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stepriot's review
3.0
The writing itself is beautiful. The characters are well developed. I think if you're new to Barron it is probably an excellent place to start. I'm writing this review because I marked it 3 stars for my record, not necessarily because it is a 3 star book. When I started reading it I was immediately drawn in loved it, but I've read enough of his short stories for this one to leave me feeling a bit empty. I realized I really want to see more of his mobsters and Lovecraft. He builds an underworld so well that I keep hoping he explores it more. He does Weird so well, keeping the story so grounded until it isn't, that I couldn't help waiting for that weirdness. So I won't read this again because it isn't what I was looking for at the time. I absolutely think others should read it though. Like I said, Barron's writing itself is an absolute pleasure.
kushniro's review
4.0
More action-packed macho wish-fulfillment than crime/noir but it's good at what it does.
grambles13's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
dantastic's review
4.0
When he sees his fellow gangsters killing walruses for fun, Isaiah Coleridge chops one of them in the throat and winds up exiled to a work farm in upstate New York. A teenage girl also staying at the farm disappears and Isaiah means to find her, stirring up a hornet's nest of gang members and corrupt law enforcement...
2017 was the year of Laird Barron for me. I managed to read every book he had in print so it was a no-brainer that I'd pick up this one, his first foray into crime fiction. Barron's prose is rooted in noir so I knew he'd do a great job.
Blood Standard is a mystery but Isaiah Coleridge is no Philip Marlowe. He pretty much bulldozes his way around, kicking ass and pissing people off. In some ways, he's a lot like Conrad Navarro, the protagonist of [b:The Light is the Darkness|12801656|The Light is the Darkness|Laird Barron|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420420382s/12801656.jpg|17950060], a brute of a man who would have been better off being born a thousand years earlier.
The writing was as I expected, grim, gruesome stuff written with a sort of poetry. Like Isaiah, I suspect Laird Barron wouldn't mind a Homburg and an overcoat, although he'd be wearing his someplace cold and desolate. If I wouldn't have been reading a physical copy, I would have highlighted half of the book on my Kindle.
Isaiah's a little more complicated than all of that, a half-Maori man haunted by his mother's death at the hands of his father when he was fifteen. Papa Coleridge is a piece of work, a career military man who went mercenary. While Isaiah wouldn't agree with, he's a lot more like his father than he'd like to admit.
While I don't pretend to understand Isaiah, I understand his motivations. It brought a tear to my eye when someone asked Isaiah why he did what he did and he said "I miss my dog." Animals and kids have an innocence that should be preserved. Yeah, I miss my dog too.
Isaiah's case takes him up against the White Manitou, a Native American organized crime organization, and corrupt cops and FBI agents. By the time the dust is settled and the blood is dried, the case is closed but not a lot of good came of it. The classic noir ending, in fact.
The supporting cast went a long way toward making Isaiah seem like more than a human wrecking ball. Lionel, Isaiah's drunken co-worker at the ranch, is the kind of friend every man wants, one that would follow him through the gates of hell. I also liked that Meg was tough and didn't immediately jump on Isaiah's groin. She proved to be a many-faceted character.
There were a whole lot of loose ends left behind but that's not all that surprising. If you follow Laird Barron on social media, you know he's already got the next Coleridge book in the can. I'm looking forward to Isaiah's next blood-spattered outing.
Laird Barron's first steps into the world of crime fiction were even better than I expected. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
2017 was the year of Laird Barron for me. I managed to read every book he had in print so it was a no-brainer that I'd pick up this one, his first foray into crime fiction. Barron's prose is rooted in noir so I knew he'd do a great job.
Blood Standard is a mystery but Isaiah Coleridge is no Philip Marlowe. He pretty much bulldozes his way around, kicking ass and pissing people off. In some ways, he's a lot like Conrad Navarro, the protagonist of [b:The Light is the Darkness|12801656|The Light is the Darkness|Laird Barron|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420420382s/12801656.jpg|17950060], a brute of a man who would have been better off being born a thousand years earlier.
