Customer Reviews

Cold in July

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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COLD IN JULY by Joe R. Lansdale is one of the author's earlier novels. The book was first published in 1989, and is just as fast paced, thought provoking, and violent as his newer ones. This is the story of Richard Dane, a nice man with a beautiful wife, Ann, a lovely little boy named Jordan, and is the owner of a framing shop in LaBorde, Texas. Late one night in their home, a strange noise wakes Ann. She elbows Richard awake, and it isn't long before he realizes that a burglar has broken into their house. He grabs a .38 snub-nose revolver from the closet and goes out into the living room to investigate. When he surprises the burglar, the man takes a shot at him and misses. Richard returns fire and kills the intruder. Later, the police tell him that the burglar's name was Freddy Russel. Unfortunately for Richard, the dead man's father, Ben Russel, has just gotten out of prison after serving a twenty-year term. When Ben learns of his son's death, he swears revenge against Richard and his family, promising to kill little Jordan Dane. What neither Ben, nor Richard, comprehend until later, is that both of them have unintentionally been set up by the local police. There's something going on behind the scenes, and it has to do with Freddy Russel's death, along with a cover up that's tied into the FBI. Both men quickly realize that they're going to need some outside help, if they want to solve the mystery. Russel's old friend, Jim Bob Luke (BAD CHILI and CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS) who's an ex-Green Beret, a master of the Korean martial art Hapkido, and is now a private eye in Houston, is called in to help find the answers. It isn't long before all three of them begin to understand that the answers they're seeking are going to have a high price. The answers will involve both a ring of people that make snuff movies and death on a massive scale. Before the novel is over, Richard, Ben, and Jim Bob will have to take the law into their own hands, charging in with guns blazing, killing the scum that torture, rape, and murder innocent women for fun and profit. COLD IN JULY, as Mr. Lansdale might say, is true East Texas noir. Filled with plot twists that keep the reader constantly on his/her toes, the journey from beginning to end is one of adventure, edge-of-your suspense, intense violence, down-to-earth humor, and an array of memorable characters that stay with you long after the story is finished. In many ways Jim Bob Luke steals the entire show. He's egotistical, over-confident, fearless, the best at what he does, funny in a redneck sort of way, and as deadly and fast as a striking cobra. Jim Bob certainly needs to have a novel of his own! One thing that I've notice after reading several of Mr. Lansdale's novels is that he writes extremely strong female characters. Ann Dane is not only beautiful and highly intelligent, she's almost as tough in her own way as Jim Bob Luke is. She's not afraid to get down and dirty and to do what's necessary to protect her family. The villains (Freddy Russel and the Mex) are also exceedingly well drawn and are definitely characters you wouldn't want to meet in real life. What I've found with the novels by Joe R. Lansdale is that they're never boring. The author knows how to tell a great yarn that's utterly believable, and he can pen a tale in any genre of his choosing. As I've said before, this East Texas author is a master craftsman at the art of writing. Anything by him is highly recommended. Finding this amazing storyteller is perhaps the best thing that's happened to me this year, and I sincerely hope more readers will eventually become aware of him and his works of fiction.

While the book starts out reminding the reader of The Executioners by John D Mcdonald, it doesn't take long before Lansdale quickly turns out one of his classic twists and takes you on another ride into the dark.

This is one of the first books that I ever read by Mr. Lansdale and I have been hooked ever since. I recommend it highly.

COLD IN JULY starts out with a bang - literally - when everyman Richard Dane is forced to shoot an intruder intent on robbing and possibly murdering his family. Never having murdered someone, Richard is having a hard time of it. He's replaced the bloodstained couch and painted the wall but he still can't forget that awful night.

Overwhelmed with guilt, he attends the funeral of the small time crook and is spotted by the dead man's dangerous ex-con father. Dear old Dad is none too happy with his son's murderer and while he's not dumb enough to come right out and say it he alludes to what a shame it would be if something were to happen to Dane's four-year-old son. An eye for an eye and all that.

This is only the beginning of Dane's weird introduction into a world chock full of bizarre goings-on. Dane's quiet little life will never be the same as he comes face to face with the darkest side of human nature.

