House of Blazes

by Dietrich Kalteis

Levi Hayes is out for gold — and blood — in this high-magnitude historical tear through the mean streets of San Francisco
In the days before the great earthquake and fire of 1906, Levi Hayes returns from San Quentin Prison with a plan. After serving five years for the theft of $30,000 in gold coins from the San Francisco Mint, he’s ready to take back what’s his and exact revenge on the now-powerful Healey brothers who set him up and had his barroom, House of Blazes, seized by court order.
To get back his bar Levi recruits his nephew, Mack Lewis, telling him the gold coins wait hidden behind one of its cellar walls. Their wild scheme propels them through saloon halls, gambling dens, back alleys, and brothels before it backfires. In lock-up as the earthquake hits, Levi and Mack must escape the collapsing building and burning city to get to the gold coins, with Quinn Healey determined to get his own revenge on them.

Genres: Historical Fiction

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 11, 2016

About the author

Dietrich Kalteis is the critically acclaimed author of thirteen novels and winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel for Under an Outlaw Moon. His first novel, Ride the Lightning, won the bronze medal for Best Regional Fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2015. House of Blazes was his fourth novel and won the silver medal for Best Historical Fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2017. His screenplay Between Jobs is a past finalist in the Los Angeles Screenplay Contest. He enjoys life with his family on Canada’s West Coast.

Visit his website: http://www.dietrichkalteis.com/

He regularly contributes at Off the Cuff: http://www.dietrichkalteis.blogspot.ca/

And at 7 Criminal Minds:
http://www.7criminalminds.blogspot.ca/

You can also find him on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dietrich.kalt...

and Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dietrichkalteis/

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruthlessness prevailed in 1906 San Francisco. The powerful Healey brothers arrested Levi Hayes and sent him to San Quentin Prison for five years for being caught with a counterfeit coin. Levi was accused of squirreling away $30,000 in gold coin in his barroom. Quinn Healey, a copper, "paid off" a judge. Marvin Healey seized Levi's bar, House of Blazes, by court order and is dismantling it looking for the hidden gold.

Once released from prison, Levi Hayes enlists the help of his nephew, Mack Lewis, in an attempt to exact revenge and claim what he feels is rightfully his. The Healey brothers clearly have different plans for Levi. All bets are off once The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 decimates the city.

The author Dietrich Kalteis takes us on a fast paced journey through the underbelly of the city and its environs exposing unsavory characters as well as fragile ones. Descriptive passages concerning the earthquake are palpable. Twists and turns lead to an unexpected ending. An excellent book.

Thank you ECW Press and Net Galley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

[Paul]

4*

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I had a hard time getting into this, but that was just the first couple of chapters. Then the story just took off. Those Healey brothers really had it out for Levi Hayes and they would do anything, and I mean anything, to get him back. Apparently Levi had stolen some gold coins some years back and the brothers couldn't stand it that they didn't have that gold.

Through all of this is the huge San Francisco earthquake and it's where Levi and the younger Healey's true colors come to light. There is a lot of action and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It took me to an era of gunslingers, brothels, and crooked sheriffs I absolutely loved it!

Thanks to ECW Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. This review was written without any coercion from the publisher.

[E.A. Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most original story that I've read in the past year. Set in 1906 San Fransico, House of Blazes is pure noir in the finest tradition and takes you on a ride that never eases up. There are grifters, whores, thugs, gay male prostitutes, crooked cops, soldiers, damsels in distress and gold all shaken together during the Great San Fransisco Earthquake.


I received an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review, and it is my pleasure to do so.
I've written historical crime fiction and it was well received, but this piece makes me go lay down by my dish. Dietrich Kalteis has crafted a masterpiece. Truly.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wild ride through 1906 San Fransico. April 8, 1906, is when the earthquake and great fire hit the frontier town of San Fransico hard. Over 3,000 people lost their lives during this and there was untold property damage. It still remains one of the worst and deadliest disasters to ever occur in the United States. This book's descriptions of both this earthquake and the terrible fire is stark and real, mostly because of the minimalist language that Mr. Kalteis uses. Through it all, we have the unlikely heroes of Levi and Mack. Mack is Levi's nephew and Levi has just gotten out from serving a stint in Quentin for robbery. Levi was involved in a heist at the Mint, where $30,000 in coins were stolen and never found. Levi does not reveal where the loot is hidden the whole time he was in jail, but he's come back to San Francisco to claim it. San Francisco was a lawlesss town in these days, and there are lots of crooks, lay-abouts and murderers all around, and the police are as corrupt as the crooks they're supposed to catch. This story is a gritty, graphic story of revenge gone awry. As they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men" - all gone to pot because of a phenomenon of nature and the resulting catastrophe caused by it. This is a fast read, and well worth your time if you like frontier stories just told straight from the hip. You will find that you too will be rooting for the crook Levi. He's one of the most likeable bad men you'll ever meet.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake did a lot of damage and a lot of people were killed and displaced.

This story adds a completely other level to the violence and graphic human assault.

It is not a mystery, but an adventure story.

We have Levi and Mack trying to recover some burglary loot but thwarted by a dishonest lawman.

They are thrown in jail but escape when the earthquake hits. Thus follows a great deal of man on man assault and battery, including guns, knives and fire, in addition to the actual events after the earthquake, also graphically told.

I was very disappointed that the focus was on this and not something more redeeming.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

Historical fiction/ thriller/western. An exciting amalgam of these genres— violent and sex laden to boot. Read it- it’s fun and you’ll look for more from this author.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wronged convict seeking revenge is not an uncommon one. What makes Dietrick Kalteis’s House of Blazes unusual are two details. First, Levi Hayes has terrible luck. Second, Levi Hayes has launched his plan to get back at the man who sent him to prison two days before the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Levi doesn’t know the clock is ticking, but we do. To be honest, I was counting down to the earthquake simply because Levi’s plan goes so awry that I thought the earthquake might put it out of its misery...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

[Ron S · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of vengeance and greed, set in San Francisco during the time of the 1906 earthquake and fire.

[JoAnn Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, unique story of crime and heroism during San Francisco’s devastating earthquake of 1906.