The Hunger Angels: A Slim in Little Egypt Short Story (Slim in Little Egypt Mystery)

With “vivid scenery and realistic dialogue” this rural crime noir novel “evocatively shows how a regional mystery can incisively explore an area.” —Washington PostOne hot summer day, in his home in the southern Illinois coal country known as Little Egypt—a Midwest Gothic wonderland of barren vistas, sinister hollows, petty corruption, and deeply strange characters—the self-appointed “redneck detective” known as Slim gets a visit from a shady-looking pair looking to hire him to find a missing dog. As a miner with a reputation for “bloodhounding”—tracking down missing persons the police can't find or won't—Slim is accustomed to looking for people, not pets. On the other hand, he needs the cash to fix his air conditioner. But when he pulls the thread that leads to the red-haired purebred pitbull—and then the dognapper is discovered with his head blown off—Slim finds himself plunged into a world of underground dogfights and white supremacists... all because he just wanted to get cool.“Hats off to a devilishly clever plot. A nice mix of hard-boiled action and Holmes homage.” —Booklist“A canny balance of weirdness, violence, compassion for animals and black humor.” —The Seattle Times“As funny as it is intense.” —Steve Huff, author of Don't Go to Jail!: Saul Goodman's Guide to Keeping the Cuffs Off“A seamlessly plotted mystery with a likable hero...Tim Cockey and Robert Crais fans who crave laugh-out-loud dialog will add this title to their to-read lists.” —Library Journal“Violent country noir at its funniest—as if Tim Dorsey wandered out of Florida into Donald Ray Pollock's white trash Knockemstiff, Ohio.” —Shelf Awareness "Pitbull fighters, shadowy ne'er-do-wells, and murder mark Jason Miller's wry, darkly atmospheric second novel in his Little Egypt series--perfect for fans of Frank Bill and Greg Iles. One hot summer day, in his home in the southern Illinois coal country known as Little Egypt--a Midwest Gothic wonderland of barren vistas, sinister hollows, petty corruption, and deeply strange characters--the self-appointed "redneck detective" known as Slim gets a visit from a shady-looking pair who introduce themselves as Sheldon Cleaves and his son, A. Evan, looking to hire him to find a missing dog. As a miner with a reputation for "bloodhounding"--Tracking down missing persons the police can't find or won't--Slim is accustomed to looking for people, not pets. On the other hand, he needs the cash to fix his air conditioner. But when he pulls the thread that leads to the Cleaveses' red-haired purebred pitbull--and then the dognapper is discovered with his head blown off--Slim finds himself plunged into a world of underground dogfights and white supremacists. all because he just wanted to get cool. As bitingly funny as it is starkly violent, Red Dog marks the emergence of a new, gritty voice in detective fiction"-- Provided by publisher "It's an insufferable, hot summer day in Little Egypt when Sheldon Cleaves and his son A. Evan darken Slim's doorstep. For a measly fee of $65, they hire Slim to find their Shelby Ann, a red-haired purebred pitbull, viewed more as family than dog. Desperate for funds to repair his air conditioner, Slim takes the case. It isn't long before Slim identifies the dognapper and is able to reunite Shelby Ann with her family. But when the dognapper is discovered with his head blown off, the local authorities suspect Slim. Set on clearing his name, Slim starts his own investigation, enlisting the help of his muscle-clad friend Jeep and his precocious daughter Anci, always game for sleuthing. But bloodhound-ing leads them down a treacherous path, right to the seedy underbelly of little Egypt where dogfights are held literally underground and a white supremacist group called the White Dragons seem to be calling the shots. The second mystery in the Little Egypt series, Red Dog is as bitingly funny as it is violent, marking the emergence of a new, gritty voice in detective fiction"-- Provided by publisher