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Flat White
Sipping his second cup of coffee of the day, Duncan Sloan picks up the phone. It’s not the kind of call that anyone wants to receive. On the other end of the line is county cop Mose Booker letting Sloan know that a phone with his number on it was found tucked into the seat of an abandoned car.
No big deal? Under normal circumstances it probably wouldn’t be, but when Sloan’s number is the last one called on that phone, and there’s a dead girl in the trunk – it is a big deal.
Booker wants private detective Sloan to tell him who the phone belonged to and exactly what the circumstances of the call were. If not, Sloan is looking like a candidate to get pulled into the case as an accessory to murder. Not a good look for a man with as checkered a past as Sloan has.
The request puts Sloan in a bind because that phone belongs to a childhood friend who has a connection to the dead girl. The fact that this friend is not in the cleanest of businesses himself, then suddenly not too anxious to be found, leaves Sloan chasing shadows and cursing the dark.
This book is a freight train, off the tracks and barreling down the Orange Blossom Trail, taking Sloan into a world of guns, drugs, murder and general nastiness. Sloan’s journey is uphill and steep enough on its own, but with Booker hounding and threatening Sloan at every turn, that journey is even worse than one would imagine.
The inimitable Truluck puts his southern stylings to task with this fast-paced book, showing you the real Florida in his uniquely twisted way. Try putting it down and not think about the people and places in this novel and what could possibly happen next under Truluck’s fickle Florida skies. This is pop noir, babies, this is Bob Truluck.
No big deal? Under normal circumstances it probably wouldn’t be, but when Sloan’s number is the last one called on that phone, and there’s a dead girl in the trunk – it is a big deal.
Booker wants private detective Sloan to tell him who the phone belonged to and exactly what the circumstances of the call were. If not, Sloan is looking like a candidate to get pulled into the case as an accessory to murder. Not a good look for a man with as checkered a past as Sloan has.
The request puts Sloan in a bind because that phone belongs to a childhood friend who has a connection to the dead girl. The fact that this friend is not in the cleanest of businesses himself, then suddenly not too anxious to be found, leaves Sloan chasing shadows and cursing the dark.
This book is a freight train, off the tracks and barreling down the Orange Blossom Trail, taking Sloan into a world of guns, drugs, murder and general nastiness. Sloan’s journey is uphill and steep enough on its own, but with Booker hounding and threatening Sloan at every turn, that journey is even worse than one would imagine.
The inimitable Truluck puts his southern stylings to task with this fast-paced book, showing you the real Florida in his uniquely twisted way. Try putting it down and not think about the people and places in this novel and what could possibly happen next under Truluck’s fickle Florida skies. This is pop noir, babies, this is Bob Truluck.
293 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2014
2 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
Bob Truluck
6 books5 followersBob Truluck, suspected pop-noirist, resides in Orlando where he lives life to the fullest with his wife and ardent supporter, Leslie. Truluck has been nominated for some good stuff and has actually garnered a couple of nice looking awards. His influences would include Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, Charles Willeford, Nathan Heard and James Crumley, but not necessarily in that order. Bob has no favorite color or lucky number and will eat most anything but rutabaga.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 8, 2017
OK, so here it is 2017. And if anyone is losing sleep wondering what is going on in Noir fiction these days, there is no need to look further. Author Bob Truluck delivers on all levels and on all cylinders in this amazing high water mark of a novel titled “Flat White.
The story takes place in current day Florida, not slick and well-dressed Florida of Miami Vice, or the tourist infested Orlando. The story does delve into the drug wars plaguing the phallic peninsula. The Russians want into money flow and your average home grown distributor better watch out.
When one thinks of Florida Hard Case fiction the first name that usually comes to mind in Florida Noir is Charles Willeford. However Mr. Truluck is also influence by Elmore Leonard and perhaps Raymond Chandleer.
The story’s pace does not relent, and although this is the third installment of Duncan Sloan’s story it can certainly be read independently, and perhaps make it desirable to delve into previous Sloan adventures, both of which were first published by Dennis McMillan Publications .
