A mysterious stranger sparks mistrust and violence in a gripping tale of small-town prejudice, jealousy, and murder from Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini The arrival of big, ugly John C. Faith in a battered Porsche sends up warning flags throughout the small Northern California resort community of Pomo. No one trusts the stranger who refuses to talk about why he is there. And when a local beauty with questionable morals is found murdered, suspicion immediately falls on him. Condemned without a trial, Faith hides among Pomo's outcasts and conducts his own investigation. But his hunt for the killer and the town's hunt for him threaten to dredge up secrets best left uncovered in this powder keg of a town, exposing crimes and dark compulsions that can only lead to more violence and death. A riveting thriller told from various points of view, A Wasteland of Strangers is an extraordinary feat of literary invention from one of noir fiction's most acclaimed practitioners.
"Thoughtful, riveting . . . From the sure hand of a skilled, experienced writer."
Publishers Weekly
"With a unique starting point, a fascinating variety of perspectives, and a startling ending, this is one of the best-told mysteries of the year."
San Jose Mercury News
"A nifty page-turner. Fast-shifting first-person narratives from various characters . . . build this tale of small-town meanness and its lethal consequences. . . . A gem."
