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Fresh Kills
When John Sanders, Jr., learns that his father has been murdered, his only regret is that he didn't pull the trigger himself. Yet despite his rage at his father for a lifetime of abuse, he becomes obsessed with finding the killer.
But as a string of dead ends and violent encounters leave Junior no closer to any answers, his relationship with his beloved sister crumbles, while his affair with an old high school sweetheart wreaks havoc on his fracturing psyche. Only when a chance for revenge finally arrives must Junior decide whether he will continue the chain of violence or accept the challenge of a new beginning.
But as a string of dead ends and violent encounters leave Junior no closer to any answers, his relationship with his beloved sister crumbles, while his affair with an old high school sweetheart wreaks havoc on his fracturing psyche. Only when a chance for revenge finally arrives must Junior decide whether he will continue the chain of violence or accept the challenge of a new beginning.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2008
9 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Bill Loehfelm
18 books101 followersPraise for the Maureen Coughlin series:
“Not only has Loehfelm created the most compelling, complex patrol cop in the genre—part take-no-prisoners badass, part too-sensitive-for-the street rookie—he has also re-energized New Orleans as a setting for the best in crime fiction, going well beyond the clichés … —edgy, dangerous, but pulsing with life. Maureen Coughlin is as good as it gets.” - BOOKLIST
“After being warned about falling in love with the power of the job, [Maureen Coughlin] finds herself wrestling with ethical issues that fictional cops, especially fictional female ones, rarely talk about, leaving that stuff to real-life cops--and smart guys like Bill Loehfelm.” —The New York Times.
"Our heroine has both a strong will and a finely tuned moral compass… Loehfelm has created a wonderfully flawed heroine in Coughlin… [Loehfelm’s] love for New Orleans is evident in his descriptions, from the greasy spoon the cops favor for gumbo to the rollicking frat bars of the French Quarter. Dialogue doesn't get much snappier, and the complicated plot ... is deftly handled. This series just keeps getting better." —Kirkus
Bill is the author of seven novels, most recently, THE DEVIL'S MUSE, the new Maureen Coughlin novel, from Sarah Crichton Books/FSG.
Bill's other novels are the stand-alone thrillers, FRESH KILLS (2008), and BLOODROOT (2009).
Loehfelm lives in New Orleans with his wife, the writer AC Lambeth, where in addition to writing he plays drums in a band and practices yoga, both with mixed results.
“Not only has Loehfelm created the most compelling, complex patrol cop in the genre—part take-no-prisoners badass, part too-sensitive-for-the street rookie—he has also re-energized New Orleans as a setting for the best in crime fiction, going well beyond the clichés … —edgy, dangerous, but pulsing with life. Maureen Coughlin is as good as it gets.” - BOOKLIST
“After being warned about falling in love with the power of the job, [Maureen Coughlin] finds herself wrestling with ethical issues that fictional cops, especially fictional female ones, rarely talk about, leaving that stuff to real-life cops--and smart guys like Bill Loehfelm.” —The New York Times.
"Our heroine has both a strong will and a finely tuned moral compass… Loehfelm has created a wonderfully flawed heroine in Coughlin… [Loehfelm’s] love for New Orleans is evident in his descriptions, from the greasy spoon the cops favor for gumbo to the rollicking frat bars of the French Quarter. Dialogue doesn't get much snappier, and the complicated plot ... is deftly handled. This series just keeps getting better." —Kirkus
Bill is the author of seven novels, most recently, THE DEVIL'S MUSE, the new Maureen Coughlin novel, from Sarah Crichton Books/FSG.
Bill's other novels are the stand-alone thrillers, FRESH KILLS (2008), and BLOODROOT (2009).
Loehfelm lives in New Orleans with his wife, the writer AC Lambeth, where in addition to writing he plays drums in a band and practices yoga, both with mixed results.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 27, 2026
A complex gothic character study!
How did this first time author do that so easily? Bill Loehfelm uses a cleverly crafted blend of slow-paced, compelling action together with some down to earth, gritty, even vulgar dialogue to introduce the seeds of the plot and his characters at the same time. His use of a first person narrative allows us to form our own impressions of his hero's character through his own thoughts, words and perceptions of the events unfolding around him. We are allowed to form our own impressions and judge for ourself what we should believe and what we should take with a grain of salt.
If this is an example of Loehfelm's first outing as an author, then unerring instincts are obviously going to help fill the holes of missing experience.
John Sanders is a bartender. His lover has fled the coop and he's bedding down from time to time with a childhood sweetheart. Awakened on Sunday morning with a hard knock at the door and an even harder pounding in his head, the police advise him that his father has been murdered. Far from reacting as a grieving son devastated at the untimely death of his father, Sanders is ready to give the murderer a medal. Obviously, there's no love lost between this father and son pair. The story moves on to disclose that the investigating homicide detectives are also acquaintances of both the father and the son. At least in passing, they're going through the motions of investigating Sanders as a possible suspect in his father's murder but the most important order of business seems to be breaking the news to Julia, Sanders' sister, who he knows, unlike himself, will be devastated by the news of their father's murder.
The marketing wonks and the publicity gurus chose to set FRESH KILLS up as "noir mystery", a "thriller with a sensitive heart". No doubt about one thing at least ... "noir" is perhaps an understatement but the fact is that after you read the book you'll discover there was little enough mystery and absolutely no thriller at all. FRESH KILLS is a deeply complex, entirely character driven, gothic novel. This is a very internal story that portrays Sanders dealing with his demons. I would have unreservedly awarded the novel five stars but the resolution to the mystery of his father's murder, such as it is, has an outlandishly unfair deus ex machina flavour that arrives entirely out of left field. For shame, Mr Loefhelm ... a one star penalty on a fine novel which, otherwise, would have received my unreserved recommendations!
