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abibliofob's review against another edition
3.0
This one revealed quite a bit about what the author has seen in his service. It is much darker than his other books and not really to my liking. I prefer the books about Chris Cherry. Still it was a good thrill reading it and I will recommend it to others. I have to thank Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group and G.P. Putnam's Sons for making J. Todd Scotts latest available to me. I don't know if Lost River is the first in a new series but it has the makings of being a good one.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Lost River by J. Todd Scott is a gritty, atmospheric mystery.
Angel, Kentucky is in a deep economic decline but the drug business is booming for the Glasser family. They have deep roots in the area and the newest generation continues their lawless tradition. While local law enforcement ignores them, the DEA has been trying to build a case against them for quite some time. Special Agent Casey Alexendra and her partner Van Dorn arrive on the brutal scene where it appears the entire Glasser family and their cohorts have been horrifically gunned down.
Casey convinces paramedic in training Trey Dorado that it is in his best interest to help her locate people who might aid in the investigation. Van Dorn's long standing ties to the town lead them to the former Chief of Police Paul Mayfield who is in the midst of his difficulties. Will the assistance of the town's insiders lead them to the one person they believe might have escaped the carnage at the Glasser property?
Casey is dealing with her own ghosts as she doggedly works this newest case. Fighting her own demons, she tenaciously digs in her heels when Van Horn would rather regroup. She is a hardened and tough woman but she is also surprisingly compassionate and caring.
Van Dorn is a veteran DEA Agent who favors a more nuanced approach to uncovering information. He has cultivated many ties in the local area and despite his reservations, he turns to Mayfield for answers. The former police chief willingly answers their questions, but Casey is not so sure he has been completely honest with them.
Unfolding from different points of view, Lost River is a riveting mystery that is quite poignant. The setting is stark with the town's struggles with poverty and drug addiction always at the forefront of the story. Casey is a force to be reckoned with as she convinces Van Horn to continue their hunt for the elusive Glasser who appears to have escaped death. The storyline is well-developed and J. Todd Scott brings the novel to an explosive conclusion.
An outstanding novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Lost River by J. Todd Scott is a gritty, atmospheric mystery.
Angel, Kentucky is in a deep economic decline but the drug business is booming for the Glasser family. They have deep roots in the area and the newest generation continues their lawless tradition. While local law enforcement ignores them, the DEA has been trying to build a case against them for quite some time. Special Agent Casey Alexendra and her partner Van Dorn arrive on the brutal scene where it appears the entire Glasser family and their cohorts have been horrifically gunned down.
Casey convinces paramedic in training Trey Dorado that it is in his best interest to help her locate people who might aid in the investigation. Van Dorn's long standing ties to the town lead them to the former Chief of Police Paul Mayfield who is in the midst of his difficulties. Will the assistance of the town's insiders lead them to the one person they believe might have escaped the carnage at the Glasser property?
Casey is dealing with her own ghosts as she doggedly works this newest case. Fighting her own demons, she tenaciously digs in her heels when Van Horn would rather regroup. She is a hardened and tough woman but she is also surprisingly compassionate and caring.
Van Dorn is a veteran DEA Agent who favors a more nuanced approach to uncovering information. He has cultivated many ties in the local area and despite his reservations, he turns to Mayfield for answers. The former police chief willingly answers their questions, but Casey is not so sure he has been completely honest with them.
Unfolding from different points of view, Lost River is a riveting mystery that is quite poignant. The setting is stark with the town's struggles with poverty and drug addiction always at the forefront of the story. Casey is a force to be reckoned with as she convinces Van Horn to continue their hunt for the elusive Glasser who appears to have escaped death. The storyline is well-developed and J. Todd Scott brings the novel to an explosive conclusion.
An outstanding novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
itsmarkyall's review against another edition
5.0
What I posted on Twitter about LOST RIVER:
Just finished LOST RIVER by @J_ToddScott. This book is unrelenting and powerful. That ending tore me up, son. It’s J. Todd Scott’s best work yet.
Just finished LOST RIVER by @J_ToddScott. This book is unrelenting and powerful. That ending tore me up, son. It’s J. Todd Scott’s best work yet.
dbanquer's review against another edition
5.0
I had goosebumps for the last 20-25 pages. It was dark, for sure, but it didn’t forget to hope. The most satisfying ending to a book I’ve read in quite a while.
