Colt Coltrane and the Lotus Killer
by Allison M. Dickson
Synopsis:
Artwork by Justin Wasson
“This city gets to a man. Maybe it’s all the busted dreams and the way they seep into the pavement like acid rain, bleaching the color out of things…”
It’s 1947, the streets are filthy with grease and empty promises, and private detective Colt Coltrane trolls the city for cheaters and deadbeats with his robotic sidekick Petey. It’s all business as usual until a mysterious Japanese woman walks into his office asking him to look into a string of grisly murders along the L.A. River, where the only trace the killer leaves behind, other than a mutilated female victim, is a single white lotus flower.
But there is far more to this dame than meets the eye, and Colt’s quest to find the Lotus Killer soon leads him to shocking and terrifying secrets lurking beneath Los Angeles.
A pulpy mix of the past, present, and future, COLT COLTRANE AND THE LOTUS KILLER is a non-stop thrill that won’t soon be forgotten.
My review:
Allison M. Dickson is full of surprises. For someone who writes primarily in the horror and speculative fiction genres, Colt Coltrane offers the reader another side of Allison’s talent. Set in LA in the late ‘40s, the story follows private detective Colt Coltrane and his robot sidekick, Petey. Yes, a robot in LA in the ‘40s. Immediately, the reader knows this isn’t your everyday police procedural. Colt and Petey are tracking the Lotus Killer through the city and through the sewers. The story is a little scifi, a little mystery, a little bit horror, and a helluva ride.
What I particularly loved about this story was Colt’s background and the way it is revealed to the reader. Allison could have been upfront at the beginning and told you exactly how and why Colt was no longer with the LAPD and exactly what happened to his partner and his wife. But she didn’t. She draws it out, piece by agonizing piece, and this not only adds suspense to the story but helps the reader embrace exactly who Colt is. And who would think you could come to love a bag of bolts like Petey?
With an array of colorful characters, perfect timing, and spectacular character development, Allison M. Dickson draws you in to the world of Colt and Petey. A dark, slimy underbelly of a world.
Colt Coltrane and the Lotus Killer is now available in print and eBook editions on Amazon!
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