Huston, Charlie - CAUGHT STEALING

[LJ Roberts]

CAUGHT STEALING (Amateur Sleuth) – G+ Charlie Huston – 1st book
Ballantine Books, 2004 – Hardcover

Bartender Hank Thompson agrees to look after his neighbor’s cat, Bud, for a few days and, as a result, is beaten so badly he loses a kidney. He is chased, beaten, tortured, and friends murdered by a pair of Russians, a red-headed Asian, two brothers, and a dirty cop all because of a key found in the bottom of Bud’s carrier.

Many of likened this book to a Tarantino movie and I can see why. The profanity, violence and pace are unrelenting. But Hank loves his parents and does everything he can to protect Bud and it’s those bits of humanity that balance the rest. I am not a Tarantino fan, or I’m certain I’d have rated it higher, but found I couldn’t but this book down.