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Luke Fischer #1
Surf City Acid Drop
In between happy hours at the El Rayo Verde, Luke Fischer is hired to find people – even when he denies that he is a detective. When Luke finds a dead junkie in his hotel room, he knows his lazy days of Mexican beer, surf rock, and Cholula soaked peanuts are about to end. Fearing the local policia will tie him to the murder, Luke bolts from Puerto Vallarta and abandons his search for his client’s wandering brother. When Luke runs into a thug known as Mostly Harold, who has a fondness for lizard boots and Burt Bacharach, he discovers that he is not the only one looking for his client’s brother. Luke chases leads into Colorado Springs, the hazy mountains of Missoula, and all the way to the street life of Montreal. Along the way, Luke finds out the truth about his client, and why someone would pay a fortune for a bag of stolen rocks... but more importantly, why he was really hired.
- GenresFiction
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2015
65 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 6, 2021
"My life down in PV, for the most part, was simple. I needed enough scratch to pay my bill at the Esperanza, beer and peanuts at Jimmie's, fish tacos at one of the stands, and occasionally a decent restaurant meal. Jobs found me, either from Benno or people that knew him, and then were sent my way. Bar conversations led to a piece of work here or there."
SURF CITY ACID DROP is as agreeably raggedy and shaggedy as a daybreak surf break, and washes over the reader with the same warm splash of sensory pleasure. Every passage and page is infused with a tropical sunburst of cheerfully aggressive color, and makes up for its convoluted plot and then some with its more impressionistic virtues. It's hard not to be sucked into the undertow of prose like "I had no intention of introducing myself. Besides the fact that I looked like something dragged behind a segunda bus, I didn't want to ruin the moment of hearing the ocean wind mixed with a beautiful woman's smile" and "For me, Melaque had all I needed. A few simple palapas, white sand, gentle breeze off the Pacific, and a damn fine market with some of the best food I'd had since I came to Mex. Hell, even the roosters had a softer cockadoodle here."
You can play spot the hardboiled influence here — in the two-fisted, cordite-smoked, grimly wisecracking adventures of Luke Fischer, Pacifico-pounding fixer for hire, I saw Day Keene, Don Winslow, Elmore Leonard, Kem Nunn, Ross Macdonald, JOHN D. MACDONALD, James Crumley, Charles Willeford, Joe R. Lansdale and a lot more. Or you can try and untangle the chain of gunpoint logic that takes Fischer in search of a missing miscreant from his home base of Puerto Vallarta to New Mexico and Montana and Michigan and Montreal with an ever-changing cast of thugs and losers riding shotgun. Or you can just sit back and let SURF CITY ACID DROP wash over you as a dreamy picaresque, as agreeably as a cool drink at a beachfront cantina, and enjoy the surf roll of deadpan dialogue and double crosses and desert detours and not worry too much about much else. That was my chosen path, and it got me where I wanted to go. You can smoke lines like "Look, here's an idea. Everyone shut the f**k up. I'm low on sleep, the coffee around here sucks, and I'm pretty d*mn certain that egg salad is doing the salmonella disco through my digestive tract right now" and "The sun glinted off the Pacific. The pelicans were awake ahead of me this morning. A pack of them, looking like insurance salesman at a conference, waddled behind a teenaged kid who dragged a net full of fish" and "The tide washed in, a storybook moon rose above the ocean, and the nylon strings of a classical guitar plucked along with each appearing star" with the same pleasure that comes from taking a pull of Acapulco Gold while sitting on the Pacific sand at sunset.
SURF CITY ACID DROP isn't anything blazingly original or apocalyptically transcendent. But its melange of influences and imagination explodes of the ear's tongue, so to speak, and adds up to something all its own beyond the reach of homage and pastiche. I wished it had been gotten better line-editing, for its wandering punctuation and other periodic lapses sometimes pulled me out of my agreeable reading daze, but the bottom line is that Craig Terlson is a real talent, and I'm on board with whatever else he puts out into the world.
