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The Glorieta Pass [MultiFormat]
eBook by Chris O'Grady
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eBook Category: Mystery/Crime/Suspense/Thriller
eBook Description: Of all the women in all the gin-mills in all the world, Wilder had to make a pass at this one! Okay, so Wilder was a day late getting up here to Thomaston ... but Milo should've been sitting on his phone, waiting for Wilder's call about the gambling joint Milo had fingered for him. Instead, all Wilder was getting at the other end of the phone line was a whole lot of ringing. So when the woman at the bar in the tight black satin dress flashed some leg, what was a man supposed to do? There were a lot of people in the town of Thomaston who could be hazardous to a man's health! Milo was one of them--treacherous as a snake. Morey the cop was another. He liked to swing his blackjack a little too much. Then there was old Jeff Duncan, who ran the town, and practically owned it too. And Hendricks, who might want a bit more out of life than just doing old Jeff Duncan's dirty work. But the most hazardous one of them all was the old guy's sexy young wife, Glorieta ... Don't miss your chance to read The Glorieta Pass--a fabulous Sam Spade-style adventure!
eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: 2005
Fictionwise Release Date: February 2007
Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [194 KB]
, ePub (EPUB) [216 KB]
, Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [169 KB]
, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [640 KB]
, Palm Doc (PDB) [187 KB]
, Microsoft Reader (LIT) [209 KB]
, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [218 KB]
, hiebook (KML) [472 KB]
, Sony Reader (LRF) [255 KB]
, iSilo (PDB) [154 KB]
, Mobipocket (PRC) [192 KB]
, Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [66 KB]
, OEBFF Format (IMP) [275 KB]
Words: 58364
Reading time: 166-233 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED
 
"Man, oh man, what a fast, fun read. This easy slinging action/adventure pulls the reader immediately into the story, never once letting you go. Wilder is a man to be reckoned with, with a load of problems, and the problems are getting worse because he chooses to make a pass at a sexy married lady sitting at the bar. There is treachery awaiting Wilder at every turn. Who can he trust? Can he trust? Cops are crooked, it's almost a one-man run town, and there are vigilantes and sneaky happenings. What's a man to do? This was such a fresh approach to a hero, I laughed out loud several times. Wilder's come into town to pull off the heist of his life. Not heroic you say? Ahh, you haven't read the book. You'll find yourself cheering Wilder on. You'll catch your breath at the vivid imagery, the fast pace, and quick dialogue. Strong characterization and a solid plotline make this a must read, if only for the chuckles you'll get at seeing the starkness of humanity splayed out on a buffet table. The Glorieta Pass is a five angel RECOMMENDED READ."--Izzy
"Wilder waits for a telephone call about a gambling scan, planning to skip town after he gets his take of the profits. But one woman changes his next few days in a totally unpredictable, shocking and life-changing way! Glorieta is young, sexy and, most of the time, pathetically drunk. She's married to what is initially believed to be the town's powerhouse businessman, older but rich indeed. However, something is clearly amiss as she seeks sexual comfort and closeness just about wherever she can get it, setting off a chain of violence that is protective cover for her husband. So Wilder meets Glorieta for the first time and soon thereafter follows the predictable visit from Jeff Duncan's mafia-style goons and the police. Wilder is quite physically capable and handles his muddle with force only to discover after he escapes that he is accused of murdering a policeman. The plot spins quickly after that but not with the expected outcome. For the town and Morey the cop, as well as other nefarious characters are hiding a secret and reaping the financial reward of their control of this potentially destructive secret. As Wilder proceeds with his plan to uncover who really committed murder, he uncovers the truth about the pathetic plight of Glorieta's husband and with his wily thinking is able to unravel a secret that will yield him far more profit than he ever dreamed of--and perhaps some future romance as well. The Glorieta Pass is a purely plot-driven work that lovers of the unpredictable outcome will appreciate for sure!"--Viviane Crystal
