"When all the blood was off Wilder's hands, he dried them and bent over Redding. Still breathing."
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The Glorieta Pass by Chris O'Grady Twit Publishing
book review by S.C.
Dan Wilder is in town a day late to do a job. Otherwise, he's prepared. He's experienced, knows the joint, and has his getaway papers. But things go wrong when Wilder picks up Glorieta Duncan and takes her to a motel. Pretty soon he finds himself fingered for a crime he didn't commit: the murder of a cop.
Wilder escapes jail to figure out who really did it, while the entire police force of Thomaston nips at his heels. It isn't long before he's blaming Glorieta for all his troubles, but after a while he realizes she's already in trouble herself. She's a kept woman by one of the most powerful men in town, Jeff Duncan—which means she's a kept woman by the police force. And the law wants her to stay kept. They also want Wilder dead.
At first, Wilder doesn't come off as a great guy, but the plot twists eventually reveal that he has a heart. He's worth the wait. It's also easy to misjudge Glorieta; she appears hysterical—possibly a bad-girl type reminiscent of Chandler—but it becomes clear she has good reasons for being afraid and for her desire to cling to Wilder.
This is a fine novel in the noir tradition. The writing moves along at a nice clip; no extraneous detail. We eventually know everything we need to about Wilder, Glorieta, and Thomaston, and no more. The plot is typical for the genre, but this doesn't diminish the tight and skillfully paced story. Grady reveals the secrets of Thomaston little by little, avoiding the usual character clichés through revelations about what makes them tick. It's a fast, enjoyable read.