SURF CITY ACID DROP is as agreeably raggedy and shaggedy as a daybreak surf break, and washes over the reader with the same warm splash of sensory pleasure. Every passage and page is infused with a tropical sunburst of cheerfully aggressive color, and makes up for its convoluted plot and then some with its more impressionistic virtues. It's hard not to be sucked into the undertow of prose like "I had no intention of introducing myself. Besides the fact that I looked like something dragged behind a segunda bus, I didn't want to ruin the moment of hearing the ocean wind mixed with a beautiful woman's smile" and "For me, Melaque had all I needed. A few simple palapas, white sand, gentle breeze off the Pacific, and a damn fine market with some of the best food I'd had since I came to Mex. Hell, even the roosters had a softer cockadoodle here."
You can play spot the hardboiled influence here — in the two-fisted, cordite-smoked, grimly wisecracking adventures of Luke Fischer, Pacifico-pounding fixer for hire, I saw Day Keene, Don Winslow, Elmore Leonard, Kem Nunn, Ross Macdonald, JOHN D. MACDONALD, James Crumley, Charles Willeford, Joe R. Lansdale and a lot more. Or you can try and untangle the chain of gunpoint logic that takes Fischer in search of a missing miscreant from his home base of Puerto Vallarta to New Mexico and Montana and Michigan and Montreal with an ever-changing cast of thugs and losers riding shotgun. Or you can just sit back and let SURF CITY ACID DROP wash over you as a dreamy picaresque, as agreeably as a cool drink at a beachfront cantina, and enjoy the surf roll of deadpan dialogue and double crosses and desert detours and not worry too much about much else. That was my chosen path, and it got me where I wanted to go. You can smoke lines like "Look, here's an idea. Everyone shut the f**k up. I'm low on sleep, the coffee around here sucks, and I'm pretty d*mn certain that egg salad is doing the salmonella disco through my digestive tract right now" and "The sun glinted off the Pacific. The pelicans were awake ahead of me this morning. A pack of them, looking like insurance salesman at a conference, waddled behind a teenaged kid who dragged a net full of fish" and "The tide washed in, a storybook moon rose above the ocean, and the nylon strings of a classical guitar plucked along with each appearing star" with the same pleasure that comes from taking a pull of Acapulco Gold while sitting on the Pacific sand at sunset.
SURF CITY ACID DROP isn't anything blazingly original or apocalyptically transcendent. But its melange of influences and imagination explodes of the ear's tongue, so to speak, and adds up to something all its own beyond the reach of homage and pastiche. I wished it had been gotten better line-editing, for its wandering punctuation and other periodic lapses sometimes pulled me out of my agreeable reading daze, but the bottom line is that Craig Terlson is a real talent, and I'm on board with whatever else he puts out into the world.
September 27, 2023
I have never tried a Pacifico but it's now on my list of beers to try. I just found out that you can get them here in Sweden. Surf City Acid Drop by Craig Terlson is the first book about Luke Fischer, a Canadian living in Mexico and trying to do as little as possible. He is on the other hand a persistent kind of guy and really good at finding people. That quality gets him into a lot of trouble. This book is a wild ride with lots of complications for Luke. He works mainly for a guy called Benno and what Benno does no one seems to really know. Sometimes he works for whoever pays him to keep drinking beer. That is not always a good thing. I got the third book from the author and found it enjoyable enough to go back and start this series from the beginning and I instantly bought books 1 and 2. I can really recommend that you try these books out especially if you are a fan of the movie and tv show Fargo.
August 16, 2021
Surf City Acid Drop by Craig Terlson introduces us to Luke Fischer who lives in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and has a penchant for finding people but as he likes to tell everyone, ‘I’m not a Detective !. He does some ‘security’ work for local boss Benno when he’s not hunting down folks that don’t want to be found and also delivers ‘packages’ for him too. He’s employed by Cynthia Forrester to track down her brother Jules who has gotten in tow with some kind of artistic movement. Luke is then led on a merry dance that takes him on an unplanned road trip from Mexico all the way to Montreal in pursuit of Jules and some stolen rocks. Along the way he makes the acquaintance of another ‘detective’ Mostly Harold who is also apparently seeking the same target as Luke but is he friend or foe. All roads eventually lead back to PV and a bloody showdown involving all the interested parties.
