No Exit Press - Drive by James Sallis

ABOUT THE BOOK

"I drive. That's what I do. All I do."

'Much later, as he sat with his back against an inside wall of a Motel 6 just north of Phoenix, watching the pool of blood lap toward him, Driver would wonder whether he had made a terrible mistake. Later still, of course, there'd be no doubt. But for now Driver is, as they say, in the moment. And the moment includes this blood lapping toward him, the pressure of dawn's late light at windows and door, traffic sounds from the interstate nearby, the sound of someone weeping in the next room....'

Thus begins Drive, a new novella by James Sallis. Set mostly in Arizona and L.A., the story is, according to Sallis, "...about a guy who does stunt driving for movies by day and drives for criminals at night. In classic noir fashion, he is double-crossed and, though before he has never participated in the violence ('I drive. That's all.'), he goes after the ones who doublecrossed and tried to kill him."

RELATED FEATURES

Drive - Chapter One

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

"...Sallis creates vivid images in very few words and his taut, pared-down prose is distinctive and powerful. The result is a small masterpiece...." - Susanna Yager, Sunday Telegraph

"...Sallis's lean mystery and flat-voiced prose are refreshing, even startling. A lovely piece of work...." - Paul Skenasy, Washington Post Book World - Best Books of 2005

"...James Sallis has always been one of America's most intellectual mystery authors, but this sparse evocation of hardboiled angst in the blazing sun, in which destinies crisscross with ferocious results, is a minor masterpiece. A heist gone wrong, a motel room, guns and the road: any other writer would have developed this tale of revenge and splintered pasts over several hundred pages. Sallis's treatment is minimalist, stylish, and all the more evocative for it. Essential noir existentialism...." - Maxim Jakubowski, The Guardian

"...James Sallis has written a perfect piece of noir fiction...." - Marilyn Stasio, New York Times

"...A taut page-turner. Sallis' lean tale (158 pages) and flat-voiced prose are refreshing, even startling...It's a lovely piece of work that makes you wish some other writers would take lessons from him...." - Paul Skenazy, Washington Post

"...Imagine the black heart of Jim Thompson beating in the poetic chest of James Sallis and you'll have some idea of the beauty, sadness and power of Drive..." - Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune

"...The novel is a terrific ride, and true to form, Sallis leaves us with an enigmatic teaser of an ending...." - Scott M Morris, Los Angeles Times

"...James Sallis writes crime novels that read like literature...." - Judith Freeman, Los Angeles Times

"...The unnamed hero of Drive by James Sallis (No Exit Press £12) is a kid who blows into LA and starts working as stunt driver on crime movies. He's the best. Word gets around and he's approached to do some driving for real bad guys. Why not? It's what he does. Just driving from A to B and that's it, until he's double crossed on a job and seeks revenge. Fast cars, guns and babes. Just my cup of tea...." - Mark Timlin, Independent Online

"...a compact, beautifully written little noir gem......" - Seattle Times

"...masterfully convoluted neo-noir, which ranges from the dive bars and flyblown motels of Los Angeles to seedy strip malls dotting the Arizona desert......" - Publshers Weekly

NEWS

Universal Studios are getting in gear for "Drive," optioning James Sallis' novel about a Hollywood stunt driver as a starring vehicle for Hugh Jackman and setting it up with Marc Platt... more >>