Not bad at all for a first outing! Highly recommended!
Paul Weiss
How did this first time author do that so easily? Bill Loehfelm uses a cleverly crafted blend of slow-paced, compelling action together with some down to earth, gritty, even vulgar dialogue to introduce the seeds of the plot and his characters at the same time. His use of a first person narrative allows us to form our own impressions of his hero's character through his own thoughts, words and perceptions of the events unfolding around him. We are allowed to form our own impressions and judge for ourself what we should believe and what we should take with a grain of salt.
If this is an example of Loehfelm's first outing as an author, then unerring instincts are obviously going to help fill the holes of missing experience.
John Sanders is a bartender. His lover has fled the coop and he's bedding down from time to time with a childhood sweetheart. Awakened on Sunday morning with a hard knock at the door and an even harder pounding in his head, the police advise him that his father has been murdered. Far from reacting as a grieving son devastated at the untimely death of his father, Sanders is ready to give the murderer a medal. Obviously, there's no love lost between this father and son pair. The story moves on to disclose that the investigating homicide detectives are also acquaintances of both the father and the son. At least in passing, they're going through the motions of investigating Sanders as a possible suspect in his father's murder but the most important order of business seems to be breaking the news to Julia, Sanders' sister, who he knows, unlike himself, will be devastated by the news of their father's murder.
The marketing wonks and the publicity gurus chose to set FRESH KILLS up as "noir mystery", a "thriller with a sensitive heart". No doubt about one thing at least ... "noir" is perhaps an understatement but the fact is that after you read the book you'll discover there was little enough mystery and absolutely no thriller at all. FRESH KILLS is a deeply complex, entirely character driven, gothic novel. This is a very internal story that portrays Sanders dealing with his demons. I would have unreservedly awarded the novel five stars but the resolution to the mystery of his father's murder, such as it is, has an outlandishly unfair deus ex machina flavour that arrives entirely out of left field. For shame, Mr Loefhelm ... a one star penalty on a fine novel which, otherwise, would have received my unreserved recommendations!
Not bad at all for a first outing! Highly recommended!
Paul Weiss
June 7, 2015
I have lived on Staten Island for over 50 yrs now. My children grew up here and we had a good life even though they have left Staten Island for other more interesting boroughs. I am a born and bred NYC person growing up in Manhattan and moving to Staten Island before the bridge was built. I was interested in this book because of its truthful depictions of many of Staten Island's areas and flaws but I found it bitter and the protagonist stupid and dissolute. His constant emphasis on everything wrong with Staten Island was to me and indictment of his own ignorant character. This book is not a mystery but a constant self serving rant of an abused adult who cannot let the past go. I have no interest in the constant violent behavior and drunkenness of a sadly typical Staten Island resident of a certain ilk. I agreed with his hatred of many things, including the Mall, but his obliviousness to some of the gentler experiences of living in this slow borough was really annoying to a mother who had positive happy times in its parks and on its uncrowded beaches. He describes the South Beach boardwalk of the past now looking at how it had changed for the positive. It was especially annoying to me in its descriptions of the beach cottages (remodeled at the time of his writing and occupied by lower income people) because that whole area had become so pleasant before the chaos of Sandy. I found the character similar to many I have encountered living here and of whom I avoided. While I sometimes despair of the political backwardness of this borough and its lack of culture I also find the elitism of the new people coming from Brooklyn and Manhattan very annoying and their snobbery to a working class environment quite hateful.
November 19, 2008
Am I getting harder to please? This book was wildly well-reviewed, and I didn't get it at all. I thought it was a clumsy mashup of sentimentality and hard boiled noire, with unrealistic dialog and a whiny main character. But the Staten Island atmosphere was very well done.
May 27, 2013
FRESH KILLS (Pub. 2008) by Bill Loehfelm was an interesting novel. I read this book because it won the Amazon Breakout Novel Award for 2008. By the end of the first page, you know you are in the hands of a strong writer. The author's prose style and voice are what I loved most about the book. The topnotch writing starts strong, and remains strong throughout the book.
The story is about a man in his thirties, who survived an abusive childhood at the hands of his belligerent father, and is now struggling to scratch out a mediocre existence while continuing to fight off the resentments from his past. Within the first pages of the book, he learns that his father has been brutally murdered. His initial reaction when the cops come to question him is close to happiness--he's glad the abusive jerk has met a nasty end--until he learns how brutally the man was murdered. Then anger sets in, along with a lot of questions...who, why? His sister comes home to help with funeral arrangements and challenges him to find out the answers to their father's death, to bring closure for both of them. But that leads to trouble and a whole lot of introspection.
What kept me from giving this book five-stars was the somewhat sloggy plot. Although the writing is stellar, there is too much introspection, a lot of mini flashbacks that don't have much to do with the present story, and a few sidebars about sports and other completely unrelated topics, all of which slow the pace of the main story action.
***SEMI-SPOILER ALERT*** What made me give the story only three stars, rather than four, was the ending. Although the author wraps the story up nicely, answers the questions that have been blowing in the wind and the guy gets the girl, I didn't care for the answer to the main story question - who killed his father. It was a bit of letting the air out of the tires for me. I would have liked to see it handled differently, but that's a personal preference, not necessarily a reflection on the quality of the ending.
This story is well worth reading for the writing quality, for the authenticity of the characters and the depth of thought given to real-life issues that are addressed. I will definitely read future works from Mr. Loehfelm.
