Blood Standard (An Isaiah Coleridge Novel) Hardcover – May 29, 2018

My attempt at a spoiler free review. I’m terribly bad at reviews, so I’ll really just give my thoughts.Isaiah Coleridge is a man of halves – half Maori, half Caucasian (all Army brat, he proclaims). Alaskan, Maori, yet mobbed up, when we meet him. Part biblical prophet, part Romantic poet. With an eclectic yet brutal upbringing, he’s a literate bruiser. As our narrator, he’s possessed of an penetrating and worldly-wise voice that can swing from hard-bit noir to ruminations on mythology. In Laird Barron’s Blood Standard, the heroes of myth are figurative ghosts that the narrator sees everywhere, infesting his storytelling. Yet, this is a crime novel, with missing persons, assasins, the mafia, neo-Nazis, native American gangs. It’s a wonderful intersection of multiple cultures and backgrounds, filtered through the lens of the criminal underworld in New York state’s boonies. Much to my personal delight. “The bonfire built into a roiling pillar, and in my delirium I imagined sacrifices of squalling babes to Baal and Chemosh and all the jolly old death gods that got it in the neck after the New Testament.” Or: “The scene reminded me of a hybrid of a Viking longhouse and a honky-tonk…” Or: “He glanced at me and, by the dashboard glow, his expression was solemn as an Arthurian knight’s from some kid’s picture book.” This juxtaposition of myth and noir works exceptionally well. It’s really a testament to Barron’s style that he pulls this off so effortlessly.The story rolls along at a steady clip, the plot is surprising and inventive in turns, while still familiar enough to satisfy crime noir tastes. In Coleridge, Barron has found a winning combination, I think – a narrator with the chops to be both brawn and brain while remaining believable and immediate. Identifiable. Also, I’m so tired of reading crime noir books in which the author or his or her narrator adapt a criminal patois, in efforts to make their character harder or tougher. The fact that Coleridge is literate is a refreshing change.What I think really makes this book resonate for me, is the power of myth in individual lives. In Coleridge, mythology coexists with a hard-boiled reality, making it not only more bearable but giving his existence meaning. We see Coleridge torch his situation with the mob for the sake of animals, risking his own life (very very early in the book – no spoilers!). And that connection to others deepens throughout the course of the story, contrary to most crime noir protagonists – individual men operating alone until whatever bitter end their indomitability brings them to.Anyway, this novel was a pleasure through and through, and I look forward to whatever other stories of Isaiah Coleridge the author chooses to bring us.

I really loved this book. The main character is not exactly a hero, but I think he wants to be.I read three to four books a week, and I have decided to only review debut authors, or authors that are not getting the attention they deserve. This author doesn’t fall into either of these categories. Apparently he writes horror, award winning horror, but I am not familiar with him. However, the description said this is first crime novel, and I am so hoping it won’t be his last.Lots of very well described action, lots of heart, good guys, bad guys, and lots of lingering questions. I started this book and could not put it down. Highly recommended.

I am a horror fiction enthusiast, particularly Lovecraftian inspired horror. Laird Barron has been one of the most exciting authors of such works in recent times. I was a bit disappointed when I heard he was taking a new direction with Blood Standard and honestly was hesitant to purchase it. My worry was for naught, of course, as LB is truly a great writer and story teller. While Blood Standard is definitely of the noir/crime genre, there is still the implicit understanding that these characters inhabit the same indifferent universe as those of his horror fiction. I hope LB finds time to return to his carnivorous cosmos and the children of Old Leech, but I'm just as interested to see where Isaiah Colreidge's path will take him next .

If you're a Barron fan, you know that he's done some experimenting with styles. This novel is very "noir." There's very little of his (wonderful) supernatural elements, which I enjoy very much; but I did not miss them here. The dialogue is as brilliant as you might expect. The characters are some of his best-developed. I literally did not want this book to end. I hope Barron and Isaiah Coleridge enjoy a long and beautiful friendship.

"What did I have, what did I know? Everything and nothing. I'm not a detective, I'm merely a man with less exacting scruples than most."That particular quote from Isaiah Coleridge tells you most of what you need to know about Blood Standard.Admittedly, I'm a bit late to the party in reading this work which came out nearly a year ago, but with the sequel, Black Mountain, due in a couple of months, I figured I better read this one first.Blood Standard is very much a stand-alone novel, it's also a damn fine story.I made a note while reading Blood Standard that Isaiah Coleridge is a wonderfully colorful character. I suppose this is true if by colorful I mean shades of blood.Isaiah goes from the Chicago mob to a posting in Alaska where he steps over a line. He decides to return home and takes work on a horse farm swearing off "the life". When the granddaughter of the owners goes missing he uses his considerable skills to get to the truth. However bleak it may be.I've often mentioned that the Crime genre is a second cousin to horror. And Blood Standard is A-List material. The writing is so good...She opened the desk drawer, retrieved a pack of Kools, and lit one. She smoked, dropping the ashes into a ceramic dish that contained a lonely piece of peppermint candy.Blood Standard is the equivalent of classic noir on steroids. This book will leave the reader bloodied and scarred.Recommended.Published by G. P. Putnum's Sons, Blood Standard is available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio formats.From the author's bio - Laird Barron was born in Alaska, where he raised huskies and worked in the construction and fishing industries for much of his youth. He is the author of several short-story collections and two novels, and his work has also appeared in many magazines and anthologies. A multiple Locus, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Award nominee, he is also a three-time winner of the Shirley Jackson Award. Barron lives in Kingston, NY.

Isaiah Coleridge, a man comfortable with violence; welcoming of it even. When his brazenness forces him to leave his beloved Alaska, he winds up in New York and wastes no time in garnering the attention of gangs, nazi sympathisers and the FBI.After establishing Isaiah’s credentials, the story focuses on Isaiah tracking down a young woman. Needless to say, some individuals are, unwisely, less than forthcoming with information and seal their own fates. The set pieces are compelling and push the action along. For a man given to such base actions however, Isaiah is a scholar and a lover of the classics; especially Greek mythology. Indeed, the whole book is elegantly put together, displaying a marked distinction to the brutal beatings that accompany Isaiah; some of which he is on the receiving end of.I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to Black Mountain.

A great side-step into straight crime from a Horror writer whose characters and writing always had a hardboiled edge to them. I tore through this in about 24 hours, it's that kind of book.Ex-Mafia hitman with a complex past gets embroiled in a missing person case and sets out on the path to redemption.Reminded me in many ways of the irresistible flow of Joe R Lansdale's crime novels - the Hap & Leonard books are probably my favourite crime series of all time, and I think Laird Barron has set a solid foundation with BLOOD STANDARD for his own series here.That said, I hope he'll continue to write Horror too!

Blood Standard, by this amazing author is an excellent first entry into the adventures of Isaiah Coleridge. Laird Barron continues to set the fiction standard that's so important in the telling of a good story.

An excellent read. I'd never read this author before but he's got a great noir flow to his writing. I really didn't want it to end!

all as promised , speedy delivery