BIG, MONDO SALE ON THE GENUINE, IMITATION, PLASTIC KIDNAPPING!

Hi folks,

I’d like to announce a BIG, MONDO SALE for the next four days (beginning tonight at 11 pm) for the ebook version of my latest novel, THE GENUINE, IMITATION, PLASTIC KIDNAPPING from Down&Out Books.

Here are the details:

July 8 @ 11 pm the price goes to 99 cents
July 10 @ 7 am the price goes to $1.99
July 11 @ 3 pm the price goes to $2.99
July 12 @ 11 pm the price goes back to $4.99

Here’s what other writers have to say about it:

“The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is a dark crime comedy that will have you laughing from page one. It crackles with manic energy and mad thrills. If you’re looking for a different kind of edgy crime novel, this is the one to grab.” —Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries

“Les Edgerton serves up a gumbo of sexual deviants, small time hustlers, and serious criminals in a caper that reads like a deranged Damon Runyon tale relocated from Broadway to the French Quarter. The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnaping is not for the faint of heart, and that’s just one of its selling points. If you like crime fiction that cracks wise while offering a peek into the darker recesses, this is the book for you.” —Bill Fitzhugh, author of the best-selling novel Pest Control and The Exterminators

“The most unrepentantly funny crime caper you’ll ever find between the pages of a book. Elmore Leonard, eat your heart out!” —Maegan Beaumont, author of Carved in Darkness

“What makes this wild, wild tale so intriguing is the sense that it must be drawing on first-hand knowledge. Edgerton’s sympathetic tough guy narrator gives you an authentic-feeling glimpse into the unique logic of small time hustlers and born losers, with echoes of Ring Lardner and snatches of slam poetry frequently catching you by surprise and making it that much more enjoyable.” —Matthew Louis, founding editor of Gutter Books and author of The Wrong Man and Collision Cocktail

“Masquerading as a novel, Les Edgerton’s newest gem—The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping—is really a debauched weekend in steamy New Orleans, loaded with alcohol, drugs, whores, pistols, and a menacing bookie, all available for your personal and private entertainment between the covers. Narrator Pete Halliday—ex-con, gambler, boozer, ex-baseball pitcher and unwise wiseass—takes us places most don’t really want to go, only to have the time of our lives when we get there. Listen to him: ‘Coming into New Orleans, you could smell it. First day out of jail after thirty days, you could really smell it. Hot and sexy, a couple hundred thousand red hot little mamas, stepping out of steamy baths and showers, their skin sticky from the heat, getting ready for Saturday night...’ Every pitch Pete throws is a hair-raising thrill, a belly laugh or a clue to the wicked and violent puzzle that hangs over his New Orleans adventure. You know someone has to die.” —Jack Getze, Fiction Editor, Spinetingler Magazine

“There are two certainties when reading anything written by Les Edgerton. First you’ll get gritty, hard hitting noir straight out the top drawer that’ll leave you punch drunk on the floor. Second is it’ll be like nothing you’ve ever picked up before. The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is no exception. Expect the unexpected. Read it, love it.”

Pete Halliday’s gambling addiction costs him dear – his baseball career is over. So Halliday heads to New Orleans to find his fortune, hustling. But five years later he’s failed again and is in debt to a bookie and in deep with Tommy LeClerc, a man with a pool of luck as shallow as Halliday’s.

LeClerc comes up with another can’t lose scam, to kidnap the Cajun Mafia King and hold him for ransom. To demonstrate they’re serious LeClerc says the King’s amputated hand will be the proof they need to get a sack of cash. Halliday wants out of the seamier side of life so he can open a restaurant.

But as the payoff comes in Halliday is double crossed by LeClerc. Halliday has to run for his life as the mob chases him and his girlfriend, hooker and waitress Cat Duplaisir, wanting their money returned and to deliver a whole heap of revenge.

There’s a large degree of ying and yang in Les Edgerton’s stories – the known mixed in with the unexpected and Plastic… is no exception to the rule.

I’ve previously reviewed a number of Edgerton’s novels including Just Like That, The Rapist and The Bitch. As you may guess from the titles alone the author isn’t afraid to make a point. They are typically noir in nature and heavy on crime (big, smiley face from this reviewer). They’re blunt, yet subtle. And there’s no glamourizing the crime either, in fact quite the opposite. But with each work the author throws a curve ball at the reader – these are by no means your usual crime fare.

Plastic… fits into this mould, but Edgerton has produced a rip-roaring story of back stabbing and screw ups laced with plenty of black humour - Halliday couldn’t make more mistakes if he tried his damndest. And because the novel is written in the first person with Halliday in the driving seat we really see what the narrator has thrown away and continues to do so. The guy just can’t help himself. With the kidnap of The King and LeClerc’s subsequent betrayal it seems like Halliday has reached the end of the road.

The characterization in Edgerton’s novels are always strong. Halliday, and in particular Cat, are excellent. But the supporting cast are in there too, holding up their end. The author, an ex-con, often draws on personal experience (read Just Like That if you don’t believe me) which gives an extra level of reality to events. As Halliday blunders through the novel by turns I winced and laughed out loud. As usual the author has produced some writing that’s a little bit different to the rest of us.—Keith Nixon, The Fix

“There’s nothing fake about The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping. Les Edgerton’s latest book is the real deal, and has everything to keep you turning the pages. It’s a caper, full of fun and high-jinx, but it’s also bitter-sweet, engendering a full range of emotions. You’ll smile, you’ll wince, you’ll laugh out loud, and sometimes you’ll even cringe, but you’ll come away from the read feeling thoroughly satisfied and entertained. A terrific read.” —Matt Hilton, author of the best-selling Joe Hunter thrillers

“When it comes to writing crime stories, Les Edgerton can do pretty much it all, and The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping finds him in a mood to have fun. This book is like a raucous party for crime fiction lovers, complete with goons, guns, and schemes-within-schemes. Best of all, the comic voice of its ne’er-do-well narrator is a pleasure from start to finish.” —Jake Hinkson, author of Hell On Church Street and The Posthumous Man

“You’re in for some twisted laughs as one of crime fiction’s most authentic voices takes on dark humor. In The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping, Les Edgerton finds every line that oughtn’t be crossed and drags his characters back and forth ’til it’s blurred. You may want to reach in and give his criminal hero a shake, except you’re bound to be aching to see what kind of trouble he can create next. Humor is human, the blacker the better, and Edgerton serves it up nasty and raw!” —Rob Brunet, author of Stinking Rich

“The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is like the fever-dream of a two-bit conman who fancies himself a criminal genius. Add in some seedy and saucy New Orleans locales and you’ve got a gumbo of freaky sex, covert mob men and botched amputations. This the most havoc ever wrought in one man’s quest for a measly ol’ po’ boy shop, and a creole crime caper you won’t want to miss.” —Nik Korpon, author of Fait Ave and Stay God, Sweet Angel

“Imagine Les Edgerton’s writing. Dark, despairing noir. Habitual criminals. Rapists. This is nothing like that. : Edgerton takes a break from The Bitch and The Rapist to exercise his inner Westlake. A ‘no holds barred’ and ‘What else can go wrong’ caper with even more laughs than plot twists. The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping has a plot John Dortmunder would have trouble negotiating, and Edgerton milks it for all it’s worth. Not for the faint of heart, the crime that really sets the story off involved kidnapping a gangster—no, I can’t do it. I don’t want to spoil even that much. Suffice to say kidnapping, sexual fetishes, forced amputation, Tourette’s syndrome, certain death, and one-way tickets to Skagway, AK are all played for laughs, and he pulls it off. Big fun. My daughter described the movie Ted as “Really funny and wildly inappropriate.” It’s like that. —Dana King, author Grind Joint and A Small Sacrifice

“The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is a steamy caper novel that reads like an arm wrestling match between Ring Lardner and Quentin Tarantino, while James Lee Burke takes bets on the outcome. I only stopped laughing to flinch occasionally. A terrific novel, for the strong of heart—and funny bone.”—Warren Moore III, author Broken Glass Waltzes

“A hard-driving, relentless story with grab-you-by-the-throat characters.”—Grant Blackwood, New York Times bestselling author

“There is nothing quite like reading a Les Edgerton novel. His voice crackles with a lifelike intensity. The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is the most incredible, entertaining and detailed bar story you've ever heard. Reading it, you can't shake that feeling that you've living a special, unique moment where anything is possible, like that night at the bar.”—Benoît Lelièvre, www.deadendfollies.com

I know I'm late for the party reviewing this one. But that's just me. What you need to know is this; when Les writes a story, any story, you're instantly swept up into a world that engulfs you . . . absorbs you . . . into a sensual assult that leaves you speechless. In this one you get the full gamut. Baseball, New Orleans down at its gritiest, back street wonders, sleazy (and not so bright) hoodlums. And a wise ass loser just smart enough to know better, but not gifted with the ability to say "No!" at any time in his life.

Les' writing is three demensional. You do not just read words. You feel . . . taste . . . see things from a prespective few human beings have had the pleasure (or maybe, the bad luck) of experiencing first hand. That, boys and girls, is the mark of a GREAT writer. And yes; just to answer your question, I'm jealous.—B.R. Stateham, A Killing Kiss, Tough Guys

When you can turn a forced amputation into one of the most hilarious scenes I've ever read, you've really pulled off something good.—Benjamin Sobieck, The Writer’s Guide to Weapons

If you like Hunter Thompson, you will love Les Edgerton. The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is a rough and tumble romp through New Orleans like none that you have had or will ever have. Take a ex-ballplayer, an Indian, and a hooker with a heart of gold (and the balls to prove it), mix with the swamps of Louisiana, gangsters, politicians, and drugs and well . . . what more can you expect? Edgerton's phrasing is excellent, the tone tough, and the humor is so Southern. It's all about the kidnapping and how it went so wrong.—Gregory C. Randall, Chicago Swing: A Tony Alfano Thriller

The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping is a rollicking comedy crime caper in which the protagonist Pete--a former baseball player turned con man--gets roped into a kidnapping scheme by a less-than-intelligent criminal named Tommy. What follows is a tangled path of surprising twists and comedic beats. You'll laugh out loud, guaranteed. Probably the two brightest stars of this book are Pete's love interest Cat and the beautiful city known as New Orleans. For the latter, Edgerton paints a rich, textured portrait of an edgy city. For the former, he introduces us to a tough yet classy lady who brings out the best in Pete. Through the whole narrative, Edgerton maintains the narrator's colorful wise-cracking voice. You feel more like you're sitting at a bar listening to a good story over a beer, rather than sitting with a book. According to the book's end notes, Edgerton is working on a sequel. I, for one, am anxious to see what happens next.—Rob Boley, That Risen Snow: A Scary Tale of Snow White and Zombies

No novel ever deserved the “couldn’t put it down” label more than this one. This black comedy thriller will keep you laughing your way through your fear from first page to last.

Your guide through the amazing set of cons and mishaps is Pete Halliday, a major league pitcher (for a moment) fallen on hard times and looking for a score. Pete is earnest and funny and likable, but a more than a tad gullible. His partner/buddy keeps dreaming up new capers. Pete keeps falling for them. Complications ensue, and the results are both life-threatening (to the characters) and hilarious. The biggest caper of all is referenced in the title, and I’m not saying a word more about it for fear of spoiling everything. Read it to find out, and I’ll guarantee you’ll be ever and always glad you did.—Carl Brush, The Maxwell Vendetta

Pete Halliday's got a hell of an arm... and a little gambling problem. Or is it a little 'getting caught' problem? Either way he's washed out of baseball, biding his time in the Big Easy, pulling jobs with ace fuck-up Tommy LeClerc.

In spectacular fashion, Tommy blows schemes so clever they shouldn't be done. Like a kidnapping when you don't know whom the kidnapee is connected to. But then Tommy comes up with a brilliant idea; a kidnapping the likes of which no one has attempted before...

... and maybe there's a reason for that.

Pete's a likable guy. He just smart enough to realize how insane Tommy's plans are, too dumb to tell Tommy to screw off. And it's that inability that brings the feet of the whole New Orleans reverse nobility down on Pete and Tommy's necks.

The ray of dirty sunshine is Cat Duplaisir, waitress with a side of hooker. Pete falls hard, and she's a great add to the team here. And the ending? Guess you'll have to read it.

Overall, I love Pete's way of putting things. He's a narrating character that's reliable, true to form. Edgerton pours this one from his fingertips; nothing gets you clogged in the reading, nothing keeps you from hitting the 'next' arrow except maybe sleep or a pee break (I don't even think I took a pee break).

I got an advanced copy, But I liked it so much, I bought the paperback.—Liam Sweeny, Deadman’s Switch and Other Stories

Let’s rock this puppy! Baby needs a new pair of shoes… I appreciate your support!

Blue skies,

Les