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American Static
After being beaten and left for dead, Steven finds himself stranded alongside the 101 in a small Northern California town. When a mysterious stranger named Quinn offers a hand in exchange for help reuniting with his daughter in San Francisco, Steven gets in the car and begins a journey from which there is no return. Quinn has an agenda all his own and he’s unleashing vengeance at each stop along his path. With a coked-up sadist ex-cop chasing Quinn, and two mismatched small town cops chasing the ex-cop, Steven is unaware of the violent tempest brewing. Corrupt cops and death-dealing gangsters manipulate the maze each of them must navigate to get to the one thing they’re all Teresa, the girl holding the secret that will rip open a decades-old scandal and scorch San Francisco’s City Hall. Steven finds Teresa homeless and strung out as their pursuers close in and bodies begin to pile high on the Bay Area’s back streets. Hand in hand Steven and Teresa lead the mad parade of desperate men to the edge of the void. American Static is a fast paced crime thriller with a mystery woven in. It’s played out against the backdrop of Northern California’s wine country, Oakland’s mean streets, and San Francisco’s peaks and alleys, written by one of its favorite sons, a man who knows the underbelly of the city like no one else. American Static’s prose has been compared to Elmore Leonard, Richard Price, and Don Winslow. Praise for AMERICAN “American Static is a stunning achievement and nobody could have written it but Tom Pitts. Pitts ain’t just the real he set the mold for what the real deal is, and the rest of us are just plastic copies.” —Benjamin Whitmer, author of Pike and Cry Father “American Static grabs you by the collar and drags you through a dirty, dangerous tour of San Francisco. Tom Pitts serves up noir just the way you want it—dark, relentless, and inevitable.” —Rob Hart author of New Yorked, City of Rose, and South Village “American Static is a remarkable novel, a ride with brilliant twists and turns and a relentless momentum, racing to an ending both unavoidable and unexpected.” —Steve Weddle, author of Country Hardball “Fast-paced, gritty and laugh out loud funny, nobody is safe in Tom Pitts’ maniac thrill ride through the Bay Area. Featuring a burgeoning body count and a memorable collection of antiheroes on all sides of the law, American Static is a hot dose of pure adrenaline that will leave you gasping for breath and begging for more. You’ve been warned!” —Owen Laukkanen, author of The Forgotten Girls
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2017
36 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Tom Pitts
25 books75 followersTom Pitts received his education on the streets of San Francisco. He remains there, working, writing, and trying to survive. He is the author of AMERICAN STATIC, HUSTLE, 101, COLDWATER and the novellas PIGGYBACK and KNUCKLEBALL.
Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com
or
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Pitts/e/B00...
Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com
or
http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Pitts/e/B00...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 10, 2020
American Static is a pounding shuddering racecar careening ahead into the night. It is a modern crime fiction story that is written so smoothly it draws the reader in, encircles the reader like a python that won't let go - that is, until you finish the book.. The writing style is fairly light and easy at first, sort of hiding the grittiness and the violence that erupts.
It starts with the classic pulp theme of a young innocent unwittingly used as a pawn, a shell, a sucker - and, yes, there's one born every minute. And then echoes so many other classic novels with a race against time with the bad guys and the law on a collision course. But there's more than that because there's so many different threads being pullled apart and no one can trust anyone else in a world of shifting loyalties and double crosses.
Just an all-around terrific crime thriller filled with killers, drug-addled runaways, secrets, desperation, and more. But -and here's what's most important - this writer tells a damn good story.
Many thanks to Down and Out Books for an advance readers copy.
It starts with the classic pulp theme of a young innocent unwittingly used as a pawn, a shell, a sucker - and, yes, there's one born every minute. And then echoes so many other classic novels with a race against time with the bad guys and the law on a collision course. But there's more than that because there's so many different threads being pullled apart and no one can trust anyone else in a world of shifting loyalties and double crosses.
Just an all-around terrific crime thriller filled with killers, drug-addled runaways, secrets, desperation, and more. But -and here's what's most important - this writer tells a damn good story.