Although COLD IN JULY is by no means a light book - it's dark and as suspenseful as a books gets - the best thing about it is it's well drawn, flawed characters and the wickedly funny dialogue. I would excerpt some of my favorite lines but going back through the book I realize they're all pretty nasty. Lansdale's humor probably isn't for everyone but those who like humorous, earthy dialogue will be in for a good howl.

Waking up in the middle of the night to unfamiliar sounds within ones own house is always eerie, but usually ends up being the result of something harmless. Unfortunately for Richard Dane this isn't the case. The sounds that wake him and his wife in the middle of the night are those of a burglar having just broken in, one who happens to be armed with a handgun. Luckily Richard Dane also has a gun (did I mention the book takes place in Texas?) and is the faster of the two when it comes to pulling the trigger. The result, one less burglar in the world, his last mark upon civilization being the chucks of brain matter that ended up on the wall behind him as the bullet punched through the back of his skull. Oh, and one very pissed off ex-con father who wants revenge. The father's name is Ben Russell and his new goal in life is taking Richard Dane's son away the way Richard Dane took his son, an eye for an eye so to speak (hell, a son for a son -- I'm pretty sure that one was in the Hammurabi Code as well). To Ben Russell it doesn't matter that his son was a lowlife burglar and that Richard Dane's son is an innocent four year old, he will have his vengeance. Richard Dane, however, isn't planning on just sitting back and letting the wishes of the ex-con father play out. No, no, no. He is going to do everything he can to keep his son alive, even if that means having to take a second life. Little do the two fathers realize not everything is as it seems. Forces are at work that neither man knows about, ones that will do everything within their own power to stop the two from uncovering the truth of the dead burglar and Ben Russell's son.

Cold in July was, by far, one of the best books I have read this year. The unexpected twists and turns were amazing, and the dark suspense that began on page one never let up. It is one of those books that you literally can't put down because you just have to know what is going to unfold next, especially once the reality behind the dead burglar starts to take shape. After that there just is no turning back. One discovery leads to another and before you know it the book is racing toward a final confrontation between all the players. Simply put, this was an amazing read, one which I have to recommend to anyone who enjoys suspenseful tales. Like F. Paul Wilson said in his story introduction to "Slasher" in his collection The Barrens and Others: "If you've never read Cold in July, do so immediately." Seriously, open up another tab on your computer screen, go to the correct page on Amazon, and order a copy. You won't be sorry. Just be ready for your electric bill to be a little higher than normal this time around because you will be reading long into the night. Nothing you can do to change it, but thankfully it most certainly will be money well spent.

A very entertaining read. Early Lansdale, and you can tell that he's still finding his voice, but it's a lot of fun. Funny dialogue and suspenseful situations. Well worth reading. Good to see where Lansdale came from.

I found Joe R. Lansdale and "Cold in July" thanks to a trombone-playing, book-loving friend. Although published in 1989, the book touches on themes that are relevant in 2011, including the power of self-defense, the blind eye of the law, and the horror of human trafficking and snuff films.

Lansdale's writing is quite good, even lyrical in places. The plot has some solid twists and turns, and Lansdale's characters are wonderfully true to East Texas, to the extent that the dialogue is downright hysterical at times! To me, the ending was quite satisfying. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more of Lansdale's work.

Lansdale writes vulgar, hilarious, gritty books usually taking place in east Texas. "Cold in July" was first published in 1988 but still rings true today.

We have Richard Dane - a father but first a son - who kills an armed burglar in his own home. Hard for him but he was protecting his family.

Then the problems start, first with the father of the man he killed. And they snowball from there.

I liked Richard, loved his wife, loved Jim Bob and his car Red B.... There's a lot of humor in Lansdale's book but there's some darn good messages, too. This one has a few - about love for your family, honor, courage, standing up for what you believe in, love for your father.

Another great story!

Take two guys with an old-fashioned "stand up for what's right" western mentality, stick them in a situation with no clear-cut right and wrong, and watch them work through it. That, in a nutshell, is Cold in July. It's a book that will crawl around in your head a long time after you read it

This is early Lansdale, and it shows. Some bad dialogue, plot problems, awkward sentences. But you can see where he's going. I'm surprised he managed to get this published at all at the time -- he was lucky. Intereting, but I had a hard time getting through it. A waste of $5, all around.