BAYOU SAVAGES

A chance act of heroism entangles an outsider in a high-stakes art heist in Triad’s crime novel.

Ray never meant to get involved with Jimmy Nguyen’s criminal enterprise. Before he met Jimmy, the 46-year-old New Orleans resident was mostly content with his life, aside from a failing marriage and a habit of getting blackout drunk and waking up next to strangers. But after rescuing the Vietnamese crime lord and his young daughter from a carjacking, he’s invited to lunch with him and his Laotian companion, Manivong. What begins as a simple favor, driving Jimmy and Manivong to collect a debt, quickly escalates when they unexpectedly come into possession of a priceless stolen painting. Ray is soon pulled into a high-stakes scheme with Jimmy, Manivong, and Carter Champagne—the operation’s strategist—to smuggle the artwork out of the country and sell it abroad, with plans to funnel the proceeds back to underprivileged kids in their N.O. community. To execute the scheme, Ray enlists his friend Walt, a diplomatic courier who’s able to bypass security without scrutiny. But personal tensions soon threaten to derail the operation: Walt’s new girlfriend sparks conflict between the old friends, and Champagne’s wife’s affair with Jimmy fractures the group further when she becomes pregnant. Meanwhile, Jimmy is busy evading ICE agents intent on deporting him to Vietnam. Readers should be aware that this crime tale has unflinching violence and sexual content, which some may find gratuitous. Overall, though, Triad presents a modern-day Robin Hood tale that’s also a touching meditation on found family and a searing judgment of current U.S. government immigration policy and those who enforce it. The richly drawn ensemble is easy to root for, despite their flaws, as the narrative gradually shifts from a neo-noir art heist thriller to a complex study of interpersonal relationships.

A vivid and violent crime novel with impressive emotional impact.