Many thanks to Down and Out Books for an advance readers copy.
June 19, 2017
Flirted with the idea of giving this baby five stars, but it didn't QUITE get there. It's pretty great nonetheless if you like conventional crime thrillers in the line of what Elmore Leonard is doing.
AMERICAN STATIC is a classic criminal revenge story. What makes it better than most novels of its ilk is how well it's told. You don't know what's really going on until past the half point, which is how thrillers should be done. Tom Pitts leads you to narrow corridors, which lead to bigger rooms, which lead to a central point you can't possibly know about until you made your way there. Feel me? That's what great storytellers do, use your perception against you. The story of AMERICAN STATIC will not blow you away with its originality, but it's powerful delivery will keep you engaged for its entire duration. Had a great time with this book.
AMERICAN STATIC is a classic criminal revenge story. What makes it better than most novels of its ilk is how well it's told. You don't know what's really going on until past the half point, which is how thrillers should be done. Tom Pitts leads you to narrow corridors, which lead to bigger rooms, which lead to a central point you can't possibly know about until you made your way there. Feel me? That's what great storytellers do, use your perception against you. The story of AMERICAN STATIC will not blow you away with its originality, but it's powerful delivery will keep you engaged for its entire duration. Had a great time with this book.
June 20, 2019
This book had an interesting start, but the plot quickly became muddled and I thought that all of the action seemed more for the sake of having a lot of action than to advance the story. Personally, at least in this case, I thought that the abundance of car chases would have translated better in visual media than in print.
April 17, 2018
Great and gritty San Francisco couldn't be better represented than in the pages of this book. There are good guys, covered under the muck of real life, and bad guys, drinking the muck to win the cash prize. Fast going, hard punching, and a sweet reading experience. Everyone should muck it up with American Static.
October 18, 2017
American Static by Tom Pitts is a fast paced thriller where a couple of ruthless individuals, Tremblay, a crooked ex-cop and the other, Quinn, a murderous ex-con are both in a race to trace a young female, Theresa, in downtown San Fransisco. Their reasons for trying to find her remain hidden until the latter part of the novel, as the plot begins to slowly reveal itself. Along the way Quinn picks up an unwitting partner in Steven, who was beaten and robbed before being left stranded. Tremblay, on the other hand has a retired Police Chief and his newly appointed replacement on his tail, as they suspect he may be involved in the murder of a local wine producer. The story is further clouded by the introduction of a Mexican Cartel boss, who has relocated to San Fransisco and the involvement of several SFPD cops who are on his payroll.
This one really hooked me in at the start, as it rollicked along at a frantic pace but as it progressed I found that there were too many characters and the story was being told from the view point of all these different characters and it sort of diminished the strength of the story. Because of this I found that I didn't really get engaged with the main protagonists as much as I hoped. The story slowly unravels against a murderous backdrop but I didn't really feel any great tension as the consequences of the story feels underplayed and seems to to take second stage to the action.
Although a felt a bit let down it hasn't put me of Tom Pitts writing and would definitely like to sample more of his work.
This one really hooked me in at the start, as it rollicked along at a frantic pace but as it progressed I found that there were too many characters and the story was being told from the view point of all these different characters and it sort of diminished the strength of the story. Because of this I found that I didn't really get engaged with the main protagonists as much as I hoped. The story slowly unravels against a murderous backdrop but I didn't really feel any great tension as the consequences of the story feels underplayed and seems to to take second stage to the action.
Although a felt a bit let down it hasn't put me of Tom Pitts writing and would definitely like to sample more of his work.
June 26, 2017
No one does hi-octane lowlife quite like Tom Pitts. His books read like quick-paced, non-stop crime flicks, with effortless, real-life dialogue and seamless, high stakes action, and American Static just might be his best yet. And in Quinn, the sinister sociopath, Pitts has created a ruthless, indefatigable nemesis for the ages. Think Bardem's Anton Chigurh but with less of moral grounding.
