Zero Avenue

by Dietrich Kalteis

“If you like your crime hard and fast, Kalteis is for you.” — The Globe and Mail

Set to the cranking beat and amphetamine buzz of Vancouver’s early punk scene, Zero Avenue follows Frankie Del Rey, a talented and rising punk star who runs just enough dope on the side to pay the bills and keep her band, Middle Finger, together. The trouble is she’s running it for Marty Sayles, a powerful drug dealer who controls the Eastside with a fist.

When Frankie strikes up a relationship with Johnny Falco, the owner of one of the only Vancouver clubs willing to give punk a chance, she finds out he’s having his own money problems just keeping Falco’s Nest open. Desperate to keep his club, Johnny raids one of the pot fields Marty Sayles has growing out past Surrey, along Zero Avenue on the U.S. border. He gets away with a pickup load and pays back everybody he owes. Arnie Binz, bass player for Middle Finger, finds out about it and decides that was easy enough. But he gets caught by Marty’s crew.

Johnny and Frankie set out to find the missing Arnie, but Marty Sayles is pissed and looking for who ripped off his other field — a trail that leads to Johnny and Frankie.

Genres: Crime, Fiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2017

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

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero Avenue is a head-banging rocking crime novel set among the punk bars and dives of late Seventies Vancouver. The author, Kalteis, does a great job right from the start of capturing the gritty, nasty, give-it-all-hell attitude of West Coast Punk and its amphetamine-popping dirty outcasts who lived for the few hours when they could lose themselves in the driving beat. In this world of losers, dropouts, addicts, and more stands Frankie Del Rey, a tough punk chick making dope runs for the local boss while hoping for a break. And, Kalteis made a terrific choice centering the narrative around Frankie.

All the action takes place over a few days, mainly at Johnny's club. But it is an intense few days and the novel is perfectly paced, building up to the final showdown. Nothing was ever perfect in the dirty, grimy, loud world of these punk clubs, but whatever small amount of equilibrium there is gets shattered as the story goes forward.

The drug deals, double-crosses, the bar fights, may be nothing new, but this is quite a fun read from an author who has not yet gotten the kind of buzz he should get.

Than you to ECW For providing an advanced readers copy.

[Ron S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kalteis has penned a fast, loose and loud punk rock novel set in Vancouver, B.C. circa 1979. If you're old enough to remember when Hugh Dillon was a singer, not an actor, and Vancouver was No Fun City and not the real estate nightmare/playground of the rich it has since become, this book will reward you with a lot of beer and spit soaked memories. As usual, Kalteis displays an impressive, naturalistic facility with dialogue, and introduces characters you'd like to see continue in future work.

[Theodore Kinni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good crime novel set in Vancouver, and even better as a punk playlist.

[Murder in Common · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kalteis gives us a sense of place and time in the Vancouver punk scene.
It's not lovely but it's honest.

Join me for the blog tour on Murder In Common, October 2nd

SUBSCRIBE to MurderInCommon.com to win a copy of Zero Avenue (Canada/US residents only)
More info from Kalteis will be included with my review.
~ June Lorraine

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique (at least to me) crime novel with a likable protagonist set in the 1970s Vancouver music scene. Frankie is both a punk rocker and a minor dealer; she's also a pretty good friend. The fact that the drug in question here is marijuana seems sort of amusing these days but it was a pretty darn serious thing in the 1970s. This is a fast read, highly entertaining, and well written. I liked the Canadian perspective. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Harold Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A GoodReads GiveAway

Canadian crime. B. C. Misfits and losers dealing drugs and making music. Carl Hiaasen's characters came to mind. That is not a bad thing, eh b'ys?

[John Lansing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex Drugs and Rock‘n’Roll. Dietrich Kalteis’s “Zero Avenue,” is a down and dirty exploration of Vancouver’s punk rock music scene. If you find yourself pining for the bad old days of power chords, mind numbing volume, back street bars, and primal musical expression, then Kalteis speaks your language, and “Zero Avenue,” will cure what ails you.
“Zero Avenue” is the kind of book you start, and can’t put down. And, you might even find yourself pulling out your old vinyl recording of the Ramones, or Patti Smith, and cranking up the volume just for the hell of it. Kalteis understands the era and the music, paints a gritty picture, writes staccato dialogue that rings true, and creates complex, flawed, characters you can’t help but root for.
“Zero Avenue” is one hell of a thrill ride.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I obviously missed something that many readers found in this book as I was not overly thrilled by the story. Set in the late 1970's Vancouver punk scene, the book featured a struggling singer and what felt like a bunch of amateur drug dealers and crooks. I felt like the book pushed itself to be cool with the continuing dropping of band and club names. All this did was increase the book's word count and make me think of the Cake (not a punk band) lyrics: "proves you were there, that you heard of them first." It had nothing to do with the story and was a bit distracting in spots. The crimes felt more sad and inevitable instead of part of some grand scheme. Though I expect that was the actual point of the book. Along with that, I did like the somewhat ironic ending.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.

[A.B. Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of Kalteis's work and I really enjoyed it. Hard-boiled and noir is my territory, and this sharp, dark story with its snappy and crisp dialogue definitely worked for me. The characters were well-drawn and believable, and seriously screwed up in most cases (which I love), and the scene and atmosphere was evocative. I don't know a thing about the punk music scene in Canada (Vancouver) in the late 70s or early 80s (which is when I think this is set), but I'm sure if you do, then a lot of the references would resonate and bring back some memories. Whilst a lot of the band mentions were lost on me, fortunately they didn't slow the pace. I'll definitely try another one from Kalteis.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I was not engaged by this books characters or setting in Vancouver's early punk scene.

I'm an anthropologist and enjoy entering other cultures, exotic or nearby. I love historical fiction. I even get swept up in fantasy worlds and enticed by nonhuman characters like those of China Mieville. This book just didn't touch me.

[Shannon Babbage · Rating 5 out of 5]

received this book as a Goodreds giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity tonreview this book.
Gritty crime story set in 1970s Vancouver BC . Explores the punk scene of 1970s Vancouver.
Very fast paced and at times not pleasant subject matter but realistic I'm sure.
Quite a good novel!

[Leonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too impressive. Characters named Zeke and Middle Finger were at best, only mildly interesting. The action in the book was deadened with drugs and it was difficult to care. I quit reading it about three quarters of the way through the book.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly enjoyable crime novel. It moved at a good pace and the character's were relatively interesting. I though that Kalteis's attempts to establish the era and name check all the cool punk bands, was a little too much and served as a distraction. Otherwise, a good read.

[Ben Shakey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool little crime story set in the early days of Vancouver punk - even has a cameo by the K-tels!

[Patrick Whitehurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kalteis is one of the greats, and Zero Avenue is no exception. A sweet read for fans of punk and fans of fantastic crime writing.

[W.L. Hawkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my 2018 review in the Ottawa Review of Books for details.
http://www.ottawareviewofbooks.com

[Kevin Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very unique setting and characters. Punk rock ethos throughout.

[Linda Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music, the 70s and the dirtiest parts of Vancouver. This one is pure music, in more ways than one.

[Jeremy Large · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting milieu, but it moved too slowly to pull me in.