REVIEWS – LULLABY ROAD
Click on name of publication to read
“Keep Watch Over Your Children” Click to read full review.
“A beautiful and exceptional novel” Read full review.
“A sweet ride” Click to read full review.
“Anderson creates a world of his own and then offers you a chance to traverse it.” Read full review.
“The action is nonstop, and the plot twists are heart-pounding. Anderson’s vivid prose gives a sense of vastness that is the desert he so brilliantly describes – it is an amazing use of language to create a mood and feeling…Fans of Anderson’s first installment of this series will devour this book and long for another visit with the residents along Route 117.”
“…a delicious cast of colorful characters…Lullaby Road is a triumphant mix of landscape, character, wit and sagacity wrapped in a noir thriller.”
“Anderson’s lyrical prose brings a forgotten corner of the world to life, and the authentic narrative does the same for Jones. Recommended for fans of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor and Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire.”
“Atmospheric…Arresting desert vistas and distinctive characters leave a lasting impression.”
“”We are the trouble we seek,” says Ben Jones, the half-Jewish, half-Native American trucker who narrates this book. That seems especially true of the lost souls traversing the bleak landscape of this harrowing, dryly antic novel.”
REVIEWS – NEVER OPEN DESERT DINER
“Exceptional—outstanding in every regard — writing, plot, dialogue, suspense, humor, a vivid sense of place.”
Read the Full Review
“High, dry and severely beautiful…Anderson is a fine storyteller.”
– Marilyn Stasio, Sunday February 15th, 2015 – Read the Full Review
“The great tradition of hard-boiled crime novels finds new and promising territory in the Utah desert. Carrying its own cult following after having been published independently last year, this debut novel is a stirring, atmospheric, and even mildly surreal variation on the “mean streets” detective fiction of Raymond Chandler… a witty, rollicking, and somewhat bent mystery/romance… the beginning of a beautiful series.” Read the Full Review
“Anderson’s first novel…is a great one…(with) genius in creating characters that stay with you…They creep into your brain and settle in for a lengthy visit. You have not read a book like The Never-Open Desert Diner in a long time, if ever. Once you open its pages you will know you are in for something surprisingly enjoyable.” – Read the Full Review
“James Anderson’s unusually literary crime novel takes its atmosphere from the shifting power of the desert light on a quiet highway in central Utah.” – Read the Full Review/Interview
“In this fine debut, James Anderson’s graceful prose and evocative look at the desert elevate this untraditional mystery that would be kin to novels by James Sallis and the late Jim Crumley…” – Read the Full Review by Oline H. Cogdill
“(a) remarkable piece work. A great book for your library one you could read again and again only to gain just one more morsel missed in the first pass.” – Read the Full Review
“Brilliant…Seldom has (this reviewer) read a novel more affecting (or) encountered such memorable characters.”
“Absorbing…an extraordinary debut.” Read the Full Review
“With the release of The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson the literary world has received a gift in the vein of James Lee Burke…(this) the novel had me turning pages until none were left…” Read Entire Review
Beautifully written with a delicate sense of humor…a book with this kind of subtly, lyricism, and quiet intensity isn’t just appreciated — it’s restorative.” Read Entire Review
“We predict The Never-Open Desert Diner will be one of the best books you read in 2015.” Read Entire Interview and Review
Click on name of publication to read
“Like a flash flood…once the action begins it’s nonstop. Readers… will want to join the ride.” Read Entire Review
“…distills the heat and shimmering haze of the Utah desert into a fine first novel.” Read Entire Review
“Haunting…Accomplished.” Read Entire Review
“Effective…and unusual reading experience.”
“Grabs your attention…Exciting? It is!” Read Entire Review
“What’s James Anderson reading?” Read Entire Interview