What do you think?
Rate this book
Accidental Outlaws
Three linked crime novellas that follow working class antiheroes as they indulge in theft, murder, and lawless shenanigans. Ain’t no cops running things out this way.
In “Mesa Boys,” Ronnie plots a haphazard heist with a twisted con man. In “The Feud,” tough-as-nails Rex lets his resentment for a local pot dealer cloud his judgement. And, in “Bar Burning,” a mysterious drifter goes toe-to-toe with his new lady’s psychotic ex-husband.
Accidental Outlaws is a hellfire ride through working class America’s angsty underbelly.
In “Mesa Boys,” Ronnie plots a haphazard heist with a twisted con man. In “The Feud,” tough-as-nails Rex lets his resentment for a local pot dealer cloud his judgement. And, in “Bar Burning,” a mysterious drifter goes toe-to-toe with his new lady’s psychotic ex-husband.
Accidental Outlaws is a hellfire ride through working class America’s angsty underbelly.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2017
About the author
Matt Phillips
22 books92 followersMatt Phillips lives in San Diego. His books are A GOOD RUSH OF BLOOD, QUIET AND THE DARKNESS, TO BRING MY SHADOW, COUNTDOWN, KNOW ME FROM SMOKE, THE BAD KIND OF LUCKY, ACCIDENTAL OUTLAWS, REDBONE, BAD LUCK CITY, and THREE KINDS OF FOOL. His short fiction has been published in Tough, Mystery Tribune, Retreats from Oblivion, Shotgun Honey, and Out of the Gutter. More info at www.mattphillipswriter.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 20, 2018
Matt sure as hell knows his way around novellas!
The first two held a similar style and tone to them, not so much edgy but rather just . . . desperation winning over morals and ethics. And that's why I love noir so damn much.
The last novella, however, was the one that slowed everything down because it seemed to be more literary in style, lyrical in its harshness as opposed to just knock-out-drag-out; yet this one was my favorite because of the style it was written in.
One thing I've noticed from Matt is that he has a very visual style of storytelling, which puts him in my top author list without a doubt.
The first two held a similar style and tone to them, not so much edgy but rather just . . . desperation winning over morals and ethics. And that's why I love noir so damn much.
The last novella, however, was the one that slowed everything down because it seemed to be more literary in style, lyrical in its harshness as opposed to just knock-out-drag-out; yet this one was my favorite because of the style it was written in.
One thing I've noticed from Matt is that he has a very visual style of storytelling, which puts him in my top author list without a doubt.
February 28, 2018
This is a collection of three short stories linked by place and characters set in rural California inhabited by "trailer trash" who reside in an area known as "The Mesa". The Mesa is just outside of an unknown town and has for generations hosted the downtrodden and criminal elements of the region. Each story centres around a rivalry in these parts and how it shakes out.
The book was up and down for me with the ending to a couple of the stories being telegraphed and not surprising much. The interactions between the characters were well written and there was tension in the stories until I figured what was going to happen.
The book was up and down for me with the ending to a couple of the stories being telegraphed and not surprising much. The interactions between the characters were well written and there was tension in the stories until I figured what was going to happen.
February 11, 2021
In Matt Phillips’ Accidental Outlaws (2017), a lone biker named Packard interjects himself into the lives of people in a Southwestern working class town. He, like Shane and Driver, has painful memories, of the death of his wife. Unlike them, however, he is repressing self-doubt about his response to his wife’s death, which was withdrawal from profession and home. Unlike social isolates like Shane or James Sallis’ Driver, who have mythical heroic stature, Packard surrounds a core of anxiety with a persona of tough isolation.
He sports long unkempt hair, a black vest on his otherwise bare, tattooed torso. He’s a death-defying driver on his “black hog with chrome pipes,” coming much closer than is healthy to oncoming big rigs, thinking about the “hard wall of force” and then “the other side.” He doesn’t fear the unknown.
Packard has camped on a canyon rim that allows him a view of the isolated town. From there, he can see a ramshackle tavern in which he had an annoying experience. He was told to leave because he would not agree with the owner, Sketchy’s, racist bigotry. Detached from any societal ideal of trust, self-restrant, or justice, Packard burns down Sketchy’s place. He realizes the devilishness in doing so. “You do what feels right, and usually that’s fine.” That’s in part his death wish whispering in his ear.
The town is situated near a dusty mesa, dominated by its Walmart. That corporation thrives in such locations, where citizens’ horizons cannot go beyond the need for reliable generic goods. Bars, fast food drive-ins, and used car lots line the highway. Teenage “Mesa Boys” produce and use weed and harder drugs, and learn from the thieves and racketeers how to get money. Packard’s first act is to pull a heist at a convenience store at a gas station. He occasionally needed the excitement, and the power it gave him, although that part gave him a sense of responsibility to the victim.
In this case, the latter was a young man, Ronnie, who, with his wife Jennie, struggled to pay rent and meet basic needs like food and gas, which were especially important since his wife was pregnant, and the hospital distant. On the advice of his creepy landlord, Merle, he stole his uncle’s car. Packard liked Ronnie, because he had a “toughness that called to mind broken glass and swithblades,” and a desperation than explained stealing from his own family. Packard was hard and desperate too.
He sports long unkempt hair, a black vest on his otherwise bare, tattooed torso. He’s a death-defying driver on his “black hog with chrome pipes,” coming much closer than is healthy to oncoming big rigs, thinking about the “hard wall of force” and then “the other side.” He doesn’t fear the unknown.
Packard has camped on a canyon rim that allows him a view of the isolated town. From there, he can see a ramshackle tavern in which he had an annoying experience. He was told to leave because he would not agree with the owner, Sketchy’s, racist bigotry. Detached from any societal ideal of trust, self-restrant, or justice, Packard burns down Sketchy’s place. He realizes the devilishness in doing so. “You do what feels right, and usually that’s fine.” That’s in part his death wish whispering in his ear.
The town is situated near a dusty mesa, dominated by its Walmart. That corporation thrives in such locations, where citizens’ horizons cannot go beyond the need for reliable generic goods. Bars, fast food drive-ins, and used car lots line the highway. Teenage “Mesa Boys” produce and use weed and harder drugs, and learn from the thieves and racketeers how to get money. Packard’s first act is to pull a heist at a convenience store at a gas station. He occasionally needed the excitement, and the power it gave him, although that part gave him a sense of responsibility to the victim.
In this case, the latter was a young man, Ronnie, who, with his wife Jennie, struggled to pay rent and meet basic needs like food and gas, which were especially important since his wife was pregnant, and the hospital distant. On the advice of his creepy landlord, Merle, he stole his uncle’s car. Packard liked Ronnie, because he had a “toughness that called to mind broken glass and swithblades,” and a desperation than explained stealing from his own family. Packard was hard and desperate too.
November 8, 2021
Three inter-connected novellas that take place in the California desert. Dark and gritty tales of crime noir. A great read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews