Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Hang Time
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://swlauden.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Writer Types podcast host.
WRITINGS
Contributor to journals, including Out of the Gutter, Criminal Element, Dark Corners, and Crimespree.
SIDELIGHTS
S.W. Lauden is a California-based writer. He has contributed short fiction to a number of journals, including Out of the Gutter, Criminal Element, Dark Corners, and Crimespree. Lauden is the cohost of the Writer Types podcast.
Bad Citizen Corporation
Lauden initiated the “Greg Salem” trilogy in 2015 with the publication of the novel Bad Citizen Corporation. Greg Salem is an East Los Angeles police officer who is a legend in the local punk rock scene. When his friend, Ricky, is murdered, Salem and druggie drummer Marco make an uncomfortable journey through some of the rough parts of the city to find out who was responsible. To make matters worse, he is off the force due to the questionable motives of a shooting on his shift.
A contributor to the Dead End Follies blog reasoned that “Bad Citizen Corporation is more of a cerebral pleasure than an adrenaline rush or an all-out emotional experience.” The same reviewer “enjoyed Bad Citizen Corporation very much. It drew me in as deep as binge watching several seasons of a great television show because of its deceptive emotional complexity and its multilayered plot. S.W. Lauden definitely is an original thinker.” Reviewing the novel in the My Bookish Ways Website, Angel Luis Colon stated: “In the end, I want more Greg Salem. I want to find out about a few of the other mysteries in his life and I definitely want to see his Los Angeles again. I especially want to see him kick ass on stage a few more times. I’m absolutely psyched to see what Lauden has next.” In a review in the Unlawful Acts Website, David Nemeth shared: “I wish Bad Citizen Corporation was a touch shorter, but that’s not too big of a complaint.” Nevertheless, Nemeth claimed that “Lauden’s tells an engaging story.”
Grizzly Season
In 2016 Lauden continued the trilogy with Grizzly Season. Salem and Marco escape the city for a cabin in the Angeles National Forest. There they find themselves in the middle of the Grizzly Flats marijuana farm run by drug lord Magnus Ursus. Salem feels compelled to do something to stop this violent and dangerous man from ruining his hometown.
A contributor to the Dead End Follies Website lauded that “Ursus is a wicked antagonist, though. A man living his American Dream, yet wrecking lives and tearing families apart for profit.” The same reviewer suggested: “Read S.W. Lauden for the ‘Greg Salem’ mysteries, but definitely read Grizzly Season for Magnus Ursus. I had clear expectations going into it, so it didn’t wow me as much as Bad Citizen Corporation which came out of the left field, but it’s a strong addition to a building series. Looking forward to the next one.” In a review in Crimespree, Matt Morgan reasoned that “between thrilling action, a terribly interesting protagonist, fascinating and terrifying villains, and an extremely well-drawn supporting cast … Grizzly Season delivers in a big way. Big action, big guns, lots of blood spilled, sex, drugs…all of the fun shit.” Writing in the Out of the Gutter Website, Derrick Horodyski observed that “in Grizzly Season, Lauden offers readers the perfect mix of sex, drugs, and (punk)rock-n-roll, but also infuses it with heart, heart-break, and most importantly, a poet’s touch. Lauden offers so much more than a standard PI read.”
Hang Time
Lauden concluded the trilogy in 2018 with Hang Time. Salem’s punk band, Bad Citizen Corporation, is set to undertake a reunion tour. But when a dead body appears in the dressing room, Salem steps into action to capture the person responsible while the body count rises.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented that “Lauden’s prose zooms along with an arch energy, and the final installment in his ‘Greg Salem’ trilogy … keeps the plot twists coming at warp speed.” A Publishers Weekly contributor suggested that “Lauden’s busy, unpolished thriller will appeal mostly to fans of the first two volumes.” In a review in Crimespree, Dan Malmon pointed out that “Lauden shows us a very different Greg Salem than the cop who is trying to reconcile his punk rock roots with his adult responsibilities” as was his representation in the earlier novels in the trilogy. Malmon concluded that “Hang Time brings together all the dangling plot points from the first two novels, giving the reader the answers they’ve been craving. But the twists, turns, and shocks are enough to leave the reader gasping for more.” A contributor to the Dead End Follies Website reasoned that “it’s the most ambitious novel in the series and it comes out a little bit short on what it aimed for.” The same reviewer admitted: “I was slightly underwhelmed by Hang Time, but it is ultimately a satisfying sendoff,” adding that “if you read the first two volumes in the series, you’re going to need to read this one like one would need air.” Again writing in the Out of the Gutter Website, Horodyski insisted that Hang Time “is sure to get noticed by readers who like books that are original in characters and plotting. I for one am a fan of Lauden and will be eagerly awaiting his next book.”
Crosswire
Lauden published the novella Crosswire in 2016. Disgraced NYPD officer Tommy Ruzzo takes a security job at the Precious Acres beachfront retirement community in Florida after following his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend Shayna Billups there. When one of the residents is murdered, he finds himself back in his element.
Reviewing the novella in the Out of the Gutter Website, Horodyski found that while Crosswire “is a great read, the true beauty of this gem is seeing Lauden flex his muscles in a very different story than his first offering.” A reviewer to the Elizabeth A. White Home Page said that “while the stakes are undeniably as high as the body count, Lauden uses his Florida retirement community packed with feisty Yankee retirees setting to inject well-timed levity into the mix, making Crosswise a delightful blend of humor, mystery and action.”
Crossed Bones
In 2017 Lauden published Crossed Bones. Shayna left Florida for New Orleans, where she works as a bartender. A treasure map she finds, though, brings her to North Carolina, where she and a band of drug-dealing pirates take on the local mayor and a biker gang.