*reposted from my previous GR account, which was deleted.
*reposted from my previous GR account, which was deleted.
eleellis's review against another edition
4.0
Lost River by J. Todd Scott opens with a bang as Little Paris Glasser, one of the main characters, harangues one of his drug runners for the incompetent dumping of a foe’s corpse. From then on, those who enjoy “Southern Noir” and “Grit Lit” know they have a gem on their hands.
In Angel, Kentucky, the Glasser family—made almost untouchable by payoffs and intimidation of many governmental authorities—controls nearly all the illicit activity in the region. Little Paris Glasser, the youngest in the family, is more than happy when people part to avoid his nasty presence. Even better when those in need of his wares share his company, for a price.
Drug Enforcement Agent, Casey Alexander, and her partner have come to Angel to deal with a rash of drug overdose deaths. Violence permeates the area, with dangerous foes from every corner. And on account of the local corruption, both must walk a delicate path when it comes to who to trust, including law enforcement officers in the pocket of the Glasser family.
Everyone is touched and harmed by America’s unquenchable thirst for opioids.
J. Todd Scott tells the story of Lost River in an exceptional way, developing each character—warts and all—to reveal themselves as believable. He paints a striking picture of how substance abuse permeates all aspects of American society, with the wreckage left behind free of glamour or gloss. The novel is not all misery, however, and includes sparks of hope when it comes to these destructive substances and their toll.
The bottom line: J. Todd Scott is the real deal. Readers are encouraged to seek out his earlier novels, especially if they enjoy the writings of Daniel Woodrell, William Gay, Ace Atkins, Larry Brown, Tom Franklin, and other (too many to name) fine writers of Southern Noir.
This review originally appeared at MysteryandSuspsense.com
In Angel, Kentucky, the Glasser family—made almost untouchable by payoffs and intimidation of many governmental authorities—controls nearly all the illicit activity in the region. Little Paris Glasser, the youngest in the family, is more than happy when people part to avoid his nasty presence. Even better when those in need of his wares share his company, for a price.
Drug Enforcement Agent, Casey Alexander, and her partner have come to Angel to deal with a rash of drug overdose deaths. Violence permeates the area, with dangerous foes from every corner. And on account of the local corruption, both must walk a delicate path when it comes to who to trust, including law enforcement officers in the pocket of the Glasser family.
Everyone is touched and harmed by America’s unquenchable thirst for opioids.
J. Todd Scott tells the story of Lost River in an exceptional way, developing each character—warts and all—to reveal themselves as believable. He paints a striking picture of how substance abuse permeates all aspects of American society, with the wreckage left behind free of glamour or gloss. The novel is not all misery, however, and includes sparks of hope when it comes to these destructive substances and their toll.
The bottom line: J. Todd Scott is the real deal. Readers are encouraged to seek out his earlier novels, especially if they enjoy the writings of Daniel Woodrell, William Gay, Ace Atkins, Larry Brown, Tom Franklin, and other (too many to name) fine writers of Southern Noir.
This review originally appeared at MysteryandSuspsense.com
abookwormwithwine's review against another edition
4.0
I spotted [b:Lost River|52728245|Lost River|J. Todd Scott|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570877558l/52728245._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73683378] by [a:J. Todd Scott|10768162|J. Todd Scott|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535683908p2/10768162.jpg] at my favorite crime bookstore in Minnesota but decided to be good and check it out from the library since I haven't read this author before. I don't usually read books that touch on current issues, but this sounded so good that I had to give it a shot and I am very glad I did! I had no idea this came out in 2020, but that doesn't matter since it is still very applicable today, and I can't believe I didn't even know it existed. Scott works for the DEA and it really came through in his writing, everything is very well thought out and it was very clear to me that he knows what he is talking about when it comes to the opioid epidemic. The plot felt scarily realistic, and I had to keep reminding myself it is a fictional story. There are a few different viewpoints as well as different time periods which got confusing to me at times, but overall it wasn't too hard to follow along with what was happening. There is plenty of action in this novel and I could see it making an incredible movie.