June 6, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review
AMERICAN STATIC by author Tom Pitts is an adventure filled novel that takes place across California, and begins with Steven, a young man on a bus ride who takes advantage of a stop to have a smoke break, only to be pummeled by three guys who steal his backpack with everything he owns inside; thus leaving him without money, i.d., or the 3 lbs. of marijuana he planned on selling.
Steven is approached by an older man named Quinn who offers to give him a ride, and who then announces he needs to make a stop at a vineyard first to visit an old friend.
Quinn is not who he appears to be, and it takes Steven awhile to catch on, and when he does he realizes that Quinn is not only a car thief, but a stone cold killer who claims he’s trying to find his daughter Teresa, and seems to believe that the ends justify the means as Steven is stuck in a position of being part of Quinn’s crime spree, and while in awe of his charm and toughness, is also frightened by him.
Is Quinn simply trying to find his daughter, or is this a revenge filled journey with much more involved than Steven knows?
Solid action-packed road trip novel with enough questions along the way to keep things interesting, and would be of interest to fans of hard boiled/noir novels that don’t shy away from violence.
4 stars.
AMERICAN STATIC by author Tom Pitts is an adventure filled novel that takes place across California, and begins with Steven, a young man on a bus ride who takes advantage of a stop to have a smoke break, only to be pummeled by three guys who steal his backpack with everything he owns inside; thus leaving him without money, i.d., or the 3 lbs. of marijuana he planned on selling.
Steven is approached by an older man named Quinn who offers to give him a ride, and who then announces he needs to make a stop at a vineyard first to visit an old friend.
Quinn is not who he appears to be, and it takes Steven awhile to catch on, and when he does he realizes that Quinn is not only a car thief, but a stone cold killer who claims he’s trying to find his daughter Teresa, and seems to believe that the ends justify the means as Steven is stuck in a position of being part of Quinn’s crime spree, and while in awe of his charm and toughness, is also frightened by him.
Is Quinn simply trying to find his daughter, or is this a revenge filled journey with much more involved than Steven knows?
Solid action-packed road trip novel with enough questions along the way to keep things interesting, and would be of interest to fans of hard boiled/noir novels that don’t shy away from violence.
4 stars.
Read
June 25, 2017I'm usually a neophile who enjoys exploring places I've never been through books. Yet sometimes I read fiction that takes place in a city that I know. I'm originally a New Yorker, but I've now lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than thirty years. Noir is not in accordance with my preferences , but I thought I might like a noir novel that takes place amidst neighborhoods, streets and landmarks that are familiar to me. That's why I accepted a free review copy of American Static by Tom Pitts.
I consider American Static a fairly typical noir novel. So if the noir experience is what you wanted from this book, you should be satisfied with it. It isn't the deepest darkest noir possible which has left me with the horrifying feeling that justice doesn't exist. There is justice in the resolution of this novel. There is even a possibility that HEA (Happily Ever After) might exist. That's pretty upbeat for noir. I wasn't left with a warm and fuzzy glow that you might expect from a book at the cozier end of the spectrum, but Tom Pitts does provide us with an ending on a relatively hopeful note.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
I consider American Static a fairly typical noir novel. So if the noir experience is what you wanted from this book, you should be satisfied with it. It isn't the deepest darkest noir possible which has left me with the horrifying feeling that justice doesn't exist. There is justice in the resolution of this novel. There is even a possibility that HEA (Happily Ever After) might exist. That's pretty upbeat for noir. I wasn't left with a warm and fuzzy glow that you might expect from a book at the cozier end of the spectrum, but Tom Pitts does provide us with an ending on a relatively hopeful note.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
September 19, 2018
American Static is a juggling act, and one that Tom Pitts pulls off deftly. Not once in the many characters did I get lost or felt they were just talking heads. It is quite a feat, especially with multiple character and multiple points of view. It is also quite dark, with very bad men doing very bad things. If I had any qualms, it's that I liked it too much, and became a bit jealous when wishing I'd written it myself. I highly recommend American Static by Tom Pitts. Get out there. Purchase. Read and enjoy.
