer but he's also the lead singer for the punk band Bad Citizen Corporation. How did a punk end up a cop? How's an officer deal with that history? That's what made the mystery appealing to me.
Set in a Southern California locale, it was a great read on cold spring day.
Set in a Southern California locale, it was a great read on cold spring day.
May 15, 2017
I just finished reading Bad Citizen Corporation for the second time, and have to say that it was even better than I remembered. Lauden has captured the persona of the flawed protagonist in Greg Salem, and created a cast of highly believable characters in a terrific storyline. Highly recommended!
February 16, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Punk rock detective novel indeed.
The world-building was great, and I loved the idea of a punk rock singer turned cop.
The twist/reveal at the end sort of came out of left field, with no real setup.
Still enjoyed this a bunch, and look forward to the sequel.
The world-building was great, and I loved the idea of a punk rock singer turned cop.
The twist/reveal at the end sort of came out of left field, with no real setup.
Still enjoyed this a bunch, and look forward to the sequel.
April 18, 2016
Punk rock cop tries to figure out who shot his bandmate among many other issues. Packed full of angst, Gen X aging, gentrification, surfing and punk subcultures, sobriety and dozens of other issues, this is a unique piece of crime fiction. Don't miss this.
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