You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin


Summary: You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.

Sean Beaudoin (
Going Nowhere Faster, Fade to Blue) evokes the distinctive voices of legendary crime/noir authors Dashiell Hammett and Jim Thompson with a little bit of Mean Girls and Heathers throwin in for good measure. This smart, slick, and alluring detective novel that will tease you, thrill you, and suck you in.

Review: I didn't really know what to expect reading this book. A crime novel with teenagers? What have I gotten myself into? Well fear not because this book was fabulous. The only reason why I didn't give it full marks is because I am not familiar with crime noir books, but it was still a good story with interesting characters. This book was absolutely hilarious. The lingo in the book can be a bit confusing, but there is a glossary at the back that explains what words/phrases mean. Another bit of awesomeness is that at the end you can read 2 works that Dalton (the main character) wrote. They are both mentioned in the book, and I think that was a really interesting thing that Sean did.

4.5 howls

I received this book in a contest as an ARC from Aine. It gets published in Febuary 2011 and I recommend you pick it up.

Comments

Karen said…
This sounds like a fun one!
Angelo said…
hi kim - sorry to comment this - couldn't find contact info! i'm working with the author of this book and was hoping to email you about some things we're doing.