Quinsigamond, an imaginary industrial city in New England, has been the setting for the handful of deeply fascinating novels by US author O'Connell, a sadly far from prolific writer who sits aside from all others in the crime writing landscape. Detective Leonore Thomas who patrols the desolate beat of the city's decaying down-and-out lands is addicted to rough sex and narcotics as she hunts down the source of a new drug, Lingo, a psychedelic concoction that is more than mind-blowing and almost a substitute for death. Her weird twin brother Ike, who works for the post office, is an equally unsettling and unpredictable character and their interactions together with a palette of bizarre urban pirates and villains make for an uncomfortable ride. Seldom have plot and atmosphere been such awkward bedfellows and provided such a memorable sense of dread. Initially published in 1998, the novel feels as modern as ever.
Maxim Jakubowski's March 2016 Book of the Month.
| Primary Genre | Fiction |
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