Hot Plastic

Loved it. Seems to me like where Mr. Craig may have been a little hesitant in Martini Shot, he's really hit his stride in this one. A great story. Great writing. Both books have palpable characters, but this one is truly a page-turner. Can't wait for the next one.

I'm a huge fan of classic noir novels, and a good friend of mine urged me to give this book a chance. I must admit to a great deal of skepticism, mostly because I'd heard that the author was the offspring of one America's best known actresses. But I must say, after finishing the book, that I'm extremely impressed with Craig's talent and his grasp of the genre. There is a slight self-consciousness to the book--an intentional one, a kind of acknowlegement that he's working in solid Jim Thompson territory; but the writing is far more extravagant. The end result feels partly like an homage to old hustler novels, and partly like a renewing of the genre, a mixture of pulp and literary sensibilities. For one thing, Craig's dialogue is a perfect contemporary version of the kind of quick, clipped banter in old James Cain and Jim Thompson books. The twists are surprising, but heavily rooted in this tradition as well. In the end, I was surprised by the weight of the book, considering how fast and shiny it all seemed on the surface: it was a book about lost kids, contemporary America, the ills of our system, commerce, love and loss, and it advanced all of these themes with an amazingly effortless quality, all the while serving mostly as a fun read about grifters. I'm very pleased that I read this book, and I'll continue to follow Craig's career.

Line by line, this book has some of the best writing I've seen in a while. This is an amazing thing, since it's still very fast-moving and not at all overwritten. The author just has an amazing eye for detail and a very crafty sense of humor. The book surprised me constantly with its insights, and these characters were so real to me by the end that I missed them for a week. I read Craig's first book, and it doesn't stand up to this at all. It's exciting to see how much the writer has improved, and I can't wait for the next one.

1. Three characters that are believable but out of the ordinary, very interesting, and unique. Father, son, and girlfriend to both in a triangle, but not a triangle that is contrived or exploitative of either the characters or the reader.2. Very interesting details about identity theft and how easy it is for the thieves to practice their trade. This will make you a little more careful about what you throw in the trash. 3. A very suspenseful book, especially toward the end. Really put me on edge and kept me turning the pages. The very end was surprising and not what I expected, but was consistent with this author's ability to expose you to something out of the ordinary, but keep a believable but fascinating reality about it at the same time.Highly recommended!!!!

Craig's second novel is a work of art masquerading as a dime store novel. While the book is stuffed to the brim with crime, obscure laws, con men, and firearms, it's essentially a dissection of love, longing, and family, with as much insight as any literary novel this year. The writing is first rate. The characters are extremely appealing, despite their amorality. This is one of those rare times in which I actually missed a book long after I'd finished it.