Hot Laps
A Stockcar Thriller
by Steve Eubanks
Robert "Redball" Redding walked away from a successful career in stock car racing in order to become a prosecutor
and put away the bad guys. For the most part, his Salem Cup championship makes him a legend that draws respect
from the public, members of law enforcement, and even some of the criminals he encounters. But not everyone
appreciates a champion.
Why would the step-brother of racing’s favorite son steal a truckload of toy cars? And who would pay an
exorbitant price for them? When Redding’s investigation into this puzzle begins to interfere with the operations
of the infamous Delacroix crime family, Redball quickly learns that killers don’t use restrictor plates. It’s only
a matter of time before Redball and his family are targeted for murder.
Eubanks has the rare ability to create a host of characters with clearly delineated personalities and motives
that give tremendous depth to the narrative. From the quietly driven prosecutor, Robert Redding, to the drug-crazed
godfather wannabe, Sonny Delacroix, to Redding’s wise-beyond-her-years, hearing-impaired daughter, the characters
propel the plot logically and inevitably forward.
In Hot Laps, Steve Eubanks delivers a debut novel full of fast action, hairpin twists, and colorful
characters to rival anything stock car racing has to offer, while deftly incorporating real-life controversies
from the racing world to create a background that will captivate readers.
Smoothly written and perfectly timed, Hot Laps offers intelligent and often irreverent humor, along
with an entertaining plot and complex characters. Persnickety readers should be warned, however, that errors in
spelling, punctuation, and Bablefish Spanish slipped past the copyeditor. |
The Book |
Harper |
February 2007 |
Mass Market Paperback |
978-0-06-079257-2 |
Mystery Thriller |
More
at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: Deaf Character: Protagonist’s teen daughter is hearing-impaired. Eubanks handles the
dialogue-through-signing so well that Katie’s conversations fit seamlessly into the rest of the story. |
The Reviewer |
Deborah Adams |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: Reviewer Deborah Adams
is the Flair and Macavity Award winning author of the Jesus Creek Mystery Series: All The
Great Pretenders, All The Crazy Winters, All The Dark Disguises, All The
Hungry Mothers, All The Deadly Beloved, All The Blood Relations, and All
The Dirty Cowards. She was also an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. |
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