Mr. Clarinet - (Max Mingus Thriller) by Nick Stone (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"A first-class thriller that is equal parts hard-boiled Raymond Chandler mystery and voodoo-powered crime-fiction masterwork. . . . A spellbinding thriller of the highest order." --Chicago Tribune

Max Mingus wanted to turn down the case--15 million bucks or not. Three years had passed since Haitian billionaire Allain Carver's five-year-old son was abducted. Sure, Max had been the best detective in Miami once. But that was before he went to jail. Before his wife died. Plus, he'd heard what had happened to the others who'd gone searching for Charlie Carver before him . . .

With nothing left to lose--and a lot of money to gain--Max heads to Haiti. He knows about the voodoo and black magic. But when the trail to the missing boy leads to a local myth about a spirit child stealer named "Mr. Clarinet," could the truth be even more shocking than the legend? Max's job suddenly isn't just about finding the boy, his killers, or the money--it's about just staying alive.

From the Back Cover

There was nothing waiting for ex-cop Max Mingus when he walked out of Attica Prison after serving hard time for murder--his adored wife died in a car crash while he was locked up. Now Miami's one-time top detective is haunted by an empty house, bad memories . . . and an impossible job offer for obscenely good money. Three years ago, Charlie Carver, the five-year-old son of a powerful Haitian billionaire, vanished. His father is offering Max $15 million to bring the boy back--or, at the very least, to find his body and deliver his abductors.

Max knows he should turn this case down. There's no way the kid is still alive, and pursuing his ghost means plunging headfirst into Haiti, a steaming island hotbed of crime, greed, voodoo, and corruption. And the three detectives who preceded Mingus are all dead . . . or worse. But Max has nothing left to lose--even if his investigation stirs up a murky evil that can swallow a man whole . . . and leads him to the soul-destroying truth about a terrifying local myth, a child-stealing nightmare called "Mr. Clarinet."

Review Quotes

"Stone's adrenaline-packed debut is not for the faint of heart . . . but readers accustomed to the grittiest of pulp fiction won't be deterred . . .this thriller introduces a fresh voice that fans of hardboiled fiction won't want to miss" -- Publishers Weekly

"A first-class thriller that is equal parts hard-boiled Raymond Chandler mystery and voodoo-powered crime-fiction masterwork...Featuring a fascinatingly complex protagonist whose sense of honor is surpassed only by his brutality, and some absolutely jaw-dropping plot twists - all against the shockingly stark backdrop of Haiti - Stone's debut is a spellbinding thriller of the highest order." -- Chicago Tribune

Gritty and unremittingly dark, replete with supervillains, Mr. Clarinet pays homage to pulp fiction and film noir. -- The Guardian

The search for the next 'big thing' in the literary world is a dangerous business, but we think we may just have found him in Nick Stone. -- The Observer

Painstakingly researched, effectively written and well conceived, it deserves all of its pre-release hype. -- Big Issue in the North

This is a hotshot debut novel. If you trust my judgment, buy it. -- The Independent on Sunday

If there's one thing you must do in 2006, curl up and read Mr Clarinet by Nick Stone. -- Daily Express

This is crime fiction at its zenith, challenging, compelling and with an insight that delves deep under the skin. -- Crimespree

"This is a book for which the common superlatives, 'gripping, ' 'riveting, 'gritty' and 'dark' are simply inadequate. From the first chapter, Mr. Clarinet spins the reader on a whirlwind tour of both the underbelly of the Third World and the basest depths of the human soul." -- BookPage

"Gritty, fascinating. . . . Stone's exquisite writing, affinity for characters and ability to capture Haiti's atmosphere fuel Mr. Clarinet." -- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel