Rain Dogs - Paperback

by Baron Birtcher (Author)

"[A] gritty, wide-angled modern noir . . . The first standalone novel by Birtcher, author of the Mike Travis series, pulls no punches." --Kirkus Reviews

In 1976, as America celebrates its bicentennial, the drug game changes. Cocaine makes a comeback, bringing with it a previously unheard of level of violence. The copious amounts of blow crossing the US-Mexico border herald the beginning of a brave new--and terrifying--world.

Far from the brutality on the border, the nameless narrator and his partner--both Vietnam vets--live a mostly peaceful life growing pot under the northern California redwoods. But when their livelihood is threatened by heavily armed robbers and a worthless rat, they find themselves drawn into a war with no good guys. Caught in the crossfire between a paranoid Mexican drug kingpin and dirty federal agents, they'll soon realize that--like every other player in the game--they're just pawns in a vast conspiracy that starts at the top . . .

"A top-class thriller." --San Francisco Book Review

"White-knuckle tension and crisp, clean prose . . . Many books call themselves 'thrillers, ' but this is the real deal." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Birtcher combines a gritty, action-filled thriller with a nuanced, almost contemplative character drama . . . Thoroughly entertaining." --Booklist

"A thriller with genuine shocks and chills." --Cafe Libri

Author Biography

Baron Birtcher spent a number of years as a professional musician, and founded an independent record label and management company. His first two novels, Roadhouse Blues and Ruby Tuesday, are Los Angeles Times and Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestsellers. Birtcher has been nominated for a number of literary awards, including the Nero Award for his novel Hard Latitudes, the Claymore Award for his novel Rain Dogs, and the Left Coast Crime "Lefty" Award for his novel Angels Fall. He was the 2016 Silver Falchion Award winner for his novel Hard Latitudes and the 2018 Winner of the Killer Nashville Reader's Choice Award for his novel South California Purples.

Birtcher currently divides his time between Portland, Oregon, and Kona, Hawaii.