"The Glorieta Pass is a mystery/suspense book set in a small town that is practically owned by one man, Jeff Duncan. Wilder was in town to pull a job. He was going to rob a gambling joint. That is, until he made a pass at Glorieta. Sure, Wilder was a day late coming into Thomaston. In his mind that was no excuse for Milo--the man who set the whole heist up and his contact--to not answer his phone. Wilder began to get bored in the little bar he sat in while he waited for Milo to answer. A woman sat at the bar. Wilder decided to make a move on her. That moment set about a chain of events that would make Wilder's life a living hell. The night started out good, even though Glorieta was a bit moody. It ended with a couple of police officers busting up their little party, though. Kept police officers at that. By one Jeff Duncan, who happened to be Glorieta's husband. They planned to call in someone to rough up Wilder a little for messing with Duncan's wife, but he ended up roughing up one of the cops instead. Just when Wilder thought he was safely out of Thomaston, he was pulled over by police. Not only was he taught a lesson himself, but they found one of the police officers murdered. Did Wilder murder the policeman? Will he be caught? If you want to find out, you should read this book. O'Grady has weaved a good story. It has sex, murder, suspense, mystery, and a small town with a story. He uses dialogue and narration very well. The story flows and has a quick enough pace that the reader doesn't lose interest, but not so quickly that the reader gets lost. It is a good story."--Jeannie Langston
"Dan Wilder comes to the town of Thomaston thinking he has it made: A quick heist at the local casino and he'll be out of town before the small-town locals know what hit them. A chance encounter with Glorieta Duncan, the wife of one of the town's most prominent and ruthless citizens, however, sets off a chain of events that changes the course of Dan's luck from good to bad to worse. He finds himself framed for murder and on the run from revenge-seeking thugs and crooked cops. Finally, it looks as if Wilder's luck has run out completely. But he's not going down without a fight. It's obvious to me after reading The Glorieta Pass that author Chris O'Grady is going for the noir-style popularized by writers such as Raymond Chandler. While he occasionally hits the target in terms of character and overall mood, most often he misses completely. The dialogue seems forced and improbable, and the narrative is riddled with odd and ill-timed passages, like this description of a courtoom: 'The old dark wood paneling reeked of tired evil and the rank stench of justice.' Or this, as Wilder is in a police car zipping down the road: 'Soon, cornfields, green meadows. Brown and white cows. Everything fat and contented, like on a calendar. But people were out there, too, so it wouldn't really be contented. There would be something wrong with them, except out here it might be slower.' The characters themselves are as flat and undefined as something you would see out of a 1940's movie. They have no depth, and whether that was done purposely or not, I think it detracts from the story. Why do we care? The only scene that is noticeably different takes place late in the book, when Wilder comes face to face with Glorieta's husband, Jeff Duncan. That scene is filled with a moment of such poignant indecision that the reader can't help but see all at once the book that could have been, and wish they were reading that one instead."--Jeff Cook, Roundtable Reviews
"When reviewing The Glorieta Pass, the first word that comes to mind is unique. It's not everyday that the main protagonist is a two-bit crook in town to pull off a heist on the local gambling joint. And, when you find yourself cheering him on and holding your breath during an unforgettable chase and frame-up, it gets even more interesting. In a town where corruption is an everyday occurrence, Wilder picks up the "wrong" woman at a local bar and the game is on. With strong characters and a story line that leaves you unable to put down the book, Chris O'Grady has given everyone who likes a good mystery one more novel to read and enjoy. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Be prepared for a good read and an important lesson, crime just doesn't pay--unless your name is Wilder!"--Sime~Gen
One
The wall phone at the end of the bar was giving Wilder nothing but a string of buzzes.
Either Milo was out, or he wasn't answering. There was no reason for him not to answer his phone, and he shouldn't be out, even if Wilder was a day late. Milo should be sitting on that phone.
Tired of listening to the buzzing, Wilder hung up in disgust and returned to his drink on the bar.
He was up on his barstool, lifting his glass, before he noticed the newcomer farther along the bar.
She was a dark-haired looker in a black silk dress. She sat with her legs crossed. A long length of thigh showed above the tops of sheer black stockings. Her skin appeared dead-white against the black sheen of the silk skirt.
Wilder gave her more than the usual lookover.
She hadn't been there when he came in awhile back, so she must have arrived while he was on the phone.
He didn't let himself take in the display too long. This was no time for him to make any kind of pass at local stuff, not the night before pulling a job in a town he didn't know at all. And there was no sense looking at the goods unless you were going to try for some of it.
A couple of hours ago, when he'd hit Thomaston, Wilder had been in a rush to make contact with Milo. Now it was starting to look like he was in for a long wait before he got any answers from Milo's phone.
He took another pull at his drink.
He was seated near the back end of the bar, where it bent in toward the wall, leaving a gap for the barkeep to get out at that end.
Absently, he glanced at the dark-haired woman again, but he was wondering how long Milo was going to keep him hung up like this.
The girl in black was easy for him to see without being obvious about it, so he watched her.
