Propulsive and powerful ... A gripping roller coaster ride of escalating danger in cars and crematories, punctuated by pulpy moments of dark glamour in the bedroom and the club, interspersed with elegiac meditations on the art of war. The story overflows with immersive velocity and crackling sensory details.
Violent ... The reckless, feckless, secretive, self-punishing Carruthers clan may be hard to like; but when their collective woes are brought into the light of full disclosure, the effect is classically tragic.
An antihero tale, so don’t mistake this for a yarn about a good guy who’s come home to set things right ... An attitude you can strike a match on — and Ashes burns with the flame.
His dialogue...is pitch-perfect: colloquial and idiomatic, reflecting the education and upbringing of his characters—it feels like we’re eavesdropping on real people. A stunning novel.