Again writing in Crimespree, Malmon cocluded that “Lauden is clearly playing with every trope in the drawer with this series of novellas. With ever nod, wink, and smile that he sends through the page to the reader, you know he’s having an absolute blast with this series.” Malmon also took note of “Lauden’s growth” between Crosswire and this novella. Writing in the Out of the Gutter Website, Horodyski “strongly recommended” Crossed Bones. Horodyski insisted that “Lauden is more than a writer to watch; he is a must-read author who can turn any genre on its ear.” Again writing in the Unlawful Acts Website, Nemeth mentioned that “Crossed Bones is the adult version of a carnival ride, and Lauden’s writing keeps us grounded even as we plunge into the absurdity of costumed pirates battling a motorcycle gang for a lost treasure.” Nemeth found it to be “a fun summer read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2017, review of Hang Time.
Publishers Weekly, November 27, 2017, review of Hang Time, p. 38.
ONLINE
Crimespree, http://crimespreemag.com/ (October 21, 2016), Matt Morgan, review of Grizzly Season; (May 1, 2017), Dan Malmon, review of Crossed Bones; (January 16, 2018), Dan Malmon, review of Hang Time.
Dead End Follies, http://www.deadendfollies.com/ (December 4, 2015), review of Bad Citizen Corporation; (November 4, 2016), review of Grizzly Season; (January 19, 2018), review of Hang Time.
Elizabeth A. White Home Page, http://www.elizabethawhite.com/ (March 16, 2016), Elizabeth A. White, review of Crosswise.
My Bookish Ways, http://www.mybookishways.com/ (October 23, 2015), Angel Luis Colon, review of Bad Citizen Corporation.
Out of the Gutter, http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/ (November 10, 2015), Derrick Horodyski, review of Bad Citizen Corporation; (March 22, 2016), Derrick Horodyski, review of Crosswise; (October 10, 2016), Derrick Horodyski, review of Grizzly Season; (November 21, 2017), review of Crossed Bones.
S.W. Lauden Website, http://swlauden.com (May 4, 2018).
Unlawful Acts, https://www.unlawfulacts.net/ (May 2, 2017), David Nemeth, review of Crossed Bones; (February 8, 2018), David Nemeth, review of Bad Citizen Corporation.
S.W. Lauden—Bio
SWL D&OB Author Photo FinalS.W. Lauden’s short fiction has been published by Out of the Gutter, Criminal Element, Dark Corners, Dead Guns Magazine, Akashic Books, WeirdBook, Spelk Fiction, Shotgun Honey and Crimespree Magazine.
His short story, “Itchy Feet,” was published in UNLOADED: CRIME WRITERS WRITING WITHOUT GUNS (Down & Out Books). His short story, “Big Shots,” is included in the anthology FAST WOMEN AND NEON LIGHTS: EIGHTIES-INSPIRED NEON NOIR (Short Stack Books). His short story, “Customer,” is featured in WAITING TO BE FORGOTTEN: STORIES OF CRIME AND HEARTBREAK INSPIRED BY THE REPLACEMENTS (Gutter Books).
He is the author of the Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series including BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION and GRIZZLY SEASON (Rare Bird Books). His Tommy & Shayna Crime Caper novellas include CROSSWISE and CROSSED BONES (Down & Out Books). He is also the co-host of the Writer Types podcast.
What else?
His favorite color is gray. His favorite food is burritos. His favorite non-burrito food is pho. He is currently working on the creation of LA’s first Pho Burrito Truck (Pro tip: The trick is tortillas that don’t get soggy). What else? Oh yeah—Kurt Vonnegut, drums, Mark Rothko, Robyn Hitchcock, mountain bikes, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, burritos, bears, Descendents and high fives.
Author Photo: Jim Lowney
S.W. Lauden is the Anthony Award-nominated author of the Tommy & Shayna novellas, CROSSWISE and CROSSED BONES (Down & Out Books). His Greg Salem punk rock P.I. series includes BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, GRIZZLY SEASON and HANG TIME (Rare Bird Books). He is the co-host of the Writer Types crime and mystery podcast. Steve lives in Los Angeles.
Lauden, S.W.: HANG TIME
Kirkus Reviews.
(Dec. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Lauden, S.W. HANG TIME Rare Bird Books (Adult Fiction) $15.95 1, 16 ISBN: 978-1-945572-71-5
A free-wheeling private detective runs afoul of a powerful record producer, the police, and thugs of all
shapes and sizes.
"Punk hunk" by night, private investigator by day, singer Greg Salem and his drummer/sidekick Marco
have just finished a successful gig with their band, Bad Citizen Corporation, and are looking at a tour.
Tragedy intervenes in the form of a corpse hanging from a door at the club they've just played. A 1998
prologue has already shown Greg's older brother, Tim, hanging himself. Ominously, the corpse the
Corporation finds has a note pinned to it: "I am Tim." While Los Angeles police try to unravel that mystery,
Salem & Associates catch an interesting job: trailing voluptuous Gabriella Flores, wife and
protAaAaAeA@gAaAaAeA@e of high-pow record producer Tony Flores. It turns into a wild evening, with
drunken Gabriella rescued from a probable abduction/assault and showing her gratitude by sleeping with
unchivalrous Marco. When a picture of Greg and Gabriella holding hands is posted online, two of Flores'
thugs kidnap him and take him to their boss for a grilling. Flores throws a curveball by suggesting that he
might be interested in Bad Citizen. Even though Salem & Associates are off the job, they're compelled to
investigate when murder enters the picture. Against this backdrop, the case of the hanged man (including
flashbacks to Tim in 1998) and plans for the Bad Citizen tour move inexorably forward. Never a dull
moment.
Lauden's prose zooms along with an arch energy, and the final installment in his Greg Salem trilogy
(Grizzly Season, 2016, etc.) keeps the plot twists coming at warp speed.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Lauden, S.W.: HANG TIME." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A518491514/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=56939c9d.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A518491514
4/23/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1524512028341 2/2
Hang Time
Publishers Weekly.
