“Jim Sallis’ Willnot is a slippery, poetic mystery that becomes a love story to small town America.” Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author
Description
A brilliant new protagonist and his memorable community are introduced in the latest masterpiece by acclaimed novelist James Sallis.
In his celebrated career, James Sallis has created some of the most finely drawn protagonists in crime fiction, all of them thoughtful observers of the human condition: Lew Griffin, the black New Orleans private investigator; retired detective John Turner; the unnamed wheelman in Drive. Dr. Lamar Hale will now join the ranks of Sallis’ finest characters.
In the woods outside the town of Willnot, the remains of several people have suddenly been discovered, unnerving the community and unsettling Hale, the town’s all-purpose general practitioner, surgeon, and conscience. At the same time, Bobby Lowndes—a man being followed by the FBI—mysteriously reappears in his hometown at Hale’s door. Over the ensuing months, the daily dramas Hale faces as he tends to his town and to his partner, Richard, collide with the swerves and turns of life in Willnot. And when a gunshot aimed at Lowndes critically wounds Richard, Hale’s world is truly upended.
In his inimitable spare style, James Sallis conjures indelible characters and scenes that resonate long after they appear. “You live with someone year after year, you think you’ve heard all the stories,” Lamar observes, “but you never have.”
Praise
“Jim Sallis’ Willnot is a slippery, poetic mystery that becomes a love story to small town America.” Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author
“The discovery of a mass grave in the woods outside present-day Willnot, a small Southern town, opens this sly, nuanced tale from Sallis…Sallis is without peer when it comes to interweaving seemingly disparate narrative threads, and his work consistently challenges readers to question their assumptions about themselves and other people.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Part noir mystery and part small-town slice of life…Sallis’ latest has a lot to recommend it: an ingenious and unusual use of the MacGuffin; pungent dialogue; a world that’s either dark shot through with abundant light or light shot through with abundant dark; likable, complex characters. A brisk and sure-handed treat.” Kirkus Reviews
“James Sallis is one of our greatest living crime writers and Willnot continues an almost unseemly streak of excellence. Try to get his words, his stories, his people out of your head. Just try.” Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Jun 20, 2016 |
| Release Date | June 21, 2016 |
| Release Date Machine | 1466467200 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Literary Fiction, Crime Thrillers, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult |
Author Bio
James Sallis has published more than a dozen novels; multiple collections of short stories, poems, and essays; the definitive biography of Chester Himes; several books of musicology; and a translation of Raymond Queneau’s novel Saint Glinglin. His works have been shortlisted for the Anthony, Nebula, Edgar, Shamus, and Gold Dagger awards. The film version of his novel Drive won the Best Director Award at the Cannes International Film Festival, and his Lew Griffin books are in development for film. He plays guitar, French horn, mandolin, fiddle, sitar, and Dobro, both solo and with the band Three-Legged Dog.
Narrator Bio
Kevin Kenerly, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, earned a BA at Olivet College. A longtime member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has acted in more than twenty seasons, playing dozens of roles.
Overview
A brilliant new protagonist and his memorable community are introduced in the latest masterpiece by acclaimed novelist James Sallis.
In his celebrated career, James Sallis has created some of the most finely drawn protagonists in crime fiction, all of them thoughtful observers of the human condition: Lew Griffin, the black New Orleans private investigator; retired detective John Turner; the unnamed wheelman in Drive. Dr. Lamar Hale will now join the ranks of Sallis’ finest characters.
In the woods outside the town of Willnot, the remains of several people have suddenly been discovered, unnerving the community and unsettling Hale, the town’s all-purpose general practitioner, surgeon, and conscience. At the same time, Bobby Lowndes—a man being followed by the FBI—mysteriously reappears in his hometown at Hale’s door. Over the ensuing months, the daily dramas Hale faces as he tends to his town and to his partner, Richard, collide with the swerves and turns of life in Willnot. And when a gunshot aimed at Lowndes critically wounds Richard, Hale’s world is truly upended.
In his inimitable spare style, James Sallis conjures indelible characters and scenes that resonate long after they appear. “You live with someone year after year, you think you’ve heard all the stories,” Lamar observes, “but you never have.”
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