Cold in July

Note-perfect thriller, building a sense of going somewhere truly and uniquely terrible, without giving any real indication of where it is until you get there. Lansdale makes it look simple: there really isn't a sense that this has been plotted or constructed, as one things happens and then another with crazy but remorseless logic, yet it all purrs like a well-oiled engine. It's character-driven, inasmuch as the characters are definitely driven to keep going to the end and do what they feel needs to be done. Superb.

I read and loved Lansdale's 'Drive In' books as a teenager, so it's something of a mystery to me why it's taken me over 20 years to read any of his crime fiction. I'm glad I got round to it in the end though, 'Cold In July' was great: lean and mean with some great prose and wonderfully rich characters.

4.5/5 stars!

It's July, but it's anything but cold here in New England. In fact, we're smack in the middle of a nasty heat wave, so it was a great time to park myself by the pool and read. COLD IN JULY was perfect for the occasion.

Hearing a noise during the night and grabbing his gun to go investigate, Richard Dane ends up killing an intruder in his living room. Understandably he's rattled and feeling a bit guilty. As such, he decides to attend the funeral of his victim and winds up meeting the dead man's father, Ben Russell. Russell is upset and seeking revenge. If this were any other author, the reader would be safe in assuming that the rest of the tale was going to be about Russel and Richard coming to terms. But we're talking Joe show more Lansdale here, and this story turns in a completely different direction.What happens next? You'll have to read this to find out!

I loved the characters in this book, most especially Jim Bob, a redneck expert in the martial arts, who drives a cherry red boat of a Cadillac, and is a private investigator. His down-home sayings were hilarious and it provided that twisted humor Lansdale is known for. I also loved how the story changed throughout and how the characters developed.

I'm not sure why this book was available through NetGalley at this time, since it originally came out in 1989, but I hopped on the chance to read it for free. There is also a film of it, starring Don Johnson as Jim Bob, and I believe that is something I MUST see.

COLD IN JULY is a fast paced crime novel, with humor and horror mixed in as well as a well developed sense of honor. Set in LaBorde, a place Hap and Leonard fans will recognize, this is a Texas story, told by a Texan in the most entertaining way possible. I highly recommend it!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is it.* show less

Richard Dane, a regular, upstanding citizen, shoots an armed burglar inside his home in self-defence. The dead man’s father, recently released after a 20-year jail term, is bent on revenge and attempts to kill Richard’s son. But, things are not as simple as they seem and, Richard and Ben Russel—the man who tried to kill his son—form an unlikely alliance to unravel the mystery about the dead burglar. They are joined by Jim Bob Luke, a resourceful private investigator who is known to Russel from the past, in a perilous adventure that Richard, in all his ordinary life, has not even dreamed of.

Cold in July is a hugely entertaining thriller with some memorable characters, cracking dialogues, snappy action and superb writing. The show more story itself is quite simple, but the execution is fantastic. Lansdale is certainly a gifted author who is able to spin such an exciting tale just from looking at a bullet-hole on the ceiling of a house one day and dreaming about it later that night. His characters are quite colourful, especially Jim Bob, who struts about like a Cowboy—albeit riding a massive, blood-red Cadillac. In fact, the entire novel reads like a Western and, to be on the clear, I mean it as a compliment. Though a bit too simple apart from the Big twist, Cold in July is a superfast, fun read that is certain to light up a dull day! show less

Great, short read. Lots of full color characters.

There's not a lot of mystery in terms of where things will go, but the writing and characters are engaging.

While this is a pretty thin novel, it still packs a hell of a punch in addition to a lot of surprises. It starts off with a simple premise of a Richard Dane shooting and killing a burglar who breaks in to his home. But then it keeps adding one more step after step, until the whole thing cumulates in to an ending very unlike what you would expect. And rather than seeming weird or totally outrageous, the entire story is quite plausible. I found myself identifying with the Dane throughout most of the story and realizing that I probably would be making the same decisions. Kind of scary considering everything that happens in it. Don't pass this up; it may be a quick read but it is quite thrilling.

Review copy

While it's true I haven't read all of Joe R. Lansdale's books, I've read enough to know I love his stuff. Whether he's being serious or off the wall, there's always a level of believably in his stories.

I guess you could call Cold In July a crime novel, but it certainly has elements of horror. Not monster horror. Real horror. The horror we read about in the newspaper or watch on the nightly news. The kind of horror that makes any sane person ask, "How could someone do something like that?"

It all starts with a noise in the night. An intruder. As a reader I am drawn into the story immediately. It seems pretty straight forward, but...what if? That's something Joe R. Lansdale is very good at, taking a story in unexpected show more directions. I found myself asking what if that happened to me, what would I do, and the answers made me uncomfortable.

Cold In July has some memorable characters, Richard Dane and his wife Ann, ex-con Ben Russel and especially P.I. Jim Bob Luke. Each with their own distinct identities and personalities drawn to perfection from the author's mind. Plus, I believe Lansdale is one of the best at writing a conversation. Here's an example between Dane and Jim Bob Luke...

"You're a lucky man, Dane. Got a family. Someone to care about you. I got what I do and the red Bitch--and it's got a dent in it."
"You got pigs."
"Yeah, but every now and then I eat them, so it's hard to form any kind of relationship. I don't think they trust me."

In the Afterword, Joe R. Lansdale says, "No novel has ever come to me more full-blown than Cold In July." The end result is a perfect story, well-told, start to finish. I enjoyed every word.

Cold In July is being re-released by Tachyon Publications in tandem with the new film being released in theaters on May 23rd. 2014. The film stars Michael C. Hall (Dexter) as Richard Dane, Sam Shepard as Ben Russel and Don Johnson as Jim Bob Luke. Having read the book, I definitely want to see the movie, but by all means read the book first.

Strongly recommended. show less