264.48 (Nov. 27, 2017): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Hang Time
S.W. Lauden. Rare Bird, $15.95 trade paper
(288p) ISBN 978-1-94557-271-5
Lauden's frenetic conclusion to his Greg Salem trilogy (after 2016's Grizzly Season) finds the 41-year-old
punk rock front man and part-time PI preparing for a reunion tour with his cobbled-together Bay Cities,
Calif., band, Bad Citizen Corporation. Things get off to a bad start with the discovery of a suicide in the
band's storage closet that's a copy of the 1998 suicide of Greg's older brother, Tim. Meanwhile, Greg and
Marco Johnson, his PI partner and fellow band member, are trying to wrap up a case involving Latina
rapper Gabriella Flores, who may have been cheating on her husband; complications arise when Marco gets
involved with her. Once the band gets to Santa Barbara, another suicide turns up in their music trailer. Then
there's the fallout from a popular and inflammatory book, Among the Grizzlies, detailing the band's origins
and rise. In addition, Greg, a recovering alcoholic, falls off the wagon, adding to his problems with his wife,
Kristen. Lauden's busy, unpolished thriller will appeal mostly to fans of the first two volumes. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Hang Time." Publishers Weekly, 27 Nov. 2017, p. 38. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517575645/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=81e9495d.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A517575645
REVIEW OF HANG TIME BY S.W. LAUDEN
POSTED BY DAN MALMON ON JAN 16, 2018 IN BOOKS, REVIEWS
HANG TIME
S.W.Lauden
Rare Bird Books
January 16, 2018
Someone once said, “Noir is watching someone make mistakes that they know are mistakes, but they continue to make them anyway. Regardless of the consequences.” That is by far the most satisfying answer that I’ve yet found for the “what is noir” question, so I’m sticking with that. With that being the case, HANG TIME, the final book in the Greg Salem trilogy by S.W. Lauden is so damn noir it hurts.
After doing battle with a deranged cult leader/drug kingpin in GRIZZLY SEASON, ex-cop/ punk-rock-front-man Greg Salem is literally getting the band back together. Yup, seminal California punk bank Bad Citizen Corporation is hitting the road for the first time in years, appearing at clubs that they last visited over 20 years ago. It’s an interesting place for a middle-aged man to find himself: literally reliving his teenaged fantasies, but now acutely aware of both his own mortality and his very shaky sobriety. Climbing aboard the tour van with Marco, his drummer and partner in their newly formed PI firm, Greg runs off to live the rockstar dream while his wife Kristen is left at home with baby Timmy on her hip.
This is very much the theme of HANG TIME. Greg running from one thing to another thing without dealing with the first thing first. He is acutely aware that he’s making mistakes, but he keeps doing it anyway.
Lauden shows us a very different Greg Salem than the cop who is trying to reconcile his punk rock roots with his adult responsibilities that we first met in BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION. Or even the lone hero that was doing battle with a madman in GRIZZLY SEASON. On the surface, this Greg Salem seems to be in a good place: back home with a wife that loves him and a beautiful newborn baby. His best friend Marco is clean and sober and may have finally found a woman who loves him, too. And the band that defined his life for so long is back together playing in front of paying audiences. If a man has everything he could possibly want, why is he angry all the time? Why is he always running from one thing to another?
Greg’s brother Tim committed suicide back when Bad Citizen Corporation was on the verge of hitting the big time. Greg’s relationship with his brother was always volatile: laughing one moment, fist fighting the next. Greg’s relationship with his brother’s memory since his death has been the same: volatile. These feelings of rage and unrest roar to the surface when a tell-all book about the band becomes a monster hit. Everyone once again is talking about Bad Citizen Corporation, and asking questions about Greg and Tim. And Tim’s suicide.
Things really reach the breaking point when a series of what appear to be copycat suicides start occurring on the new Bad Citizen Corporation tour. The record label quickly shuts the tour down, but lives have been lost, with bodies wearing signs that say, “I AM TIM.” These are suicides that mirror the hanging suicide of Greg’s brother, Tim. It’s horrible and heartbreaking and could cost Greg everything: his wife, his son, and maybe even his sobriety.
How can Greg Salem come to grips with these copycat suicides, when he’s never really dealt with the suicide of the most important person in his life: his own brother? Lauden tackles very serious emotional issues, and that is to be applauded. However, the book sails by at a very brisk and tidy 226 pages. Salem’s internal strife could have benefited from a few more pages.
HANG TIME brings together all the dangling plot points from the first two novels, giving the reader the answers they’ve been craving. But the twists, turns, and shocks are enough to leave the reader gasping for more.
Dan Malmon
Book Review : S.W Lauden - Hang Time (2018)
Book Reviews
Order Hang Time here
California has a proud tradition of riveting mystery novels. And why wouldn't it? It's one of the most bizarre places on Earth, filled with people in the process of renouncing their dreams while you're trying to live yours. But it makes for great novels, the latest being S.W Lauden's Greg Salem mysteries, which I have been championing for a couple years now. Well, ol' Greg's adventure are coming to an end with the release of Hang Time, the closing volume of the trilogy.
While I thought Greg Salem didn't go out with the bang he deserved, Hang Time more than tied up the loose ends and gave this memorable character a well-deserved sendoff.
In Hang Time, Greg's old band Bad Citizens Corporation is coming back together for a tour and possibly the recording of a new album. Seems like a non-issue on paper, right? It become more complicated when kids start hanging themselves at Greg's show, each wearing a sign around their necks saying: "I am Tim". Tim being Greg's brother and co-founder of Bad Citizens Corporations, who happens to have hanged himself thirty something years ago. What the fuck is going on? Who is trying to undermine the glorious return of one of the most influential punk rock band that's ever lived? Well, detective Salem is on the case and this time...
...it's personal!
