Read @ Joe’s

Title: Things Get Ugly (2023) Author: Joe R. Lansdale Publisher: Tachyon Publications Book jacket: His first crime career-retrospective including previously uncollected work. Joe says: Sometimes Lansdale’s dark and dirty themes get downright filthy. Then again, the book is called Things Get Ugly.

Things tend to get ugly when Joe Lansdale is involved. And dark, too. Sometimes brutally dark. But Joe, to his credit, also tends to bring about some good times – depending on one’s perspective. 

Things Get Ugly is subtitled as The Best Crime Stories of Joe R. Lansdale and is an assorted collection of hits; some misfires too. Again, it’s all about perspective and Joe delivers some honest storytelling set to the poetic beat of his Texas cadence. His writing is biting and compelling. Things Get Ugly makes for a great read. Even on a sunny day.

Writing short stories is a distinct artform and Lansdale is a master craftsman. Where his skill particularly excels is with his opening sentences. They perfectly set the tone and immediately captivate the reader into following. And Joe’s Pied Piper will take you down some unfortunate alleys, too. But away you most certainly go. And the trip is fun.

Highlights within include:

The Steel Valentine – An adulterer tries to escape capture and torture from his lover’s husband. And their dogs. Woof. 

Driving to Geronimo’s Grave – A coming-of-age type story set in the Dust Bowl Depression where two siblings run into trouble while trying to bury their uncle. An overly ripe uncle at that. 

Six-Finger Jack – An assassin makes his mark. Now he just wants his payday. Is that so bad?

Santa at the Cafe – A department store Santa becomes involved in a late-night stick up. Ho-ho oh-no.

Incident On and Off a Mountain Road – A woman with a basic understanding of survivalism becomes hunted on a mountain road by a serial killer straight out of an eighties horror movie. Sharp knives included. 

The Projectionist – Being a movie theater projectionist back in the days of those grand, single-screen houses was probably the safest job around. Right? Wrong. 

Lansdale takes chances within the crime fiction genre. He will break new ground, even if that’s only used for a grave. The stories about the serial killers taking their prey to the drive-in movies; one about two rather nasty teens and their mutual attractions; and oh yeah, the high-flying, low-talking Mr. Bear did not carry the same resonance as other chapters. Sometimes the dark and dirty gets downright filthy. 

Then again, the book is called Things Get Ugly after all. 

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Muchas gracias to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for one ugly read.