Complication: A Novel by Isaac Adamson (English) Paperback Book

Description: Complication by Isaac Adamson A serial killer with a penchant for severed hands. A watch that runs backward and forward - at the same time. An Eastern European gangster known only as Rumplestiltskin. The Nazi invasion of Prague, Soviet-era Czech secret police, 16th century alchemy and black magic - mild-mannered American Lee Holloway never thought any of these would intrude upon his ordinary life. But that was before he received a mysterious letter from a woman named Vera, a cryptic missive implying Lees estranged brother Paul, who disappeared years ago in Prague, was actually murdered in an attempt to steal The Rudolf Complication, a priceless watch commissioned by the eccentric Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, rumored to hold the power of eternal life. When Lee goes to Prague to investigate, his involvement with the enigmatic Vera, as well as the guidance offered from a mysterious travel book, triggers a series of violent and bizarre events that force Lee to confront disturbing truths about his brother as well as himself. Unless Lee can reconstruct the final hours of his brothers life, and separate truth from myth in this haunted city, he might not get out of Prague alive. Complication is a twisted, mind-bending, contemporary thrill ride- in the spirit of such mind-bending narratives as "House of Leaves" and "Memento."-set in the dark heart of Europe, a place where old ghosts and ancient legends still walk the streets. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Searching for his missing brother in Prague, an American encounters a world of killers, gangsters, and ancient mysteries in a "satisfyingly twisted tale" (Publishers Weekly).When American collections agent Lee Holloway receives a letter from a mysterious woman named Vera concerning his missing brother Paul, curiosity takes him to Prague in search of answers. But what he finds in the historic citys looming shadows and cobbled streets is a mind-bending world of conspiracy and danger. A world where black magic and sixteenth-century alchemy arent just footnotes in history books. A world where gangsters with fairy-tale names and a bloodthirsty serial killer exist alongside grim reminders of Nazi invasion. And where a priceless watch named The Rudolph Complication-commissioned by an eccentric Roman emperor-is rumored to hold the secret to eternal life.As Lee delves deeper into the question of Pauls fate, he discovers unsettling truths about his brother . . . and himself. Now Lee must unravel the tangled threads of Pauls last days if he wants to escape the ancient city alive.Echoing with ghosts and mythic monsters from Europes storied past, this is a heart-pumping thrill ride into the very heart of darkness. Author Biography Isaac Adamson is the author of Tokyo Suckerpunch and other books in the Billy Chaka mystery series. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children. He doesnt own a watch. Review Praise for COMPLICATION: "A freshly imagined work, [Complication] boasts clever twists and revelations right up until the end." --Kirkus "Adamsons atmospheric and satisfyingly twisted tale... could easily have collapsed under the weight of its own complexity, but Adamson pulls it off with style and a whopper of a twist." --Publishers Weekly Praise for TOKYO SUCKERPUNCH: "The hip but hysterical book of my dreams--Adamson glides through his punk-noir world like hes channeling Raymond Chandler." --Baltimore Sun "This pop romp through the Tokyo of martial arts, yakuza, and legendary geisha has more sly smarts than a Hong Kong gangster shoot-em-up." --Publishers Weekly Praise for HOKKAIDO POPSICLE: "Faux-Chandleresque pomo-picaresque and sort of engagingly, stubbornly goofy, these are novels written by someone young enough to never have thought in terms of "genre" in the first place." -- William Gibson, author of Neuromancer, Idoru and Zero History "Billy Chakas adventures are as vibrantly hypnotic as the best Japanese anime. Adamsons wild, witty whodunit deftly sends up the genre while providing extreme doses of excitement." --Publishers Weekly "Adamson, as he did in his book Tokyo Suckerpunch, evokes an animated Tokyo-as-Toontown that is simultaneously vivid, vibrant, gaudy and in glorious decline. Its a big adventure, but Adamsons teen rag writer takes it all with a shrug." --Time Asia "well-written, observant and funny. Isaac Adamson does a high-wire act, balancing silliness with credibility." --Asian Review of Books Chosen for Powell Books "14 Favorites" (Spring 2002) Chosen as one of NewCity Chicagos Top 5 Books of 2002 Praise for DREAMING PACHINKO "Isaac Adamson paints an ultra-modern Tokyo that contrasts with its enigmatic history like neon against a dark sky. The characters resonate, the mystery engages, and the rich narrative takes us on a vivid tour through a culture that few of us will ever see. You cant ask for more than that from storyteller. " -Christopher Moore author of Lamb and Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story "[Dreaming Pachinko] blends noir atmosphere with broad satire; Adamson turns what might have been a fairly straightforward mystery into a splendid romp, an offbeat adventure with wacky characters, oddball dialogue, plenty of laughs, and style to spare. This over-the-top, delightfully weird series is well on its way to making the jump from cult favorite to mainstream success." --Booklist May 01 2003 "Like its predecessors, this third Billy Chaka crime novel is an exuberant mix of urban noir and anime-style action, salted with cheeky humor-- Chaka flashes his trademark deadpan, Chandleresque wit and suffers a constant barrage of inventive physical injuries at the hands of both friends and enemies. Adamson sticks close to the hybrid formula he has perfected; his fans will find this a familiar but welcome addition to his oeuvre." --Publishers Weekly "Noir light: charming, funny, satisfying." --Kirkus Review "Dreaming Pachinko" is full of vibrant images straight out of Tokyo and characters that are so 3D that your minds eye will be bursting by the time you finish the last chapter. Every thing from a hotel receptionist with a handle bar mustache nicknamed "The Walrus" to a house thats so postmodern it makes the Cowboy-bebop world Adamson paints more lifelike while still retaining a wonderfully cinematic feel--Adamsons witty commentary and quirky character intermix with classic pulp fiction components to make a punky style all its own. " --hybridmagazine.com "Adamson describes Chakas Tokyo in ways that make us see the paradox of a city that exists halfway between a thickly tradition-laden past, and a shockingly Neon-Chrome future. This Tokyo is exotic, unfathomable, and decidedly non-Western. Its almost science fiction, almost pre-Blade Runner--put aside the wit, and the great descriptive voice and youre still left with a good old fashioned Whodunit. Dreaming Pachinko can be highly recommended to anyone." --cinescape.com "A Dream of a hardboiled noir thriller--Chaka is a hero Generation X should love. Dreaming Pachinko is a fastball right down the middle, exciting and smart, puckish and suspenseful. Adamson should be read on beach blankets and anywhere else discriminating readers lie, sit, stand, hang, or squat." --asianreporter.com "...an imaginative and fun and at times very wild ride through modern, formless, neon Tokyo. A great tale." --japanvisitor.com Praise for KINKI LULLABY "With a shifty plot, shadowy settings, oddball characters and dollops of Bunraku lore sprinkled throughout, Kinki Lullaby is unfailingly entertaining." --Washington Post "Anyone who has followed the Billy Chaka series knows that author Adamsons approach to crime fiction is innovative, dark, idiosyncratic and fast-paced. The rapid-fire conclusion of Kinki Lullaby cements Adamson as a name to watch." --January Magazine "Adamson combines noir mystery style with elements of Japanese animation: weird characters, fast-paced plot, quirky humor. Even now, in its fourth book, the series still feels fresh and exciting, and the authors jokes still hit their mark. Billys the kind of guy they ought to make a movie about--or, at the very least, put in hard covers for a change." --Booklist "Its rather like Lost in Translation meets Raymond Chandler and The Big Sleep with Ridley Scott handling the visuals...Adamson manages to capture the pathos and ennui associated with overwhelming urbanization, and the story floats along like some sort of waking dream, a fevered fusion of noir sensibilities and madcap mayhem." --PennLive.com "I must plead mea culpa to the cardinal sin of judging a book by its cover. Like the covers on Issac Adamsons predecessors, "Tokyo Sucker Punch" and "Hokkaido Popsicle," "Kinki Lullaby" is festooned with garish artwork, and I was forced to overcome a certain initial distaste to purchase and read it. Im certainly glad I did: The book hums with lively prose that, title aside, wont put readers to sleep." --JapanTimes Prizes Short-listed for Edgar Allan Poe Awards (Paperback Original) 2013 Long Description A serial killer with a penchant for severed hands. A watch that runs backward and forward - at the same time. An Eastern European gangster known only as Rumplestiltskin. The Nazi invasion of Prague, Soviet-era Czech secret police, 16th century alchemy and black magic - mild-mannered American Lee Holloway never thought any of these would intrude upon his ordinary life. But that was before he received a mysterious letter from a woman named Vera, a cryptic missive implying Lees estranged brother Paul, who disappeared years ago in Prague, was actually murdered in an attempt to steal The Rudolf Complication, a priceless watch commissioned by the eccentric Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, rumored to hold the power of eternal life. When Lee goes to Prague to investigate, his involvement with the enigmatic Vera, as well as the guidance offered from a mysterious travel book, triggers a series of violent and bizarre events that force Lee to confront disturbing truths about his brother as well as himself. Unless Lee can reconstruct the final hours of his brothers life, and separate truth from myth in this haunted city, he might not get out of Prague alive. Complication is a twisted, mind-bending, contemporary thrill ride- in the spirit of such mind-bending narratives as House of Leaves and Memento. -set in the dark heart of Europe, a place where old ghosts and ancient legends still walk the streets. Review Quote Praise for TOKYO SUCKERPUNCH: "The hip but hysterical book of my dreams-Adamson glides through his punk-noir world like hes channeling Raymond Chandler." -Baltimore Sun "This pop romp through the Tokyo of martial arts, yakuza, and legendary geisha has more sly smarts than a Hong Kong gangster shoot-em-up." -Publishers Weekly Praise for HOKKAIDO POPSICLE: "Faux-Chandleresque pomo-picaresque and sort of engagingly, stubbornly goofy, these are novels written by someone young enough to never have thought in terms of "genre" in the first place." - William Gibson, author of Neuromancer, Idoru and Zero History "Billy Chakas adventures are as vibrantly hypnotic as the best Japanese anime. Adamsons wild, witty whodunit deftly sends up the genre while providing extreme doses of excitement." -Publishers Weekly "Adamson, as he did in his book Tokyo Suckerpunch, evokes an animated Tokyo-as-Toontown that is simultaneously vivid, vibrant, gaudy and in glorious decline. Its a big adventure, but Adamsons teen rag writer takes it all with a shrug." -Time Asia "well-written, observant and funny. Isaac Adamson does a high-wire act, balancing silliness with credibility." -Asian Review of Books Chosen for Powell Books "14 Favorites" (Spring 2002) Chosen as one of NewCity Chicagos Top 5 Books of 2002 Praise for DREAMING PACHINKO "Isaac Adamson paints an ultra-modern Tokyo that contrasts with its enigmatic history like neon against a dark sky. The characters resonate, the mystery engages, and the rich narrative takes us on a vivid tour through a culture that few of us will ever see. You cant ask for more than that from storyteller. " -Christopher Moore author of Lamb and Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story "[Dreaming Pachinko] blends noir atmosphere with broad satire; Adamson turns what might have been a fairly straightforward mystery into a splendid romp, an offbeat adventure with wacky characters, oddball dialogue, plenty of laughs, and style to spare. This over-the-top, delightfully weird series is well on its way to making the jump from cult favorite to mainstream success." -Booklist May 01 2003 "Like its predecessors, this third Billy Chaka crime novel is an exuberant mix of urban noir and anime-style action, salted with cheeky humor- Chaka flashes his trademark deadpan, Chandleresque wit and suffers a constant barrage of inventive physical injuries at the hands of both friends and enemies. Adamson sticks close to the hybrid formula he has perfected; his fans will find this a familiar but welcome addition to his oeuvre." -Publishers Weekly "Noir light: charming, funny, satisfying." -Kirkus Review "Dreaming Pachinko" is full of vibrant images straight out of Tokyo and characters that are so 3D that your minds eye will be bursting by the time you finish the last chapter. Every thing from a hotel receptionist with a handle bar mustache nicknamed "The Walrus" to a house thats so postmodern it makes the Cowboy-bebop world Adamson paints more lifelike while still retaining a wonderfully cinematic feel-Adamsons witty commentary and quirky character intermix with classic pulp fiction components to make a punky style all its own. " -hybridmagazine.com "Adamson describes Chakas Tokyo in ways that make us see the paradox of a city that exists halfway between a thickly tradition-laden past, and a shockingly Neon-Chrome future. This Tokyo is exotic, unfathomable, and decidedly non-Western. Its almost science fiction, almost pre-Blade Runner-put aside the wit, and the great descriptive voice and youre still left with a good old fashioned Whodunit. Dreaming Pachinko can be highly recommended to anyone." -cinescape.com "A Dream of a hardboiled noir thriller-Chaka is a hero Generation X should love. Dreaming Pachinko is a fastball right down the middle, exciting and smart, puckish and suspenseful. Adamson should be read on beach blankets and anywhere else discriminating readers lie, sit, stand, hang, or squat." -asianreporter.com "...an imaginative and fun and at times very wild ride through modern, formless, neon Tokyo. A great tale." -japanvisitor.com Praise for KINKI LULLABY "With a shifty plot, shadowy settings, oddball characters and dollops of Bunraku lore sprinkled throughout, Kinki Lullaby is unfailingly entertaining." -Washington Post "Anyone who has followed the Billy Chaka series knows that author Adamsons approach to crime fiction is innovative, dark, idiosyncratic and fast-paced. The rapid-fire conclusion of Kinki Lullaby cements Adamson as a name to watch." -January Magazine "Adamson combines noir mystery style with elements of Japanese animation: weird characters, fast-paced plot, quirky humor. Even now, in its fourth book, the series still feels fresh and exciting, and the authors jokes still hit their mark. Billys the kind of guy they ought to make a movie about-or, at the very least, put in hard covers for a change." -Booklist "Its rather like Lost in Translation meets Raymond Chandler and The Big Sleep with Ridley Scott handling the visuals...Adamson manages to capture the pathos and ennui associated with overwhelming urbanization, and the story floats along like some sort of waking dream, a fevered fusion of noir sensibilities and madcap mayhem." -PennLive.com "I must plead mea culpa to the cardinal sin of judging a book by its cover. Like the covers on Issac Adamsons predecessors, "Tokyo Sucker Punch" and "Hokkaido Popsicle," "Kinki Lullaby" is festooned with garish artwork, and I was forced to overcome a certain initial distaste to purchase and read it. Im certainly glad I did: The book hums with lively prose that, title aside, wont put readers to sleep." -JapanTimes Details ISBN1593764324 Author Isaac Adamson Year 2012 ISBN-10 1593764324 ISBN-13 9781593764326 Format Paperback Country of Publication United States Short Title COMPLICATION Language English Media Book Residence Chicago, IL, US Subtitle A Novel Imprint Soft Skull Press DEWEY FIC Publication Date 2012-04-10 AU Release Date 2012-04-10 NZ Release Date 2012-04-10 US Release Date 2012-04-10 UK Release Date 2012-04-10 Audience General Pages 288 Publisher Soft Skull Press Place of Publication New York We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:159543199;

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