Southside
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Los Angeles Times gang reporter Michael Lyons has just left his favorite downtown saloon when he is shot and wounded on the sidewalk two blocks from City Hall. After the initial shock, fellow reporters put together a betting pool. The bet? "Who Shot Mike?" There are a lot of contenders. When the LAPD's investigation stalls, the Times runs editorials critical of the police. Then, when detectives uncover an audio tape of Lyons talking to a gang member about the benefits of getting shot, they release the tape. The embarrassed newspaper editor fires Lyons, who then sets out on the streets of Southside Los Angeles with a vengeance to find the shooter. When three seemingly unrelated people are murdered on the streets of L.A., Lyons connects them to his own shooting. The tie-in? An imprisoned, notorious gang shot-caller known as Big Evil, who Lyons made famous in a gang profile and whose younger brother is among the victims. But who is doing the killing?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The debut novel from Krikorian, a Los Angeles Times crime reporter, is a grim thriller that brings a sense of bleak reality to the streets of Los Angeles. Michael Lyons is a flamboyant 12-year L.A. Times veteran specializing in gangs and well known for his ability to humanize the most thuggish criminal. When Lyons is shot and wounded in front of his favorite bar in broad daylight, his colleagues eagerly speculate about who is responsible. An outraged husband? A disgruntled gang member? Or Lyons himself, as an elaborate publicity stunt? After recovering, Lyons begins his own investigation, one that takes him through the gritty and melancholy streets of L.A. and through interviews with the grieving parents of murdered or incarcerated young men. Meanwhile, Lyons's assailant targets more victims, setting the whole city on edge. Krikorian's language is stark, graphic, and bitterly humorous, not unlike that of George Pelecanos. Though this book could use some fine-tuning, it moves with speed and purpose.