The story reads like an old fashioned classic noir novel and I liked the character of Luke Fischer and also all the other oddball characters that proliferate theses pages. I also enjoyed the sharp dialogue especially between Luke and Mostly Harold. What I didn’t enjoy so much was the long convoluted plot that for me didn’t really cut it. However it’s still an enjoyable read and also looking forward to reading Manestique the second in the series.
The story reads like an old fashioned classic noir novel and I liked the character of Luke Fischer and also all the other oddball characters that proliferate theses pages. I also enjoyed the sharp dialogue especially between Luke and Mostly Harold. What I didn’t enjoy so much was the long convoluted plot that for me didn’t really cut it. However it’s still an enjoyable read and also looking forward to reading Manestique the second in the series.
February 24, 2025
Helluva read
Absolutely loved this. Luke Fischer is kind-of Marlowe with dashes of Reacher and Isaiah Coleridge - a down-on-his-luck, smart-mouthed tough guy who just can’t let something be. But he’s not a moral crusader, more a guy whose mouth and curiosity gets him into trouble. Which is to say, one of this novel’s great strengths is its likeable, quick-witted lead.
Much like a Raymond Chandler novel the dialogue is smart and snappy, the story twists and turns, memorable characters flit in and out, and Fischer works his way (stumbles, maybe?) to a conclusion. But despite those old hardboiled tales being in Surf City Acid Drop’s DNA, it’s very much a modern, grimy take, but with just the right level of romanticism and amorality to set it apart.
Overall, this is a fabulous book, so I’ll be looking forward to checking out the next in the series. And I got a real hankering for Pacificos now too.
Absolutely loved this. Luke Fischer is kind-of Marlowe with dashes of Reacher and Isaiah Coleridge - a down-on-his-luck, smart-mouthed tough guy who just can’t let something be. But he’s not a moral crusader, more a guy whose mouth and curiosity gets him into trouble. Which is to say, one of this novel’s great strengths is its likeable, quick-witted lead.
Much like a Raymond Chandler novel the dialogue is smart and snappy, the story twists and turns, memorable characters flit in and out, and Fischer works his way (stumbles, maybe?) to a conclusion. But despite those old hardboiled tales being in Surf City Acid Drop’s DNA, it’s very much a modern, grimy take, but with just the right level of romanticism and amorality to set it apart.
Overall, this is a fabulous book, so I’ll be looking forward to checking out the next in the series. And I got a real hankering for Pacificos now too.
September 17, 2024
Surf City Acid Drop, the first book in the Luke Fischer series, is very much a roller coaster ride: the first quarter of the book showcases Terlson’s ability to establish setting and define his characters (both *very* strong aspects of his writing) before getting to the point of no return and barreling you into nonstop action for the remainder of the ride.
The story opens with Fischer being hired to find a woman’s missing brother. What initially starts as a missing-person case in Puerto Vallarta quickly escalates into an international affair as Fischer (with help from questionable friends like benefactor Benno and tough guy Mostly Harold) becomes entrenched in a complex mystery that had my head spinning with possibilities throughout.
Looking forward to books 2 (Manistique) and 3 (Three Minute Hero), both of which are already queued up in my library.
The story opens with Fischer being hired to find a woman’s missing brother. What initially starts as a missing-person case in Puerto Vallarta quickly escalates into an international affair as Fischer (with help from questionable friends like benefactor Benno and tough guy Mostly Harold) becomes entrenched in a complex mystery that had my head spinning with possibilities throughout.
Looking forward to books 2 (Manistique) and 3 (Three Minute Hero), both of which are already queued up in my library.
June 6, 2021
Fun read
This was a fun read for someone, like me, who enjoys the hard-boiled detective genre. The main character was likeable, the plot not too incredible, and the writing breezy. The one thing that kept me from giving it a 5 was the frequency of mistakes. I found myself correcting or at least noting them on my Kindle.
Oh, well. Nobody is perfect.
This was a fun read for someone, like me, who enjoys the hard-boiled detective genre. The main character was likeable, the plot not too incredible, and the writing breezy. The one thing that kept me from giving it a 5 was the frequency of mistakes. I found myself correcting or at least noting them on my Kindle.