The story is about a man in his thirties, who survived an abusive childhood at the hands of his belligerent father, and is now struggling to scratch out a mediocre existence while continuing to fight off the resentments from his past. Within the first pages of the book, he learns that his father has been brutally murdered. His initial reaction when the cops come to question him is close to happiness--he's glad the abusive jerk has met a nasty end--until he learns how brutally the man was murdered. Then anger sets in, along with a lot of questions...who, why? His sister comes home to help with funeral arrangements and challenges him to find out the answers to their father's death, to bring closure for both of them. But that leads to trouble and a whole lot of introspection.
What kept me from giving this book five-stars was the somewhat sloggy plot. Although the writing is stellar, there is too much introspection, a lot of mini flashbacks that don't have much to do with the present story, and a few sidebars about sports and other completely unrelated topics, all of which slow the pace of the main story action.
***SEMI-SPOILER ALERT*** What made me give the story only three stars, rather than four, was the ending. Although the author wraps the story up nicely, answers the questions that have been blowing in the wind and the guy gets the girl, I didn't care for the answer to the main story question - who killed his father. It was a bit of letting the air out of the tires for me. I would have liked to see it handled differently, but that's a personal preference, not necessarily a reflection on the quality of the ending.
This story is well worth reading for the writing quality, for the authenticity of the characters and the depth of thought given to real-life issues that are addressed. I will definitely read future works from Mr. Loehfelm.
January 30, 2011
John Sanders, Jr.'s father is murdered in the first chapter in "Fresh Kills". We do not find out why and who until the next to the last chapter in the book. Great stuff, right?
As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend".
All the pages in between these two events deal with a young man, John Jr. who is alcoholic and has a chip on his shoulder as big as a 2 by 4. The reader finds that he has been physically abused by his father from a very young age. His anger at just about everybody and everything stems from this abuse. He has very little regard for anyone around him. His only relationship of any consequence is with his sister, and this can be questionable at times. He has had several love affairs that were fleeting at best, and definately doomed for disaster due to his attitude.
The book probably would have been better classified in fiction/literature, although I really believe it doesn't fit there either. Too much time is spent on this megalomanic and his screwed up life, and too little is spent on the "Who done it" and "Why".
The book is full of profanity that is usually unnecessary, unless one considers the writer is from New York and the location of the book is New York. I only have to assume that this is how one converses in this city. I am sure New Yorkers feel different about it, but it definately cheapens the book.
As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend".
All the pages in between these two events deal with a young man, John Jr. who is alcoholic and has a chip on his shoulder as big as a 2 by 4. The reader finds that he has been physically abused by his father from a very young age. His anger at just about everybody and everything stems from this abuse. He has very little regard for anyone around him. His only relationship of any consequence is with his sister, and this can be questionable at times. He has had several love affairs that were fleeting at best, and definately doomed for disaster due to his attitude.
The book probably would have been better classified in fiction/literature, although I really believe it doesn't fit there either. Too much time is spent on this megalomanic and his screwed up life, and too little is spent on the "Who done it" and "Why".
The book is full of profanity that is usually unnecessary, unless one considers the writer is from New York and the location of the book is New York. I only have to assume that this is how one converses in this city. I am sure New Yorkers feel different about it, but it definately cheapens the book.
June 15, 2009
Didn't care about any of these people. Couldn't go on.
May 31, 2010
PROTAGONIST: John Sanders, Jr.
SETTING: Staten Island, New York
RATING: 3.5
There are few things sadder than seeing the hopes and dreams of a child crushed by growing up in a dysfunctional family where love and acceptance are in short supply. The ramifications of being emotionally and physically abused in one's youth are severe. The person may end up emotionally stunted themselves. In the case of John Sanders, Jr., his father's unrelenting abuse during his childhood has turned him into a bitter and hateful man. There is no direction to his life; he seems intent on settling the score with his father in some way. He doesn't have a career to be proud of; his relationships with women have never really blossomed into something long term.
So when John's father is murdered, you might think that he could at long last free himself from the anger and hatred that has dominated his life. Instead, he finds himself even more directionless; without that bitter seed at his center, he almost ceases to exist. Who can he blame for his miserable existence now? He and his sister, Julia, are temporarily sharing the family homestead while the final arrangements for his father are made. John isn't able to support Julia at all and mostly wallows in his own misery. She needs him to be there for her, which he mostly isn't. What confounds John even more is that he feels driven to find out who killed his father. He isn't happy with how the police investigation is going and starts following the few clues that exist himself.
The setting for the book is the Fresh Kills area of Staten Island, New York. Fresh Kills is the world's largest landfill and dominates the area. It is the place where the remains and rubble from the 9-11 devastation were taken, the final resting place for one of America's greatest tragedies. The setting is a fitting analogy to John's life, a place that existed as a virulent stinkhole and ultimately became hallowed ground, perhaps showing the possibility of redemption in the worst circumstances.
FRESH KILLS is well written and at times psychologically compelling. However, it was really hard to spend a lot of page time with John. His negative attitude and unrelenting pessimism and bitterness weren't conducive to establishing a connection to the character. I grew tired of his wallowing in self pity and looking to pick fights with anyone he met. Surprisingly, he had a few good friends and even a woman who really cared about him. His anti-social behavior constantly drove them away from him. But then he is faced with an opportunity for revenge and has an eye-opening epiphany. The way that this played out really stretched credibility.
FRESH KILLS is inaccurately billed as a thriller. It's really a psychological study with a little mystery thrown in. More thrills and less psychology would have made it a more enjoyable book.
SETTING: Staten Island, New York
RATING: 3.5
There are few things sadder than seeing the hopes and dreams of a child crushed by growing up in a dysfunctional family where love and acceptance are in short supply. The ramifications of being emotionally and physically abused in one's youth are severe. The person may end up emotionally stunted themselves. In the case of John Sanders, Jr., his father's unrelenting abuse during his childhood has turned him into a bitter and hateful man. There is no direction to his life; he seems intent on settling the score with his father in some way. He doesn't have a career to be proud of; his relationships with women have never really blossomed into something long term.
