Campaign for the American Reader: Pg. 69: "Lights Out"

Jason Starr is "a leader of a new noir movement" (George Pelecanos), "the real deal in a world where a lot of people are faking it" (Laura Lippman), and "the first writer of his generation to convincingly update the modern crime novel" (Bret Easton Ellis).

His books include Twisted City, Tough Luck, Hard Feelings, Fake ID, Nothing Personal, Cold Caller and, the latest, Lights Out.

Jason put Lights Out to the "page 69 test" and reported back:

I can't say this page truly represents the novel because I tell this story from several different points of view and this page only concerns two of the characters--Jake and Christina. However, I think this page does give an overall sense of the novel's tone.

At this point in the story, Jake Thomas, a baseball superstar, has returned home to Brooklyn for a weekend to propose to Christina, his high school sweetheart and fiancee of five years. But Jake has a hidden M.O.. During a night of partying on the road in San Diego he had sex with a fourteen-year-old girl and the girl's parents are about to go public with the story. Jake hopes his wedding news will mask the sex scandal that's about to break. But what Jake doesn't know is that Christina has been dating high school rival of Jake's, Ryan Rossetti, whose own dreams of going to the Major Leagues went bust after a devastating arm injury. Meanwhile, in another part of Brooklyn, a gang conflict is brewing, and Ryan and Jake will eventually get sucked into it with tragic consequences.

OK, now back to P.69. It's a pivotal moment in the first part of the book. Jake has finally gotten Jake alone and wants to unveil his big wedding plans, but he keeps getting interrupted by phone calls. Jake, who has an over-inflated ego, tries to explain to Christina why he's barely stayed in touch with here:

"Come on, baby, try to understand--I'm not just a baseball player; I'm a celebrity. I'd love to spend an hour on the phone with you every day, but I've got people on my back twenty-four, seven." Jake's cell phone started making a farting sound, the ring tone he'd set for calls from his agent. "See what I mean?"

Although the novel touches on some real issues such as alcoholism, father-son relationships, the struggle for survival in a tough neighborhood--above all the book is a satire. I'm sending up these characters, having fun with them, and I think Jake's attitude here represents the attitude of the entire novel. Jake especially was a blast to write because I never knew what would come out of his mouth next.

Many thanks to Jason for the input.

An excerpt from Lights Out is available as a PDF and in text format.

Among the reviews and endorsements for Lights Out:

"'Lights Out' has the New York sound, the energy, dialog that's on the beat...Read it and you'll go hunting for Jason Starr's other books, I promise."
--Elmore Leonard

"Lights Out is a fast, furious page-turner from the git-go. Starr's got a hip style and an ear for crackling dialogue. And he offers up characters that are so real we're sure we know them. This book is a huge treat."
--Jeffery Deaver

Click here to read a Q & A with Jason about crime writing and Hollywood. There is another interview here.

Jason wrote a valentine to Black Lizard books--about which I feel much the same: click here to read it.

Tis the season: click here to read Jason's