Oh, well. Nobody is perfect.
September 13, 2024
I pity Cassandra. Clairvoyance is a bitch.
I have only myself to blame, as usual. I read Three Minute Hero (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) first. So I was afraid that this book might be ruined because I would second guess what would happen that would lead up to TMH.
I should have known better.
The Plot.
The plot. It's complicated. You would be forgiven if you keep thinking that Craig makes it up as he goes along. You would also be wrong. Read this as if it were an old-fashioned English murder mystery. There are clues on every page. And red herrings.
Telling you more would ruin the fun.
The Characters.
Just as in TMH, there are no good guys. Well, a few minor walk-on persons, especially a high school teacher that must have ended up mystified.
Luke, the Main Character is perhaps not a killer when the story starts, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Mostly Harold. I must be a bad person. I love Mostly Harold. He has no morals, but he does have standards. Which he keeps to. Mostly.
Benno. A Very Complicated Person. Who might have standards. And is very knowledgable. An enigma wrapped in a mystery.
All the other Characters are also criminals. All the Characters are also adults. Well, there is one whining teenager, but as he isn't really a teenager I don't feel the least bit sorry for him.
It must be so frustrating to be the policia in Mexico. And in Canada.
The Telling.
Craig has a nice turn of phrase. I had to stop and read many descriptions over again, because they were so novel. He is also very sneaky, he slips in the clues when you aren't looking.
If you see the ending coming, you are to be congratulated, I didn't. Of course, the whole point of the exercise is still a little bit foggy. Maybe in the next book? Maybe we aren't meant to know.
I read this with a map opened. What is it with the good citizens of the USA and road trips? In the old days I had dictionaries on hand, but ebooks and the Internet have made knowledge on obscure things and words only a few taps away. Urban Dictionary is an asset!
I recommend this very much.
I sometimes wonder if the USA actually exists. Maybe it is really long, complicated TV series that the rest of us can tune into and watch?
I am 67 years old, I am Swedish.
I have only myself to blame, as usual. I read Three Minute Hero (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) first. So I was afraid that this book might be ruined because I would second guess what would happen that would lead up to TMH.
I should have known better.
The Plot.
The plot. It's complicated. You would be forgiven if you keep thinking that Craig makes it up as he goes along. You would also be wrong. Read this as if it were an old-fashioned English murder mystery. There are clues on every page. And red herrings.
Telling you more would ruin the fun.
The Characters.
Just as in TMH, there are no good guys. Well, a few minor walk-on persons, especially a high school teacher that must have ended up mystified.
Luke, the Main Character is perhaps not a killer when the story starts, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Mostly Harold. I must be a bad person. I love Mostly Harold. He has no morals, but he does have standards. Which he keeps to. Mostly.
Benno. A Very Complicated Person. Who might have standards. And is very knowledgable. An enigma wrapped in a mystery.
All the other Characters are also criminals. All the Characters are also adults. Well, there is one whining teenager, but as he isn't really a teenager I don't feel the least bit sorry for him.
It must be so frustrating to be the policia in Mexico. And in Canada.
The Telling.
Craig has a nice turn of phrase. I had to stop and read many descriptions over again, because they were so novel. He is also very sneaky, he slips in the clues when you aren't looking.
If you see the ending coming, you are to be congratulated, I didn't. Of course, the whole point of the exercise is still a little bit foggy. Maybe in the next book? Maybe we aren't meant to know.
I read this with a map opened. What is it with the good citizens of the USA and road trips? In the old days I had dictionaries on hand, but ebooks and the Internet have made knowledge on obscure things and words only a few taps away. Urban Dictionary is an asset!
I recommend this very much.
I sometimes wonder if the USA actually exists. Maybe it is really long, complicated TV series that the rest of us can tune into and watch?
I am 67 years old, I am Swedish.