So when John's father is murdered, you might think that he could at long last free himself from the anger and hatred that has dominated his life. Instead, he finds himself even more directionless; without that bitter seed at his center, he almost ceases to exist. Who can he blame for his miserable existence now? He and his sister, Julia, are temporarily sharing the family homestead while the final arrangements for his father are made. John isn't able to support Julia at all and mostly wallows in his own misery. She needs him to be there for her, which he mostly isn't. What confounds John even more is that he feels driven to find out who killed his father. He isn't happy with how the police investigation is going and starts following the few clues that exist himself.
The setting for the book is the Fresh Kills area of Staten Island, New York. Fresh Kills is the world's largest landfill and dominates the area. It is the place where the remains and rubble from the 9-11 devastation were taken, the final resting place for one of America's greatest tragedies. The setting is a fitting analogy to John's life, a place that existed as a virulent stinkhole and ultimately became hallowed ground, perhaps showing the possibility of redemption in the worst circumstances.
FRESH KILLS is well written and at times psychologically compelling. However, it was really hard to spend a lot of page time with John. His negative attitude and unrelenting pessimism and bitterness weren't conducive to establishing a connection to the character. I grew tired of his wallowing in self pity and looking to pick fights with anyone he met. Surprisingly, he had a few good friends and even a woman who really cared about him. His anti-social behavior constantly drove them away from him. But then he is faced with an opportunity for revenge and has an eye-opening epiphany. The way that this played out really stretched credibility.
FRESH KILLS is inaccurately billed as a thriller. It's really a psychological study with a little mystery thrown in. More thrills and less psychology would have made it a more enjoyable book.
January 11, 2013
Fresh Kills is marketed as a crime mystery, but don't be fooled, it's really a story about John Sanders, Jr, a man trying to deal with his internal turmoil after the sudden death of his father. John Sr. was an abrusive man to his wife and mostly to his son. John Jr. is prone to angry outbursts, consuming a lot of alcohol, and blaming every bad thing in his life on his father. But with his dad murdered and being cheated of the final confrontation he'd always expect to have with him, Jr. has no one to blame his personal woos on but himself.
There are times where John is seeking answers regarding the murder, but his efforts are so amateurish and unproductive.
Fresh Kills was okay, it held my attention and in the end a lesson has been learned. But first you have to deal with the unlikable character of John Sanders, Jr. If not for the secondary characters, like his sister, his ex-girlfriend Molly, and his childhood friend, I'm not sure if I've work have finished the book. But I'm glad I stuck with it.
If the book wasn't marketed as a crime mystery, I made have given it a higher rating.
There are times where John is seeking answers regarding the murder, but his efforts are so amateurish and unproductive.
Fresh Kills was okay, it held my attention and in the end a lesson has been learned. But first you have to deal with the unlikable character of John Sanders, Jr. If not for the secondary characters, like his sister, his ex-girlfriend Molly, and his childhood friend, I'm not sure if I've work have finished the book. But I'm glad I stuck with it.
If the book wasn't marketed as a crime mystery, I made have given it a higher rating.
December 20, 2014
This is a murder mystery that really isn't. It is marketed as such but really, it has very little mystery and there is no thriller aspect. What you get is an angry, bitter and rather unlikable main character who had an equally unlikable father who was murdered. I expected a mystery and this fails to deliver. However, it is not a terrible book, it's just not one that delivers what you are expecting. While the angst and anger of the main character is understandable, it bogs down the storyline and makes it hard to identify with the character. If the mystery angle had been more of a focus, rather than the family's past, it would have been a much better read.
August 30, 2008
I saw this listed in a magazine and was intrigued by it's Staten Island setting (having lived there and being married to a Brooklyn born, Staten Islander myself). Admittedly, seeing so many familiar locations as a backdrop enhanced the story; but it's a story that would have been worthy of attention regardless of it's locale. Familiar themes of abuse, betrayal, redemption, broken relationships and dreams, are given a "fresh" perusal; I'll look forward to Bill's next book.
June 28, 2010
Since this centers around an angry 30 yr-old white male, this isn't the easiest book to get through. But it's also about family disasters and loyalty, and learning to let the hardest things in life go. Worth it to get to the end.
April 21, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “SO WHAT IF HATRED WAS MY LIGHTNING BOLT, THE ONLY CHARGE THAT MADE ME FEEL ALIVE?”
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Thirty-year-old John Sanders Jr. is in bed with his former high school sweetheart Molly… who has another boy friend… but is sneaking around on the side with him… as long as certain rules weren’t broken… when there’s a loud knock on his apartment door… Junior in an alcoholic haze… goes to answer the door with a gun in his hand. Pounding on the other side of the door is former boyhood neighbor… and current cop… Purvis… who at a simpler place in time… in high school… was Molly’s boyfriend… till Junior stole her from him. What could Purvis possibly be doing pounding on Junior’s door unannounced this morning??
Purvis was there to inform Junior that his Father was shot and killed in front of a deli this morning not far from home. Junior’s response: “I DON’T KNOW IF I’M GRATEFUL TO THE GUY WHO DID IT, OR IF I’M JEALOUS BECAUSE HE DID IT FIRST.”
This scenario and statement proceeds to unleash a hurricane force story built around Junior’s upbringing, in which he was constantly beat up by his Father. The author who was born in Brooklyn uses Staten Island as the staging area for this gritty, vivid, literary tour de force. The fast-paced character driven imagery created by the author is unyielding as it unfolds at the speed of a NEW-YORK-MINUTE. With Brooklyn blood flowing through my veins, I stay stride for stride with his dialogue and his introspective internal thought process narration. The protagonist creates a conundrum for himself… when despite having always screamed to the world… that he wanted to kill his Father… he finds himself risking life and limb in a quest to try to solve the case and find his Father’s killer.
