101

This book is more than just a crime novel. You never know if you are rooting for the bad guys or if you just like all of the characters and you want them all to win. Tom Pitts is such an artist . He can paint the scenes and he has you loving all the characters no matter how despicable they are.Honestly, it is a fast paced book loaded with action. I made several notes in my book about how much I love a strong woman in a crime driven novel. Barbara is the strong female that has a special connection with Vic. Vic is just a tough old guy making a living as a marijuana farmer in Humboldt County. He has his business up in the woods and he is doing just fine. But, Barbara's son gets into trouble by stealing a bag of cash from a pack of Russian bikers.Barbara calls Vic and asks him to help her son. When you learn their history, you understand why Vic cannot tell her no. This whole novel is an action ride down the 101. I absolutely loved it. The story line is fast paced and Pitts never misses a beat where details are needed. The characters are so well described that you feel like you are looking in their faces and feeling their pain.The biggest shocker is the abrupt ending that only keeps me hoping that we will continue on down the 101 in another novel.I have read all of Tom Pitts' books and I cannot stress how much I love them. He is a master of story telling about the drug world. I want to stress that his books are never dull and never boring. They are sitting on the edge of your seat and you never, NEVER, want them to end.I feel like my review does not do justice for how exciting and how well written the characters and dialogue are in any of his books. Just read the book and read all of Tom Pitts' other books. They are not violence driven. They are not sex driven . They are character, dialogue, story driven. They are winners. Tom Pitts is the San Francisco King of Noir. I guarantee you will love this book. My only complaint will be if this is the last of the 101 series.

Tom Pitts' new novel, 101, reads like a chase thriller, but it's actually a convergence more than a chase. You can read the plot synopsis, but basically, Jerry, a young street punk, steals money from a biker gang in San Francisco, so his mother, Barbara, sends him up the 101 toward Garberville to stay with her old friend, Vic, who's running a pot farm in the hills of Humbolt County. Vic and the punk's mom are the only survivors of something called the "Fulton Street Massacre", an event that haunts the story as it plays out. In no time at all, the bikers and their Russian mob associates are on Jerry's trail, and all signs point to Garberville where their initial assault puts everyone back on the 101 leading toward an inevitable convergence of all the players in showdown in San Francisco.Pitts' narrative is gripping. In the first hundred pages, it's surprising how little violent action takes place (until it does), yet the pace of the story is relentless. Pitts ratchets up the tension by rapidly cutting among scenes involving the various players as they pursue Jerry and the missing money: the bikers kidnapping and questioning Barbara; Vic, Jerry, and the pot harvesters in the hills; the Russian mobsters who are growing concerned about their business dealings with the bikers; and bikers and a Welsh hitman/enforcer closing in on Vic's location. Pitts manipulates his characters like a master, drawing them closer and closer to each other, with the turn of every page threatening to unleash an explosive and deadly confrontation. The temptation to plow through 101 without stopping is great, but I strung it out over several days, enjoying it like episodes of a cliff-hanger chapter serial.The ending of the novel seems unexpected, perhaps even anti-climactic, but read it again once you finish. It's poignant, understated, and perfect. You'll figure out what happens beyond the last sentence.101 is a fantastic novel by a writer who has quickly established himself as one of the best crime writers in the game right now. If you're not reading Tom Pitts, you are definitely missing out. And 101 is a story you definitely don't want to miss.

The way the different viewpoints are intercut could have made the momentum choppy. It did not. It actually contributes to the pace.This story also has a refreshing difference. The central figure, Vic, adheres to his moral code even though a) it's in his best interest not to, and b) the help he's giving isn't appreciated (as the ironic ending underscores).Also spicing 101 are lots of local details of both rural and urban Northern California. Furthermore, there is a hard-edged humor that reminded me of Joseph Wambaugh.

I think this would make a great movie. On the other hand Hollywood has a way of making cool books into generic movies... The writing is suspenseful and I want to know the characters better. I have read all the books I could find by Tom Pitts, since reading Hustle not so long ago. Can't wait to read the next.

Another great book from this author! The only downside to his books are that they have to end. I know books have to end, but I really felt like I was left hanging with the ending on this one. He needs to create a sequel!The story takes place in Northern California, from deep in weed country, down to the Bay Area. I love the dialogue between the characters, it almost feels like I’m sitting there right alongside them, I can picture the story exactly as it’s unfolding. I need to find something redeeming in at least one of the characters (in this book it would be VIC), a huge plus in keeping my interest.For an exciting arm chair ride, you should take this road trip on 101!

Filled with the kind of raw details of dope and biker life that let you know he was definitely there, this fast-moving, horrifically funny novel marks Tom Pitts as a writer you can trust to confidently take you on a ride to the outer limits and back, whether you want to or not. Now, get the damn book and let's go!

Tom Pitts puts the characters and plot together in a way that holds you from the beginning to the end. The story and character meld in a way that never lose your atttention. Tom Pitts is polishing and perfecting his craft and showing no weak spots