March 20, 2023
This was the first I've read of Mr. Terlson's novels, and I'm certainly looking forward to reading more of his work! I must admit, I've not ventured into crime fiction for some time, and so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In short, it was thoroughly enjoyable and from the very start pulled me right into the narrator's (Luke) world. The pacing was quick but smooth, and I loved the music and other popular-culture references of the time, and representing Luke's own exposure to these. There were some surprising moments of humour and just enough twists and turns in the storyline to keep me guessing, as the narrative swept me along. Luke & Mostly Harold were definitely Bing & Bob, assuming the latter lived in the nefarious world the former twosome did. Thanks for a great read!
August 22, 2024
Raymond Chandler famously advised writers that if a story gets stuck, have a guy walk in the door with a gun. That principle is aptly utilized in this highly enjoyable crime novel that propels series character Luke Fischer through dangerous, comical and poignant situations that only come to rest when it's to take in the scenery, its lost highways and lonely coasts, its byways and bars, that Terlson describes so well. If you're a fan of the genre, especially the James Crumley-esque kind where it can be hard to find your footing, you'll feel right at home here. Plus, it's by a leading voice in the wide body of independent genre writers blazing paths without the help of the conventional publishing industry, itself a reward.
April 10, 2023
5 out of 5 Pacificos
Surf City Acid Drop was a great read - tonnes of fun, whip-smart dialogue, action, atmosphere, fun characters… everything I look for in my crime fiction. Highly recommended. I’ll definitely be reading more by Craig Terlson in the future.
Surf City Acid Drop was a great read - tonnes of fun, whip-smart dialogue, action, atmosphere, fun characters… everything I look for in my crime fiction. Highly recommended. I’ll definitely be reading more by Craig Terlson in the future.
August 15, 2024
He’s not a detective, but he gets hired to find people… something he does amidst the beers and beatings up, between bars and better detectives too.
Set in Mexico and beyond, the part I liked, a novel set somewhere different, different culture but same old stuff!
Set in Mexico and beyond, the part I liked, a novel set somewhere different, different culture but same old stuff!
May 13, 2024
A fast and fun read. Lots of action and humour. A great introduction to a new character (not a detective) Luke Fischer.
July 25, 2023
There's a wonderful "drifter noir" vibe in Surf City Acid Drop that I've always found appealing. Protagonist Luke Fischer floats through a world of crime and violence without ever quite knowing what's going on around him. He gets paid to find missing people, but he refuses to call himself a detective. He has no office, no license, and no training, just incredible persistence and a willingness to get the job done. He's good with his fists, but he gets his head beat in a lot, too, and he spends much of his life traveling throughout North America from one cheap hotel room to another while concussed or buzzed on Pacifico beer. You've gotta love him, though. He means well, and he's a charmer.
This is a book with character and with characters. My favorite (besides Luke himself) is the perpetually angry "Mostly Harold," an actual detective with a moral code driven almost entirely by money. His idea of a good time is kicking ass with his rattlesnake boots (which are actually lizard) and listening to Burt Bacharach tunes.
Surf City Acid Drop isn't your typical neo-noir mystery novel. Terlson emphasizes atmosphere and characters over clarity and resolutions. The title refers to a surfing term capsulizing the moment when the wave you're riding drops from beneath your board and leaves you soaring. That disoriented feeling you're left with is a great analogy for the way Fischer floats through the violent, seedy world he lives in. As a reader, I found it to be an extremely enjoyable ride. This is the first book of a series, and I'm looking forward to reading more about Luke Fischer, the detective who won't admit he's a detective.
This is a book with character and with characters. My favorite (besides Luke himself) is the perpetually angry "Mostly Harold," an actual detective with a moral code driven almost entirely by money. His idea of a good time is kicking ass with his rattlesnake boots (which are actually lizard) and listening to Burt Bacharach tunes.
Surf City Acid Drop isn't your typical neo-noir mystery novel. Terlson emphasizes atmosphere and characters over clarity and resolutions. The title refers to a surfing term capsulizing the moment when the wave you're riding drops from beneath your board and leaves you soaring. That disoriented feeling you're left with is a great analogy for the way Fischer floats through the violent, seedy world he lives in. As a reader, I found it to be an extremely enjoyable ride. This is the first book of a series, and I'm looking forward to reading more about Luke Fischer, the detective who won't admit he's a detective.