I thought Hang Time was a good novel and a competent sendoff for Greg Salem, but it didn't wow me like its two predecessors. And it's easy to understand why: it's the most ambitious novel in the series and it comes out a little bit short on what it aimed for. For example, it's the most intimate novel in the trilogy by far. It confronts Greg Salem to his inner demons and unresolved issues regarding the suicide of his brother, which is a great premise, right? But it gets kind of lost in the sprawling intrigue and it's a little weird to see support characters witnessing what Greg goes through and not really caring about him. His own wife prefers to pack up and leave rather than sit down and discuss this guys-hanging-themselves-like-Tim thing.
So, that was weird. Exploring Greg's inner self was a great idea, but it would've required a more intimate, perhaps claustrophobic setting. Tonal issues torpedo a lot of the mystery here, but there's still a lot to like about Hang Time. The sprawling setting, while being counterintuitive, is gorgeous and well-implemented. The idea of having police forces from different locales that react differently to Greg and Bad Citizens Corporation was absolutely brilliant and I would've loved to have more of it. The idea of pitting police forces against one another, competing to resolve the same crime is borderline genius. It's only superficially exploited here, but it's more than enough to keep you going.
I liked Hang Time, but I didn't love it like Bad Citizens Corporation and Grizzly Season. It's not a bad mystery by any means, but it goes a little bit in every direction and never commits to one. Props to S.W Lauden for pushing the envelope, trying new things and strictly refusing the rehash the formula, but he stretched himself a little thin on that one. If you read the first two volumes in the series, you're going to need to read this one like one would need air, so my opinion ultimately doesn't matter. I was slightly underwhelmed by Hang Time, but it is ultimately a satisfying sendoff and I excited to see what S.W Lauden does next.
Review: Bad Citizen Corporation, by SW Lauden
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
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Posted in: book review, books, Derrick Horodyski, Rare Bird Press, Review Tuesdays, reviews, S.W. Lauden
There is nothing better than finding a debut novel with strong recommendations from authors you dig and having the novel read like it was written by a seasoned pro. In other words, picking up Bad CitizenCorporation by S W Lauden is gonna make a lot of readers very happy.
Lauden puts a nice twist on the standard PI novel. He has a surf-loving, punk rocking, cop on suspension main character as his PI. Greg Salem is suspended while he is being investigated for the shooting of a suspect who may or may not have been armed. Greg is sure the suspect was armed and he will be vindicated when the investigation is completed, but in the meanwhile he plans of playing some gigs with the band he left when he cleaned up from using drugs and became a cop over twenty years prior.
Greg’s life gets even more topsy-turvy when the club his old band, Bad Citizen Corporation, is playing and—during their set—gets shot up and their drummer is killed. Is the shooting a random robbery or a more deviously plotted act? Greg decides to seek out the truth and he enlists the help of a drug addicted ex-bandmate, who always seems one step away from a total breakdown.
Lauden handles this book with the steady hand you would expect from a more experienced author. The characters are engaging and unique, the plot is well-paced and unpredictable, and he keeps the reader invested throughout the book. The best part is the feeling the reader gets that PI Greg Salem just may turn into a recurring character if Lauden chooses to go the series route.
This book has won over a lot of accomplished authors such as Joe Clifford, Rob Hart, Tom Pitts, and Eric Beetner and it is sure to get noticed by readers who like books that are original in characters and plotting. I for one am a fan of Lauden and will be eagerly awaiting his next book.
Highly Recommended.
Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski
Book Review : S.W Lauden - Bad Citizen Corporation (2015)
Order BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION here
California is one of the most fascinating place to me. Never been there, closest I ever traveled to was Las Vegas, which was enlightening in its own right, but California holds a special mystique to me. It seems to be heaven and hell at the same time. A sprawling, byzantine and schizophrenic state where unlikely destinies collide and dreams are broken by the thousands. S.W Lauden's novel BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is an elegy to everything California advertises: the bankruptcy of the American Dream and the good people trying to survive the aftermath. It's a dark and sophisticated hardboiled mystery that will methodically win you over.
Greg Salem is an aging Californian punk rock icon turned law enforcement officer. Although he has lost his taste for music, he is very much attached to his old life and still occasionally performs with his band. Greg has to perform in one of these legacy gigs after a particularly rough day at work, after being involved in a shooting that will require an investigation. It goes, as you might expect, horribly wrong. A spectator calls him out, people start fighting, but it's not the worst part. Somewhere in the ongoing chaos, shooters emerge and his friend and musician Ricky gets himself shot. What the hell happened exactly? Was a robbery supposed to happen on the night of the show? Greg has nothing left to do with his time but to find out.
Now, the first thing that grabbed me about BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is S.W Lauden's writing. It is unconventional and understated in a way that makes it simple to read, yet emotionally more complex than it seems. There is very little exposition and flashback scenes, almost everything that has to be known about Greg has to be drawn from present tense and action scenes. It's a very Hemingway-esque writing philosophy, which is something I dig. Lauden's cool and detached writing style kept me on my toes, I didn't trust any character until the very end because Lauden played it so close to the vest using distance and understatement.
BAD CITIZEN COPORATION's main calling card though is its gigantic, byzantine plot that makes the most out of its gorgeous and complex setting. It's where the novel gets really atypical. Traditional mystery are a game of signifiers. Everybody gives clues about something and you have to piece up the hidden story from there. S.W Lauden understands that structure very well and deliberately fucks with it, throwing in bizarre, suspicious behaviors that would point guilt towards several characters only to reveal they were things you had to take at face value. It threw me off my game many times as I kept finding plausible explanations for Ricky's death that ended up being wrong. I suppose it was a bit intrusive, but I liked it anyway as a pure cerebral exercise.
I've enjoyed BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION very much. It drew me in as deep as binge watching several seasons of a great television show because of its deceptive emotional complexity and its multilayered plot. S.W Lauden definitely is an original thinker, but he is influenced by the likes of Ross MacDonald, Gerald Petievich and even Hemingway. BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION is more of a cerebral pleasure than an adrenaline rush or an all-out emotional experience, but it is a sneaky and sophisticated mystery that will please even the most die-hard fans of the genre will enjoy. Hilary Davidson finally has some competition for best mystery writer in the business!