September 7, 2017
American Static
Mysterious Book Report No. 300
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Mysterious Book Report has reached another milestone with this, our 300th review. It’s taken a little more than six years and a couple of hundred thousand words to get to this point, so we wanted to mark the occasion with something special . . . something out of the ordinary . . . something so memorable that every reader will recall the plot whenever they look at the cover. We found just what we were looking for in a novel one reviewer referred to as A hot dose of pure adrenaline that will leave you gasping for breath and begging for more. It is beyond a doubt one of the finest noir yarns we’ve read in years . . .
American Static, (Down & Out Books, PB $17.95, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-943402-84-7) by Tom Pitts opens at warp speed and never slows down. It begins in a small northern California town where a young man named Steven is attacked, beaten senseless, robbed of his backpack which contains everything he owns or holds dear—including a brick of high-grade marijuana he obtained on credit and planned on selling when he got to San Francisco. He regains consciousness in a dazed state, barely able to keep it together once he realizes he has no money, no cell phone and most importantly, no ID. It was all in his backpack. Groggy and trying to refocus, Steven is befriended by a man named Quinn, who offers the young man a cigarette, some life advice . . . and a ride to San Francisco. What Steven doesn’t realize however, is that once he gets into the car his life will be changed forever, because his apparent savior is really a devil in disguise. Quinn, just released from prison, is on a homicidal rampage and a personal mission of retribution, revenge and payback. It’s a dead-end journey that will take a naive young man on an electrifying journey through the steamy underbelly of one of the world’s greatest cities. The cast of characters includes cutthroat gangsters, corrupt cops, criminal politicians and death-peddling drug lords, all of whom are trying to find and kidnap a young woman named Teresa, who somehow holds the key to a secret that will expose a decades-old scandal which will tear City Hall apart. As Steven rides along, Quinn dispenses his savage brand of street justice while a sadistic, coked-up, crooked cop chases him and a pair of outclassed, outgunned and mismatched small town lawmen chase them all. The action in this novel is unceasing, the trail blood-soaked and the denouement breath-taking. The MBR’s final take: If there was a list of the world’s best hard-boiled and noir crime fiction . . . American Static by Tom Pitts would be in the top ten of all time. Oh, yeah. It’s that good!
Mysterious Book Report No. 300
by John Dwaine McKenna
The Mysterious Book Report has reached another milestone with this, our 300th review. It’s taken a little more than six years and a couple of hundred thousand words to get to this point, so we wanted to mark the occasion with something special . . . something out of the ordinary . . . something so memorable that every reader will recall the plot whenever they look at the cover. We found just what we were looking for in a novel one reviewer referred to as A hot dose of pure adrenaline that will leave you gasping for breath and begging for more. It is beyond a doubt one of the finest noir yarns we’ve read in years . . .
American Static, (Down & Out Books, PB $17.95, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-943402-84-7) by Tom Pitts opens at warp speed and never slows down. It begins in a small northern California town where a young man named Steven is attacked, beaten senseless, robbed of his backpack which contains everything he owns or holds dear—including a brick of high-grade marijuana he obtained on credit and planned on selling when he got to San Francisco. He regains consciousness in a dazed state, barely able to keep it together once he realizes he has no money, no cell phone and most importantly, no ID. It was all in his backpack. Groggy and trying to refocus, Steven is befriended by a man named Quinn, who offers the young man a cigarette, some life advice . . . and a ride to San Francisco. What Steven doesn’t realize however, is that once he gets into the car his life will be changed forever, because his apparent savior is really a devil in disguise. Quinn, just released from prison, is on a homicidal rampage and a personal mission of retribution, revenge and payback. It’s a dead-end journey that will take a naive young man on an electrifying journey through the steamy underbelly of one of the world’s greatest cities. The cast of characters includes cutthroat gangsters, corrupt cops, criminal politicians and death-peddling drug lords, all of whom are trying to find and kidnap a young woman named Teresa, who somehow holds the key to a secret that will expose a decades-old scandal which will tear City Hall apart. As Steven rides along, Quinn dispenses his savage brand of street justice while a sadistic, coked-up, crooked cop chases him and a pair of outclassed, outgunned and mismatched small town lawmen chase them all. The action in this novel is unceasing, the trail blood-soaked and the denouement breath-taking. The MBR’s final take: If there was a list of the world’s best hard-boiled and noir crime fiction . . . American Static by Tom Pitts would be in the top ten of all time. Oh, yeah. It’s that good!
