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dantastic's review
4.0
Fresh from an altercation with a woman's husband that left him missing a couple fingers, "John Smith" scores a job playing piano at a redneck bar, the Grinning Gator, named after a monstrous alligator in a pond out back. But the alligator isn't as dangerous to "John Smith" as the owner's wife...
Gator Bait is a fun little morsel of redneck noir. You've got the abusive husband, the long-suffering wife that wants to be rid of him, and the new guy who just can't keep his penis in his pants. Throw in an alligator pit and you've got something special on your hands.
I've never read an Adam Howe story before but I think I'll be reading them all now. His writing reminds me of Joe Lansdale with a taste of Gil Brewer. My favorite line in the book was when Smitty described a stripper as "Being built for beef or dairy."
Gator Bait felt like an old pulp story that was rediscovered, not something written recently. I mean that as a compliment. It's raw, bloody, and has some great twists. Now that I know what Adam Howe can do with a short story, I'll have to give one of his novels a shot. Four out of five stars.
Gator Bait is a fun little morsel of redneck noir. You've got the abusive husband, the long-suffering wife that wants to be rid of him, and the new guy who just can't keep his penis in his pants. Throw in an alligator pit and you've got something special on your hands.
I've never read an Adam Howe story before but I think I'll be reading them all now. His writing reminds me of Joe Lansdale with a taste of Gil Brewer. My favorite line in the book was when Smitty described a stripper as "Being built for beef or dairy."
Gator Bait felt like an old pulp story that was rediscovered, not something written recently. I mean that as a compliment. It's raw, bloody, and has some great twists. Now that I know what Adam Howe can do with a short story, I'll have to give one of his novels a shot. Four out of five stars.
sjj169's review
4.0
Poor Smitty aka Three Fingers. He gets caught with his hand in the honey pot.
By the Honey Pot's husband and ends up losing a couple of the fingers on his hand. It could have been worse since there was a "cigar cutter" involved.
He takes off running.
Smitty ends up in the swamp at a bar named "The Grinnin' Gator".
Smitty needs some cash and a place to re-adjust so he takes a job playing the piano at the bar.
But this bar has a story, Croker who owns the bar has a little something extra out back.
Big George.
Big George was captured by Croker on a gator hunt he took with his dad..Croker's leg didn't make it. Daddy might be scarce too.
But poor Big George ended up getting hunted and brought back to the Grinnin' Gator. He is Croker's bestie though and he makes sure that he gets lots of goodies.
Now there is the sad little fact that Smitty has sworn off the Dames after losing his fingers over one...but then enters Grace.
She just happens to be Croker's wife.
Then the shit hits the fan.
Booksource: I paid for this one! I know it shocked me too.
This little book is getting all kinds of loving from my perverted little friends list. So I'm just gonna feature them all.
You got Kelly Susan Melki and Shyane all giving it the big old five stars..then you have Paul agreeing with me and giving it a four star rating. Paul is the smarter one since he agrees with me.
Now when Dan 2.0 comes a trolling saying I read this one wrong I'm gonna sick all you guys on him.
By the Honey Pot's husband and ends up losing a couple of the fingers on his hand. It could have been worse since there was a "cigar cutter" involved.
He takes off running.
Smitty ends up in the swamp at a bar named "The Grinnin' Gator".
Smitty needs some cash and a place to re-adjust so he takes a job playing the piano at the bar.
But this bar has a story, Croker who owns the bar has a little something extra out back.
Big George.
Big George was captured by Croker on a gator hunt he took with his dad..Croker's leg didn't make it. Daddy might be scarce too.
But poor Big George ended up getting hunted and brought back to the Grinnin' Gator. He is Croker's bestie though and he makes sure that he gets lots of goodies.
Now there is the sad little fact that Smitty has sworn off the Dames after losing his fingers over one...but then enters Grace.
She just happens to be Croker's wife.
Then the shit hits the fan.
Booksource: I paid for this one! I know it shocked me too.
