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California
 
 

California [Kindle Edition]

Ray Banks
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

Shuggie Boyle is a changed man. Which is why, after serving four years for armed robbery, he's skipped his licence and jacked a pensioner's car. His destination is the small Scottish town of California, where his ex-girlfriend is holding his cut, and where his new-found calm will be put to the test.

CALIFORNIA - previously published by Crime Express, now in a new e-dition.

Praise for CALIFORNIA:

"I’d say he’s the most consistently ”realistic” writer in the genre working, his stories the most organic, his characters and their motivations the most recognizable. Banks’ new novella, California, displays these rare qualities proudly and brightly in just under a hundred pages." - Spinetingler Magazine

"Clocking in at fewer than 100 pages, the mighty punch delivered by this dark, quirky novella proves that sometimes the best things really do come in small packages." - The Daily Record

"There's something about this extremely well written novella by Ray Banks which is reminiscent of a thoroughly reduced sauce. The quantity might be less, but the intensity of the flavour and the effect on the palate is enhanced. Shuggie's efforts to turn round his life make gripping reading, and when you put the book down for the final time you emerge with a sense of relief that it is only fiction: until a glimpse of the news confirms there are plenty of real Shuggies out there..." - Undiscovered Scotland

Praise for RAY BANKS:

"Banks is one of the freshest voices in hard-boiled crime fiction today." - Library Journal

"Ray Banks writes with harshness, humour and elegance, and his punchy dialogue teems with vigorous authenticity." - The Times

"Banks has an ear for the vernacular as sharp as, but a shade or two bluer than, that of George V. Higgins. Let the squeamish stick with Tony Soprano; this is the real tough stuff." - Kirkus

"Quick, sharp and emotionally raw, reading Banks is like a dinner of blowfish with a sociopathic chef serving up a slice of death on a plate. One bad cut and it could all go wrong, but when it's served with skill, it's an adrenaline rush." _ Crimespree Magazine

"Lots of neo-noir's young tyros can punch -- and Banks can punch as hard as the best of them -- but he also has the heart and soul to back it up." - January Magazine

"For those bored with the traditional approach of crime and mystery series - who know that there is more to be found in the big, bad world of crime fiction - Banks is the man. His books are smart, unpredictable and, above all, dangerous." - Crime Scene Scotland

"For my money one of the top crime writers currently operating in Britain." - Martyn Waites

About the author:

Ray Banks is the author of the Cal Innes Quartet (SATURDAY'S CHILD, DONKEY PUNCH, NO MORE HEROES, BEAST OF BURDEN), the e-only novel DEAD MONEY and the novellas, GUN and CALIFORNIA. He lives in Edinburgh.

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 180 KB
  • Print Length: 54 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B006NY2YH4
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #9,547 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A First class five star read. 28 Dec 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ray Banks has done it to me yet again. A straightforward linear tale. No intermingled plot lines. No unexpected surprises. Yet once again I felt totally compelled to finish this novella in one sitting.

Banks totally captivated my attention. Ask my opinion as a reviewer how does he do it? I have no idea! It's just top notch and totally immersive, addictive prose. The secret I think is in the voice. His characters come out of the page at you raging and frothing in Blu-Ray 3D HD and demand your attention.

California is the tale of one man's fight to keep his cool. Of course he fails at this spectacularly and yet he is provoked time and again. The logic Banks uses to justify his characters actions is irrefutable. Banks doesn't so much tell a story as he drags you along to experience the action. An absolutely first class read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars California Knows How To Party 14 Feb 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
In California Banks introduces us to Shuggie, an ex-con who may have finally figured out how to control his temper. He's on a mission to get from Calfornia, Falkirk, to California in the US. All he needs to do is collect the ill-gotten loot he'd stashed in his home town and get gone. Simple enough, so long as nobody gets in his way.

This is a short, straightforward read that is exceedingly well written. The insight into Shuggie's psyche is chilling in its stark authenticity. Banks is a heavyweight in the gritty Brit crime genre. Powerful.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars You Think You Had a Bad Day? 24 Jan 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
Ray Banks has been on my list of writers that I wanted to read. After recently being very entertained by a short crime story of his that was part of a collection, I decided to read California. The other two reviews of this novella length piece, pretty much summed up my thoughts. The characters and the dialogue are what really made this work. The opening scene reeled me in and the story, pacing, and excellent banter between all the various players, kept me interested right to the end. This was a quick, very satisfying read and I will most certainly be reading more from the author.
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