Book Review: “The Lost Coast” by Barry Eisler
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4 Watertowers
This is only available in electronic form. You can get it at several online locations including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This is Barry’s first “self-published book”.
“The Lost Coast” refers to a geographically challenged section of Northern California coast where US 1 pushes away from the water and heads inland to join 101. Here is an interesting WikiPedia article on the lost coast.
This novel is a short story featuring Daniel Larison (the antagonist from “Inside Out”) on the run. He is headed up the California coast when he stops in Arcata, CA, the home of Humboldt State University, to rest for the night.
If I said anymore….it would ruin the plot. So with a short story, you get a very short review. :-)
“The Lost Coast” is different. Very different. Raw. Intense. Brutal. Unafraid. Controversial. Written with an edge I have not seen…..in any author. Read it if you dare….I suggest you do, because this is cutting edge writing. The future.
The book comes to an end abruptly at page 46, leaving you wanting much more. I think you will get your wish in Eisler’s upcoming book (self-published?) “The Detachment” which brings together characters from different books like Rain, Treven, Dox, Larison and others. Merging. Emerging. Terrifying.
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Posted on April 6, 2011, in Barry Eisler and tagged barry eisler, book review, book reviews, books, books review, ebook, ebook reader, ebooks, fiction, Mystery, new books, novel, novels, the lost coast, thriller, thrillers. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
Daniel Larison is a controversial character. Barry Eisler is a nonconformist writer. The match is perfect. “The Lost Coast” is compelling in a tribute to noir. You are immediately drawn into the personality of Larison. You know what kind of person he is. Yet you see justification in his brutal actions. That section of California coast is not unlike the character…quiet,brooding,calculating and feral. “The Lost Coast” may be a short story but it will leave you with long memories. All we can ask for is more from its author. Definitely a good read!
Daniel Larison is a complicated character. Barry Eisler is a non-conformist writer. It is a perfect match. The Lost Coast” is a perfect example of contemporary noir. Larison and that section of the California coast are a perfect match. Both are stark,unforgiving and feral. Eisler forces you to recoil at Larison’s behavior while giving it total justification. A short escape up the coast becomes perilous for both traveler and native. A heavy dose of surprising sexual context forces the reader to places that may be uncomfortable. However the journey there is necessary to understand the complexity of the antagonist/protagonist Larison. It is a short story that is long on memories. A great read!
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