Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘Lights Out’

Beginnings (More – Revised)

On Sundays, we’ve been doing beginnings – all the Peter Abrahams novels in chronological order, including those written under the Spencer Quinn pen name. Today a repeat with revisions for #19, DELUSION (3rd in the prison novels, the others being LIGHTS OUT and END OF STORY). But we forgot to mention – and were reminded by our appearance last week on the monthly book show on WCAI (Cape and Islands NPR) where the subject was pirates – that we’d been down the pirate road ourselves in DELUSION. Hurricanes, buried secrets, an isolated Bahamian island, an actual sort of pirate with an actual sort of cutlass (if very tiny): the pieces are here!

[“Abrahams constructs a powder keg of suspense … He manages to imbue this page-turner with themes of racial and economic injustice while conjuring the ghost of Hamlet’s father to hover in the wings. Stellar.”
– Hallie Ehpron, the Boston Globe]

The man they called Pirate heard a guard coming down the cell block. Pirate had excellent hearing. He could identify the guards just from the sound of their footsteps on the cement floor.

Beginnings (More)

On Sundays, we’ve been doing beginnings – all the Chet and Bernies (as part of Chetspeak) – and now taking on all the Peter Abrahams novels in chronological order. Here, a day late, from 2008, #19, DELUSION (3rd in the prison novels, the others being LIGHTS OUT and END OF STORY).

[“Abrahams constructs a powder keg of suspense … He manages to imbue this page-turner with themes of racial and economic injustice while conjuring the ghost of Hamlet’s father to hover in the wings. Stellar.”
– Hallie Ehpron, the Boston Globe]

The man they called Pirate heard a guard coming down the cell block. Pirate had excellent hearing. He could identify the guards just from the sound of their footsteps on the cement floor.

Beginnings (More)

On Sunday we’ve been doing beginnings – all the Chet and Bernie’s (as part of Chetspeak) – and now taking on all the Peter Abrahams novels in chronological order. Here, from 1994, #7 – LIGHTS OUT (first of what might be called the prison novels – the others are END OF STORY and DELUSION. Also probably the second-most Bahamian of the Abrahams novels, after PRESSURE DROP. And an Edgar Award best novel finalist):

Man is the word. You can’t stop hearing it when you’re inside. “You crazy, man?” “You fuckin’ with me, man?” “Fuck you, man.” “Shi’, man.” “Sheet, man.” “Shit, man.” It doesn’t mean a thing. It’s just an itch no one can stop scratching, a sore tooth no one can stop probing.

Random Amazon Review We Like

Five Stars – Awesome Book! – September 28, 2015.
Phyllis Macy on PRESSURE DROP by Peter Abrahams:

Loved this book! Kept me on the edge with the suspense. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with plenty of exciting twists and turns.

(And thanks to Open Road for bringing back 4 early Peter Abrahams novels. This is the most Bahamian of all his stories, next in line probably being LIGHTS OUT and then DELUSION.)