August 3, 2017
It is always a pleasure to bear witness to an author grow with each book they publish. Novellas become novels, characters become more fleshed out, plots become more multidimensional, and their books just have deeper hooks that seem to pierce your soul in a different way, as if the hook now has a barb that leaves a piece inside you after the book is over.
I was bearing witness to such a growth in Tom Pitts when I dug into American Static. This novel, the second offering of his Northern California Quartet, brings to fruition to all the promise he has shown in his many novellas. The length of a novel fits Pitts well, as it allows him to stretch his plot over many story lines and allows him to bring his characters to life in a way that leaves a mark on the reader and leaves you feeling all the right emotions; concerns for the heroes in peril, anger towards the antagonists, and most importantly in the journey through a great book, caring about what happens to the characters, both good and bad ones.
I always why away from overdoing a synopsis in my reviews; hell you can go to Amazon or Goodreads for that. This plot has so much going on it is hard to offer up a paragraph to sum it up anyway. Suffice to say, it’s a great story of a boy running to escape only to end up in a nightmare way beyond his control. He encounters a man named Quinn, who may be one of the baddest bad-asses I have had the pleasure to read about in fiction as of late. Quinn goes where he wants to go, does what he wants to do, and kills who he wants to kill. The manner in which Pitts has pitted him against another psychopath, but allows Quinn to out-psycho him, allows you to see the depth of depravity that lies with Quinn’s dark, dark soul.
Books like this is why I love to read books…I was lost in Pitts’ world and loved every minute of the journey. Books like this are also why I enjoy putting out reviews…to get the opportunity to spread the word for authors who deserve a wider audience and to have the chance to put a book on someone’s radar and hope you opened their eyes to an author that will change them as a reader.
Pitts’ Northern California Quartet is two books deep and is picking up steam. The first book in the quartet was Hustle and that knocked my socks off. This book adds to the damage and I am hoping Pitts plans on following this 1-2 combo with a sharp uppercut and then the big KO. Godspeed on book 3 and 4 in the quartet…I am breathless in anticipation.
This is strong uncut stuff here and it’s highly recommended.
I was bearing witness to such a growth in Tom Pitts when I dug into American Static. This novel, the second offering of his Northern California Quartet, brings to fruition to all the promise he has shown in his many novellas. The length of a novel fits Pitts well, as it allows him to stretch his plot over many story lines and allows him to bring his characters to life in a way that leaves a mark on the reader and leaves you feeling all the right emotions; concerns for the heroes in peril, anger towards the antagonists, and most importantly in the journey through a great book, caring about what happens to the characters, both good and bad ones.
I always why away from overdoing a synopsis in my reviews; hell you can go to Amazon or Goodreads for that. This plot has so much going on it is hard to offer up a paragraph to sum it up anyway. Suffice to say, it’s a great story of a boy running to escape only to end up in a nightmare way beyond his control. He encounters a man named Quinn, who may be one of the baddest bad-asses I have had the pleasure to read about in fiction as of late. Quinn goes where he wants to go, does what he wants to do, and kills who he wants to kill. The manner in which Pitts has pitted him against another psychopath, but allows Quinn to out-psycho him, allows you to see the depth of depravity that lies with Quinn’s dark, dark soul.
Books like this is why I love to read books…I was lost in Pitts’ world and loved every minute of the journey. Books like this are also why I enjoy putting out reviews…to get the opportunity to spread the word for authors who deserve a wider audience and to have the chance to put a book on someone’s radar and hope you opened their eyes to an author that will change them as a reader.
Pitts’ Northern California Quartet is two books deep and is picking up steam. The first book in the quartet was Hustle and that knocked my socks off. This book adds to the damage and I am hoping Pitts plans on following this 1-2 combo with a sharp uppercut and then the big KO. Godspeed on book 3 and 4 in the quartet…I am breathless in anticipation.