Ben
Read This: Bad Citizen Corporation by S.W Lauden
Angel Luis Colon October 23, 2015Fiction, Mystery, Noir, Reviews, Suspense
Bad Citizen Corporation by S.W Lauden (Rare Bird Books, November 3, 2015) – There’s a long line at the door of the crime fiction community as of late. Debut authors are raring to stampede into the place and many are bringing new perspectives, styles, and twists to familiar ground. With his debut novel, Bad Citizen Corporation, S.W Lauden (a well-known fixture in the community already thanks to his interviews and impressive short story work) not only makes his mark, but he sets an expectation: this won’t be his first and last dance—not by a long shot.
Ex-punk rock legend now police officer, Greg Salem, finds himself chin-deep in the shadows of his hometown when an accident at work not only leaves him without a badge, but leaves him open to threats looking for sins past and present. Lauden hits the ground running, painting a sun-drenched and oil-slicked Los Angeles in a way that feels fresh—which is saying a lot, LA is a well-worn battleground of many a scoundrel and anti-hero.
This year has seen a lot of younger authors with some fantastic debuts. Lauden now ranks among them and I can easily say that he has crafted quite a protagonist in Greg Salem, I mean, a punk rock cop? It’s one of those concepts any writer (myself included) would sell a limb to come up with. Not only does Lauden manage to capture that concept well, but he crafts a mystery that may feel familiar at first, but plays by its own rules—hey, a lot like punk, well…before Greenday ruined it for everyone. Thankfully what we got is a lot more Black Flag meets Point Break meets Fatal Attraction with a hint of Eddie and The Cruisers – and I adored every second of it.
There’s an interesting cadence to Lauden’s style. An accomplished drummer, he seems to be capable of instilling a rhythm to his narrative and the overall story arc. Not like a metronome, but more prog rock. There are a lot of staccato moments interspersed with those standard 4/4 signatures. A real standout moment being the occasional use of an old interview as a fantastic plot device. It was something I don’t think I’ve seen before and employed well enough without making the concept feel overused or tired.
Greg’s world feels lived in. From the trashy bars to the ritzy office buildings, Los Angeles’ viewed with a loving cynic’s eye—all at once understanding the attachment and despising its grip on him. The mystery at Greg’s doorstep, the murder of one of his oldest friends, is also handled well. There weren’t many moments where I was able to guess where the story was headed, and I appreciated that as an east-coaster, a lot of this city was mysterious to me. It enhanced the sense of danger and the electricity of the action. And fights there are, but I’ll say that Lauden has a knack for nailing the feel of a live show—one of my favorite bits in the story, especially with what happens.
In the end, I want more Greg Salem. I want to find out about a few of the other mysteries in his life and I definitely want to see his Los Angeles again. I especially want to see him kick ass on stage a few more times. I’m absolutely psyched to see what Lauden has next (we should be seeing more very soon from Down & Out Books, if I remember correctly). He’s a talent out of the west coast to watch for.
Uncorrected ARC of the book provided by author
Bad Citizen Corporation by S.W. Lauden
February 8, 2018 / By David Nemeth
sw lauden
S.W. Lauden recently released Hang Time, the third and final book of his Greg Salem Mysteries published by Rare Bird Books. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be reviewing the entire series starting with the first installment.
If Greg Salem was rapper instead of a punk rocker/cop he might have written 99 Problems before Jay Z did. In Lauden’s Bad Citizen Corporation, Salem’s problems mount up page by page from the shooting an allegedly armed suspect, his brother’s death ruled a suicide (but it’s probably murder), one of his best friend’s gunned down while performing on stage, and another friend being forced to sell his bar. Salem is also a recovering addict and hated by his home town’s police. Conflict moves along plot, but all of this conflict is too much for any man to bear, even a fictional one.
Lauden’s tells an engaging story as Salem tries to figure out who killed his best friend and why. We follow Salem as he fights all of his demons while still trying to live what would be his normal life. Some scenes drag on for several pages too long and could have been cut down with a loss to story or plot, specifically I’m thinking of the funeral and reception afterwards as well as a lunch with his landlord. That said Lauden develops strong characters, even those on the periphery, whether they are his on-and-off-again girlfriend Quincy or members of a street gang that are always menacing him.
I wish Bad Citizen Corporation was a touch shorter, but that’s not too big of a complaint. I’ve read and enjoyed Lauden’s Tommy & Shayna series, Crosswise and Crossed Bones, so I’m quite sure Grizzly Season will be tighter and Salem’s problems might be down to a manageable baker’s dozen.
Book Review : S.W Lauden - Grizzly Season (2016)
Book Reviews
Order GRIZZLY SEASON here
S.W Lauden is a California-based author and musician who made a great first impression last year with his debut novel Bad Citizen Corporation. The book was a critical darling and somewhat the talk of the town last year. Lauden remained very busy nonetheless in 2016, publishing short stories and a novella titled Crosswise. Grizzly Season is the direct sequel of Bad Citizen Corporation and the second volume of Greg Salem mysteries, the Californian punk rock legend turned cop turned off the grid investigator. It certainly has a lot to live up to given how successful the first one was. Is Grizzly Season a good novel? Yep. Is it on par with Bad Citizen Corporation? This is a more complicated question. Let's get into it.
Grizzly Season picks up little time after the events of Bad Citizen Corporation. Greg Salem has retreated from society and now lives in a secluded cabin with his ex-drummer Marco in a Californian national park. They live a simple, yet alienated lifestyle until the day they hike too deep into the forest and stumble upon Grizzly Flats, a drug utopia lead by a demented, bear-loving pot grower who calls himself Magnus Ursus (and who calls every woman on site Ursula for some reason). Turns out Magnus has been keeping tabs on Greg since he moved into his forest and has plans for him in his revolutionary drug empire. Bearman obviously didn't do his home work on what kind of man Greg is or maybe he didn't care, but shit hits the fan and Greg is back into a murderous tailspin.
