Dust Devils [Kindle Edition]

Roger Smith (Author)

Book Description

TO AVENGE WHAT HE LOVES, HE BECOMES WHAT HE HATES
Framed for murdering his family, journalist Robert Dell's only ally is his oldest enemy: his father, an ex-CIA hitman with one last shot at redemption. Hunting the real killer, father and son take a bloody road trip into the heart of darkness, uncovering a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels of the state.

PRAISE FOR ROGER SMITH

"Smith writes with the brutal beauty of an Elmore Leonard in a very bad mood. " The Washington Post

"Smith has a unique ability to plunge readers into his nightmare visions." The Times

"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." Bookpage

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A bloody, hair-raising revenge tale." THE TIMES

"Like Dutch Leonard on the far end of a crank binge." BARNES & NOBLE FAVORITE NOVELS 2011

"Master of the coolly-described nightmare." DER SPIEGEL CRIME NOVELS OF THE MONTH

"Wildly dark, riveting & original." CAPE TIMES

"Truly powerful writing."  FLORIDA TIMES-UNION

"The best crime fiction novel of 2011." CRIME FICTION LOVER .COM

"A brilliant work." THE DROWNING MACHINE BEST NOVELS OF 2011

"A tour de force of a chase-and-pursuit thriller." SHOTSMAG (UK)

"Full of grit and violence & touchingly human at the same time." DETECTIVES BEYOND BORDERS - BEST BOOKS OF 2011

"A great thriller." DIE WELT

"Vivid descriptions of life in South Africa. A thrilling read. " THE WITNESS

"So painfully precise, lucid, compelling that you can't help but read on."  FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU

"Call it pulp, hardboiled or crime fiction. I call it badass writing!" FRANK BILL - TOP 5  NOVELS OF 2011

.

"Topping my list of favorite crime thrillers of all time." DAVE ZELTSERMAN - KILLER

"Shocking, unsparing and very satisfying." MACK CAPTURES CRIME

"One of the best noir thrillers of 2011." KEITH RAWSON - CRIMEFACTORY

From the Author

Roger Smith's thrillers Capture, Dust Devils, Wake Up Dead, Mixed Blood & Ishmael Toffee are published in seven languages. He also writes horror under the pen name Max Wilde. Website: rogersmithbooks.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1148 KB
• Print Length: 308 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1846687950
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Tin Town (June 7, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0054TR7GM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,708 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Raises the bar June 19, 2011

By Dave Zeltserman

Format:Kindle Edition

I became a big fan of Roger's after reading Mixed Blood. The writing in his first book had such a great compulsory vibe to it-kind of like the best of what you'd expect from Richard Stark and Elmore Leonard. And I also loved that the violence was given straight up, and not played for laughs like so many hardboiled crime novels today. As much as I liked Mixed Blood, Roger's second novel, Wake Up Dead, was huge leap forward for him and was one of my favorite reads of 2010.

And now there's Dust Devils. Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead hadn't quite prepared me for this book, which is maybe the best modern crime thriller I've read. Brilliantly written, unflinching, completely uncompromising, violent and bloody as hell but in the most honest sense, the book also mixes in with it's page-turning seat-of-the-pants thriller a poignant and sad political history of South Africa. This is a book that deserves to be huge, and at $3.99 is the biggest bargain in the Kindle Store. IF you have the slightest interest in great crime thrillers, you need to read this book!

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Honestly pretty pedestrian May 27, 2012

By Christopher

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this based on the consistently high reviews this book received. 33 of 35 were 4- or 5-star, and the book had a glowing blurb from the Washington Post. On finishing it, I'm wondering if I read the same book everyone else did. I mean, yes, Smith writes a good sentence, but the book is a mess in terms of structure and pacing. Structurally, the "main" villain goes essentially unmentioned for 80% of the novel. In addition, the protagonist's transformation from pacifist who hates his father to revenge-seeking killer who loves his father occurs seemingly only because the plot demands it. Pacing-wise, mundane details are stretched out, while major characters are killed off in less than a page. Clearly, Smith has his fans, but I doubt I'll read another of his novels.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Latest and best June 9, 2011

By Mack Lundy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved the author's previous books, Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead, and I think this latest is his best. He has all the action, fast pacing, violence, and evocative visual descriptions of the previous books but this time he moves the action away from Cape Town and takes a new approach to his writing. He takes a broader view, including problems affecting South Africa today: AIDS; corruption at all levels, civil and political; a climate of lawlessness that make South Africa one of the most violent countries in the world. We also see a return of Disaster Zondi from Mixed Blood but this is a different Zondi, discouraged and disillusioned.

Roger demonstrates that South African crime/thriller writers are serious competition in this area.

If you have read Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead you'll know you're in for a treat but this isn't a series book so don't let that stop you from downloading this book right away.

More About the Author

"Roger Smith writes with the brutal beauty of an Elmore Leonard in a very bad mood." THE WASHINGTON POST

Roger Smith's thrillers CAPTURE, DUST DEVILS, WAKE UP DEAD & MIXED BLOOD are published in seven languages and two are in development as movies in the U.S.

His books have won the GERMAN CRIME FICTION AWARD and been nominated for SPINETINGLER MAGAZINE BEST NOVEL awards. He recently published a novella, ISHMAEL TOFFEE and has written a horror novel, VILE BLOOD, under the pen name Max Wilde.

Website: http://www.rogersmithbooks.com/