This is strong uncut stuff here and it’s highly recommended.
August 18, 2017
Well, hot damn, Tom Pitts did it again! This guy has a gift with words and complex characters. This book is a gritty, fast paced, crime novel. It was packed with bad men, big guns, drugs, and corrupted cops. Oh, and one Heroin addict chick. It was a down and dirty, sleazy crime novel. And I loved it.
American Static starts off with a bang. Yes, a true bang to the back of our protagonist's, Steven, head. This guy just hops off the bus to take a smoke break and two guys beat the crap out of him. They steal his backpack which contains everything he owns, along with some weed that he is smuggling in for a buyer. Next thing you know you have this handsome stranger, Quinn, come to Steve's rescue. He assures Steve that they will capture these guys and get Steve his belongings. Of course Quinn has no intention of helping Steve. Quinn is a psychopathic killer that is only looking out for himself. He uses Steve to lure Teresa into Quinn's web of lies. Steve approaches Teresa and says that her dad wants to see her. Well, Teresa is not having anything to do with this crazy Quinn guy. She takes one look and loads her pockets with drugs and jumps out the back window. Not understanding what the hell is going on, Steve follows her. Well, Quinn is a murderer and he has no problem leaving a gruesome, bloody trail behind, as he continues the search for Teresa.
Meanwhile, you have two cops, young guy named Peters and the legendary Carl, taking a road trip to track down a coke-snorting, whiskey drinking, dirty ex-cop. Of course, the chase takes you into the seediest of areas, with multiple violent murders along the way. I will never look at a dinner fork the same way again. Thank you for showing us how a simple fork can cause so much pain. Mr. Pitts.
Tom Pitts is one of my all time favorite writers. He can write dialogue so clear that I am positive that I can hear those characters talking in my room. Pitts has that talent to pull you into those scenes and you find yourself saying - Look out! - to no one at all. I cannot express how much I loved this book. It may seem like I say that about every book he writes, but I can only see him getting better. If you want to travel the dark, seedy streets of San Francisco with danger lurking around every corner, well take Tom Pitts with you because he is THE MAN ! Loved it. Highly recommend it. Read it! Just grab all his books. Pure talent.
American Static starts off with a bang. Yes, a true bang to the back of our protagonist's, Steven, head. This guy just hops off the bus to take a smoke break and two guys beat the crap out of him. They steal his backpack which contains everything he owns, along with some weed that he is smuggling in for a buyer. Next thing you know you have this handsome stranger, Quinn, come to Steve's rescue. He assures Steve that they will capture these guys and get Steve his belongings. Of course Quinn has no intention of helping Steve. Quinn is a psychopathic killer that is only looking out for himself. He uses Steve to lure Teresa into Quinn's web of lies. Steve approaches Teresa and says that her dad wants to see her. Well, Teresa is not having anything to do with this crazy Quinn guy. She takes one look and loads her pockets with drugs and jumps out the back window. Not understanding what the hell is going on, Steve follows her. Well, Quinn is a murderer and he has no problem leaving a gruesome, bloody trail behind, as he continues the search for Teresa.
Meanwhile, you have two cops, young guy named Peters and the legendary Carl, taking a road trip to track down a coke-snorting, whiskey drinking, dirty ex-cop. Of course, the chase takes you into the seediest of areas, with multiple violent murders along the way. I will never look at a dinner fork the same way again. Thank you for showing us how a simple fork can cause so much pain. Mr. Pitts.
Tom Pitts is one of my all time favorite writers. He can write dialogue so clear that I am positive that I can hear those characters talking in my room. Pitts has that talent to pull you into those scenes and you find yourself saying - Look out! - to no one at all. I cannot express how much I loved this book. It may seem like I say that about every book he writes, but I can only see him getting better. If you want to travel the dark, seedy streets of San Francisco with danger lurking around every corner, well take Tom Pitts with you because he is THE MAN ! Loved it. Highly recommend it. Read it! Just grab all his books. Pure talent.
