Dead Dog — Nick Cook

It's the late 70s and Max and Little Billy are back from Vietnam trying to mind their own business when they stumble onto the murder of a local boy. With organized crime and murderous thugs on their trail, it's up to these two local heroes to solve the crime. "Nickolas Cook's recipe includes all the right amounts of violence, humor, tough, crackling dialogue and a generous helping of juicy storytelling talent." -Ray Garton "Dead Dog is a thick, meaty slice of bubba noir that's as delicious as is it satisfying. Nickolas Cook's recipe includes all the right amounts of violence, humor, tough, crackling dialogue and a generous helping of juicy stortytelling talent. After you spend some time with Max and Little Billy, you'll want to read more of Cook's work." -Robert White "Nickolas Cook has an eye for detail and an understanding of the craft. Cook writes with passion and skill and knows the biggest monster lies within the darkness of the human heart." -Scott Nicholson "Welcome to Poe country. Cook gives readers a harsh landscape that mirrors the turbulance of the characters' inner lives. Nickolas Cook possesses a welcome appreciation for all the nearly forgotten traditions of dark literature. He evokes a creeping sense of dread. One hears echoes of Lovecraft and Blackwood and Machen, right alongside the best Southern noir writers, like John D. MacDonald. If only more of the new crop of writers displayed as much love for the language and the craft of writing." -Robert Dunbar