This book has all the ingredients that make reading enjoyable and is highly recommended.
The story takes place in current day Florida, not slick and well-dressed Florida of Miami Vice, or the tourist infested Orlando. The story does delve into the drug wars plaguing the phallic peninsula. The Russians want into money flow and your average home grown distributor better watch out.
When one thinks of Florida Hard Case fiction the first name that usually comes to mind in Florida Noir is Charles Willeford. However Mr. Truluck is also influence by Elmore Leonard and perhaps Raymond Chandleer.
The story’s pace does not relent, and although this is the third installment of Duncan Sloan’s story it can certainly be read independently, and perhaps make it desirable to delve into previous Sloan adventures, both of which were first published by Dennis McMillan Publications .
This book has all the ingredients that make reading enjoyable and is highly recommended.
October 11, 2015
The vernacular of this novel is a little bit surprising and sometimes even leads to confusion, but man. What a rocket-fueled party of detective novel that was. I went in there blind, on the suggestion of one of my readers and got served BIG TIME. The plot is sprawling and messy and I'm not sure I've understood everything, but main character Duncan Sloan isn't quite sure himself either after stumbling into a crumbling twilight zone underworld along with his hilariously moody hired help.
One of the few detective novels that stands for more than the sum of its parts with an overarching theme of loyalty. One of the funnest, most engaging aspects of FLAT WHITE is that the mess Duncan Sloan put himself in is 100% avoidable. He goes into it for a friend, which ends up being both tragic and comedic at the same time. FLAT WHITE definitely is one of the most energetic and breathless detective novels I've read in a while. REALLY loved it.
One of the few detective novels that stands for more than the sum of its parts with an overarching theme of loyalty. One of the funnest, most engaging aspects of FLAT WHITE is that the mess Duncan Sloan put himself in is 100% avoidable. He goes into it for a friend, which ends up being both tragic and comedic at the same time. FLAT WHITE definitely is one of the most energetic and breathless detective novels I've read in a while. REALLY loved it.
January 2, 2016
Published: 03/12/2014
Author: Bob Truluck
Recommended for: fan's of thrillers and/or sleuth novels
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads competitions.
This is definately my kind of book. The main character is Duncan Sloan who is a private detective. Dead girl in a trunk and the private detective as a chief suspect...definately a story line to make you turn the pages and find out how he is going to prove his innocence. I think that enjoy this kind a thriller/ sleuth book. The author has a unique writing technique which grabbed my attention and has a great writing style. I was very lucky to win this book and it was a real joy to read it. It is quite a quick and easy book to read without too many complicated storylines to get confused with.
Author: Bob Truluck
Recommended for: fan's of thrillers and/or sleuth novels
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads competitions.
This is definately my kind of book. The main character is Duncan Sloan who is a private detective. Dead girl in a trunk and the private detective as a chief suspect...definately a story line to make you turn the pages and find out how he is going to prove his innocence. I think that enjoy this kind a thriller/ sleuth book. The author has a unique writing technique which grabbed my attention and has a great writing style. I was very lucky to win this book and it was a real joy to read it. It is quite a quick and easy book to read without too many complicated storylines to get confused with.
July 13, 2015
Bob Truluck is a very funny writer. This story is strewn with zingers, and the delivery is loaded with unusual spin. The facile comparison is to Charles Willeford ("Miami Blues" in particular), but that does Truluck something of a disservice because his voice is distinctive. Nonetheless, he deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as one of the genre'a masters.
I found the plot here a little hard to follow sometimes, but it's a good plot. I like the central character, Sloan, a great deal. I'll be picking up the first in the series -- and I'm really wondering what happens after the ending to "Flat White".
I found the plot here a little hard to follow sometimes, but it's a good plot. I like the central character, Sloan, a great deal. I'll be picking up the first in the series -- and I'm really wondering what happens after the ending to "Flat White".
June 12, 2017
startlingly original and unique writing...I loved it ...after reading 3 books in succession that were just plain predictable, with a generic lifeless style. Finding new and inspired writers is one of the great things about Goodreads. I treasure my reading time...once I find a writer I admire I stick with 'em !