April 25, 2017
Tom Pitts has written a thrilling adventure full of action,crime, and corruption filled with a great cast of characters all within a fantastic story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end! A wonderful book!
March 21, 2019
What to say here that has probably not already been said about the writing of Tom Pitts? Just read it, ok, and find out for yourselves. I'll give it this...taut, humorous, well-paced and entertaining. A page-turner with memorable characters especially if you have a feel for San Francisco and environs, as gritty and realistic images flashed through my head throughout the reading and here, again, looking back during this mini-review. Made me want to sit in an alley with a pint of cheap whiskey while I watched the scenes unfold in real-time.
May 27, 2017
Very nice book, filled with violent revenge plots, and a couple of kids trying to find their way. Liked the book alot, almost five stars for me, but just fell a little short in the character development part for me. had a couple characters that i just needed a little more from to really push it to five stars. But a very enjoyable novel that was a ton of fun to read. Just would have liked to get to know the characters just a little more.
September 6, 2017
This is the first book I have read by Tom Pitts. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While some parts of it were a little predictable, there were still many twists that kept me reading till the end. The characters were perfectly depicted. There was a lot of action without going into a lot of background descriptions, which I find boring in a book. I would definitely recommend this book for mystery/thriller book fans.
October 31, 2017
reading American Static made me late for work, kept me from cleaning my room, got into my dreams, made me wonder how in God's name Pitts was going to get this one to end with a bang. Bingo!
September 6, 2017
American Static is a nonstop crime story with vicious, psychotic criminals written by author Tom Pitts. Thanks to NetGalley and Down & Out Books for the advance copy.
January 11, 2018
This novel is a long, detailed, twisting trail of a plot. Along the way two
small-town cops, and readers, encounter many characters, nearly all of whom
are consummate criminals in that vibrant, unusual city, Bagdad by the Bay,
San Francisco. It follows the unwanted adventure of a rural California
student, carrying weed from Humboldt County for friends to deliver to
recipients in the city. Robbed and beaten at bus stop, Steven is collected
and succored by one of the most relentlessly evil personalities one is ever
likely to meet in a single story.
The student, Steven, left penniless and beaten in a small northern
California town, is carrying a load of marijuana to people in San Francisco
when he is set upon, viciously beaten and robbed. An interested bystander
offers Steven a ride to` San Francisco with a stop or two along the way.
There is a brief suggestion of connection between the young men who robbed
and beat Steven, and Quinn, driving a stolen vehicle, who dispatches a
prominent winery owner.
Two policemen from Calisto set out to find Quinn who has disappeared into
San Francisco and begins a horrifying series of vendettas against the
employees of a major crime figure in the city. His primary motive is to
find the daughter of the crime figure, a strung-out teenager living on dope
and the streets.
Somehow, Steven, now terrified of Quinn, connects with the girl, Teresa,
and they flee together. The chase is on. Quinn after the teens, a corrupt
cop chasing Quinn, followed by two Calisto cops and everybody under threat
from the crime boss and his killer crew.
Complicated, slick maneuvering and sudden brutal murder is the hallmark of
this well-designed novel. I lost count of the number of murders, shootings,
knifings, beatings and car chase events. Suffice it to write, the novel is
excellently conceived, full of abrupt violent action. I give it a strong
recommendation of type.
August 14, 2017
After getting the crap beaten out of him and his backpack stolen, Steven accepts the help of Quinn, a stranger he met at the bus stop. There's only one condition; Steven must help Quinn find his daughter in San Francisco. What Steven will soon realize is anyone who gets in Quinn's way could wind up dead.
This was a solid thriller from start to finish. By the time I started reading the book, I had forgotten the summary on the back cover, so just about everything in the story was unexpected. While it's obvious from the beginning Quinn wasn't helping Steven out of the kindness of his heart, it still was shocking how Quinn was so twisted and sick. Definitely a good villain! I liked how the story alternated between the different characters. Overall, a good thriller that will keep you wondering throughout the book what will happen next.
