The simplistic crime novel has never been so viscerally
vicious. A lethal linear plot populated by evocative events of escalated murder
and all too easy violence bleeds freely over the pages of Jonathan Ashley’s THE
COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
Mixing habit, ambition, self-preservation, and a love of
books results in the proverbial storm only survived by living to the limits and
maximising one’s penchant for murder. Luckily for lead character Jon Catlett
his misguided moral compass and dead-eye shooting prowess save him from the
reapers’ mark only to lead him one step closer to the grave, courtesy of the drug
world and gangsters that thrive in the illicit business.
I love the way Jon’s plot thread evolves from accidental
murderer to ambitious drug boss over the course of a few bloody events. From
taking out a fellow addict to dealing with police blackmail to getting into bed
with some serious players in the drug trade, Jon temps fate with a bullet and
somehow manages to improve his position both financially and credibility wise.
THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS is a great novel for noir enthusiasts
who enjoy a fast paced tale of violence encompassing a raw and unhinged
approach to the finer elements the drug trade.
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