Flat White may be a tad OTT but all is forgiven with it's great characters, original plot and smart snappy unique writing with lovely facetious tones. Love it !!!
Flat White may be a tad OTT but all is forgiven with it's great characters, original plot and smart snappy unique writing with lovely facetious tones. Love it !!!
December 30, 2024
Is all the good literature just hidden away for me only to discover in chance encounters? I should stop trusting books based on popularity alone bc maybe people are just stupid and the best reads of your life are always gonna be happy accidents known only to the asscrack of America
February 21, 2015
The exciting and fast-paced crime thriller "Flat White" which I won through Goodreads/First Reads begins when Duncan Sloan's number is found on a phone in a car with a dead girl stuffed in the trunk and the quasi private investigator is accused of the murder. Ironically the phone belongs to a childhood friend with a shady business whose willing to pay Sloan for his expertise, but the trail is littered with snares, guns, drugs and a body count that continues to rise. With Lieutenant -Detective Mose Booker hounding him Sloan races against time to find the killer before he's arrested for the offence.
In a unique writing style that blends a southern flair and graphic dialogue into a gritty plot, the author draws the reader into the grey twisted world of police officers, detectives and private investigator (PI) who hunt criminals in the warped underbelly of Florida. Action-packed and hard-hitting, Bob Truluck quickly builds tension and suspense as Sloan deals with shadowy clues and corruption that has him ducking bullets, escaping nasty goons and in a car chase while struggling to uncover the killer's identity before he's arrested. The novel is entertaining but frightening in its realism.
With larger- than -life characters who have loads of faults and flaws, he builds a story that's mesmerizing from the first page to the last. Duncan Sloan the PI with a criminal past is self-centered and impatient, has a low moral compass, but shows a tender, compassionate side to the victim's family. Rennie (Renaldo Alvarez) his childhood friend whose drug business made him wealthy is a weak-willed liar who's deceptive and untrustworthy. Raleigh Lightstep is a large, angry black cop who's no-nonsense, tough and resourceful. For a price he'll set up Sloan with an unmarked car, use nasty interrogation techniques and shoot out surveillance cameras with a pellet gun. All the characters and many more add their own brand of spice, drama and energy to a story with twists that capture your attention and don't let go.
"Flat White" is a straightforward, harrowing story that's easy and quick to read. It's an innovative and different exploration of a murder in the criminal world of Florida.
In a unique writing style that blends a southern flair and graphic dialogue into a gritty plot, the author draws the reader into the grey twisted world of police officers, detectives and private investigator (PI) who hunt criminals in the warped underbelly of Florida. Action-packed and hard-hitting, Bob Truluck quickly builds tension and suspense as Sloan deals with shadowy clues and corruption that has him ducking bullets, escaping nasty goons and in a car chase while struggling to uncover the killer's identity before he's arrested. The novel is entertaining but frightening in its realism.
With larger- than -life characters who have loads of faults and flaws, he builds a story that's mesmerizing from the first page to the last. Duncan Sloan the PI with a criminal past is self-centered and impatient, has a low moral compass, but shows a tender, compassionate side to the victim's family. Rennie (Renaldo Alvarez) his childhood friend whose drug business made him wealthy is a weak-willed liar who's deceptive and untrustworthy. Raleigh Lightstep is a large, angry black cop who's no-nonsense, tough and resourceful. For a price he'll set up Sloan with an unmarked car, use nasty interrogation techniques and shoot out surveillance cameras with a pellet gun. All the characters and many more add their own brand of spice, drama and energy to a story with twists that capture your attention and don't let go.
"Flat White" is a straightforward, harrowing story that's easy and quick to read. It's an innovative and different exploration of a murder in the criminal world of Florida.
November 12, 2015
4.0 of 5 stars – Good Noir That Had Me Rooting for a Bad Guy.
[I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Erin!]
I love mysteries, especially with a hard-boiled PI; and for those who don't mind tales of the criminal underside, this was a good dark one about an antihero fighting for his childhood friend and some justice.