I received a free copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.
This was a solid thriller from start to finish. By the time I started reading the book, I had forgotten the summary on the back cover, so just about everything in the story was unexpected. While it's obvious from the beginning Quinn wasn't helping Steven out of the kindness of his heart, it still was shocking how Quinn was so twisted and sick. Definitely a good villain! I liked how the story alternated between the different characters. Overall, a good thriller that will keep you wondering throughout the book what will happen next.
I received a free copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinions.
July 4, 2017
This is a lot of fun. On the surface level, you have the excitement of propulsive chases through San Francisco (and other parts of the Bay Area, as well as northern California). Tom Pitts really knows his city and makes superb use of his locations.
Beyond that, Pitts presents a great array of characters. My special favorite was Quinn, the psycho with movie-star looks. After that came Tremblay, the booze-soaked coke fiend bad ex-cop. But there are many other well-developed personalities beyond that, notably Carl Bradley, the compassionate old retired cop.
Pitts also did an excellent job of keeping his central plot twist under wraps.
Beyond that, Pitts presents a great array of characters. My special favorite was Quinn, the psycho with movie-star looks. After that came Tremblay, the booze-soaked coke fiend bad ex-cop. But there are many other well-developed personalities beyond that, notably Carl Bradley, the compassionate old retired cop.
Pitts also did an excellent job of keeping his central plot twist under wraps.
September 13, 2017
This thriller has everything: murder, corruption, drugs, a heroin-addled femme fatale...all set in San Francisco, which of course means frantic chase scenes as well. When Steven gets involved with Quinn he has no idea what he is in for as Quinn proves to be a ruthless, cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to find his daughter, Theresa. Cops on his trail, the two battle both good guys and bad guys, all the while uncovering a mystery that ties everything together. Fast-paced and often humorous, this novel moves at warp speed so beware!
August 26, 2017
Well, this was totally out of my genre, but I really loved the story and how it unfolded. There are some very shady characters and some innocents who are dragged into chaos. Steven is a young man trying to make a living and Teresa is a daughter determined to get away from her father. Quinn is ruthless and he intends to find Teresa. Major secrets and alot of corruption. Truly a fascinating story. You definitely have to read this book.
October 13, 2017
American Static was written by a local author who lives in my area. I enjoyed many of the references
particularly in San Francisco where I lived for several years and still visit frequently.
I will say that the genre for me was a step away from my norm but I do enjoy a mystery/thriller and I would consider this to be one. The plot moved well and kept me interested.
particularly in San Francisco where I lived for several years and still visit frequently.
I will say that the genre for me was a step away from my norm but I do enjoy a mystery/thriller and I would consider this to be one. The plot moved well and kept me interested.
October 18, 2017
Could be better
Starts out strong but the last half just sputtered along. A killer murders someone and runs to San Francisco to extract some revenge for the past. Chased by a retired cop. It just becomes an endless loop of meaningless chases and killings. I was sorry to see something that starts so strong run out of gas half way through
Starts out strong but the last half just sputtered along. A killer murders someone and runs to San Francisco to extract some revenge for the past. Chased by a retired cop. It just becomes an endless loop of meaningless chases and killings. I was sorry to see something that starts so strong run out of gas half way through
April 28, 2018
American Static is a wild ride.
October 16, 2022
One thing I'm certain of, Tom Pitts can write great crime fiction noir. I've read 6 of his novels and they have all been a pleasure. If you like gritty crime fiction check this guy out.
April 25, 2018
I read and enjoyed Hustle by this author, so I wanted to give this one a try. while not as in the gutter (figuratively and literally) as that one, American Static is an even better action packed, page turning heck of a good read. the action starts with the first scene and doesn't let up until the end. this features quite a few characters but I really found myself rooting for retired cop Carl who gets dragged into this murder mystery as it escalates into multiple homicides and kidnappings. would love to read more books with this character. I don't want to say too much about the plot, but their were plenty of surprises and the gradual increase in the level of violence was both surprising to me the reader as well as some characters in the book. thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, much appreciated. 4+ stars
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