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Holy Death: A Billy Lafitte Novel
Billy Lafitte is back...
Back from the brink of death.
Back on the Gulf Coast, his home stomping grounds, looking to reunite with his beloved one last time.
Back in the sights of DeVaughn Lagrenade, a former gangbanger whose brother was gunned down by Lafitte and his partner during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Back in the mind of his biggest nemesis, Franklin Rome, who swings into Lafitte's orbit in a most unusual way.
Throw in a wild-eyed waitress looking for some violent kicks, an ambitious FBI agent slithering up the administrative ladder, a wannabe bad boy on Lafitte's tail with a young psychopath in the passenger seat, and you've got the makings of a rumble that only a prayer to Santa Muerte might help Billy survive.
Cult crime-novelist Anthony Neil Smith is like a modern-day Charles Willeford. He doesn't just step over "the line," but drag-races past it and keeps on going. With this fourth novel in the Billy Lafitte series, Smith raises the stakes once again for his damaged ex-cop turned stone-cold killer. You'll root for Lafitte all the way, and wish you hadn't, and hope to hell he survives so you can do it all again.
Anthony Neil Smith is the author of Yellow Medicine, Hogdoggin’ and The Baddest Ass—the first three Lafitte novels—along with All The Young Warriors, Worm and more. He is the Chair of English at Southwest Minnesota State University.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2016
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Neil Smith
63 books191 followersI write crime novels. PSYCHOSOMATIC, THE DRUMMER, plus the Billy Lafitte series--YELLOW MEDICINE, HOGDOGGIN', THE BADDEST ASS, and HOLY DEATH--and the Mustafa & Adem series--ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS and ONCE A WARRIOR, in addition to WORM, CHOKE ON YOUR LIES, and the SLOW BEAR trilogy.
I'm an English Professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and editor of the online lit mag Revolution John.
I'm an English Professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and editor of the online lit mag Revolution John.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 31, 2016
How much punishment can one character sustain? In the case of perennial bad a$$ and former cop (nee prisoner, biker, and outlaw) Billy Lafitte - a whole world of it, and them some.
The fourth Lafitte novel is pure action; brutal and beautiful.
Characters from the earlier novels feature while new character Melissa adds an exciting element to an already melting pot plot as Lafitte attempts to survive these threats and his own demons along, what is, another top notch read from author Anthony Neil Smith.
I love the different looks applied to Lafitte over the course of these books and this latest incarnation is pure terminator - as mentioned in the story itself.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
If you read noir, you need to be reading these books.
The fourth Lafitte novel is pure action; brutal and beautiful.
Characters from the earlier novels feature while new character Melissa adds an exciting element to an already melting pot plot as Lafitte attempts to survive these threats and his own demons along, what is, another top notch read from author Anthony Neil Smith.
I love the different looks applied to Lafitte over the course of these books and this latest incarnation is pure terminator - as mentioned in the story itself.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
If you read noir, you need to be reading these books.
May 27, 2016
Not as unsparingly brutal as Lafitte's prison adventure THE BADDEST ASS, but more like a twisted Shakespearean tragedy featuring a gangbanger in love, steroids abuse, family abuse, Santa Muerte, assisted suicide and complete fucking chaos. Another day at the office for Anthony Neil Smith, really. What's not to love about that? Billy Lafitte is the closest thing to Grand Theft Auto video games literature has to offer and I'm including any potential GTA novelizations in there. Nobody does it like Smith. No one. He is a master at what he does, it's just that most people who would read what he does don't read.
Ladies, if you want to turn your man to reading I got three words for you: BILLY. FUCKING. LAFITTE.
Ladies, if you want to turn your man to reading I got three words for you: BILLY. FUCKING. LAFITTE.
May 12, 2016
Highly enjoyable and violent installment in the Billy Lafitte series. Takes off at a fair clip and maintains this pace until the finale. It probably helps to have read the other three in the series (due to numerous references to incidents from the other books) but, to be honest, if you've bought this without reading the rest then you should do yourself a favour and buy them all and read right through. They're great, and this one is no different. A cracking read!
November 14, 2023
Another great book in this series, but by the angry rant of the author I guess we have to take it as the final book, or go look up his rant, to sum it up, "I didn't get enough sales, fuck you everyone dies."
That said this guy can really write and has a genre all of his own.
That said this guy can really write and has a genre all of his own.
June 24, 2016
Author was reluctant to write this book, despite fan outcry for it. So he half assed this story then threw a tantrum when it didn't hit the NYT best sellers list after two days, and then he deleted his author blog/webpage. Despite it all being deleted, you can still read it all on his GoodReads.com author page.
