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Redbone
Calvin G. Redbone, veteran, is a simple man with a simple routine. He lives in a travel trailer, details cars, takes practice swings with his Louisville Slugger. His weekdays are always the nothing more complicated than deciding whether to doctor his morning coffee with a splash of bourbon. Until his world begins to change. Until his best friend winds up dead. Until Calvin realizes that nothing is as simple as it appears on the surface. Maybe not even Calvin G. Redbone himself. As he begins to unravel the truth about his friend’s life and death, the question what’s Calvin going to do about it? Written in sharp-edged prose,Redbone is a captivating murder ballad-noir. "In Calvin G. Redbone Matt Phillips has created a character Jim Thompson would have been proud of and that ain’t no shit either. The pressure builds and builds inside the man’s head until the release valve blows its top and the tiny town of Bumblefuck Nowhere is swept away in his new-born rage." -Gunnar Davíðsson "In REDBONE, Matt Phillips speaks fluently the language of the dispossessed, the man with a quiet dignity who finds himself in a shit situation. His whiskey-soaked prose can at times be as slick as a man slinging snake-oil, and other times as brutal as a baseball bat to the back of the head. If you come at REDBONE with anything less than a bottle of bourbon, consider yourself unarmed. Phillips is cooking up something nasty in that trailer park." -Eryk Pruitt, author of Hashtag and Dirtbags "Phillips’ way with words is wonderful and gritty. He paints sharp, cutting scenes with a main character that is full and rough. Beyond that, he peppers the action with tight quips, imagining a very true world through a very discerning set of eyes. There were so many stellar lines... [Phillips] is graduating quickly into some seriously good writing." -Tim Learn "Another treat for us all. The conclusion seems inevitable, but Phillips manages to keep up the tension throughout. In Redbone the team at Fahrenheit 13 have another winner on their hands." -Nigel Bird (author of Southsiders and Smoke) "There is just so much to like about Redbone. Phillips’ writing is so multi-layered and deep it fills his characters with a realness that is usually lacking in novels. Calvin is a character that will have you sympathizing for him and his plight. This book left me with a sense that Phillips will be an author to watch out for. I for one will be marveling at all the books he comes out with in the future." -Regular Guy Reading Noir "Great characters and setting, Calvin retained my sympathies even after he crossed the line. Dark, but very enjoyable." -Col's Criminal Library
- GenresCrime
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2015
2 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Matt Phillips
22 books91 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
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 25, 2015
Calvin G. Redbone lives in a trailer park, works a steady job, and has a small group of friends. He's also got a baseball bat - which happens to be the tool of choice for Redbone's one way ticket to self destruction.
When his closest friend Mister is found dead in his trailer. Redbone can't accept the cause as suicide; Mister had to have been forced to eat his gun and Redbone is determined to prove the police wrong.
Enter Mister's estranged son looking to cash in on Mister's death, an out-of-town real estate developer with plans to build a mall on land Mister may or may not have owned (there is some debate about this), and Redbone's own boss who has ties to the out-of-town developer. Forming a connection of coincidences, Redbone sniffs a conspiracy and sets out to cause casualties.
The linear plot follows the main character in Redbone with little deviation from his grief stricken madness. He losses everything, interacts with some peripheral characters and causes mayhem. I kept waiting for a killing spree or some twisted turn that would compliment Redbone's state of mind, however the additional content, despite being teased (the land ownership and Redbone's boss's gambling problems to name a few) didn't come to fruition. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did, I just think it would've benefited from having more depth to compliment the plot.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
When his closest friend Mister is found dead in his trailer. Redbone can't accept the cause as suicide; Mister had to have been forced to eat his gun and Redbone is determined to prove the police wrong.
Enter Mister's estranged son looking to cash in on Mister's death, an out-of-town real estate developer with plans to build a mall on land Mister may or may not have owned (there is some debate about this), and Redbone's own boss who has ties to the out-of-town developer. Forming a connection of coincidences, Redbone sniffs a conspiracy and sets out to cause casualties.
The linear plot follows the main character in Redbone with little deviation from his grief stricken madness. He losses everything, interacts with some peripheral characters and causes mayhem. I kept waiting for a killing spree or some twisted turn that would compliment Redbone's state of mind, however the additional content, despite being teased (the land ownership and Redbone's boss's gambling problems to name a few) didn't come to fruition. Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did, I just think it would've benefited from having more depth to compliment the plot.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
May 10, 2019
Redbone is the first book I have read by Matt Phillips. It is a slow burn working towards a man's own, unwavering destruction. There are flashes of hope but in the end the man just can not get out of his own way. Poor Calvin G. Redbone, he coulda been a contender. Instead we are left to ponder a world of what could and should have been. A bleak piece of noir. Go on, get some.
January 30, 2020
This book is awesome! It has an authentic vintage feel, but part of that is the seeming inevitability of damn near everything that happens through the story--as if it is a dream--and that's saying something considering madness lies at its heart. There is such a simple grace to the telling here. I love that dialogue is not a big part of the narrative, but there are any number of one-liners spoken that made me stop and shake my head and laugh out loud. Bravo!
October 17, 2018
His best friend killed himself, he lost his job, and now somebody is going to tear down his favorite drive-in. Calvin Redbone is having a very bad day.