One of the main strengths of the author’s writing skills , is that where many books are periodically dragged to a screeching halt, as the author provides “flash-back-info” to help solidify the current situation… this author seamlessly feeds you background information without ever slowing down the “out-of-control-full-speed-ahead-locomotive” that is roaring down the mythical tracks. Junior’s current life status is far from pretty. He works as a bartender… drinks so much… that by the halfway mark of the book… the reader feels like he should either have a beer… or never drink again in his life. He smokes more than a chimney… and has lost the two girls in his life that he loved. In addition to the beatings his Father gave him, his Father also used to beat and abuse his Mother. Junior feels his Mother’s early death was surely due to the terrible treatment by his Father. Only because of a promise he made to his sister Julia to come home and help with the funeral, does he go back on his pledge to himself, to never enter his Father’s house again. It is in this emotional cauldron, that Junior finds himself creating his own conundrum, as he wonders why he’s self-destructing even further in his attempt to find the killer of a Father that he hated. He realizes that the only human connections to sanity and love he has left in this world is his sister, his best friend Jimmy, Molly and a cop named Water’s who had played football with his Father in college, and had also cared about Junior’s Mother way back when. No matter how much Junior try’s to derail Water’s efforts to help… Water’s persists.
The author periodically spews together such powerfully intelligent “street-fighting-prose”… that as an appreciative reader… you just have to stop and re-read it… and wish you had someone to share these bursts of poetic gems with. Such as when he was talking about his high school years with his buddy Jimmy: “WE TAUNTED THE PREPPIES AND THE GUIDO’S, DERIDING THEIR UNIFORMS, THEIR TURNED-UP COLLARS, OR THEIR GOLD CHAINS. WE WERE ROOKIE TOUGH GUYS IN TRAINING, A PAIR OF SHELTERED PUPPIES, PRETENDING TO BE STRAYS, ITCHING FOR A FIGHT WE WERE GRATEFUL NEVER MATERIALIZED. WE LAUGHED A LOT.” Or a teenage memory describing Molly: “RAGE DANCED IN HER EYES. MUSCLES BULGED AT THE CORNERS OF HER JAW, AS IF SHE WERE CHEWING ON CURSES AND SWALLOWING THEM AS THEY ROSE FROM HER THROAT.” Or when he was thinking of dumping a girl… but she dumped him: “IT’S HARD, I THOUGHT, AFTER FANCYING YOURSELF THE FLAME, FINDING OUT THAT YOU’RE REALLY JUST THE MOTH.”
At Junior’s Father’s funeral: “AS THE CASKET WAS LOWERED INTO THE GROUND. I FELT MY STOMACH SINK WITH IT. THE SCENE REMINDED ME OF “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.” THE LAST SCENE. WHERE THE ARK IS SEALED IN AN ANONYMOUS BROWN BOX AND WHEELED INTO THE BACK OF AN ENORMOUS WAREHOUSE. ALL THAT AWESOME POWER, HIDDEN AWAY IN A PLAIN BROWN BOX AND FORGOTTEN.”
This book is a non-stop pulse pounding trip through the New York streets. This first time author is poised to become a star. I look forward to many more volcanic tales.
Note to the author or anyone else who grew up in or near the streets of Brooklyn: On page 211 the author had a line that was probably not understood by most people… but grabbed me by my very soul… and rocketed me back to my New York childhood… and I’d be really interested if anyone else was affected: “I WOULD HAVE BOUNCED OFF HIM LIKE A PINKIE OFF A BROOKLYN STOOP.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty-year-old John Sanders Jr. is in bed with his former high school sweetheart Molly… who has another boy friend… but is sneaking around on the side with him… as long as certain rules weren’t broken… when there’s a loud knock on his apartment door… Junior in an alcoholic haze… goes to answer the door with a gun in his hand. Pounding on the other side of the door is former boyhood neighbor… and current cop… Purvis… who at a simpler place in time… in high school… was Molly’s boyfriend… till Junior stole her from him. What could Purvis possibly be doing pounding on Junior’s door unannounced this morning??
Purvis was there to inform Junior that his Father was shot and killed in front of a deli this morning not far from home. Junior’s response: “I DON’T KNOW IF I’M GRATEFUL TO THE GUY WHO DID IT, OR IF I’M JEALOUS BECAUSE HE DID IT FIRST.”
This scenario and statement proceeds to unleash a hurricane force story built around Junior’s upbringing, in which he was constantly beat up by his Father. The author who was born in Brooklyn uses Staten Island as the staging area for this gritty, vivid, literary tour de force. The fast-paced character driven imagery created by the author is unyielding as it unfolds at the speed of a NEW-YORK-MINUTE. With Brooklyn blood flowing through my veins, I stay stride for stride with his dialogue and his introspective internal thought process narration. The protagonist creates a conundrum for himself… when despite having always screamed to the world… that he wanted to kill his Father… he finds himself risking life and limb in a quest to try to solve the case and find his Father’s killer.
One of the main strengths of the author’s writing skills , is that where many books are periodically dragged to a screeching halt, as the author provides “flash-back-info” to help solidify the current situation… this author seamlessly feeds you background information without ever slowing down the “out-of-control-full-speed-ahead-locomotive” that is roaring down the mythical tracks. Junior’s current life status is far from pretty. He works as a bartender… drinks so much… that by the halfway mark of the book… the reader feels like he should either have a beer… or never drink again in his life. He smokes more than a chimney… and has lost the two girls in his life that he loved. In addition to the beatings his Father gave him, his Father also used to beat and abuse his Mother. Junior feels his Mother’s early death was surely due to the terrible treatment by his Father. Only because of a promise he made to his sister Julia to come home and help with the funeral, does he go back on his pledge to himself, to never enter his Father’s house again. It is in this emotional cauldron, that Junior finds himself creating his own conundrum, as he wonders why he’s self-destructing even further in his attempt to find the killer of a Father that he hated. He realizes that the only human connections to sanity and love he has left in this world is his sister, his best friend Jimmy, Molly and a cop named Water’s who had played football with his Father in college, and had also cared about Junior’s Mother way back when. No matter how much Junior try’s to derail Water’s efforts to help… Water’s persists.
The author periodically spews together such powerfully intelligent “street-fighting-prose”… that as an appreciative reader… you just have to stop and re-read it… and wish you had someone to share these bursts of poetic gems with. Such as when he was talking about his high school years with his buddy Jimmy: “WE TAUNTED THE PREPPIES AND THE GUIDO’S, DERIDING THEIR UNIFORMS, THEIR TURNED-UP COLLARS, OR THEIR GOLD CHAINS. WE WERE ROOKIE TOUGH GUYS IN TRAINING, A PAIR OF SHELTERED PUPPIES, PRETENDING TO BE STRAYS, ITCHING FOR A FIGHT WE WERE GRATEFUL NEVER MATERIALIZED. WE LAUGHED A LOT.” Or a teenage memory describing Molly: “RAGE DANCED IN HER EYES. MUSCLES BULGED AT THE CORNERS OF HER JAW, AS IF SHE WERE CHEWING ON CURSES AND SWALLOWING THEM AS THEY ROSE FROM HER THROAT.” Or when he was thinking of dumping a girl… but she dumped him: “IT’S HARD, I THOUGHT, AFTER FANCYING YOURSELF THE FLAME, FINDING OUT THAT YOU’RE REALLY JUST THE MOTH.”
At Junior’s Father’s funeral: “AS THE CASKET WAS LOWERED INTO THE GROUND. I FELT MY STOMACH SINK WITH IT. THE SCENE REMINDED ME OF “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.” THE LAST SCENE. WHERE THE ARK IS SEALED IN AN ANONYMOUS BROWN BOX AND WHEELED INTO THE BACK OF AN ENORMOUS WAREHOUSE. ALL THAT AWESOME POWER, HIDDEN AWAY IN A PLAIN BROWN BOX AND FORGOTTEN.”
This book is a non-stop pulse pounding trip through the New York streets. This first time author is poised to become a star. I look forward to many more volcanic tales.
Note to the author or anyone else who grew up in or near the streets of Brooklyn: On page 211 the author had a line that was probably not understood by most people… but grabbed me by my very soul… and rocketed me back to my New York childhood… and I’d be really interested if anyone else was affected: “I WOULD HAVE BOUNCED OFF HIM LIKE A PINKIE OFF A BROOKLYN STOOP.”
November 8, 2022
Bill Loehfelm is a writer that deserves to be celebrated more than he is.
I remember picking up The Devil She Knows more out of curiosity than excitement. I wanted to see how Loehfelm would bring Staten Island to life. What I got instead was one of the best crime novels I’ve read the last few years. I got caught up in Maureen’s story. I followed her to New Orleans and while I enjoyed the first book with her as an NOPD officer, it still doesn’t feel the same as his first.
Fresh Kills is his debut effort and it shows that he is a true talent. His characterization is so good; I felt immersed in John Sanders’ story even as he acted like a self-destructive butt to everyone around him. He gets to the root of human emotions in complex situations. And like his other Staten Island effort, he really makes the place feel alive. He doesn’t try to spruce up the forgotten borough in literary terms but, like William Boyle’s south Brooklyn, he treats it like a real place and not just a glorified topographical map for a story.
I think part of the reason this has low reviews is because of the mystery aspect. There is a mystery and Sanders does try to solve it but he’s such a mess that he seems to give up and take his anger out on everyone else. The resolution doesn’t come until near the end and is bound to disappoint. I liked it. The crime aspect is only tangential to John’s life and the lives of those in Staten Island.
Bloodroot is the only other Staten Island book by Loehfelm I haven’t read and that’s a shame. He really could have been a Bard of the space.
I remember picking up The Devil She Knows more out of curiosity than excitement. I wanted to see how Loehfelm would bring Staten Island to life. What I got instead was one of the best crime novels I’ve read the last few years. I got caught up in Maureen’s story. I followed her to New Orleans and while I enjoyed the first book with her as an NOPD officer, it still doesn’t feel the same as his first.
Fresh Kills is his debut effort and it shows that he is a true talent. His characterization is so good; I felt immersed in John Sanders’ story even as he acted like a self-destructive butt to everyone around him. He gets to the root of human emotions in complex situations. And like his other Staten Island effort, he really makes the place feel alive. He doesn’t try to spruce up the forgotten borough in literary terms but, like William Boyle’s south Brooklyn, he treats it like a real place and not just a glorified topographical map for a story.
I think part of the reason this has low reviews is because of the mystery aspect. There is a mystery and Sanders does try to solve it but he’s such a mess that he seems to give up and take his anger out on everyone else. The resolution doesn’t come until near the end and is bound to disappoint. I liked it. The crime aspect is only tangential to John’s life and the lives of those in Staten Island.
Bloodroot is the only other Staten Island book by Loehfelm I haven’t read and that’s a shame. He really could have been a Bard of the space.
March 25, 2021
Initially rated this a 3-star, but I think that was my unconscious bias from the low ratings it’s received on Goodreads. This is 4-star worthy.
