Book Description

Lena Madadhi is desperate, a middle-aged arts teacher in Los Angeles whose teen daughter has been abducted. When seeking help from a private investigator, Joe Delancey, she finds he is out on a case at a Central Valley truck stop, deep undercover among truckers, prostitutes and nomads—entrenched in a doomsday sect called Gallows Dome. The further Lena digs to find Joe, the deeper she submerges into The Dome’s hellscape, spiraling closer toward her daughter’s whereabouts than she could ever imagine. An unflinching look at the dark side of family and faith, Nolan Knight’s Gallows Dome tackles a current American landscape whose thoughts and prayers help flap its flags at half-mast—teetering on the brink of total collapse. Critical Acclaim for Gallows Dome: “Poet Vincente Huidobro said that the writer’s job is quite simple: Invent new worlds and be careful what you say. That’s exactly what Nolan Knight does, and does wonderfully.” —James Sallis, author of Drive and Sarah Jane “This no-holds-barred noir from a writer to watch will grab readers’ attention, and regardless of the graphically described violence, it’s fun.” —Library Journal “Forget the glitz and glam of Hollywood, Knight gives us a ride in the real California crime machine rolling beyond the freeway off ramps.” —Tom Pitts, author of Coldwater and Hustle “Beyond Knight’s mastery of setting are his characters, as he draws complicated heroes & villains—fathers, mothers & misfits alike—that feel absolutely heartachingly real. Gallows Dome is pure, uncut L.A. crime.” —Peter Farris, author of Last Call for the Living and The Devil Himself “There are many superb elements here, but Knight’s voice is what makes Gallows Dome wildly entertaining and memorable. He offers fast, snappy prose with a level of punchy, slangy dialogue that dances between the brilliant and the ridiculous. The gripping and entertaining tale Knight splashes on the page here is definitely worth the ride.” —CrimeFictionCritic.com “If you like your writing with dirt under its nails, then let me introduce you to Nolan Knight...your new favorite writer.” —Tony O’Neill, author of Sick City, Digging the Vein and Down and Out on Murder Mile “If Hubert Selby slipped off the grid and was writing bad checks from Forgotten, California—it would sound like this thrilling book: boozy, hallucinatory, volatile. Knight has a wild, degenerate charm on the line level that brings its own doomsday.” —Joshua Mohr, author of Model Citizen and All This Life “Intoxicating and rattling, Gallows Dome is a raw nerved journey into a subterranean realm where a determined woman out of her depth must prevail or perish all hope.” —Gary Phillips, author of One-Shot Harry “Compulsively readable, Gallows Dome will leave you gasping for breath.” ––Patrick H. Moore, author of 27 Days “Gallows Dome is an atmospheric, contemporary, gritty noir tale replete with damsels in distress, a down and out detective, a hoedown, a showdown, an angel, and the devil incarnate—what more could you ask for? Kudos to Nolan Knight.” —Steven Max Russo, acclaimed author of Thieves and The Dead Don’t Sleep “Nolan Knight's Gallows Dome has it all. Missing children, desperate parents, drug dealers, psycho killers, private investigators, cult members, truck stop cuties, you name it. There’s so much here it's like getting two books for the price of one.” —Tim O'Mara, author of the Raymond Donne series “This noir thriller drops you into a hellish world of drugs, desperation, and deranged cultism. You will be riveted to the fiery end.” —Mark Troy, author of the Ava Rome private detective series “From perfectly pitched conversation to funky dives to cultish sadism…there's true madness here, and a Gothic-level shock of recognition.” —Jay Gertzman, author of Pulp According to David Goodis and Beyond Twisted Sorrow