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The Carrion Birds A Novel Urban Waite 9780062216885 Books

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The Carrion Birds A Novel Urban Waite 9780062216885 Books

I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

There are thrillers where you haven't a clue what is going to happen, ones that keep you guessing until far into the story, if not until the end. And then there are those in which you can pretty much figure out most of what will happen, sometimes early on into the book. While the latter type of book might not seem too exciting to read, in the hands of a talented author, it can be just as compelling (if not more so) than the former. Urban Waite's The Carrion Birds definitely follows that example, but his storytelling ability and the richness of his characters keep you flipping the pages (literally or metaphorically) so you can see how the story will resolve itself.

Ray Lamar used to be an oilman in the small New Mexico town of Coronado, until his father's wells ran dry. With no real prospect of income, and a wife and young son, he turned to a less savory way of life as a hired gun for a local crime lord, which brought him into the sights of a dangerous Mexican drug cartel and visited unspeakable tragedy upon his family, also causing his cousin Tom to lose his job as the town's sheriff.

After 10 years of hiding out, Ray is ready to move on with his life and finally see his now 12-year-old son again. He agrees to take one more job, because it will bring him back to Coronado, a town now in severe economic decline. But from the very beginning, nothing about this job goes the way it is supposed to, and Ray finds himself being sucked further and further into a maelstrom that he desperately wants to escape. His return to Coronado opens up a number of old wounds, and brings his cousin face-to-face with those who took his job away 10 years before, and those who resolutely tried to defend him.

As you might guess from the title alone, The Carrion Birds is a bleak book, but it is never morose or heavy-handed. In less than 300 pages, Urban Waite does a terrific job drawing his characters and providing their back stories, as well as pulling you along on the trajectories they might follow. While you may know how the whole story will resolve itself, it is a testament to Waite's talent as a writer that you don't care if there are few surprises, because the narrative is well-written, the drama is palpable, and the action flows tremendously well. I've seen some reviews of the book which liken it to No Country for Old Men, and while it does share that book's bleak tone, this is a book with a style all its own, although Waite's ability to evoke the settings of his novel reminded me a little of the excellent James Lee Burke.

This is a thriller which might not shock or dazzle you, but it certainly will thrill you, as much for the way it is written as for its plot. And definitely check out Waite's first novel, the equally bleak The Terror of Living, as well.


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The Carrion Birds A Novel Urban Waite 9780062216885 Books Reviews

Fantastic second book from a fresh young voice on the fiction scene. I would have liked for another book set in the northwest, but Waite's gritty descriptions of the southwest were a suburb setting for a gripping plot.
Thought this book entertaining and kept my interest throughout the book. It is fast pace reading and I was not board.
Very good crime novel. Dark and interesting characters. Good action.
I thought the book started slow and then as the story progressed there were too many redundancies. There were interesting insights into the impact of oil jobs leaving the area and the concurrent increase of drug trafficking in the area.
Urban Waite is a decent writer and Carrion Birds is a decent book. The main character has worked on the shady side of the law for years. Now he's going to retire after one last job. You know things are going to end badly. And ... they do.

If you don't mind dark, bloody, and predictable stories, this is one for you.

If I had my choice, I'd ask for my money back.
Really more of a 3.5. Waite's previous book was much better, but this one wasn't bad. This one was a little harder to get into, and none of the characters were particularly easy to relate to for me. Still read it cover to cover, and will consider his next book when he writes one.
I read Urban Waite's first novel, "The Terror of Living" and was impressed by the lyrical language and compelling nature of the plot. I was disappointed in this second effort. Not nearly as well-written, this novel's hype (quoted in various blurbs) was misleading, and frankly, I was disappointed. Mr. Waite is a talented writer and can do far better.

Mark Rubinstein,
Author, "Mad Dog House"
I'd rate this 4.5 stars.

There are thrillers where you haven't a clue what is going to happen, ones that keep you guessing until far into the story, if not until the end. And then there are those in which you can pretty much figure out most of what will happen, sometimes early on into the book. While the latter type of book might not seem too exciting to read, in the hands of a talented author, it can be just as compelling (if not more so) than the former. Urban Waite's The Carrion Birds definitely follows that example, but his storytelling ability and the richness of his characters keep you flipping the pages (literally or metaphorically) so you can see how the story will resolve itself.

Ray Lamar used to be an oilman in the small New Mexico town of Coronado, until his father's wells ran dry. With no real prospect of income, and a wife and young son, he turned to a less savory way of life as a hired gun for a local crime lord, which brought him into the sights of a dangerous Mexican drug cartel and visited unspeakable tragedy upon his family, also causing his cousin Tom to lose his job as the town's sheriff.

After 10 years of hiding out, Ray is ready to move on with his life and finally see his now 12-year-old son again. He agrees to take one more job, because it will bring him back to Coronado, a town now in severe economic decline. But from the very beginning, nothing about this job goes the way it is supposed to, and Ray finds himself being sucked further and further into a maelstrom that he desperately wants to escape. His return to Coronado opens up a number of old wounds, and brings his cousin face-to-face with those who took his job away 10 years before, and those who resolutely tried to defend him.

As you might guess from the title alone, The Carrion Birds is a bleak book, but it is never morose or heavy-handed. In less than 300 pages, Urban Waite does a terrific job drawing his characters and providing their back stories, as well as pulling you along on the trajectories they might follow. While you may know how the whole story will resolve itself, it is a testament to Waite's talent as a writer that you don't care if there are few surprises, because the narrative is well-written, the drama is palpable, and the action flows tremendously well. I've seen some reviews of the book which liken it to No Country for Old Men, and while it does share that book's bleak tone, this is a book with a style all its own, although Waite's ability to evoke the settings of his novel reminded me a little of the excellent James Lee Burke.

This is a thriller which might not shock or dazzle you, but it certainly will thrill you, as much for the way it is written as for its plot. And definitely check out Waite's first novel, the equally bleak The Terror of Living, as well.