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5.0 out of 5 stars
JOE LANSDALE'S VERSION OF EAST TEXAS NOIR!!!, Nov 8 2001
COLD IN JULY by Joe R. Lansdale is one of the author's earlier novels. The book was first published in 1989, and is just as fast paced, thought provoking, and violent as his newer ones. This is the story of Richard Dane, a nice man with a beautiful wife, Ann, a lovely little boy named Jordan, and is the owner of a framing shop in LaBorde, Texas. Late one night in their home, a strange noise wakes Ann. She elbows Richard awake, and it isn't long before he realizes that a burglar has broken into their house. He grabs a .38 snub-nose revolver from the closet and goes out into the living room to investigate. When he surprises the burglar, the man takes a shot at him and misses. Richard returns fire and kills the intruder. Later, the police tell him that the burglar's name was Freddy Russel. Unfortunately for Richard, the dead man's father, Ben Russel, has just gotten out of prison after serving a twenty-year term. When Ben learns of his son's death, he swears revenge against Richard and his family, promising to kill little Jordan Dane. What neither Ben, nor Richard, comprehend until later, is that both of them have unintentionally been set up by the local police. There's something going on behind the scenes, and it has to do with Freddy Russel's death, along with a cover up that's tied into the FBI. Both men quickly realize that they're going to need some outside help, if they want to solve the mystery. Russel's old friend, Jim Bob Luke (BAD CHILI and CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS) who's an ex-Green Beret, a master of the Korean martial art Hapkido, and is now a private eye in Houston, is called in to help find the answers. It isn't long before all three of them begin to understand that the answers they're seeking are going to have a high price. The answers will involve both a ring of people that make snuff movies and death on a massive scale. Before the novel is over, Richard, Ben, and Jim Bob will have to take the law into their own hands, charging in with guns blazing, killing the scum that torture, rape, and murder innocent women for fun and profit. COLD IN JULY, as Mr. Lansdale might say, is true East Texas noir. Filled with plot twists that keep the reader constantly on his/her toes, the journey from beginning to end is one of adventure, edge-of-your suspense, intense violence, down-to-earth humor, and an array of memorable characters that stay with you long after the story is finished. In many ways Jim Bob Luke steals the entire show. He's egotistical, over-confident, fearless, the best at what he does, funny in a redneck sort of way, and as deadly and fast as a striking cobra. Jim Bob certainly needs to have a novel of his own! One thing that I've notice after reading several of Mr. Lansdale's novels is that he writes extremely strong female characters. Ann Dane is not only beautiful and highly intelligent, she's almost as tough in her own way as Jim Bob Luke is. She's not afraid to get down and dirty and to do what's necessary to protect her family. The villains (Freddy Russel and the Mex) are also exceedingly well drawn and are definitely characters you wouldn't want to meet in real life. What I've found with the novels by Joe R. Lansdale is that they're never boring. The author knows how to tell a great yarn that's utterly believable, and he can pen a tale in any genre of his choosing. As I've said before, this East Texas author is a master craftsman at the art of writing. Anything by him is highly recommended. Finding this amazing storyteller is perhaps the best thing that's happened to me this year, and I sincerely hope more readers will eventually become aware of him and his works of fiction.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, so awful!!!, Sep 6 2001
By A Customer
I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Landsdale at a writer's conference just over ten years ago in a small town east of Waco. Joe was witty, insightful, helpful, and down-to-earth. He's one of the funniest guys I've ever met. So I bought, from him, Cold in July, which he signed on the spot. I was devastated to see how truly awful and laughable this stilted, trite, weak, early work of his was. It was so bad I turned it over to my roommate, without warning, to get his reaction. He agreed with me that it was the worst book he had ever read. I'm amazed to see Lansdale's name popping up all over the media with he recent signing with Knopf. Obviously Joe has improved his game. I'm glad to see it. He's a neat guy. I guess after ten years I'll give another of his books a try. Hey, it can't be any worse than this one.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
One of Lansdale's best, Nov 10 2000
While the book starts out reminding the reader of The Executioners by John D Mcdonald, it doesn't take long before Lansdale quickly turns out one of his classic twists and takes you on another ride into the dark.This is one of the first books that I ever read by Mr. Lansdale and I have been hooked ever since. I recommend it highly.
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