Riprap - by Tom McCulloch (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Patti Letham isn't dying after all. In and out of consciousness, she trawls through what brought her to this hospital bed. Somewhere in that kaleidoscope of scandal and eccentricity something must ring true, but Patti distrusts herself as much as everyone distrusts her: Hector, the detective who's shadowed her whole life; hostile locals; and her long dead parents - still so disappointed. Then there's Frank, who everyone knows she tried to kill once before.

Review Quotes

"Crackling with mystery, menace and-above all-humanity, Riprap weaves a masterfully intoxicating web, near psychedelic in effect: McCulloch has the full literary sauce!"

-Harry Sword, author of Monolithic Undertow - In Search of Sonic Oblivion

"McCulloch writes with passion, authenticity, humour and energy." -Ewan Morrison, author of For Emma

"In Riprap, McCulloch has crafted something akin to Irvine Welsh's Maribou Stalk Nightmares with a heart. An elegant and edgy puzzle box of a novel that's also a contemplation on the validity of memory. Patti is a wonderfully compelling unreliable narrator as she unwinds this entertaining and unsettling tale of revenge, isolation and what constitutes family. Riprap is tightly plotted, written in taut prose, packing a hell of a punch."

-Jamie Mollart, author of Kings of a Dead World

"Riprap is Joycean noir, as playful as it is dark, full of unforgettable characters living hard lives on the margins and struggling with all their might. Patti, our sleeping guide to this world, will stick in your mind forever; inspiring, tragic and hilarious." -Rob Palk, author of Animal Lovers

"A powerful and moving exploration of one woman's battle with loneliness, longing, and a troubled history."

-Moira Forsyth, author of A Message from the Other Side