I kind of expected this to be another murder mystery (your typical 3-star), but the investigation itself was a very minor part of the plot. This is about a young man, “Junior”, trying to navigate through life after learning his father, the man that verbally and physically abused him throughout his childhood, was murdered.
Junior comes to realize he’d pinned all of his shortcomings on his father’s inability to show him love. He struggles to find an identity beyond his father’s shadow, coping with his confusing loss in the most destructive of ways.
While this wasn’t a challenging read by any means, it certainly wasn’t without substance. I think it deserves a little better than the ratings given.
I kind of expected this to be another murder mystery (your typical 3-star), but the investigation itself was a very minor part of the plot. This is about a young man, “Junior”, trying to navigate through life after learning his father, the man that verbally and physically abused him throughout his childhood, was murdered.
Junior comes to realize he’d pinned all of his shortcomings on his father’s inability to show him love. He struggles to find an identity beyond his father’s shadow, coping with his confusing loss in the most destructive of ways.
While this wasn’t a challenging read by any means, it certainly wasn’t without substance. I think it deserves a little better than the ratings given.
July 23, 2017
Young man searches for his father's killer while trying to come to grips with that same father, who was physically and mentally abusive to him. It's less an action thriller and more of a psychological drama as the man realizes his father influenced his life, his relationships and made him into the same angry man his father was. Indeed, by the time the killer is revealed, it's almost an after-thought.
August 22, 2017
This is a mystery but a very slow one. The central character muses and thinks and struggles with his thoughts about his dead father, mother and his living sister. His father was shot gangland style in the back of the head. This type of mystery is not my style - I want action but all I got was him thinking about how he hated his father (with cause). It is a mystery.
July 11, 2024
I mean at least I didn't go unto this with high expectations
November 4, 2025
A page turner!
July 10, 2017
rather than try putting books in a 'not interested' folder, I'm going to claim I read them and give a low rating. Putting in not interested, the algorithm seems to think I like the book.
May 12, 2009
This book is well-written in the way that is most difficult to master: it is clear. By that, I mean that I could envision the entire world. Particularly in scenes where there is a lot of action (I'm thinking of the scene where Sanders and Jimmy are on the beach talking to the two groups of kids), I can still see it all. That type of writing is sadly absent from much work: "well-written" does not mean flowery sentences; it means effective communication. The "flowery" bits, the nuances of language, should not jump out at you. There are plenty of beautiful sentences in the book, but when they are contextualizing a world, their beauty is lent to the world.
I would say that my favorite scenes are the ones with Jimmy. As is his role, he grounds Junior, but he also accepts him. Julia and Molly are too close to be able to set it aside. The great part of the Jimmy-Sanders dynamic lies in the fact that it is clear that Jimmy does not want Sanders to change who he is (there is nothing wrong with mischief); he just wants Junior to stop being so destructive.
So, there is much good here. The reason why this review is 4 stars instead of 5 is that I felt that the main character got off too easy. Specifically, I did not understand Molly's return. It is obvious throughout the book that she cares for John, but it's still sort of hard to believe. I guess it hinges on believing that she left John before he became such an asshole (as he is for the majority of the book). That is how the plot is laid out (she leaves John in high school), but in a way it doesn't feel true to character. Maybe I'm just left wanting to know more about Molly.
Another mark of a well-written book: I'll keep thinking about it...
I would say that my favorite scenes are the ones with Jimmy. As is his role, he grounds Junior, but he also accepts him. Julia and Molly are too close to be able to set it aside. The great part of the Jimmy-Sanders dynamic lies in the fact that it is clear that Jimmy does not want Sanders to change who he is (there is nothing wrong with mischief); he just wants Junior to stop being so destructive.
So, there is much good here. The reason why this review is 4 stars instead of 5 is that I felt that the main character got off too easy. Specifically, I did not understand Molly's return. It is obvious throughout the book that she cares for John, but it's still sort of hard to believe. I guess it hinges on believing that she left John before he became such an asshole (as he is for the majority of the book). That is how the plot is laid out (she leaves John in high school), but in a way it doesn't feel true to character. Maybe I'm just left wanting to know more about Molly.
Another mark of a well-written book: I'll keep thinking about it...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2013
This book annoys me. I know that the streets are Staten Island streets, I know that the locations are right, but he could not have the feel of this island more wrong. It's hard to read a book about where you're from when it doesn't sound anything like where you're from. If you're going to use a real place, do it right. No one could get shot here execution style without the whole island being in an outrage, people don't just get shot here. You can't smell the dump from anywhere unless you're right next to it on a scalding hot day, and you certainly can't even see Staten Island from space, let alone the dump. We don't call the Verrazano "The Bridge", we have three bridges, how would we know which bridge you mean if you just said "The Bridge"? And no one calls the Ferry "The Boat". My point is, he spends so much time describing this island and yet he doesn't actually describe this island at all.
That being said, I like the past that Junior is forced to face and the journey he has to make. However, this book is not a crime mystery. It's fiction. This book isn't about Junior finding his father's killer, it about (excuse the incoming cheesy line, but it really is the truth) Junior finding himself.
That being said, I like the past that Junior is forced to face and the journey he has to make. However, this book is not a crime mystery. It's fiction. This book isn't about Junior finding his father's killer, it about (excuse the incoming cheesy line, but it really is the truth) Junior finding himself.
December 9, 2016
John Sanders, Jr. hated his violent, hard drinking father whose quick temper was matched by the speed of his fists, so much so that when he is told that his father has been murdered his first reaction is to be glad. He'd written his father off years ago and the only reason to drive across Staten Island to the neighborhood he grew up in is to help his sister. She asks him to stay a few days, until the funeral's over and he finds himself forced to confront his feelings for his father and to re-examine the influence that relationship still has on his life. He sets out on a haphazard quest to find his father's killer, but that is very much not the focus of the story, which concentrates on chronicling one man's attempt to fix his own life without destroying the few relationships he has left.
