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Bullets of Rain
Widowed architect Arthur Latimer has become a recluse in his own home: a storm-proof fortress that doubles as a shrine to his dead wife. But the outside world beckons in the form of a bizarre party downbeach.
Now, just as the biggest hurricane ever to hit the Pacific Northwest rolls in with deadly force, Art is subjected to intrusions from his past and invasions from the present. And soon he begins to doubt everything he sees or thinks he already knows. And soon you may too.
Now, just as the biggest hurricane ever to hit the Pacific Northwest rolls in with deadly force, Art is subjected to intrusions from his past and invasions from the present. And soon he begins to doubt everything he sees or thinks he already knows. And soon you may too.
289 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2003
14 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
David J. Schow
197 books144 followersDavid J. Schow is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays, associated with the "splatterpunk" movement of the late '80s and early '90s. Most recently he has moved into the crime genre.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 31, 2022
Read in 2004. Elements of Panic Room collide with Memento in this dark and suspenseful novel.
January 30, 2008
great suspenceful read. crazy twist at the end.
August 17, 2020
Stories and lies
I loved this book. It is unlike anything I've read in a while. I won't get into the details because you should go into this knowing as little as possible about what happens.
I loved this book. It is unlike anything I've read in a while. I won't get into the details because you should go into this knowing as little as possible about what happens.
July 6, 2008
I found this book in a clearance sale for remaindered books, and with the dull silver cover, I might have put it back down if I hadn't recognized Schow's name. The guy writes some intense short stories, but I'd never read one of his novels before. And I couldn't beat the price.
I've often thought that scriptwriters like Schow write the stories that could never film, and that seems the case with Bullets of Rain. But this is a book best not judged by the (atrocious) cover: read the first few pages and allow yourself to get sucked in.
The story, about reclusive architect Art Latimer and his dog Blitz as he first lives his life grieving for his dead wife Lorelle, and then preparing for an oncoming hurricane about to hit the California coast. It's a tightly-written story that I picked up and immediately devoured pages of before I knew it, and the rest of the book quickly followed suit. And while the plot is speedy, or perhaps because if it, it's Schow's ruminations on the world through the eyes of the main character that are the most fascinating and distracting, and it is the internal world of the main character that solidly kept my interest.
Schow expertly ratches the tension and warns the reader not all as it seems as Art becomes so lost in his internal world he wonders if the experiences he's having have even happened at all or were figments of his solitary mind. This is all cut to stark contrast when he visits a party in a rented house down the road as the storm begins to hit, with drug use, sex, and high weirdness and debauchery; and party organizers Price and Michelle the calm eye at the center of the storm. It's a stark contrast to the controlled Art, but Schow's not terribly interested in exploring issues of morality, something that seems odd to me consider the amount of writerly-control exhibited in the rest of the story.
From there, predictably (as the book is filed under Suspense) things get much, much worse. And as Schow hints, there are some heavy twists towards the end. I won't spoil that, but it's a big one - I do think twists work best when after the big reveal everything clicks into place and you feel like you should have picked it up before. The twists in Bullets of Rain don't feel that way to me, and while the climax is thrilling, the anticlimax felt...unsatisfying to me somehow. I can understand not wanting to resolve everything but it still left me hollow and vaguely frustrated by the end. Which is a shame considering how much I liked the rest of the novel.
Schow's gloomy ruminations on relationships, death, gun control, and I think most of all masculinity are worth the read, and hey, he entertains you as well, but I can't recommend it completely. Perhaps because it comes close to brilliance in parts, its flaws stand out strongly. Or maybe I'm a weirdo book nerd. Who knows?
The rating system for this review also frustrated me - do you give the same three stars to a flawed masterpiece like Bullets of Rain as you would to a workmanlike novel that never aspires to be anything more than a nice read? I guess so. But it doesn't seem fitting. This novel was so close to the kind of novels my friends never stop talking about. A shame it never made it, but I admire it reached so far.
