Blood Standard

Laird Barron

May 2018 · An Isaiah Coleridge Novel Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A novel set in the underbelly of upstate New York that's as hardboiled and punchy as a swift right hook to the jaw, a classic noir for fans of James Ellroy and John D. Macdonald.

Isaiah Coleridge is a mob enforcer in Alaska--he's tough, seen a lot, and dished out more. But when he forcibly ends the money-making scheme of a made man, he gets in the kind of trouble that can lead to a bullet behind the ear.

Saved by the grace of his boss and exiled to upstate New York, Isaiah begins a new life, a quiet life without gunshots or explosions. Except a teenage girl disappears, and Isaiah isn't one to let that slip by. And delving into the underworld to track this missing girl will get him exactly the kind of notice he was warned to avoid.

At turns brutally shocking and darkly funny, heartbreaking and cautiously hopeful, Blood Standard is both a high-tension crime novel and the story of a man's second chance--the parts of his past he will never escape, and the parts that will shape his future.

Ratings and reviews

In Laird Barron's crime novel Blood Standard, its a world of violence and crime where no one can ever believe that they’re safe until they’ve gotten out. Isaiah Coleridge is a badass by definition. He has seen the worst that people can do and does not exactly have a squeaky-clean record himself. Located in the cold, the tundra of Alaska Isaiah soon finds himself caught up in a plot that is bigger than he ever intended. Isaiah has stumbled into a moneymaking scheme from one of the big players up in Alaska and unintentionally ruined it. To save him from becoming the next target, Isaiah is exiled to New York. While this move was made for his safety, Isaiah cannot help but look at it as a punishment. Away from all the mob drama, He finally has the opportunity to start a new life. He begins to change his lifestyle; he stays away from a life of guns and running and looks to be a more upstanding citizen. Isaiah’s goal is to stay as under the radar as possible. He almost succeeded, Isaiah was on his way to becoming a practically upstanding citizen. His whole undercover plan is thrown off when a teenage girl suddenly goes missing. While others might let this go and leave it to the police to figure out, Isaiah is not an average person. He begins investigating the disappearance and soon finds himself getting pulled into something darker and more aggressive than he could have ever imagined. Gone is his hidden life of privacy, Isaiah is drawing attention back to himself in the worst possible light and showing all of the people after him right where he is. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. If you don’t have the stomach to handle violent imagery and some aggressive language, then I would suggest that you stay away from this book. Being the first crime novel that Barron has written, the story holds up decently well. The beginning of the novel begins a little slow, and it takes some time to become invested in the characters and story. Once the action starts then the story does pick up and become interesting. Overall Blood Standard is a read that shows you the hidden secrets of a life of crime. Review by Sasha, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books Blog

Better than a Reacher more human well written super character.

About the author

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.