Easy Money by
Jenny Siler
hbk out January 99
Published by Orion
Few women have ventured into the American noir corner of crime fiction. But new talent Jenny Siler gives the hard-boiled men a run for their money in this tense and nerve-wracking journey through the underbelly of America's past and present where sex, lies and computer disks hold the key to understanding a series of violent deaths stretching back to Vietnam.
Allie Kerry is a former coke addict turned drug courier, the daughter of a Florida Keys smuggler and Vietnam special forces vet. When a former lover offers her big bucks for what's supposed to be a straightforward collection and delivery, she grabs at the chance to collect easy money for a trip she has to make anyway to attend her father's funeral.
But right from the start, things go drastically wrong. Her contact is murdered at the pick-up by a pair of obviously professional killers who badly want what Allie has. The ensuing chase through the unglamorous heartland of America is dark and violent, culminating in a nail-biting confrontation as tough as any you'll read this year.
What makes Jenny Siler's debut stand out is the evocative writing that weaves past and present in an atmospheric portrait of the hidden side of the US. A dark star is born.
(
Val McDermid
- Gold Dagger winner & creator of Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan & Tony Hill)
Easy Money by
Jenny Siler