Josh Stallings

First, let me say that I was more-than impressed with the caliber of writing in this novel. Stallings has a first-rate way with the written word, so much so that I found myself wanting to highlight passages while reading – a rare occurrence with me and one that speaks volumes towards the exacting prose.

I’ll skip the synopsis, because that’s what blurbs are for.

Told from the perspective of the novel’s main character, Moses, the language is clean, cutting and often insightful. It’s show more been a while since I’ve read a book with such a complex and flawed character (read: REAL) and at times I could practically hear his voice in my head as the story was told. There are some seedier elements in this novel, a couple of adult situations, but they are not numerous, nor are they just there for gratification, it’s all just part of Moses’ life.

I’d be hard pressed to name another novel where the central voice was as authentic as it is in this one. I’ll be on the lookout for other works by Stallings, because I know this isn’t just a one-hit wonder and more great book will follow. show less

"Beat to A Pulp 3" is a 2013 collection of stories in a variety of styles and genres ranging from noir and neo-noir to hardboiled to western by a group of authors, many of whom have already made a name for themselves in the modern writing world. There stories here are incredibly varied and take you to gangsters in the Far East ("One Ashore In Singapore"by Andrew Nette) to the backwoods of the upper Midwest ("Doe in the Headlights" by Patti Abbott), where a woman named Doe has an unusual and show more constantly changing job description. "Gunpoint" by Fred Blosser takes the reader to a shootout in the wild west of, well, West Virginia. If you get tired of all that countryside, then "Fair Warning" by Hilary Davidson takes the reader back to the modern computer age and the dangers of the big city. Chris Holm's "Follow-Through" is all about remembering the lessons your father taught you and getting along with the neighbors.

The two gems of this collection are "There You Are" by Keith Rawson and "The Blow Jobs" by Josh Stallings. Both of these stories are similar in the sense that they focus on teenagers left to fend for themselves in this desperate world. Rawson's "There You Are" is about a kid who is dragged from state to state and, when they finally ended up in Arizona, the woman "finally got tired of the road and left [him] in a Buckeye motel room and [he] never saw her again." Left to his own devices, the kid gets a job in the motel, but ends up digging in the desert for places to plant corpses. It is a smoothly written story with a believable voice. Stallings' piece is reminiscent of his longer work, "All The Wild Children," in that it focuses on a pair of siblings left to run amock after dad got crushed to death by a poorly stacked forklift. They grew up in Glendale, California, "in the golden dawn of glitter rock" and thankfully dad hadn't lived to see them in their "skintight jeans and feather boas." His brother Caleb was the toughest dude around and perhaps handy with an icepick. Making their living selling plants and robbing tourists. Somehow Stallings managed to capture the teenage angst and the dead-end world and the brotherly love.

In an age where it is easier than ever to find a collection of short pieces, this group is a stand-out. show less

I almost decided to stop reading this book early on in the first chapter. I found the negative suicidal attitude of the principle character too depressing to force myself to visualize the environment as his slanted view perceived it. Now, I'm glad I persevered! As the story rolled on, the self destructive nature of Mo (Moses) balanced the grimy climate of the strip clubs, porno sites and Nevada legal prostitution houses where Mo sought answers to explain the brutal torture death of the one show more girl who he believed to be a genuine friend, not just another hooker trading for service. The rest of the book is spent dancing with Armenian and Russian`` Gangsters, Mafia, Federal Agents and purveyors of porn from Los Angeles to San Francisco, from Vegas to Reno then on to San Jose finally back to L.A. for the finale. A book of action where the suicidal hero becomes homicidal and collects the debt owed, punishing the guilty in a manner unlikely to occur in the bent legal system. Just another damaged Marine cut loose on the system! show less

“’Just the luck of the draw, “Caleb would say, “sometimes you pull aces and sometimes two’s, and one times you pull an ace when what you really need is that two to make a straight.’” (Page 85, “The Blow Jobs” by Josh Stallings)

That attitude towards life very well sums up the situation for all the characters in Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled 3. The characters in these nine pieces are folks that almost always have losing hands. Sometimes they know it from the get go and other show more times they figure it out at just about the same second their light goes out. The nine works here pull no punches and one would not expect anything different in this series from publisher Beat To A Pulp. If you want sweetness and light and happy endings you should be reading elsewhere. Reality sucks and this is it.

“One Ashore In Singapore” by Andrew Nettle stars the book off with a man named “Chance” who is to be the courier for a very important package. He is supposed to bring it back to a restaurant named the “Jade Dragon” located in the small city of Yass which in turned is located a little north of Canberra, Australia’s capital city. The package isn’t ready yet according to Mr. Tan and it will be ready when it is. In the meantime Chance must wait for developments.

Doe is also a courier and sometimes more in “Doe In Headlights” by Patti Abbott. Doe has been sent out to an isolated cabin by her boss Feck. She does whatever he says and gets paid for it. At least there is variety in the work instead of just being a waitress in a bunch of crummy places. Now she is out in the woods 150 miles northwest of Detroit and waiting for the call and instructions. She is really good at waiting.

1915 in West Virginia is the setting with Jace Russell, Danville Fuller, and John Torrio gathered together to restore a little order their regarding local beer sales. They are not the only ones involved in “Gunpoint” by Fred Blosser where scores and a business dispute will be settled one way or another.

Senior Editor Emily Eldridge at Bridal Beauty Magazine has a problem. Based on the threats she is getting in “Fair Warning” by Hilary Davidson somebody thinks she is dating her husband. She swears she isn’t, but has her boyfriend Jason told her everything? And if he isn’t the issue, what does she do?

According to his drunkard father, Matt, had no follow through on anything. There might be some truth to that, but in “The Follow-Through” by Chris F. Holm Matt might just be ready to do that while settling the past as well.

The size XXL granny panties have a lot of meaning in the story titled “Granny Panties” by Sophie Littlefield. That meaning can be transferred to others in this very short two page tale.

Keith Rawson comes next with “There You Are” featuring a guy doing what he has to do to survive. At least Arizona has a lot of desert to bury bodies in. But, the soil is hard to dig through thanks to the rocks, clay, and tangled roots.

Life was rough from the get go for twins Caleb and Seth in “The Blow Jobs” by Josh Stallings. As they grew older the scams and the stakes got bigger until everything is now on the line because the latest deal went way too far.

Last up is a play titled “The Speed Date” by Kieran Shea. Secrets are important in Washington, DC whether they be on a national security level or a personal relationship level. Those who observe Peter and Claire at the Mexican restaurant would have no idea how important this speed date truly is for both of them.

Three pages of short author bios which include other titles they are involved with bring the book to a close.

As one would expect from this series as well as this publisher, these are not tales designed to make you think happy thoughts about others. No, these tales are often about the unfairness of the life you were born into or the despair you created for yourself on this mortal coil through a series of bad choices. The results are nine good pieces that contain mystery, lots of violence and action, and the occasional obscenity as the works describe a hard reality.

Beat To A Pulp: Hardboiled Three
Edited by David Cranmer & Else Wright
Beat To A Pulp
http://www.beattoapulp.com
November 2013
ISBN 978-0-9912039-0-1
Paperback (also available in e-book)
114 Pages
$7.99

Material supplied by publisher and editor David Cranmer for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014 show less