The burning question fans of Bad Citizen Corporation will have toward Grizzly Season is: are these just microwaved leftovers? Is S.W Lauden just recycling a successful formula? Well, yes and no. He made a tangible effort to distance himself from Bad Citizen Corporation in Grizzly Season: it explores a different Californian setting, a different theme, introduces new characters, etc. Lauden clearly doesn't live in the past and tries to move the series forward. Grizzly Season can't escape what it is, though: a sprawling Californian mystery and Bad Citizen Corporation is the exact same thing. Given the nature of S.W Lauden's unadorned, matter-of-fact prose, the experience of reading Grizzly Season feels a tad similar except that it doesn't have the magic of the first once because you're not discovering something new anymore. Not really Lauden's fault, but it's a trap which every series authors is eventually susceptible to.
I'm usually not a fan of mysteries that involve the drug trade. The majority of them profoundly misunderstand the nature of the people who get rich selling poison to lost souls and the subgenre tends to wallow in easy, overcooked stereotypes. These is nothing more boring to me than the soulless, decadent Mexican character selling heroin. S.W Lauden managed to avoid this garbage by creating the suspended reality of Grizzly Flats. This is what I really liked about Grizzly Season: is isn't a novel about the drug trade. It is a novel about American drug paranoia. Magnus Ursus is a boogeyman hellbent on either indoctrinating young minds or destroying them with his new, demented, hypertoxic drug. He inspires the kind of terror that keeps concerned mothers up at night. He's a cult leader, a slave-owner and a smut dealer all at once. How many times have I told you a novel can only be as great as its antagonist? Grizzly Season is another example. Magnus Ursus and the suspended, nightmare reality he seems to live in make the novel successful.
I have a thing for Californian novels, so I ended up really liking Grizzly Season. Maybe the magic of discovering something new had eroded a little, but the good news is that it doesn't have to if you haven't read S.W Lauden yet. While I would suggest starting with Bad Citizen Corporation because there are slight references in Grizzly Season, it isn't mandatory to read them in order and you can begin with the volume that inspires you the most. Greg Salem is a cool protagonist. A respectable drifter torn between the emergency of the moment and a glorious past life. Magnus Ursus is a wicked antagonist, though. A man living his American Dream, yet wrecking lives and tearing families apart for profit. He's the walking contradiction America is afraid of. Read S.W Lauden for the Greg Salem mysteries, but definitely read Grizzly Season for Magnus Ursus. I had clear expectations going into it, so it didn't wow me as much as Bad Citizen Corporation which came out of the left field, but it's a strong addition to a building series. Looking forward to the next one.
REVIEW OF GRIZZLY SEASON BY S.W. LAUDEN
POSTED BY MATT MORGAN ON OCT 21, 2016 IN BOOKS, REVIEWS
grizzly-season-front-coverGRIZZLY SEASON
S.W. Lauden
October 11, 2016
Rare Bird Books
Greg Salem was a punk singer until his guitarist brother/bandmate died in a suspicious suicide. Then he became a cop. S.W. Lauden’s taut, gritty BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION (BCC) opens with Greg losing his badge and gun after a controversial shooting, and being thrown into a world of shit when his best friend is murdered holding a microphone that was supposed to be in Greg’s hand. BCC is a fascinating look at Los Angeles, with the relatively peaceful life of wealthy beach communities juxtaposed by the sharp-edges of cops, gangs, and rock and roll. Salem himself is a bit of an enigma: He’s a former punk, a former drunk, a (kinda) former cop, a surfer, and a half-assed private eye, working on the left side of the law. At the close of BCC, Salem has taken for a cabin in the forest to find himself, with recently-clean junkie (and former drummer) Marco at his side.
GRIZZLY SEASON opens shortly after the action of BCC, and soon finds Greg and Marco stumbling into a marijuana farm run by a blank-eyed cult. Tied to a garbage pile, the pair awake to the grunts of a black bear sniffing them and a group of people thoroughly enjoying their peril. We are introduced to Magnus Ursus, cult leader with a bit of Manson and a bit of Barnum, a strain of high-test weed that’s setting the streets abuzz, and a bunch of women named Ursula. And, we’re off to the races.
In our recent interview with Lauden (finish this, then go read it…you’re already here…don’t be rude), the big homie Dave Wahlman put it best: “(BCC) felt like the raw demo of a band. GRIZZLY SEASON feels like the same band with an indie label behind them so the story is still raw but polished.” Hammer meet nail. BCC was great, but it wasn’t perfect, and I think Lauden would agree. It meandered a bit. GRIZZLY SEASON does no such thing. I don’t like to use the words “page-turner,” but this thing speeds along.
Between thrilling action, a terribly interesting protagonist, fascinating and terrifying villains, and an extremely well-drawn supporting cast (personally, I am a little in love with Salem’s ex-girlfriend, Junior…of course, I’ve also recently decided that it is only safe to fall in love with fictional characters…so, don’t listen to me), GRIZZLY SEASON delivers in a big way. Big action, big guns, lots of blood spilled, sex, drugs…all of the fun shit. On top of that, you gain a better perspective of Salem and leave dying to know what happens next. It’s everything you want the middle of a trilogy to be.
You can go read the interview now. Kisses.
Matt Morgan
Review: Grizzly Season, by S W Lauden.
Monday, October 10, 2016
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Posted in: book review, books, Derrick Horodyski, Rare Bird Press, Review Tuesdays, reviews, S.W. Lauden
S W Lauden has taken the potential that he displayed in his debut novel, Bad Citizen Corporation (BCC) and turned himself into the newest must-read author in the PI genre. Grizzly Season, the follow up to the kick-ass Bad Citizen Corporation follows the exploits of Greg Salem as he deals with the aftermath of his heroics in BCC.