She had that look, the hot-to-go look: heavy on the makeup, lots of dark guck around the eyes, pale lipstick, almost as pale as her white skin, making her mouth appear nakeder than it would have with no lipstick at all.
She sat erect, her forearms resting on the edge of the bar, her fingertips just touching her glass. She stared steadily at the rows of bottles back of the bar, but she still looked all strung out.
Every ten seconds, she would snap no-ashes from the burning end of her cigarette.
But there weren't any takers!
The stag hotshots up near the front would slide sneaky knowing glances back at her from where they had posted themselves along the bar. One of them even leaned way back, so he could see more of her legs. But when he straightened, he just turned again to his lush-buddies, and they all had their laugh.
Along the wall across from the bar, couples in booths darted quick glances at her too, and there were small secret smiles and low-spoken comments.
But still no takers.
Wilder looked her over again.
She could be a hooker, except she didn't look tired enough, or brassy enough. That didn't mean a thing, though. She might still be so new at it that none of the signs stuck out yet.
The only thing Wilder kept getting from her was an itch, low and deep inside, each time he looked over at her sitting there. That was usually the only message he needed.
Not tonight, though.
Deliberately, he swung his eyes away from her and concentrated on his drink and waiting to give Milo enough time to get back to his phone and start answering it.
He could feel the impatience starting to build inside, even though he knew there could be a good enough reason why Milo wasn't hanging around his phone, waiting for Wilder's call: Wilder was a day late.
He'd been due up here in Thomaston last night, but there had been one more run of good luck to find out about in a floating crap game. He'd stuck with the luck until it petered out. When it was gone altogether and he knew his luck was still bad, he had rented a car and headed north. He'd have to pull the gambling joint stickup Milo had fingered.
Wilder had come up the highway from the south, after spending the afternoon checking out secondary roads down that way, in case he needed alternate getaway routes after the job. Just after dark, he'd reached Thomaston's outlying districts. When the first skyscraper lights had appeared above the horizon ahead, he'd stopped at a roadside phone booth next to a gas station to call Milo.
He didn't have Milo's address, and he couldn't look up the address in the local phone book because he didn't know Milo's last name.
It didn't matter. Usually in deals like this, all he needed was a phone number.
Except this time nobody was answering any phones.
Why didn't the jerk get an answering machine? Wilder thought.
Driving on along the highway, he'd passed a sign that said City Limit and gave the population. Getting himself a motel room, he'd taken a quick shower and went out to eat. When he got through with supper, he'd tried the phone again. Still no answer. Driving back to his motel, he stopped in this bar for a drink and tried Milo's number again, without success. By then, he knew he was in for a long evening of waiting and phoning.
Nursing his drink, Wilder wondered if his luck was completely gone. If it was, he might do himself a favor if he sheered off the gambling-joint heist Milo had set up for tomorrow night. If his luck was really out, he wouldn't get away with the grab, no matter how well he planned it.
Like tonight. He shouldn't have had to get a motel room. Right now, he should be jungled up at Milo's place, where no cops and no anyone could lay an eye on him and maybe remember afterward, from out of nowhere, that they had seen him making the scene around town.
Not that a gambling setup was like a bank. Still, a grab was a grab. Cops want you no matter who you steal from.
If gambling was going on in this town, they'd have a fix in with the law, somewhere up the ladder. Which meant that, after he pulled the job, there would be some looking for whoever did it. Maybe a lot of looking. The cops would check out recent arrivals in all the hotels and motels. And that meant he might even have to drop the Wilder name and start using another phony one.
Thinking of all that disgusted Wilder. Too many things were beginning to look bad, even before he got started. Especially that name-change. He wasn't crazy about that possibility.
He shook his head. It was too much trouble for too small a money-return. How much could you hit a gambling layout for in a city this size?
Ah, hell! He was doing too much thinking about it.
Quit the thinking, he told himself. He wasn't living this way so he could die of old age, anyway.
Time for another crack at the phone. Spinning around on the stool, he hit the floor and headed for the phone. When he tried Milo's number again and the same old buzzing kept up, Wilder cursed under his breath.
He could see the broad in the black silk dress, still perched on her barstool. Wilder knew damn well he shouldn't go near any woman the night before pulling a job ... but the way he was feeling now, he'd either get rid of it with a woman or before the night was done he'd wind up breaking someone's jaw.
When he knew the buzzing was just going to go on and on, he slammed the receiver down on the hook.
Okay, screw Milo. And the gambling joint. The job was jinxed, so forget it.
He went back to his drink on the bar.
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