- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (Sep 30 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0345440218
- ISBN-13: 978-0345440211
- Product Dimensions: 14 x 1.6 x 20.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 240 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,860,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Gunther Fahnstiel is an ex-cop with a secret he can't quite remember, which is understandable in an elderly man who's not exactly certain of why he walked away from his Kansas nursing home, either. It has something to do with some missing money, a couple of murders, and a prostitution ring Gunther broke up 10 years ago... or did he? Readers may be confused by the way Phillips handles flashbacks to two different time periods, but they'll like Gunther, who's a complex and mutlidimensional old coot despite his failing memory--or maybe because of it. This darkly funny prequel to The Ice Harvest, Phillips's earlier crime novel, is populated by a cast of interesting and picaresque characters, some of whom make their second appearance here. --Jane Adams
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Phillips turns the image of Kansas heartland virtue upside down in his latest noir thriller set in Wichita's underbelly, in which all the big city problems drugs, prostitution, corrupt cops and psycho killers are present on a somewhat smaller and seedier scale. The year is 1989, and Gunther Fahnstiel, a retired cop in the memory-loss ward of an expensive nursing home, escapes to wander through a Wichita he only intermittently recognizes. His mission: to find a briefcase of money he buried in a rock quarry 10 years before. His wife, Dot, suspects what he's up to, though she doesn't know where he is; what she does know is that the money has already been dug up and spent, on Gunther's care among other things. Gunther's stepson, Sidney, to whom Gunther once gave $12,000 to buy a strip joint, attempts a payback by setting up a reward in the same amount for anyone who finds Gunther. This motivates sleazy Eric Gandy to search for Gunther; Eric is the son-in-law of Sally Ogden, who used to coordinate orgies at the rock quarry. With this information in place, Phillips segues into the book's other time frame 1952 in which readers are treated to first-person narratives by the menacing Wayne Ogden, Sally's husband, as he goes on a crime spree, and the younger Gunther, as he tracks Wayne down. In what's identified as "both a prequel and a sequel" to The Ice Harvest, Phillips pens a story full of blood and bad attitude.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Call It Noir...,
By "bkwal" (Princeton Jct, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Walkaway (Hardcover)
I don't normally read "crime fiction" (or whatever this is) but I really enjoyed Phillips' first book, "The Ice Harvest," which created a neat, sweaty mood and sustained it.The twist ending of that book sets up the beginning of this book, but you really don't need to have read that one to enjoy this one. Again, it's a well-written story of greed and lust and rage, set in a small Midwestern town. I couldn't put it down. Two notes: First, as has been noted by other reviewers, there are multiple points of view here and two different time frames. You'll be well-served to take notes on the characters' names and who they are, what their relationships are, etc. This isn't Dostoyevsky, but there are a lot of names here and the relationships and time frames are pretty tangled. Half the fun, of course, is unravelling all of it (especially the relationships), but a simple list of characters would have helped. The publisher should really consider doing that in the paperback edition. Second, as a result of keeping the notes above, I realized that one character is referred to by two different names, with no narrative reason or explanation. The character is "Carswell" who is also referred to in a couple of places as "Gladwell." I think it's just a mistake or an editorial problem or something. That should also definitely be corrected in future editions. This is a well-written book, with a lot of depth, an interesting plot, and some despicable characters doing nasty things to each other - and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A sophisticated 2nd novel,
By Victor Gischler (Claremore, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Walkaway (Hardcover)
After reading ICE HARVEST, I could not wait to get my hands on Phillips' next novel. If it had been another pulp yarn in the vein of his first novel, I would have been plenty satisfied. But THE WALKAWAY goes far beyond expectations. It is a sophistcated book showcasing Phillips' deft skills as an author. He expertly handles different times and points of view. The novel works as a literary achievement as well as a top-notch crime tale.There's a lot of [stuff] to wade through out there in the book stores -- same-old-same-old cops-n-robbers plodding through the usual formulas. It was a breath of fresh air to read a novel with ambition and style.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brave, adventurous, and poignant!,
By Nick Gardner "Nick Gardner" (Woodland Hills) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Walkaway (Hardcover)
"The Ice Harvest" was my favorite book of 2000. With "The Walkaway" Scott Phillips confirmed my suspicions that he is one of the best writers working today. Yes, there are many characters and overlapping storylines in this book. So what? I had no trouble whatsoever following these stories, and the subtle emotional payoff that was delivered as they all tied together was an original, unexpected delight. Phillips doesn't write for dummies. He's hunting big game on the literary frontier. And with this book he has bagged a winner. He manages to combine deadpan humor, stark reality and deep, resonant emotions in a way unique to the current spate of by-the-numbers best sellers clogging the bookstores. I can't wait to see what he does next!
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