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The Subtle Art of Brutality (A Richard Dean Buckner Novel Book 1) by [Ryan Sayles]

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Ryan Sayles

The Subtle Art of Brutality (A Richard Dean Buckner Novel Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Ryan Sayles (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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The girl has gone missing. Again. But this time people are trying to kill her. Trying to burn down everything she has touched or left behind. The girl’s surrogate father feels responsible and to assuage his guilt, he hires Richard Dean Buckner, former Saint Ansgar homicide detective turned private eye to ferret her out.

Buckner was doing fine as a bare-knuckles detective for the PD until he was rendered “unserviceable” by a hit attempt. Early retirement doesn’t sit well with that type of man, half predator and half savior.

He takes the case, and from two ex-boyfriends who ruined their lives for the girl, her rapist dad, drug dealers she burned for thousands, an uncomfortable meeting at the local Incest Survivors group to whoever is setting fire to her life, Buckner is going to need all his guts, instinct and .44 Magnum to finish the job.

Because in Saint Ansgar, what doesn’t kill you only makes you wish it did.

*** Praise for The Subtle Art of Brutality ***

“Richard Dean Buckner is just the hero for our modern world: a righteous killer who can step outside convention and right the wrongs; and Sayles is just the writer to drive his story. This is how I like my fiction: unrelenting prose and kick-ass justice.”
—Joe Clifford, author of Lamentation

“The brutality is in the prose. Course and violent, Sayles writes like he is seeking vengeance against the world. It’s 21st century noir. Mickey Spillane on meth.”
—Tom Pitts, author of Knuckleball

“As subtle as brass knuckles to the face. Buckner is a classic and Sayles is one to watch.”
—Eric Beetner, author of Rumrunners and The Year I Died Seven Times

“…Richard Dean Buckner left me wanting more. He is a breath of fresh air in an antiques shop. A biker in a museum. A chaotic, reckless anomaly. You know I’m enjoying something when I deliberately slow down my reading pace to enjoy the novel longer. The Subtle Art of Brutality is a ridiculously strong first novel, starting the new darling of the P.I novels legacy.”
—Benoit Lelievre, blogger and reviewer at Dead End Follies

“Gut twisting detective fiction done the way it is supposed to be done. RDB makes Dirty Harry seem a little soft.”
—Todd Morr, author of Jesus Saves, Satan Invests

“The Subtle Art of Brutality is a nut busting slice of noir. All of the required hard-boiled elements are present and accounted for…”
—Chris Leek, author of Gospel of the Bulley

“The Subtle Art of Brutality is a testosterone-and-meth cocktail, a relentless blast of tough guy intensity. 21st-century hardboiled.”
—Warren Moore, author of Broken Glass Waltzes

Print length

398 pages
Language

English
Publication date

July 1, 2015
File size

3892 KB
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S.A. Cosby
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James Kestrel
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Ryan Sayles
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Ryan Sayles
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Brian Panowich
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YPPRUEU
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Down & Out Books (July 1, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3892 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 398 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1937495965
Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #1,502,750 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #7,148 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #11,680 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #12,116 in Hard-Boiled Mystery

Customer Reviews:
13 ratings

About the author

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Ryan Sayles

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RYAN SAYLES is the Derringer-nominated author of the Richard Dean Buckner hard-boiled PI series, The Subtle Art of Brutality, Warpath and Albatross as well as the standalone novels Goldfinches and Together They Were Crimson. His short fiction has appeared in dozens of venues in both print and digital media.

He was the editor of the clown-themed anthology Greasepaint & .45s and has been included in numerous others such as the Anthony Award-nominated Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Bruce Springsteen and Unloaded: Crime Writers Writing Without Guns.

He is a founding member of Zelmer Pulp, a writer’s group publishing a wide array of genre fiction. Ryan was formerly a submissions editor at the now-defunct The Big Adios website as well as a columnist/interviewer at Out of the Gutter Online.

He is Midwestern and formerly military and police.

Customer reviews

5 star		67%
4 star		23%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star		10%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Bradley Angle

Didn't see that coming.

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

RDB is a badass, it’s true. And one would hope he never makes your phone ring.
The Subtle Art of Brutality is a chapter turner, full of gruesome violence, picturesque druggies and filth, and flippant sentences that punch you in the gut. This author has published many books sense this one and I’ll be tracking his latest down to see how he’s honed in on his very distinct and exciting style… Read if you like tough cops, roughneck jokes and suspenseful drama. Read if you want to cross the art of character development within the confines of tight plot.
You won’t see the wonderful twist coming.

Helpful

Susie H

Not Your Average Detective Novel...Way Better!

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2013

Verified Purchase

The Subtle Art of Brutality by Ryan Sayles features the main character Richard Dean Buckner, who has become one of my favorite characters ever. He is a no-nonsense, rough around the edges ex-cop with fiery ruthlessness and a big heart. This excellently crafted story takes the reader through some of the most unpleasant aspects of detective work, police work, and the human psyche. And the ride is a thrill a minute.

Definitely looking forward to reading more from Mr. Sayles.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Marietta Miles

Top of the TBR pile

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Brutal is right! Classic as well. Violent and lovely. Oh, and there is lots of rough justice and retribution. These are a few of my favorite things...can't wait for more from Richard Dean Buckner. Thank goodness he is looking out for the innocent.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Beau Johnson

Doesn't Disappoint

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

um, yes, more please. I loved the voice, loved the story. I highly recommend meeting Richard Dean Buckner. Hopefully he is on your side, mind you, but if he isn't, well, let's just say it'll be a different kind of fun you get to experience.

One person found this helpful

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Joel William Barrows

True grit

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

Gritty and real . . . sometimes uncomfortably so. No-holds-barred doesn’t even begin to describe it. Loved the narrative style.

Helpful

Liam Sweeny

Subtle Art of Great Writing

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This book has a ;ot of unique touches in it's styling. It's brutal and exceptionally written. I'd recommend it to anyone.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Spring Hill

Good book

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

Good book I'm reading book #2 now.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Could have been written by an 8th grader!

Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

I am beginning to seriously question the accuracy of your reviewer ratings

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Dirty Books

The Brutal Art of Ryan Sayles

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

Ryan Sayles takes the hardboiled private eye archetype to the next level with Richard Dean Buckner, the hero of this absorbing thriller. The brutality is so unrelenting that the book could easily have lapsed into self-parody, but Sayles’ bold, bloody vision and well-rendered backdrop convinces you that you are in safe hands. Densely plotted, and boasting a muscular prose style, The Subtle Art of Brutality has shades of early Ellroy, and marks Sayles out as one of the most compelling PI writers currently plying his trade. Great work.

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