Black Mountain

Laird Barron had established himself as one of the two or three finest authors of horror fiction of the 21st century before he turned his hand to crime fiction with the first Isiah Coleridge novel in 2018. But there were hints of a hard-boiled pulp-noir sensibility in some of his work prior to the arrival of 'Blood Standard.’ Reading his stuff, you felt like in another time, another life, he could easily have been a more mentally stable Robert E. Howard, dealing horror and barbarian yarns to Weird Tales on even days of the week, and dark crime fiction on the odd days to Black Mask.‘Blood Standard’ was a very good first novel, and ‘Black Mountain’ is better — you can feel the greater degree of comfort with the character, sense that Coleridge has really built a lair in Laird’s head, in much the same way you feel the difference in Spenser when you go from Robert B. Parker’s ‘The Godwulf Manuscript’ to ‘God Save the Child.’ In the first book, Coleridge seems half an idea, and half a character, but by ‘Blood Mountain’ he’s climbing out of the book and into your face, in the way that all of the best aggressive protagonists do.In an exchange of emails after finishing ‘Blood Standard’ I told Laird that unlike with his horror fiction, this new book read like he was the bastard son of the late, great James Crumley — I’d honestly never read anything that echoed another author so strongly; this wasn't meant as a negative criticism, because I revere Crumley; it’s just that it had occurred to me that Laird being shaped by his life in Alaska, and Crumley having spent so many decades in the mountains of Montana, perhaps the two of them had absorbed something from these rugged environments that had shaped or informed their writing in some similar ways? His reply was: "Never read Crumley. Will rectify. There's something to the theory of shared DNA. The particulars may be unique to the person, but in a larger sense, geography and life experiences shape us in predictable ways.”So for anyone who digs Laird’s tales of Isiah Coleridge, do not hesitate to look for James Crumley’s books about Milo Dragovich and C. W. Sughrue — some of the greatest crime fiction ever written, by a true original.

Entertaining crime story with a lean into sci-fi/occult. The best thing about this contemporary detective tale is the hero/anti-hero, Isaiah Coleridge, a former hitman turned private detective with ties to the New York mob scene and connections to dead mentors and Maori gods. Strong and snappy dialogue between ultra-hip characters also add to the entertainment.There are moments when some of the elaborate plot lines hit dead ends, but for the most part, it holds on to the reader as it moves toward a very, very dark conclusion. This is an author that has great potential, in my opinion.

This is my first Isaiah Coleridge book. I love mysteries/crime, and I've been on a horror kick lately. I was intrigued by the premise of a book that offered both. Plus, a hint of Lovecraftian flavor? Sold!The story was fast-paced and well-written. Despite the serial killer angle, there's nothing graphic or gory if that's not your cup of tea (it's not really mine). One thing that peeved me (slight spoiler): Isaiah has supernatural powers, but they do not affect the plot in any way. He pulls them out in one scene, very conveniently can't use them in the final fight, and that's it. I imagine his powers come into play in the other novels, but they don't add anything here. But hey, that's a tiny complaint for a whole novel.Overall, I really enjoyed reading this one!

This didn’t seem to have the same action as book one, Blood Standard. I didn’t feel the same connection to the characters and it seemed like a lot of the excitement was dampened because it was talked about after it happened in a conversation. The main bad guy that Isaiah and Lionel are after doesn’t really make much of an appearance but is just hypothesized about and is too mysterious to make an impression.

The second entry in Laird Barron's Isiah Coleridge books expands upon the first (Blood Standard) and is even better. It's a page-turner in all the right ways, a thrilling story with room for brutal violence as well as introspection and a little gallows humor. Coleridge is a fascinating character and I can't wait to learn more about him and his milieu.

Super solid follow up to 'Blood Standard'. Expands and develops some already well established characters in a way that make them more endearing. It also manages to slide in Mr. Barron's occupation with weird fiction and horror in a wonderfully back door, organic way. Fast paced, gritty and creepy. With a heart, to boot.

I am in awe of this book and Laird Barron's writing! I loved the first installment in this series, Blood Standard, about a former mob hitter navigating his way out of his old life in Upstate New York. This follow-up installment did not disappoint in picking up on elements of a traditional crime story, right down to making references to noir fixtures like the femme fatale and private investigator office with frosted glass window. But the story was so much more than that with the added twist of tracing Isaiah Coleridge's personal journey into darkness as he pursued a serial killer. This book is truly something special and one that I recommend you read as soon as possible if you are a fan of crime fiction.

Set in my area, the Hudson Valley, great story although the location descriptions are somewhat inaccurate (hey, I live here - I know when stuff is just wrong...) other than that it was a good read - mob-hit man turned (sort of) good guy.

I had absolutely loved 'Blood Standard'. To me it had appeared as a heavenly combination of hard-boiled mystery, crime thriller and revenge-drama, if not a belated bildungsroman.This book, the second one in Isaiah Coleridge series, was nothing like it. It was competent but cramped. The writing was good, but not fresh. Suspense was non-existent. Most importantly, I didn’t like a single character here. It was only about crime through a glass darkly, with odd bits of philosophy thrown in.I think I have had enough of Isaiah Coleridge.

Isaiah Coleridge ist nun offiziell Privatdetektiv (wie sein Alter Ego Charlie Parker) und schlägt sich mit mehr oder weniger trivialen Fällen herum, bevor ein hochkarätiger Vertreter des New Yorker Mafia-Clans seine Hilfe von neuem verlangt. Isaiah kann nicht nein sagen, schließlich hat ihm der Clan einmal das Leben gerettet. Und dafür verlangt er eine Gegenleistung. Der Auftrag: Isaiah soll die Morde an zwei Mafiosi aufklären, die zeitlich weit auseinanderliegen, aber die Handschrift desselben Mörders tragen.Je weiter Isaiah in seinen Recherchen vordringt, desto undurchsichtiger wird das Geflecht aus Mafia-gesponserter Halbwelt, einer schillernden Frau, die sowohl in dieser Welt, als auch in der eines weltweit operierenden Rüstungskonzerns zu Hause ist, und einem scheinbar übernatürlich begabten Psychopathen, wie ihn Isaiah Coleridge bisher noch nie erlebt hat. Der hütet ein uraltes Geheimnis, das die Quelle seiner Macht ist-und nie an die Öffentlichkeit gelangen darf..Wird Isaiah diesen Trip überleben?Zum Unterschied von "Blood Standard" ist "Black Mountain" viel düsterer geschrieben und setzt mehr auf Atmosphäre statt nackter Gewalt. Fans von John Connollys dunkleren Romanen kommen hier voll auf ihre Kosten.

This second book in the Isaiah Coleridge series is every bit as strong as the first. When two mob men are brutally despatched, Isaiah is tasked with finding their killer and bringing him to account. Being all too well aware that his own ledger with the mob could tip into a debit balance at any time, Isaiah is hardly in a position to refuse their request.Teaming up with his buddy and ex marine Lionel, the chase is on. As was the case in Blood Standard, violence is never far from Coleridge and if it doesn’t find him, he’s happy to search for it. The story plays out at a measured pace and there are some supplementary escapades for Isaiah along the way. More than anything else though, it is the beauty of the writing that sets this book apart. Not dissimilar to the style of John Connolly, you can feel yourself just letting the elegant prose carry you away.Now that Isaiah has set himself up as a legitimate PI with an office to maintain, he’s going to need some cases. Knowing Isaiah, you can bet that they will be hard ones.