As a fan who pre-ordered this book, it took me a while to get around to reading it after all that happened. I still looked forward to this book and wanted to remain objective despite the author taking a shit on his fans and more importantly, take a shit on Les Edgerton, who he dedicated the book to. "He showed up in my life when I wasn’t sure why I was doing this writing thing, and he showed me why I should keep going." Until 15 minutes after book hits market and isn't an instant hit. Billy Lafitte has an opinion and few choice words for people like that.
It's another great Anthony Neil Smith read. If you like his books, you'll like this. I feel it is the weakest of the Billy Lafitte books. It's hard to beat book 2 and 3. Wait, I take back what I said, the weakest book in the series is book 5, which can be read in its entirety here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
That one is a piece of shit.
As a fan who pre-ordered this book, it took me a while to get around to reading it after all that happened. I still looked forward to this book and wanted to remain objective despite the author taking a shit on his fans and more importantly, take a shit on Les Edgerton, who he dedicated the book to. "He showed up in my life when I wasn’t sure why I was doing this writing thing, and he showed me why I should keep going." Until 15 minutes after book hits market and isn't an instant hit. Billy Lafitte has an opinion and few choice words for people like that.
It's another great Anthony Neil Smith read. If you like his books, you'll like this. I feel it is the weakest of the Billy Lafitte books. It's hard to beat book 2 and 3. Wait, I take back what I said, the weakest book in the series is book 5, which can be read in its entirety here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
That one is a piece of shit.
March 10, 2016
Another fantastic read from Anthony Neil Smith! Right from the opening, this book gets on a roll and just keeps on going - building tension and pressure with each page. The language is amazing, both in its authenticity and the rhythm the words create. This story is told from multiple perspectives and each character has a depth and a connection that makes no person in this book insignificant. I basically read this book in one sitting, often catching myself holding my breath in anticipation. The energy in the book was contagious - writing this now I'm still abuzz. Billy Lafitte has been through hell, he's created hell and there's no sign of things slowing down. Anthony Neil Smith has put his heart into these pages and there's clearly inside knowledge gone into describing some of the stuff Lafitte goes through - that alone is worth reading and could potentially alert you to things you need to be aware of. Hell, it could even save your life.
March 11, 2016
This is a very satisfying fourth entry in the Billy Lafitte series. After #3 ("The Baddest Ass"), I questioned whether Lafitte was man or machine -- he'd become a Terminator-like figure. Smith actually draws that comparison at one point in "Holy Death", but what I like most about this installment is that he humanized Lafitte again.
Plus, the story smokes. Again the pursuit of Lafitte is relentless and multi-directional...but how he escapes from seemingly impossible situations is really exciting. The set pieces scream out for cinematic treatment.
Smith also handles his subplots well, especially the ones with Devaughn and Melissa and Rome. He references the preceding three books in the series skillfully too -- not too much, not too little. If you don't know the Billy Lafitte series, dive in. Smith has also promised #5.
Plus, the story smokes. Again the pursuit of Lafitte is relentless and multi-directional...but how he escapes from seemingly impossible situations is really exciting. The set pieces scream out for cinematic treatment.
Smith also handles his subplots well, especially the ones with Devaughn and Melissa and Rome. He references the preceding three books in the series skillfully too -- not too much, not too little. If you don't know the Billy Lafitte series, dive in. Smith has also promised #5.
March 22, 2016
The fourth entry in the excellent Billy Lafitte novels lives up to the high standard set by the previous three, fast paced, action packed, and great characters. Readers should read the first three, not because they are necessary to understand what is going on in entry number four, but because they are top notch noir, featuring perhaps the ultimate anti-hero, Billy Lafitte. Billy is not a good guy, but his grit and determination to beat long odds makes it easy to root for him. Billy gives the reader plenty of ‘don’t do it’ moments as he makes plenty of deadly mistakes. His adversaries, just as flawed as Billy, get equal time, giving the life and death stakes some extra weight. Pretty much everyone in book deserves an awful fate, and it is demented fun seeing them get it, but the characters are strong enough it is sad to see any of them go.
April 8, 2016
Another great installment in this series! again billy is busted all to hell and back. how much can a human take and keep bouncing back, cant wait to see where he goes next. Fun, fast paced, brutal noir at its best
March 31, 2016
Melissa and DeVaughn fall in love, Billy fucks it up, like he does most things.
This is another great book of Billy Lafitte and how in the hell he continues to to survive.
This is another great book of Billy Lafitte and how in the hell he continues to to survive.
July 26, 2016
Billy Lafitte is a rotten horrible bastard, who you should NOT root for. Ever..............But you will. I can't F-ing wait for the next one!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews