Crystal Meth Cowboys
John Knoerle
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
Wes Lyedecker graduated from college with a degree in Criminal Justice
and a desire to make a difference. It is this combination that
causes him to leave the comfortable life of New England to the streets
in small town California. He is anxious to learn the ropes to becoming
an effective, hard working policeman. But on his first day at the job
he realizes that he may be in for a surprise. One of his first calls
with his new partner involves a naked man whose "flesh was bright
red...and who seened to be pulsating, expanding and contracting so
rapidly that he almost looked blurred." The drug crazed man is able to
tackle Lyedecker, steal his gun before taken care of by Officer Bell.
This almost slap stick introduction is a taste of the gritty yet humor
ladden book to come. It is also the beginning of the mismatched pair's
hunt for source of meth in their area that leads them to face
corruption on all levels.
In addition to coping with the crime, Lyedecker must also learn to deal
with his partner. Bell's abrasive manner and willingness to get the job
done, no matter what the rules or consequences, is hard for the by the
books rookie. Solving the crimes is the plot, but the story is
the strong but rocky relationship between the men. It is this storyline
that gives the book its breath taking ending, an unexpected blow that
makes the reader rethink the entire book.
This debut novel makes Knoerle the new crime author to watch. He writes
with an inate style that utilizes a sense of timing rarely seen in new
writers. His understanding of his characters enables him to write a
believable, gut wrenching story of realtionships and crime.
Blending humor with mayhem, he has made a dazzling entry into the crime
genre.