book review: BLOOD STANDARD BY ​LAIRD BARRON

​TONY JONES

“Can horror writers successfully turn their hand to crime fiction?
Damned straight they can!”

The Ginger Nuts of Horror rarely reviews crime novels, but because “Blood Standard” was written by Laird Barron we are very happy to make a cheerful exception. It must be said that the number of authors who successfully write both crime and horror are relatively few. Stephen King made a fine change of direction in the “Bill Hodges Trilogy” which began with “Mr Mercedes” but ultimately the author could not stop himself integrating the paranormal into the final book in his series. Scottish legend Graham Masterton is another exceptionally gifted example, after umpteen horror novels he very successfully turned his expert hand to crime, with his outstanding and long-running “Katie Maguire” series, which in many ways are more violent than most of his horror novels and that’s saying something. Check out the first book “White Bones” if you want to argue the toss about it, as you’ll be cringing from the page in no time.
 
Laird Barron does not follow the King or Masterton blueprints at all. Neither does it resemble serial killer crime fiction such as Thomas Harris’s “Silence of the Lambs” which has been very popular with the horror crowd. Bearing in mind he is best known for cosmic, literary and Lovecraftian influenced horror you might expect him to throw some horror into the mix. Not at all and it’s not even particularly violent. However, “Blood Standard” is a superb crime novel and you’d be hard pressed to spot any stylistic evidence it was written by an established horror writer.  Actually, it reads like this guy has been writing crime for years. That’s a major compliment.
 
The plot is a naturally simple one, the main character and first-person narrator Isaiah Coleridge is exiled from his home in Alaska after assaulting a local gangster. Isaiah works for another branch of the ‘Outfit’ himself, mainly as an enforcer, even though he is a man of extreme violence he cannot abide violence inflicted upon animals, which lies at the root of his current predicament. Due to connections his life is spared and he is sent to the Catskills area of upstate New York to recuperate on a horse farm after being tortured. On the farm he connects with Reba, the granddaughter of the couple who own the farm, but before long she disappears. Suspecting foul play, Isaiah investigates, meanwhile the Outfit he turned against lurk in the background seeking revenge or another double-cross.
 
“Blood Standard” is billed as “The first book in the Isaiah Coleridge series” I sincerely hope so, as this character simply crackles with life, sass, street philosophy, anger and bouts of controlled and almost apologetically brutal violence. He’s a real tough guy. As a first book in a series it was simply outstanding, this point is worth dwelling upon, as often long-running crime sequences mature and improve as they develop, with the first book not necessarily being the best. For example, few would argue that the first Ian Rankin “John Rebus” novel or Michael Connelly’s “Bosch” debut was their best, they improved over a few novels and twenty plus books later are still going strong with massive and dedicated audiences. To the immense credit of “Blood Standard” it seems ready formed, and that’s some achievement for a debut crime novel. Rankin and Connelly may have much more complex and layered plotlines than this novel, but I’m sure Isaiah Coleridge has great scope for character development in future outings.
 
Isaiah Coleridge is just so funny and is easily the most engaging character I have come across in 2018. Even though he works for the mob, he is not fully protected by gangster law due to the fact that he is half-Māori. He’s a really clever guy and in another life, he could have been a politician or a lawyer, but damaged by a fractured relationship with his father, drifted into a life of crime where dishing out (and receiving) punishment became a way of life.
 
A lover of booze, classical literature, gambling, women and animals, Isaiah’s search for Reba is his own personal odyssey back into the underworld, wherever it takes him. He has his own code, a journey on which the reader will be gripped and rooting for the outsider all the way. I read this superb novel over three evenings and would have done so quicker if I had the time. Razor sharp dialogue, brilliant one liners and moments of bone-crunching violence “Blood Standard” has it all. Populated with larger than life support characters it really was a breath of fresh air in the over-crowded crime genre. Why write horror when you can write crime as convincingly as this? It really deserves to be a smash and is as good, probably better, than anything on the crime best-seller list. I really hope it not overlooked by crime readers if they peg Laird Barron as a horror writer. Bring on book two.
 
Tony Jones

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Isaiah Coleridge is a mob enforcer in Alaska - he's tough, seen a lot, and dished out more. But when he forcibly ends the moneymaking scheme of a made man, he gets in the kind of trouble that can lead to a bullet behind the ear. Saved by the grace of his boss and exiled to upstate New York, Isaiah begins a new life, a quiet life without gunshots or explosions. Except a teenage girl disappears, and Isaiah isn't one to let that slip by. And delving into the underworld to track this missing girl will get him exactly the kind of notice he was warned to avoid.

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​ALICE COOPER GOES TO HELL BY JAYAPRAKASH SATYAMURTHY