ILL BEHAVIOR

An inspired street artist in an alternate-universe Los Angeles accused of murder struggles to clear his name in this debut novel by S.

California graffiti artist Tyler declares: “Graff is my life. I was born to get up on walls.” His dedication to a life decorating buildings and billboards is realized by seeing the four letters of his tagname, “SOBR,” all across Los Angeles. But in this futuristic setting, defacing public property is a heinous crime (the text includes pages of laws for these and other offenses). Over time, Tyler has emerged as a notorious, law-skirting graffiti artist in the novel’s futuristic, bizarro version of the United States in which a “king” reigns supreme enforcing an expansive array of ultra-conservative laws. One night, while he is on a South-Central LA rooftop, Tyler witnesses a shadowy figure disposing of a body in an alleyway below him. After noticing Tyler hovering stories above him, the murderer cleverly manages to frame him for the crime and flees the scene. An APB for Tyler’s arrest leads to a series of exciting adventures around the city as the protagonist evades the law and a dogged media as he desperately searches for a way to exonerate himself.  

“S.” is an impressive writer able to conjure a futuristic Los Angeles complete with draconian laws and a constrictive conservative governmental hierarchy. The author’s intriguing premise of an anarchic graffiti artist on the run from the law is unconventional and will draw the interest of suspense, mystery, and crime-fiction readers who enjoy a little noir atmosphere with their action scenarios. The story also incorporates Greek mythology, highlighting the spiritual aspects of the hymns, verses, and prayers to Dionysus/Bacchus Tyler utters in his most desperate moments. Tyler is an immediately enticing character—an artist who scales structures, ascending like Spider-Man in the name of tagging billboards and the sides of buildings for art’s sake, always remaining on vigilant watch for law enforcement. In often breathless prose, S. realistically details the stealthy nature of SOBR’s art escapades, which result in a series of close calls while he tags structures and then skillfully and swiftly evades surveillance officers on his bicycle “with a duffle bag (filled with illicit items) at one in the morning, swinging from a rope under a billboard like Errol Flynn in some goddamn urban swashbuckler film.” Peripheral characters, like Tyler’s skeptical friends; housemates who argue about wealth disparity, corporate power, and excessive consumption; and sneaky art gallery owners intermingle with descriptions of artwork and religious hymns to add spice to the story. The plot itself is riveting and transgressive, with philosophical introspection adding rich counterpoint to all of the action. A digression contemplating the differences between graffiti and outdoor advertising is as thought-provoking and compelling as the segments about how government ignores the urgency of climate erosion. Ultimately, readers will root for the hero to freely fulfill the “inspired genius” of his artistic destiny and escape the steely clutches of a wrongful allegation. This novel’s combination of an engaging protagonist, evocative detail and setting, and riveting plot makes for a winning debut for an author with obvious potential.

A uniquely imaginative and enthralling suspense thriller set in a futuristic LA.