Sunk Costs

by Preston Lang

Dan is a con man and a drifter just looking for a ride east. A strange woman in a business suit picks him up on the highway, and soon they’re going 70-miles-an-hour and she’s got a gun pointed at his head. Instead of shooting him, she hits him with a proposition to make some fast money. Against his better judgment, Dan sneaks into her office and steals the key to a safe deposit box. He thinks he’s made a clean getaway until he’s stopped on the way out by Kate, a sultry accountant who knows something is up and is looking for a way in on the score.


Kate offers Dan a better deal, and the two figure out a way into the box. But there’s no money inside. What they do find is enough to track down a shady photographer who holds the promise of even more treasure. But deception, misdirection, and murder keep Dan on the run, as he begins to realize that Kate the office drone is not what she seems, and the lady on the highway who he double-crossed may be the most dangerous criminal he’s ever met.

ebook

Published May 18, 2018

About the author

Preston Lang is a writer.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The hitchhiker stood by the side of the road and leveled his thumb in the calm calculus of reason." - J. Morrison. Sunk Costs is Preston Lang's latest foray into the world of crime fiction. Like a classic pulp tale (but reset in a modern office park), the protagonist here (Dan) is just an ordinary hitchhiker minding his own business, hitching a ride outta town. But, as fate would have it, he picked the wrong car for a quiet journey. Between bizarro questions about manhole covers, guns pointed at him, bagel deliveries, backstabbers, identity fraud, and a secret hidden treasure that everyone's after, Dan will never have a quiet moment again. Dan might just be a trouble magnet. The characters are all a bit off-kilter, improvising as they go along. This is a short, quick read. In these days of 500-page magnum opuses, here's something less than 200 pages that feels like a lot less pages.

[A.B. Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've become a huge fan of Preston Lang's work - he consistently delivers superb hard-boiled and noir crime fiction. And this latest release is no exception.
Sunk Costs sees Dan, a wandering con man, getting picked up hitchhiking by a female driver. To quote: "...all Dan's instincts told him she was dangerous". Yeah, always good to listen to those gut feelings, but then we wouldn't have had the great story that follows. No spoilers here, but hapless Dan, on the quest for cash like all con men, ends up messing with not one, but two, decidedly treacherous femmes fatales! Yes, Lang is a master at depicting the base instincts of people scrabbling around the lower end of the social heap, and his characterization here is wonderful as always. You're never quite sure where to land your sympathies with Lang's motley crews, and that's part of the fun of reading him. And it's noir at its best - the ugliest parts of society, but they are all out there, they really are.
If you love your hard-boiled and noir crime, then Sunk Costs is a definite candidate for your reading list!
​Great work again, Mr Lang.
Cheers,
ABP

[Scott Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've said it before, but Preston Lang is definitely a firm favourite of mine. His stories and novels are always inventive and entertaining with simmering plots that build up subtly around you. In "Sunk Costs", he does much the same and returns to the world of con artists, liars and thieves similar to his first novel "The Blind Rooster".

Dan, a drifter of Asian-American descent, is picked up and held at gunpoint by a woman looking for help with a con. Dan just has to dress as a bagel delivery guy and get a key in order to ensure a share of the loot that Heller is after. There's another player in the game though, Kate, who convinces Dan to switch allegiances.

The novel is unpredictable and flies at a break neck pace with Dan and Kate looking to get their hands on the money anyway they can. Their amateurishness is plain to see, but they are brazen with their lies and as a reader I was desperate to know if they manged to get it or not. Lang throws plenty of obstacles and characters in the way to the effect that you never know what's coming next.

If you're someone who needs likeable characters then this book probably isn't for you with almost every character lying and scheming to achieve their own ends. Lang writes strong female characters in all his books and Kate joins those ranks with her sheer will and determination to get the money and her ability to make Dan stick around no matter how many times he wants to flee.

Another great book from Lang and I'm just sorry I read it so quickly because who knows when the next one will be out.

[Ross Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my son who recommended Preston Lang's work to me and I've basically read two of his novels in two days while sitting in the sun on holiday. I read The Sin Tax first and then straight on to Sunk Costs which I didn't enjoy quite as much but its still an excellent read.
Dan is hitchhiking when he is picked up by a lone woman, Heller, who sticks a gun in his face and offers him $8,000 dollars to help her pull off a scam at a company where she previously was employed. However Dan gets rumbled by one of the female company accountants, Kate and she too has knowledge of the scam and offers Dan a better deal to assist her. They are led a merry dance in pursuit of the cash, still pursued by Heller and others who are also aware of what's going on but will they be able to track the loot down or will they be beaten to it.
Another cracking read that I found I just couldn't put down. Again the characters are not very likeable but they are really not criminal masterminds, they are just working stiffs who see a chance to grab a big score. There are crosses and double crosses aplenty and even right up to the very last page we aren't really sure who is going to win out in the end.
I don't know why I haven't heard of Preston Lang before now but I've since purchased his third novel and a collection of short stories and can't wait to get lost in them.

[Rory Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Noir" is a label that's become rather blurry. But if you read this story, it really is like the old black & white flicks such as "Detour," only with a modern setting and trappings. I've enjoyed other works by Preston Lang a good deal, notably "The Sin Tax" -- and this one is up to that standard.

[Monica Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does nothing faze Dan? This main character has guns pulled on him, is shot at, physically attacked a number of times, is told numerous stories by various shady characters attempting to make deals with him regarding recovery of stolen money (who knows who to believe or trust?), assumes a fake identity, breaks into a safety deposit box and more than one home...but he takes it all in stride! He's got this hilarious practicality taking one step at a time through these incredible crazy and dangerous and/or illegal situations as if it's all par for the course. The style reminded me a bit of Take the Money and Run (old Woody Allen movie). It's hard to root for anyone here as none of the characters are particularly honorable or good people, but it's a fun and a bit ridiculous quick read. Initially I was a little disappointed in the ending, but upon reflection decided that it was quite appropriate.

[Todd Morr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great old school noir. If you're looking for a Jim Thompson style page turner brought into the modern age this one delivers. Sunk Costs jumps right into the action and keeps it moving as small-time grifter Dan finds himself among bad girls, worse girls, bad guys and worse guys maneuvering to get their hands on some ill-gotten cash.

[Lawrence Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hitchhiker is recruited by one scheming accountant, then another, in a race to track down hundreds of thousand dollars stolen from the firm they work for. It's dialogue driven and the twists keep coming. Often funny and always riveting. Highly recommended.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Lang.

Preston Lang is a great crime writer. Laconic, terse, intelligent , funny - with tales of small crimes, grifters and losers , he reminds me of my favorite, Charles Wileford. Read this and Lang’s other books. Great escapist stuff.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m enjoying Lang’s books. There is a dark noir-ish element to the story and the characters are well written. The characters are not likable people nor are they good people but they are fun to read about, I just wish never to meet them.

[Michael Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preston Lang is one of the most talented of the new generation of noir writers, and this book is a shining example of his storytelling chops. Highly recommend.