This was a good example of small town noir. It’s a slow burn but provides plenty of character. A solid crime story that comes to a violent and inevitable ending.
This was a good example of small town noir. It’s a slow burn but provides plenty of character. A solid crime story that comes to a violent and inevitable ending.
July 20, 2019
Calvin G. Redbone is a veteran who still carries the scars of his service and the atrocities that he witnessed. He lives a simple structured life where each working day mirrors the previous day and this existence seems to suit him. He lives in a trailer park, details cars at a used car lot for a living, enjoys jam donuts, laces his morning coffee with a shot of liquor & likes to take a few practice swing with his Louisville slugger each morning.
However one day his life is turned upside down when his best friend Mister is found dead in a neighbouring trailer, having apparently blown his own brains out. The day goes from bad to worse when he loses his job and subsequently finds out that the disused drive-in theatre is to be turned into a shopping mall. Mister’s estranged son turns up, following his fathers death and Redbone starts to form the opinion that a conspiracy maybe afoot when he sees the son in the company of the land developer Grimace. Redbone doesn’t really have the skills to investigate the apparent crimes and instead turns to what he knows best and tries to resolve the situation by resorting to violence.
This is an enjoyable noir thriller with a compelling protagonist in Calvin G. Redbone. The novel deals more with the character of Redbone and his descent as he tries to cope with the events that start to unfold around him. He’s not a ‘detective’ and doesn’t really know how to prove what he apparently uncovers and instead he tries to deal with the situation by resorting to violence. The violence and destruction builds and he hits out at those who he sees that have wronged him in the past and not just the players in the perceived conspiracy. If I have a gripe about the book it’s that there are a few strands of the story that are revealed which I thought they would have been further explored.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Matt Phillips but on the strengths of this it won’t be the last.
However one day his life is turned upside down when his best friend Mister is found dead in a neighbouring trailer, having apparently blown his own brains out. The day goes from bad to worse when he loses his job and subsequently finds out that the disused drive-in theatre is to be turned into a shopping mall. Mister’s estranged son turns up, following his fathers death and Redbone starts to form the opinion that a conspiracy maybe afoot when he sees the son in the company of the land developer Grimace. Redbone doesn’t really have the skills to investigate the apparent crimes and instead turns to what he knows best and tries to resolve the situation by resorting to violence.
This is an enjoyable noir thriller with a compelling protagonist in Calvin G. Redbone. The novel deals more with the character of Redbone and his descent as he tries to cope with the events that start to unfold around him. He’s not a ‘detective’ and doesn’t really know how to prove what he apparently uncovers and instead he tries to deal with the situation by resorting to violence. The violence and destruction builds and he hits out at those who he sees that have wronged him in the past and not just the players in the perceived conspiracy. If I have a gripe about the book it’s that there are a few strands of the story that are revealed which I thought they would have been further explored.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Matt Phillips but on the strengths of this it won’t be the last.
August 2, 2024
An earlier book of Matt Phillips that shows the quality of his continued work. A nice tale of crime noir showing how quickly things in a persons life can spiral out of control.
May 15, 2015
I’ve read this author’s earlier stuff and can say he is graduating quickly into some seriously good writing. It is wonderful to see such quick growth. In this book, too, he bounds forward in his first longer piece. It’s good, and you should read it if only to get in on the ground floor. This book is a triple play to which I’m certain a homerun is coming soon in this author’s future.
If you like to see a man and his life come apart, then this book is for you. This book shines in Calvin’s slow psychological breakdown. Every step is vivid and believable, which is no small feat. I cannot get over how fun each sentence is, from a writing standpoint. In fact, it smacks of such stark reality that I wouldn’t find it far-fetched to hear of this story in many local papers around America. The little man is stepped on, and in his anger, isn’t so little anymore.
If you like to see a man and his life come apart, then this book is for you. This book shines in Calvin’s slow psychological breakdown. Every step is vivid and believable, which is no small feat. I cannot get over how fun each sentence is, from a writing standpoint. In fact, it smacks of such stark reality that I wouldn’t find it far-fetched to hear of this story in many local papers around America. The little man is stepped on, and in his anger, isn’t so little anymore.
August 16, 2015
It's not perfect, but it's damn good. I loved and sympathized with the character of Redbone. There were many finely etched details, especially the sporting and music aspects, that made Redbone fully realized. The atmosphere (trailer park, desert) and plot were very well drawn. The supporting characters were all excellent. It's sad and moving and easy to identify with.
May 21, 2015
Really nice installment in the #13 press lineup this year.....book read like a pressure cooker that was plugged up, you could just feel the pressure building and just knew that is was gonna blow. Enjoyed this one
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May 11, 2017Good characters, you can feel the main one simmer with rage as the world around him changes and lets him down. Essentially, he is kept down, expects little and is an unknown. But, he simmers, a continue low boil, like a predator in wait. Charlie Redbone will surprise you.
August 26, 2015
Started out well. It had good dialogue and interesting and appropriately colourful characters. Felt like it was going to work up to something. Unfortunately, that "something" was painfully predictable. This really should have been a short story, not enough plot to sustain a novella.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews