I've been a huge fan of Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series but I had yet to read his other novels. So on a return flight home from California this week I brought along his newest to pass the time. I enjoyed the book so much I read the entire thing on the flight.

Web Goodhue is a slacker living off of the kindness of lifelong best friend and tattoo artist Chev. Web is pretty much an asshole, though a funny one. We learn early on that Web has gone through something pretty terrible. I won't say what it is but when that moment comes it hits like a ton of bricks. The emotional impact was so strong for me that I teared up on a plane full of strangers. It was the last thing I expected from Huston who is a much more gifted writer than I might have given him credit for.

Surrounding Web are a deliriously interesting cast of characters including the massive Po Sin, owner of a crime scene cleaning company and Web's soon to be boss, to the beautiful and beautifully screwed up Soledad Nye. The main focus of the book is Web at rock bottom taking a job where he cleans homes where someone either kills themselves or dies. It's fairly graphic and not for everyone, but there is a serious dose of Warren Ellis style gross out and voyerism. You learn what happens when someone takes a mouthful of water and then puts a gun in their mouth and pulls the trigger. Nasty stuff.

The book is also laugh out loud funny. Between some of the situations Web gets himself in and the his running commentary it's a fun read. The book is a caper gone awry at heart and our bumbling hero must figure out how to fix this mess and save the girl and himself. It ends with another emotional blast and I seriously hope Charlie feels the urge to give us another book featuring Webb and Po Sin.

I can't recommend this enough.