The Kings of Cool: A Prequel to Savages - Softcover

Winslow, Don

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1451665334 ISBN 13: 9781451665338

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2013

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Cartel, The Force, and The Border

In Savages, Don Winslow introduced Ben and Chon, twenty-something best friends who risk everything to save the girl they both love, O. Among the most celebrated literary thrillers, Savages was a Top 10 Book of the Year selection by Janet Maslin in The New York Times and Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly.

Now, in this high-octane prequel to Savages, Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben, Chon, and O became the people they are. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past, The Kings of Cool is a breathtak-ingly original saga of family in all its forms--fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. As the trio at the center of the book does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops, they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents' history. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course, culminating in a stunning showdown that will force Ben, Chon, and O to choose between their real families and their loyalty to one another.

About this title

Review:

"Made funnier by the seditious spin Winslow puts on the romanticized 1960s hippie culture of peace and love and hard drugs . . . [and boasts] the same pulsing rhythms and raw vocals that made "Savages" feel a little dangerous."--Marilyn Stasio "The New York Times Book Review "

"Blazing . . . Mr. Winslow's keen attention to drug culture isn't going to keep readers away from him. He's too damn good to be polarizing. His characters are smart about their self-interest. His dialogue is tight, laconic, and razor sharp; if Elmore Leonard or Lee Child discovered surfing, they might sound something like this."--Janet Maslin "The New York Times "

"Don Winslow, whose book The Kings of Cool, just came out, is a rarity among writers of fiction: He doesn't just make it up."--Chip McGrath "The New York Times "

"Don Winslow's crackerjack Laguna Beach thriller The Kings of Cool . . . gives background and back story to Mr. Winslow's novel Savages, published in 2010 and just made into a film by Oliver Stone. . . . It's a treat to trace the crossings of this trio's paths with those of other characters over the years. . . . One way or another, they scheme and tough their way through this often gruesome, sometimes witty saga and into the future fates already devised for them."--Tom Nolan "The Wall Street Journal "

"A fast, fun, smart jazz-riff of a book, a prequel to Savages and every bit as good. . . . What sets Winslow apart in the crowded field of crime/mystery/thriller writers is the white-knuckled way he writes and thinks. The dialogue is sharp and funny, full of knowing nods to pop culture, history, and geography. . . . A frenzied ride into the heart of what family and love and loyalty mean."--John Wilkens "San Diego Union-Tribune "

"Another Winslow roller-coaster thriller."--Library Journal (starred review)

"As a former private investigator, Winslow knows his crime scene. . . . It's tough not to be hooked."--USA Today

"Blistering . . . Winslow serves up nonstop action, tempering the tension with his trademark razor-sharp wit. . . . This cool, clever entry is sure to be a royally popular summer read."--Booklist (starred review)

"A brilliant, hypnotic novel . . . So much more than a mere backstory . . . With a stylistic swagger and bucketloads of empathy to go with a scintillating, perfectly executed crime-novel plot."--The Independent (UK)

Book Description:

The much-anticipated prequel to the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Savages.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1451665334
• ISBN 13: 9781451665338
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336