The setting of Angel, Kentucky was very interesting, and it was obvious that we were in the deep south. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by T. Ryder Smith who I have never heard narrate before. When the action hit his narration would get very fast and frantic, and it really upped the suspense and anxiety in those situations. I thought his voice seemed perfect for all of the characters which are mainly men, and although I had to slow the audiobook down so I heard everything he was saying, this was not an issue and I really enjoyed listening to him. Our only female viewpoint came from Special Agent Casey Alexander, and I loved her character. I think Scott could easily center a series around her and would definitely listen to/read it if he did. This is a very "manly" novel, and I think any guy or gal that loves reading and action movies would love Lost River. I enjoy a good action movie myself and if this ever actually does come out as a movie, I will totally watch it! It shocked me in some great ways, and my mouth dropped open at a couple of reveals, so I am glad I took a chance and picked this up.
The setting of Angel, Kentucky was very interesting, and it was obvious that we were in the deep south. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by T. Ryder Smith who I have never heard narrate before. When the action hit his narration would get very fast and frantic, and it really upped the suspense and anxiety in those situations. I thought his voice seemed perfect for all of the characters which are mainly men, and although I had to slow the audiobook down so I heard everything he was saying, this was not an issue and I really enjoyed listening to him. Our only female viewpoint came from Special Agent Casey Alexander, and I loved her character. I think Scott could easily center a series around her and would definitely listen to/read it if he did. This is a very "manly" novel, and I think any guy or gal that loves reading and action movies would love Lost River. I enjoy a good action movie myself and if this ever actually does come out as a movie, I will totally watch it! It shocked me in some great ways, and my mouth dropped open at a couple of reveals, so I am glad I took a chance and picked this up.
3no7's review against another edition
5.0
“Lost River” is the story of life in Angel, Kentucky, a place where almost everyone is tied together by blood, marriage, or bad luck. Angel is a city with vacant shops and deserted streets heavy with shadows. Rural Kentucky moved beyond moonshining a long time ago, and replaced that with a more systemic problem, one that transcends poverty, social status, and financial assets -- pervasive drug use.
Scott tells the story from the point of view of various participants. Readers observe how they see the world, and how they continuously struggle with substance abuse on every level. The characters are complex and troubled, weighed down by a hundred invisible anchors, seeking lifelines they are never going to take. The vocabulary, syntax, and cadence reflect the poverty and isolation of their way of life, simple yet complex, traditional yet mired in modern events.
There is a bad batch of heroin spreading around the county and people are dropping like flies. A tiny dancing skeleton and letters DOA are stamped on the bags as a warning, the sort of secret that everyone knows. Every person is in danger; even the loose powder in the air is deadly to police and other first responders. The situation is complex with competing, even conflicting interests, the DEA, the County Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police, and The FBI, because someone always calls the FBI.
Angel’s lost souls are the real story, those for whom nothing will ever be enough, for whom there will never be a right time. Scott crafted a compelling and gut-wrenching story drawn from events and issues surrounding the very real opioid crisis. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT people die every day from an opioid overdose. I received a review copy of “Lost River” from J. Todd Scott, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Penguin Publishing Group. It is starkly realistic, gripping, and disturbing.
Scott tells the story from the point of view of various participants. Readers observe how they see the world, and how they continuously struggle with substance abuse on every level. The characters are complex and troubled, weighed down by a hundred invisible anchors, seeking lifelines they are never going to take. The vocabulary, syntax, and cadence reflect the poverty and isolation of their way of life, simple yet complex, traditional yet mired in modern events.
There is a bad batch of heroin spreading around the county and people are dropping like flies. A tiny dancing skeleton and letters DOA are stamped on the bags as a warning, the sort of secret that everyone knows. Every person is in danger; even the loose powder in the air is deadly to police and other first responders. The situation is complex with competing, even conflicting interests, the DEA, the County Sheriff’s Office, the Kentucky State Police, and The FBI, because someone always calls the FBI.
Angel’s lost souls are the real story, those for whom nothing will ever be enough, for whom there will never be a right time. Scott crafted a compelling and gut-wrenching story drawn from events and issues surrounding the very real opioid crisis. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT people die every day from an opioid overdose. I received a review copy of “Lost River” from J. Todd Scott, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Penguin Publishing Group. It is starkly realistic, gripping, and disturbing.
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