When I read this, it was quite a jolt. I went straight from the British proper DCI Banks to this pop-noir - both equally good yet quite a change in style that I really enjoyed. Bob Truluck's style was gritty, cynically humorous as well as realistic, and had such a unique street way of describing things. While it's set in Florida, the locale didn't enter in as much as it being set in a criminal underworld. The plot was fairly tight and had good pace. The mystery itself was pretty straightforward; and even though it was fairly predictable, it was the action and descriptions around it that kept me interested.
There were quite a set of characters, all shady in their own ways. So it wasn't as much a good vs. evil, but a more evil vs. totally evil. And that included the MC, PI Sloan. He's a tough, bad guy I wanted to like, but right when his questionable violence and morals got a bit much and I was on the verge of signing him off, Truluck threw in a sentimental scene that showed his softer, good side … not fair. Yet, even with Sloan's loyalty and caring for the innocent, I still leaned a bit toward thinking the violence and morals was a bit over the top.
Ultimately, the title captured the essence of this noir. Sloan's oldest friend said it: "I don't feel anymore. No highs, no lows. No joy, no sorrow. No blacks, no grays - no color…. My whole life's flat white." But to Sloan's credit, he didn't go there and in his own way fought for right; and for me that was what counted.
[I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Erin!]
I love mysteries, especially with a hard-boiled PI; and for those who don't mind tales of the criminal underside, this was a good dark one about an antihero fighting for his childhood friend and some justice.
When I read this, it was quite a jolt. I went straight from the British proper DCI Banks to this pop-noir - both equally good yet quite a change in style that I really enjoyed. Bob Truluck's style was gritty, cynically humorous as well as realistic, and had such a unique street way of describing things. While it's set in Florida, the locale didn't enter in as much as it being set in a criminal underworld. The plot was fairly tight and had good pace. The mystery itself was pretty straightforward; and even though it was fairly predictable, it was the action and descriptions around it that kept me interested.
There were quite a set of characters, all shady in their own ways. So it wasn't as much a good vs. evil, but a more evil vs. totally evil. And that included the MC, PI Sloan. He's a tough, bad guy I wanted to like, but right when his questionable violence and morals got a bit much and I was on the verge of signing him off, Truluck threw in a sentimental scene that showed his softer, good side … not fair. Yet, even with Sloan's loyalty and caring for the innocent, I still leaned a bit toward thinking the violence and morals was a bit over the top.
Ultimately, the title captured the essence of this noir. Sloan's oldest friend said it: "I don't feel anymore. No highs, no lows. No joy, no sorrow. No blacks, no grays - no color…. My whole life's flat white." But to Sloan's credit, he didn't go there and in his own way fought for right; and for me that was what counted.
February 17, 2015
I receive this one as a first read. This was an interesting book. it was about Duncan Sloan who was a private detective. He was implicated in a murder. The authors style is very unique and was easy to read. I could see many people really enjoying this one. However I just don't think this one for me.
March 28, 2015
I loved this book. It had the violence of David Schow, the pacing of Ken Bruen and the dialogue of Elmore Leonard. I read this over a twenty-four hour period ignoring all other obligations and commitments, including eating and sleeping. Highly addictive and a ton of fun!!! I will definitely buy his other books.
May 6, 2015
This book came into my possession in a very interesting way - the author had left them around central Florida to be distributed for free. It was a great read with a an interesting style of writing. Passing this one along - at the request of the the author.
April 11, 2017
I screwed up and read Truluck's Duncan Sloane #3 ("Flat White") before #2 ("Saw Red".) Oh well, I'll deal with it later, I started #2 as soon as I finished this one. (You should DEFINITELY read these in order however.) His first one ("Street Level") may have gotten some awards (Private Eye Writers of America, Shamus, and Anthony and Barry nominees - all for best First P.I. or Mystery novel) but I liked this book better. It was just a better story, the characters continue to get developed, there's more fun, more action, (more sex) more everything. And it's got a great ending. You've got to read all 3 of these - but read them in order.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews