The Red Storm

Name: The Red Storm
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Grant Bywaters
ISBN: 9781504656320

Author: Grant Bywaters

Narrator: Kevin Kenerly

Unabridged: 5 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 12/01/2015

Categories: Fiction, African American & Black Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Private Investigators, Historical Fiction, Noir, Hard-boiled

Synopsis

The Red Storm is the first novel from licensed private-investigator-turned-novelist Grant Bywaters, sure to appeal to fans of PI novels and historical mysteries.Newly-minted private investigator William Fletcher is having trouble finding clientele. He’s not the only man out of work, but his past as a former heavyweight contender with a few shady connections—not to mention the color of his skin in race-obsessed New Orleans—isn’t helping lure clients to his door. Stuck without any viable alternative, he takes a case from an old criminal acquaintance, Storm. His only client assures him that the job is simple—locate his missing estranged daughter, Zella, no questions asked.But when Fletcher starts knocking on doors, he sets off a catastrophic chain of events that turns the city into a bloody battleground between two rival syndicates. Then Storm is murdered, and Fletcher finds himself caught between the police and dangerous mobsters. With Zella’s safety on the line, the unlikely private detective finds himself saddled with a lot more than he bargained for.

About Grant Bywaters

Grant Bywaters has worked as a licensed private investigator. He now works security at the Portland International Airport and is finishing his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Portland State University. Bywaters lives outside of Portland, Oregon. The Red Storm is his first novel.

About Kevin Kenerly

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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Douglas

NY, 1923: Ex-boxer Will Fletcher starts working as muscle for small-time nasty Bill Storm, whose eyes “...burned with a brutal hatred and a primal urge for violence.” Fletcher eventually ditches him in favor of N’awlins where, in 1938, Storm emerges and hires Fletcher, now a PI, to locate his daught......more

Goodreads review by Deveny

This book was like stepping back into time, to an era of mobsters and racial tensions. The characters are colorful, each with their own story. Just when I have the plot figured out, it takes a twist or turn, several times, right to the end. I'm glad I read this book and hope that William Fletcher sh......more

Goodreads review by Dale

I was waivering between giving it one star or two, and then I realized that I probably wouldn't have finished it if it were only worth one star. It's not very compelling, though.......more

Quotes

“The Red Storm has Hammett-esque qualities mixing with Elmore Leonard smart-talking bad guys with bad-ass attitudes, guns, and punch-power knockouts.” New York Journal of Books

“Grant Bywater’s debut is a stunner.” Historical Novel Society

“Written in the tradition of all hard-boiled noirs, this debut is an exciting trip down memory lane. The atmosphere and language are perfect as Bywaters captures the reality of a black man walking a fine line in 1930s New Orleans. Unexpected twists add to the excellence.” RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)

“Narrator Kevin Kenerly evokes the strong atmosphere of this mystery, set in 1930s New Orleans. He captures the swagger of African-American P. I. William Fletcher through dialect and portrays the smoky sensuality of Fletcher’s client, Zelda, with a deep, almost masculine, tone…Kenerly keeps the listener hooked on the plot and atmosphere, so fans of the genre should find this debut enjoyable.” AudioFile

“The Red Storm‘s plot is solid, but it is the setting in both time and place that distinguish this classically styled noir PI story.” Shelf Awareness

“This is damned good…Historical fiction and hard-boiled fans will enjoy this.” Library Journal

“Bywaters edges near Hammett territory with this unassuming hero who stoically accepts that, even though the odds are heavily stacked against him, he still needs to go on doing the best he can.” Publishers Weekly

“The Red Storm is a solid, hard-hitting debut. The New Orleans period background is very well done, the characters and story compelling.” Bill Pronzini, MWA Grand Master and Shamus Award–winning author

Awards

Private Eye Writers of America Hammer Award