While Salem is looking to clear his head by taking a mountain bike ride with his best friend and former bandmate, Marco, he stumbles into the clutches of Magnus,a drug dealer who has a plan to hit the big time with one massive drug deal which will allow him to retire. Magnus has been developing a high-grade strain of marijuana that's mixed with some higher potency drugs that delivers a Grizzly Bear high. He tries to strong-arm Salem to join the operation, but Salem manages to escape, and while he manages to rescue Kristen, a young drifter caught up in Magnus’ scheme, he is forced to leave Marco in the clutches of the dealer.
While Salem may not have been able to get Marco out of Magnus’ camp, he refuses to give up and spends his time teaching the mountains and woods for signs of his friend and Magnus and he is prepared to do anything necessary to rescue his buddy. Mix in a new love interest for Salem, an impending family life, a desire to be a role model for his friend’s fatherless son, and the baggage from the shooting of the boy with the blue hat (detailed in BCC) and you have a book that is on a slow simmer just waiting to boil over.
In Grizzly Season, Lauden offers readers the perfect mix of sex, drugs, and (punk)rock-n-roll, but also infuses it with heart, heart-break, and most importantly, a poet’s touch. Lauden offers so much more than a standard PI read, he offers up a raw, gritty picture of the life of the PI, warts and all. Salem is no saint, but he is a man who has heart, seeks to do the right thing, and is looking to make the world a better place for those he loves. The fact that Lauden strips Salem down to the core and shows the reader his struggles to be a good friend, a good father, and most importantly a good father, while also allowing his insecurities and vulnerabilities to shine through is a huge strength to this book. Salem is a character worthy of a series and the ending to this great read will have you salivating for the next book in this series.
Highly Recommended.
Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski.
Review: Crosswise, S.W. Lauden
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
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Posted in: book review, books, Derrick Horodyski, Down & Out Books, Review Tuesdays, S.W. Lauden
I love the change of direction that S.W. Lauden takes with his new book,Crosswise. Not because I didn’t love Bad Citizen Corporation, on the contrary, I love this change due to how much I loved his first book. Lauden is showing that he is adequately capable to dabble in a wide-range of genres. He seems destined to be an author that will defy being labeled as a writer from any specific genre.
Lauden starts this recipe with a disgraced cop who stole cocaine from an evidence locker to support the habit of his girlfriend and now he is forced to work as the head of security at a Floridian old folks home. He then he mixes in mafia connected old timers, murder, angry policemen, and someone who is serving up clues in a radical manner. Lauden bakes it at a high heat and serves it with a deft touch that propels the reader on one hell of a ride from the get-go until the final page.
While this is a great read, the true beauty of this gem is seeing Lauden flex his muscles in a very different story than his first offering. Lauden has stated that readers will see him delve into many different styles and genres, both conventional and unorthodox. If his first two books are any indication, it is a wise choice for you to jump on this bandwagon right now. If this book doesn’t get him the rub right now, I can say he will be labeled a must-read author in the very near future. His writing is a thing of beauty.
Highly Recommended.
Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski.
March 16, 2016
Crosswise By S.W. Lauden
“Do your job, Mr. Ruzzo. Everything else will become clear in time.” — Mr. Adamoli
Tommy Ruzzo was once a promising NYPD officer. That was before his access to the precinct evidence locker, and the cocaine in it, sent his life on an unexpected detour. Though Internal Affairs was never able to prove Ruzzo took the coke, the cloud of suspicion he was placed under killed his career.
With no options on the table locally, Ruzzo tags along with his girlfriend, Shayna Billups, when she moves back to her hometown of Seatown, Florida. Given that Shayna, and her coke habit, was the reason Ruzzo was dipping into the evidence locker to being with, it’s a particularly low blow when she leaves him for her ex-husband as soon as the drugs and drug money run out.
Stuck in Florida with no chance at resuming a legitimate law enforcement career, Ruzzo is forced to settle for work as a rent-a-cop at Precious Acres retirement community. Despite being promoted to Head of Security after only a couple of months, Ruzzo knows the job is a dead end, and resignedly settles in to a pattern of fielding wisecracks from septuagenarian retirees and chasing off mischievous teenagers during the day, then getting bombed out of his skull every night.
Ruzzo’s uneventful life gets turned upside down the morning he finds one of Precious Acres’ residents dead on the bocce ball court, murdered in a gruesome manner. Things take a turn for the decidedly sinister when another of the community’s residents hints to Ruzzo that the murder is tied to the victim’s former life back in New York… as a mobster. When more bodies start turning up on his watch, Ruzzo is thrust into the investigation out of self-preservation, putting himself in the crosshairs of both the local PD and the killer.
Weighing in at a trim 153 pages, Crosswise, the latest from the very busy S.W. Lauden, hits the ground running—the first body turns up on page two—and never lets up. Along the way, Lauden peppers the action with characters who fill the story with everything from comic relief to genuine menace, and Lauden also makes incredibly creative use of a crossword puzzle as plot device—the novella’s title comes from a character telling Ruzzo to pay particular attention to the “first clue, crosswise,” in the local paper as a possible source of clues to solve the murders.
And while the stakes are undeniably as high as the body count, Lauden uses his Florida retirement community packed with feisty Yankee retirees setting to inject well-timed levity into the mix, making Crosswise a delightful blend of humor, mystery and action.
Crosswise is available from Down & Out Books (ISBN: 978-1943402205).
REVIEW OF CROSSED BONES BY S.W. LAUDEN
POSTED BY DAN MALMON ON MAY 1, 2017 IN BOOKS, REVIEWS
CROSSED BONES
S.W.Lauden
Down & Out Books
May 1st, 2017
S.W. Lauden is having fun.
After he debuted in 2015 with the excellent BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, which stars punk rocker-turned cop Greg Salem, Lauden has constantly changed up his formula. Where the Greg Salem series is a hard-hitting punk concoction of California grit, sunshine, music, and murder, his excellent Tommy & Shayna Crime Capers operate on a different level.