I've often thought that scriptwriters like Schow write the stories that could never film, and that seems the case with Bullets of Rain. But this is a book best not judged by the (atrocious) cover: read the first few pages and allow yourself to get sucked in.
The story, about reclusive architect Art Latimer and his dog Blitz as he first lives his life grieving for his dead wife Lorelle, and then preparing for an oncoming hurricane about to hit the California coast. It's a tightly-written story that I picked up and immediately devoured pages of before I knew it, and the rest of the book quickly followed suit. And while the plot is speedy, or perhaps because if it, it's Schow's ruminations on the world through the eyes of the main character that are the most fascinating and distracting, and it is the internal world of the main character that solidly kept my interest.
Schow expertly ratches the tension and warns the reader not all as it seems as Art becomes so lost in his internal world he wonders if the experiences he's having have even happened at all or were figments of his solitary mind. This is all cut to stark contrast when he visits a party in a rented house down the road as the storm begins to hit, with drug use, sex, and high weirdness and debauchery; and party organizers Price and Michelle the calm eye at the center of the storm. It's a stark contrast to the controlled Art, but Schow's not terribly interested in exploring issues of morality, something that seems odd to me consider the amount of writerly-control exhibited in the rest of the story.
From there, predictably (as the book is filed under Suspense) things get much, much worse. And as Schow hints, there are some heavy twists towards the end. I won't spoil that, but it's a big one - I do think twists work best when after the big reveal everything clicks into place and you feel like you should have picked it up before. The twists in Bullets of Rain don't feel that way to me, and while the climax is thrilling, the anticlimax felt...unsatisfying to me somehow. I can understand not wanting to resolve everything but it still left me hollow and vaguely frustrated by the end. Which is a shame considering how much I liked the rest of the novel.
Schow's gloomy ruminations on relationships, death, gun control, and I think most of all masculinity are worth the read, and hey, he entertains you as well, but I can't recommend it completely. Perhaps because it comes close to brilliance in parts, its flaws stand out strongly. Or maybe I'm a weirdo book nerd. Who knows?
The rating system for this review also frustrated me - do you give the same three stars to a flawed masterpiece like Bullets of Rain as you would to a workmanlike novel that never aspires to be anything more than a nice read? I guess so. But it doesn't seem fitting. This novel was so close to the kind of novels my friends never stop talking about. A shame it never made it, but I admire it reached so far.
August 3, 2013
I've read Schow's short stories that were splatter punk and liked them so I wanted to try one of his novels. I went looking and found Bullets of Rain, finding out this wasn't splatter punk really got me interested. I wanted to see how he would do in a different genre. The best thing about this novel was I got to read Schow with more "elbow room" when it came to his prose as supposed to a short story. I was very impressed with his style and some of his lines hit me like a hammer to the brain. I must have dog eared twenty plus pages to go back and reread as excellent examples of power prose. I'll definitely be reading more of this guys stuff for the pure enjoyment of it as well as a learning tool to help strengthen my own writing.
The plot itself keeps you guessing a little too much, but not enough to hurt the story. I'm not sure if the final twist was quite believable for me, which is why I didn't give it five stars. But overall it was a great book and well worth the read.
The plot itself keeps you guessing a little too much, but not enough to hurt the story. I'm not sure if the final twist was quite believable for me, which is why I didn't give it five stars. But overall it was a great book and well worth the read.
July 26, 2013
Bit disappointed with this one from the normally excellent Dave Schow. "Internecine" was my fave book of last year by the same writer but I struggled with "Bullets of Rain". It was a bit slow. His others are fast paced, edge of your seat, thrill-fests. I would also recommend "Gun Work".
June 17, 2008
Insanely well written but, man, plodding in the middle. Guns, though, and maybe some sex.
March 25, 2012
An interesting premise and setting cruelly wasted by the stupidest twist ending ever. David J. Schow, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews