Now that this book has been published, I can say that my original 5 star review has been earned.
This slim volume packs more sex and violence into 217 pages than you'd find in an early 1970s drive in triple feature!
Scott Phillips keeps a consistent tone by staying within the viewpoint of his deranged, self serving, sexually driven narrator Wayne Ogden, back in Wichita from the gravy train that WW2 was to him as a supply sergeant- i.e. pimp, black marketeer, murderer, extortionist. Now back in the states, he's forced into the narrower confines as wing man to the wealthiest man around,Collins, a whoring drunk maintaining a shaky hold over Collins Aircraft. Wayne needs to stay on his toes to assess threats to his boss and his livelihood and to figure out where to use his Army training and where to just apply brute force or natural cunning.
This is a deliciously nasty read that manages to show a lot about American History without lecturing. Not for the faint of heart, perhaps, but anyone who appreciates a little extra rough in their rough and tumble should get this book right away.
ORIGINAL REVIEW from 2010- According to Scott Phillips, author of this book, Phoenix Books had intended to publish this novel in September 2010. Instead, they went bankrupt in the Spring of 2010 and the listing remains for a book that doesn't quite exist.
THE ADJUSTMENT will be published, though, in September 2011 by COUNTERPOINT PRESS.
While I agree that it's not quite fair to rate a book I haven't seen, it is the only way Amazon makes available for me to pass this information along. The five star rating is the average for all three other Scott Phillips books- juicy, raunchy, sexy, violent, well researched books about Wichita and points beyond that will put you in mind of the good citizens of DEADWOOD or the spare black humor of Charles Willeford. The titles are The ICE HARVEST, The WALKAWAY and COTTONWOOD.
You can thank me later.