For those that missed out on Tommy and Shayna’s debut in 2016’s CROSSWISE, it boils down like this: Tommy Russo is an ex-cop living in Florida. He’s down in the dumps after the murder spree that happened at the old folks home that he was working security at. His sexy ex-girlfriend Shanyna Billups still has her claws in his heart, and he would do anything to get her back. Shayna is clever, conniving, relentless when it comes to getting what she wants. While CROSSWISE focusses on Russo reinventing himself from NYC tough guy cop to paunchy Florida security guard, CROSSED BONES is really Shayna’s story.
Lauden uses this installment to really flesh out his traditional femme fatale. Shayna still has her feminine wiles, and uses them at every opportunity. But now we get a better look inside her head and get to see just how formidable she is. Shayna is working at a New Orleans watering hole when she learns of the legend of Captain Aurora and his cache of stolen loot. A tale is just a tale, until Shayna discovers a portion of the map. “X” may in fact mark the spot, but she needs the rest of the map to do it. Leaving destruction in her wake, Shayna grabs a shovel and heads to North Carolina. Shayna is on the move, plotting and scheming as she works her way up the coast.
Russo isn’t doing so great. He’s a shell of a man, spending his time living on his friend’s boat, drinking, and getting fat. After a moment of clarity, he accepts the fact that he needs to be with Shayna. With his pal Mikey in tow, Russo treks out to find the one person he can’t live without. They head off in Mikey’s monster-sized monster truck, fueled by energy drinks and gas-station meat snacks.
Novellas are a tricky thing: they’re longer than a short story, yet shorter than a novel. The limited page count makes every page precious. There is no room for fat, only lean narrative. The reader can see the Lauden’s growth with the format from the first book to the second. He storytelling is stronger and the pacing moves at a faster clip. Shayna also makes for a much more interesting protagonist on this go-a-round. Reading her adventures is like reading the very best Catwoman comic-book. Smart, sexy, and will stop at nothing to get the loot.
That’s our Shayna.
Lauden is clearly playing with every trope in the drawer with this series of novellas. With ever nod, wink, and smile that he sends through the page to the reader, you know he’s having an absolute blast with this series.
Dan Malmon
Review: Crossed Bones, by S.W. Lauden
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
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Posted in: book review, books, Derrick Horodyski, Down & Out Books, Review Tuesdays, reviews, S.W. Lauden
Just finished Crossed Bones by S.W. Lauden and I am ashamed this great piece of writing slipped past me for so long. This is a continuation of the Tommy and Shayna adventures we last read about in Crosswise.
Shayna is your classic femme fatale and she has Tommy caught in her web. While it takes a little bit of time for the characters to intersect in this book, we certainly see the mark Shayna has left on Tommy’s soul from the beginning of the book. Tommy knows he is in danger when he interacts with her, but like any addict, he finds it impossible not to fall for his vice.
When Shayna needs Tommy the most, he shows up willing to do battle with a local drug lord, The Mayor, and do Shayna’s bidding. With pirates and a pirate map leading to a possible goldmine, Tommy and Shayna find themselves neck deep in trouble, violence, love, and lust for each other.
This was a great read that reminded me how much I have loved everything Lauden has written.
One of the strengths of this novel is in the manner Lauden introduces the most unexpected events and keeps you guessing what is coming next. His dialogue, and the manner in which he turns a relatively hard-to-believe plot into a dangerous foray into the violent side of treasure hunting.
Lauden now has 2 must-read series on his hands; the Greg Salem series and the Tommy and Shayna Crime Capers. Which one should a reader grab first is a decision akin to do you eat the Filet Mignon or the lobster tail of the Surf and Turf? Either way your appetite is satiated and you know you’ll be back for more at a later date. Lauden is more than a writer to watch; he is a must-read author who can turn any genre on its ear.
Strongly Recommended.
Crossed Bones by S.W. Lauden
May 2, 2017 / By David Nemeth
Before we get into the review as such of S.W. Lauden’s Crossed Bones (Down & Out Books), we need to discuss the proper reading environment for it. Since Crossed Bones is a summer book, it has certain demands. It needs to be read while sitting poolside or on a beach. If neither are available, a porch, deck or backyard will suffice. It also needs the weather to be hot and sunny with a temperature over 80ºF. Most importantly, by your side needs to be a cooler filled with a six pack of cold Busch beer cans. You can improvise here, but no fancy, hoppy beers will be permitted. Drink your first cheap beer quickly and then begin to read.
Lauden’s Crossed Bones takes place immediately after Crosswise, the first in the Tommy and Shayna Crime Caper books. After things had gone to shit in Seatown, Florida, Shayna makes her way to New Orleans while Tommy doesn’t leave. He licks his wounds as a bouncer at a local dive bar. The action of Crossed Bones is at a blistering pace and while Tommy drinks himself sorry, Shayna’s motivation for money is only matched by her guile and an unstoppable determination to get what she wants.
All of the plotting and scheming, the complicated lies and manipulations, had given her a sense of purpose that felt like a missing limb these days. She hadn’t just gotten revenge on that abusive, pill-popping son-of-a-bitch; she’d fooled everybody in Seatown, Florida—my hometown—including the police. And now all of that hard work was reduced to a check she was waiting to get in the mail.
The whole thing had been about the cash, but now it didn’t seem like it was enough. She craved a new adventure, something to lose herself in completely. Unfortunately, the person she most wanted to share it with was back in Seatown. And he probably hated her for everything she’d put him through.
I’ve already ruined Tommy Ruzzo’s life twice before, she thought. A third time might finally kill him.
Like all good crime fiction set in a seaside resort, Lauden’s Crossed Bones is filled with cocaine, rum, and sex. Crossed Bones is the adult version of a carnival ride and Lauden’s writing keeps us grounded even as we plunge into the absurdity of costumed pirates battling a motorcycle gang for a lost treasure. A fun summer read, Crossed Bones should not take longer to read than drinking an ice-cold six-pack of beer.