This little book is getting all kinds of loving from my perverted little friends list. So I'm just gonna feature them all.
You got Kelly Susan Melki and Shyane all giving it the big old five stars..then you have Paul agreeing with me and giving it a four star rating. Paul is the smarter one since he agrees with me.
Now when Dan 2.0 comes a trolling saying I read this one wrong I'm gonna sick all you guys on him.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
Gator Bait is a novelette that did not take long to read at all.
Set in the 1930's in Louisiana, I couldn't help but try speaking in my head in the accent that the characters would be speaking in. I love the dialect from that part of the world and the author kept it very real in the way that the characters spoke.
Smitty is your stereo typical male. After running away after having three of his fingers chopped off by a wronged husband, you would think that Smitty would learn his lesson and keep away from married women. But then that wouldn't make a great story would it? No, Smitty, luckily for us readers doesn't learn from his past experience and starts having an affair with Grace, his new bosses wife.
Croker is a horrible person who fancies himself as something of a celebrity after having his leg eaten by a giant alligator. He went on to capture Big George and keeps him as an attraction at his seedy establishment. He is very much a bully and a very dislikeable character.
As the story goes a long you just know which way the story is going but have to say I did not expect the ending which I absolutely loved. I honestly did not realise at the start of this story that by the end I would be giving it the rating that I have. It's just one of those stories that starts off quite subtly then just gets better and better the further you get into it.
Would certainly recommend for a read that is probably very different from your usual genres but I am pretty confident most readers will enjoy.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the 1930's in Louisiana, I couldn't help but try speaking in my head in the accent that the characters would be speaking in. I love the dialect from that part of the world and the author kept it very real in the way that the characters spoke.
Smitty is your stereo typical male. After running away after having three of his fingers chopped off by a wronged husband, you would think that Smitty would learn his lesson and keep away from married women. But then that wouldn't make a great story would it? No, Smitty, luckily for us readers doesn't learn from his past experience and starts having an affair with Grace, his new bosses wife.
Croker is a horrible person who fancies himself as something of a celebrity after having his leg eaten by a giant alligator. He went on to capture Big George and keeps him as an attraction at his seedy establishment. He is very much a bully and a very dislikeable character.
As the story goes a long you just know which way the story is going but have to say I did not expect the ending which I absolutely loved. I honestly did not realise at the start of this story that by the end I would be giving it the rating that I have. It's just one of those stories that starts off quite subtly then just gets better and better the further you get into it.
Would certainly recommend for a read that is probably very different from your usual genres but I am pretty confident most readers will enjoy.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
nocturnalbookworm's review
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
3.0
Fun and interesting little story. There were definitely moments I saw coming and little surprises as well. Even the bits I could predict were interesting to read when they finally came to happen.
charshorrorcorner's review
4.0
Swamp Noir. Yes, it's a thing now and I'm on board.
With all the attributes featured in a Noir story, but set in a Louisiana swamp bar, (The Grinnin' Gator),in the 30's. Prohibition is in effect and rotgut is being served while the women dance. Their clientele does not consist of doctors and lawyers; there's maybe a full set of teeth between them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. There is nothing about this story that is tame or politically correct, so if you're easily offended, I suggest you pass this one up. But if nothing I've said has turned you off so far, then it's to you that I recommend this swamp noir creature feature!
Have fun and don't blame me if you have dreams about man-eating gators.
With all the attributes featured in a Noir story, but set in a Louisiana swamp bar, (The Grinnin' Gator),in the 30's. Prohibition is in effect and rotgut is being served while the women dance. Their clientele does not consist of doctors and lawyers; there's maybe a full set of teeth between them.
That's all I'm going to say about the plot. There is nothing about this story that is tame or politically correct, so if you're easily offended, I suggest you pass this one up. But if nothing I've said has turned you off so far, then it's to you that I recommend this swamp noir creature feature!
Have fun and don't blame me if you have dreams about man-eating gators.
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