Sarah Jane

A Novel

By: James Sallis

Narrated by: Julie McKay

A spare, sparkling tour de force about one woman's journey to becoming a cop, by master of noir James Sallis, author of Drive.

Sarah Jane Pullman is a good cop with a complicated past. From her small-town chicken-farming roots through her runaway adolescence, court-ordered Army stint, ill-advised marriage, and years slinging scrambled eggs over greasy spoon griddles, Sarah Jane unfolds her life story, a parable about memory, atonement, and finding shape in chaos. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she is named the de facto sheriff of a rural town, investigating the mysterious disappearance of the sheriff whose shoes she’s filling - and the even more mysterious realities of the life he was hiding from his own colleagues and closest friends. This kaleidoscopic character study sparkles in every dark and bright detail - a virtuoso work by a master of both the noir and the tender aspects of human nature.

©2019 James Sallis (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Kept waiting for more

The narration was well done, but the story never took off. Not very engaging characters.

Satisfying, beautifully written noir

His prose is succinct and satisfying and smart. His characters are quirky and substantial. This story is compelling. A strong female protaganist who is an original and appealingly dark character. Just love to settle in for the rum and raisins voice of the narrator. A new writer to me, I am always searching for smart and fresh and darkly beautiful story. This one hits all the points.

Had high expectations because of NYT review

This was on the list of NYT Best Crime Books of the Year. I bought and greatly appreciated several other books that are on that same list. I had high expectations of Sarah Jane. My dissatisfaction with this book is mostly because it reads like a calm and predictable coming of age memoir rather than what I label as a crime novel. The writing is very good, but I didn't get invested in the lives of Sarah Jane or other characters. I might read but wouldn't buy a sequel.