October 17, 2024
A crime novel filled with good food, good drink, and punches to the head
Craig Terlson has written a crime novel with more twists and turns than a linguine dinner and tough guy banter that plays across the pages like music to a cauliflower ear ( sorry it's contagious).
I read the second Luke Fischer book Manistique first after being fascinated by the book's title and excellent cover illustration, so I have to say it was great fun reading Luke's earlier history feeling like I already knew him. This story is filled with Terlson's patented eccentric and dangerous characters. Luke Fischer stands shoulder to shoulder with private eyes Archie Goodwin, Sam Spade, and Spenser as a tough guy with brains and wit ( yes, Luke I know you're not a detective).
The character Mostly Harold takes over any scene he is in and takes us all on a menacing and often hilarious road trip from border to border.
Author Craig Terlson has a talent for describing food, drink, and locales that make me want to board a plane to some place exotic.
Throughout the story, Luke sometimes reminisces about past days that I hope will one day be fully addressed in another Luke Fischer book.
In closing, I would like to say that I enjoyed meeting Benno who is only hinted at in Manistique and this is a must-read for enthusiasts of action-filled hard-boiled crime stories that keep you guessing till the end.
Craig Terlson has written a crime novel with more twists and turns than a linguine dinner and tough guy banter that plays across the pages like music to a cauliflower ear ( sorry it's contagious).
I read the second Luke Fischer book Manistique first after being fascinated by the book's title and excellent cover illustration, so I have to say it was great fun reading Luke's earlier history feeling like I already knew him. This story is filled with Terlson's patented eccentric and dangerous characters. Luke Fischer stands shoulder to shoulder with private eyes Archie Goodwin, Sam Spade, and Spenser as a tough guy with brains and wit ( yes, Luke I know you're not a detective).
The character Mostly Harold takes over any scene he is in and takes us all on a menacing and often hilarious road trip from border to border.
Author Craig Terlson has a talent for describing food, drink, and locales that make me want to board a plane to some place exotic.
Throughout the story, Luke sometimes reminisces about past days that I hope will one day be fully addressed in another Luke Fischer book.
In closing, I would like to say that I enjoyed meeting Benno who is only hinted at in Manistique and this is a must-read for enthusiasts of action-filled hard-boiled crime stories that keep you guessing till the end.
August 22, 2016
A few pages into the book I was left wondering why it wasn’t sold as a bundle with a bucket of Pacificos and a bowl of peanuts. Terlson’s storytelling had me on the beach and drinking beers while I watched the story unfold in front of me. (Seriously, I was craving beer and peanuts as I read.) Surf City was my first foray into the crime noir genre, and it left me wanting more. From the beaches of Mexico to the mountains of Montana, Terlson took me on a journey that followed the adventures of Luke Fischer and Mostly Harold (I’d love to see another book devoted to Mostly Harold as he quickly became my favourite character) and I felt like I was sitting in the back seat, along for the ride.
Here’s hoping we see more adventures of Luke Fischer (and Mostly Harold). I’ll definitely ensure I have a couple of cold Pacificos beside me if/when we see more of him.
Here’s hoping we see more adventures of Luke Fischer (and Mostly Harold). I’ll definitely ensure I have a couple of cold Pacificos beside me if/when we see more of him.
August 13, 2016
Enjoyed this book a lot. Would make a good beach read - especially with all the surf rock references...and if you have Dick Dale, Bacharach and The Sandals playing in the background! Could make a soundtrack for this book with all the great references. Quick moving story. Always wondering what was going to happen next. The book is light (for a Mexican-gangster-thug theme) and yet complex enough story and characters and music and literary references that it definitely is worth the time (though that time flies by all too quickly). Looking forward to read and learn more about Luke Fischer from future stories.
November 17, 2023
Luke splashes onto the scene like a piece of driftwood, alone and confused, searching for something, not quite sure, with a confused smirk and easy swagger. Is this Travis McGee? No. This is Luke Fischer. He’s his own man, he has his own rules and drinks his own drink. We are all the better for it. It’s not the destination. It’s the ride. Or glide.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews