Street

Street is a prose poem about a disparate group of homeless, including a televsion actor, an ex-nun, a sword wielding son of Virginia aristocrats, a Vietnam vet whose only public pronouncements are "Symptomatic Nerve Gas!" and "Felony Assualt!", and a poet who band together to battle a mass murderer. Corpses decorated with black ribbons have been turning up all over Seattle. Until now, it has been a police matter. The unlikely quintet, galvanized by the disappearance of a young girl they know, discern the murderer's identity and attempt to bring him to heel, triggering a nerve jangling game of cat and mouse. The outcome remains uncertain until the final page. Cady's language is quirky and beautiful, his characters vivid and well-drawn. The Street of the title comes to life within these pages, as much a character as any of the colorful human protagonists. If you've never read Cady before, this is a good one to start with, virtually ensuring that you'll go on to sample the rest of his outstanding work.