NOW IN PAPERBACK FROM BALLANTINE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA, AND FROM PICADOR IN THE U.K.
“Terrific”—The Observer
“Wickedly funny… [a] dark, raunchy crime comedy.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Full of blood and bad attitude” —Publisher’s Weekly
“When it comes to present-day practitioners of noir, Phillips is one of the best.” —Library Journal
The Ice Harvest was one of those books that booksellers and readers pushed on their customers and friends, saying “you gotta read this.” This prequel and sequel to that bestseller is the same kind of story, in which one man’s wanderings set off darkly comic chain reactions of violence and disaster all around him.
The “walkaway” is Gunther Fahnstiel, once a tough cop who wasn’t averse to taking a little money on the side from a brothelkeeper. Now he’s an old man whose escape from the nursing home is stirring up ghosts from the past—and may end in the creation of some new ones.
In an age when too many books read like action movies, it’s amusing to read a thriller whose main character not only isn’t racing against time, he’s not even sure where it is he wants to go. But wherever it is, it has something to do with a lost suitcase full of cash, a scandalous sex lottery from 40 years before, and what happened when the brothelkeeper’s long-missing husband came home to avenge his honor, or at least get his piece of the action. And as Gunther’s dark past meets his hazy present, The Walkaway builds to an unexpected—and unexpectedly moving—climax.
One of the most unusual and memorable crime novels since Motherless Brooklyn, The Walkaway stands out from the pack with its humor, originality and rich characterizations.
Editions displayed, from top: US paperback, US hardcover, limited edition by Dennis McMillan, UK paperback
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