The writing was as I expected, grim, gruesome stuff written with a sort of poetry. Like Isaiah, I suspect Laird Barron wouldn't mind a Homburg and an overcoat, although he'd be wearing his someplace cold and desolate. If I wouldn't have been reading a physical copy, I would have highlighted half of the book on my Kindle.
Isaiah's a little more complicated than all of that, a half-Maori man haunted by his mother's death at the hands of his father when he was fifteen. Papa Coleridge is a piece of work, a career military man who went mercenary. While Isaiah wouldn't agree with, he's a lot more like his father than he'd like to admit.
While I don't pretend to understand Isaiah, I understand his motivations. It brought a tear to my eye when someone asked Isaiah why he did what he did and he said "I miss my dog." Animals and kids have an innocence that should be preserved. Yeah, I miss my dog too.
Isaiah's case takes him up against the White Manitou, a Native American organized crime organization, and corrupt cops and FBI agents. By the time the dust is settled and the blood is dried, the case is closed but not a lot of good came of it. The classic noir ending, in fact.
The supporting cast went a long way toward making Isaiah seem like more than a human wrecking ball. Lionel, Isaiah's drunken co-worker at the ranch, is the kind of friend every man wants, one that would follow him through the gates of hell. I also liked that Meg was tough and didn't immediately jump on Isaiah's groin. She proved to be a many-faceted character.
There were a whole lot of loose ends left behind but that's not all that surprising. If you follow Laird Barron on social media, you know he's already got the next Coleridge book in the can. I'm looking forward to Isaiah's next blood-spattered outing.
Laird Barron's first steps into the world of crime fiction were even better than I expected. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
rocketiza's review against another edition
3.0
This was pulpy fun and fine enough, but would have been much improved if the author didn't try so hard to make the lead cool. His banter is eye rolling over the top to the point I kind of dreaded any dialogue in the book. Quips loose their impact if that's all you talk in.
laura_tofflemire's review against another edition
1.5
Interesting enough that I finished it, but meh.
walrusgroon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
misterwisp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It's pretty solid. The book pulls off a likeable antihero main character well. Some parts seemed a bit over dramatized but for all that it's a fast paced enjoyable read and leaves a desire to read the next in the series. The characters all seemed believable. There is a nice gritty tone. It gets pretty dark in a couple parts but doesn't leave you there. There is a dog. Felt worth the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gore, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
hannas_heas47's review
5.0
Thanks for a copy to read and review.
Isaiah is one impressive character and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eye catching cover and the book does follow the blurb. This is a first by this author and the blurb caught my eye so I decided to give this book a try even though it's not my normal genre read. I must say though that the book was impressive, even though I got lost a couple of times with the military jargon that I'm not familiar with. All you need to know is that this is one tough dude. He acts like a sadist since every time he gets tortured he actually is able to get through the pain, like a mind over matter type deal. He also has like nine lives since a lot of the scenes have him getting so close to death only to watch the reaper slide by him. One lucky guy. After an incident in Alaska he has to lay low and chooses to do so at a farm in upstate NY. While there a girl goes missing, and he investigates it. Caught in a war between two gangs, he takes on everyone to learn the fate of the missing girl. It's an amazing ride, I hope there will be more books with Isaiah. Five stars of entertainment! Loved it!
Isaiah is one impressive character and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eye catching cover and the book does follow the blurb. This is a first by this author and the blurb caught my eye so I decided to give this book a try even though it's not my normal genre read. I must say though that the book was impressive, even though I got lost a couple of times with the military jargon that I'm not familiar with. All you need to know is that this is one tough dude. He acts like a sadist since every time he gets tortured he actually is able to get through the pain, like a mind over matter type deal. He also has like nine lives since a lot of the scenes have him getting so close to death only to watch the reaper slide by him. One lucky guy. After an incident in Alaska he has to lay low and chooses to do so at a farm in upstate NY. While there a girl goes missing, and he investigates it. Caught in a war between two gangs, he takes on everyone to learn the fate of the missing girl. It's an amazing ride, I hope there will be more books with Isaiah. Five stars of entertainment! Loved it!