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Title: surprisingly good
Review: I ordered Bust based on its Amazon rating alone when scanning Hard Case Crime books, not knowing what to expect. But the cover hardly encouraged me to dive in: it sat on my bookshelf, unread, for months.But when I finally dived in, wow -- what a surprise! Ken Bruen and Jason Starr combine to deliver a coherent, engaging story, the plot reckless enough to be funny without crossing the line of farcical. As the story alternates between the perspectives of four principal characters, as I reader I feel I am observing a developing train wreck, with the only thing certain about the outcome is it's going to get ugly.So while I wouldn't put Bust in the same top league as Hard Case Crime masterpieces Confession, Little Girl Lost, or Songs of Innocence, it's a highly recommended read.The sequel, Slide, goes even further over the deep end, edging close or maybe even crossing that boundary to farce. But despite their differences, each is recommended. Read Bust first, however.
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