This is a powerful book about grief and hate and family ties. The New York borough of Staten Island is richly drawn and colors the story, from the close-knit neighborhoods to the famous landfill that gives this novel its name and whose odor overpowers the scent of the ocean. This is also a story about growing up and wanting to escape a place, only to stay within a few miles of your childhood home.
This is a powerful book about grief and hate and family ties. The New York borough of Staten Island is richly drawn and colors the story, from the close-knit neighborhoods to the famous landfill that gives this novel its name and whose odor overpowers the scent of the ocean. This is also a story about growing up and wanting to escape a place, only to stay within a few miles of your childhood home.
December 20, 2008
A man who was abused by his father learns his father has been murdered. He thinks he is glad his father is dead, and he is just returning home to support his sister with burial details, etc. Instead he inexplicably finds himself wanting to figure out who killed his father, and he sucks at being supportive. This story is basically the story of his journey through his past to better face his future because a lot of his present isn't pretty. The summary sounds a bit cliche, but the journey feels real until the very end. I felt the book had really already ended when a final chapter was tacked on to reveal who killed his father, especially when a chance at revenge is ludicrously offered to him along with that information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2010
_Fresh Kills_ should come with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a nicotine patch, and smell of stale cigarettes. Lots and lots of smoking! So well described (or so often?) that you could almost imagine the scent.
I've never been to Staten Island, nor did I know much about it, so it was interesting to have a book set there with such detailed descriptions of the area. I didn't even know what Fresh Kills was (a garbage dump, for those not in the know).
John Sanders spends the majority of this book taking a trip back to his past, dealing with his demons (both internal and external). Although the book has been billed as a thriller, in some ways it's more of a psychological examination of a life.
Good read! I look forward to more by Loehfelm!
I've never been to Staten Island, nor did I know much about it, so it was interesting to have a book set there with such detailed descriptions of the area. I didn't even know what Fresh Kills was (a garbage dump, for those not in the know).
John Sanders spends the majority of this book taking a trip back to his past, dealing with his demons (both internal and external). Although the book has been billed as a thriller, in some ways it's more of a psychological examination of a life.
Good read! I look forward to more by Loehfelm!
Read
July 25, 2011A little mixed on this one. The first 3rd was a bit intense, may just be out of my comfort zone. Some of the early SI references felt a little heavy and forced.
Then.......it evened out nicely, story developed well, the SI references made sense and helped move the story along and the progression and ending were quite satisfying.
Overall, I enjoyed revisiting the Staten Island of my youth in a well-written tale.
Hey, It's an Island - the places and experiences have been shared by many over the decades and will continue to be a unique place in it's own corner of the City.
Which reminds me of my favorite part.
The CIty, the Dump, The Mall, The Bridge - Yes, we're the center of the univere and it's all about SI :-)
Then.......it evened out nicely, story developed well, the SI references made sense and helped move the story along and the progression and ending were quite satisfying.
Overall, I enjoyed revisiting the Staten Island of my youth in a well-written tale.
Hey, It's an Island - the places and experiences have been shared by many over the decades and will continue to be a unique place in it's own corner of the City.
Which reminds me of my favorite part.
The CIty, the Dump, The Mall, The Bridge - Yes, we're the center of the univere and it's all about SI :-)
September 24, 2011
Poor effort. This book is billed as a thriller, but it's not. It's a terrible book! The author spends way too much time giving back story about the main character's abusive father and stories about how horrible the father was. Then the main character drinks, swears and smokes, musing about his crappy life. Virtually nothing about discovering who killed the father and why. In the last few pages we find out the murder was a case of mistaken identity. That's just a way of wrapping things up when you didn't know how to end the story. I have no idea why this won Amazon's breakout novel award...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2009
Really 4.5 stars.
Fresh Kills is more about a journey to a past. A hard and sad childhood. As a reader, I felt a deep connection with the main character, John. He slowly pulled me into the story with a picture of how he felt and why. An interesting parable to the novel was the point of where a person mentally breaks down and gives up socially. Like a good metaphor, almost more important to an emotion as why someone else goes to the next extreme and murders. Also, I like the cover and title, intriguing.
Fresh Kills is more about a journey to a past. A hard and sad childhood. As a reader, I felt a deep connection with the main character, John. He slowly pulled me into the story with a picture of how he felt and why. An interesting parable to the novel was the point of where a person mentally breaks down and gives up socially. Like a good metaphor, almost more important to an emotion as why someone else goes to the next extreme and murders. Also, I like the cover and title, intriguing.
August 28, 2009
Looked interesting when I was looking for books at the library to take on vacation. Not the psychological page turner I thought it would be. A drunken, rage filled man finds out that his father, a drunken, rage filled man who physically abused him, was murdered. Conflicted about how to feel, he turns to - surprise - drink and rage until he decides to overcome his hate and anger. It got tiresome, but the characters were pretty well drawn.
October 28, 2008
I really enjoyed this book - it was extremely well paced. Seems like a straight-up mystery/thriller, but there is a lot more to it. I think both men and women would appreciate it equally. I will definitely be on the hunt for his next book - I see that he now lives in New Orleans - I'd love to see his next book set there.
November 4, 2008
Not a very exciting book. The author constantly uses pop culture references as a crutch to make the reader connect with the characters. It just gives you a feeling of the book being sponsored (Chapter 5 is brought to you by Starbucks). It's a quick read, but really just something to pass the time and not put any thought into.
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