Goldilocks

A first-rate novel by a first-rate author who deserves much more attention. This book is seductive in its prose, settings, and wonderful tension.... highly recommended.

Thank you, Leisure Books, for reissuing this Edgar nominated thriller! This book had it all: the Mafia, corrupt cops, a wicked Viet Nam vet who terrorized a widow. Good stuff! I loved how often I was surprised by the way Coburn interconnected the characters--it was like the feathers in a down pillow. And surprising at every turn. He's a great storyteller. I've added Coburn's name to the list of authors I'll be reading again.

GOLDILOCKS is my first novel by Andrew Coburn, and I was heavily impressed with the very high quality of his writing. Coburn has a real talent for dialogue, characterization and description. This book, which was originally written in 1989, was nominated for the Edgar award for novel of the year. Despite this fact, Coburn has never achieved much mainstream success. Coburn is much more popular in Europe than he is in the United States; it's unfortunate that a writer of his caliber is so obscure in his home country. Still, this book isn't for everybody. When it comes right down to it, GOLDILOCKS is a rather gloomy, slow-paced read. The storyline essentially deals with a rather eccentric group of characters and their highly dysfunctional relationships with one another. As the novel progresses, Coburn reveals more about these characters and what their true motivations are. This makes for an interesting read, but it's hardly exciting or suspenseful. This is not a true page-turner. So while this novel is a finely crafted work, those looking for a thriller will probably be disappointed. This is more of a literary crime novel instead, in the spirit of Dennis Lehane or John D. McDonald. If you are open to the idea of reading such a work, then GOLDILOCKS is definitely one of the better choices out there. I enjoyed it, and I think readers who enjoy good writing will enjoy it also.