
The Best Bad Things
“A slippery, sexually charged thrill-ride.”
O, The Oprah Magazine
A November 2018 LibraryReads Pick
Finalist for the 2019 Washington State Book Award for Fiction
A Crime Reads Pick of Best Crime Books of the Year
A Vulture.com Pick of the Ten Best Crime Books of the Year
Winner of the 2019 Shamus Award for Best First Private Eye Novel
Winner of Shamus Awards - Winner, 2019
Nominated for Shamus Awards - Nominee, 2019
Among shortlisted titles for Lambda Literary Award - Nominee, 2019
Winner of Shamus Awards - Winner, 2019
Nominated for Shamus Awards - Nominee, 2019
Among shortlisted titles for Lambda Literary Award - Nominee, 2019
"A brazen, brawny, sexy standout of a historical thrill ride, The Best Bad Things is full of unforgettable characters and insatiable appetites. I was riveted. Painstakingly researched and pulsing with adrenaline, Carrasco's debut will leave you thirsty for more." -Lyndsay Faye, author of The Gods of Gotham
A vivid, sexy barn burner of a historical crime audiobook, The Best Bad Things introduces listeners to the fiery Alma Rosales-detective, smuggler, spy
It is 1887, and Alma Rosales is on the hunt for stolen opium. Trained in espionage by the Pinkerton Detective Agency-but dismissed for bad behavior and a penchant for going undercover as a man-Alma now works for Delphine Beaumond, the seductive mastermind of a West Coast smuggling ring.
When product goes missing at their Washington Territory outpost, Alma is tasked with tracking the thief and recovering the drugs. In disguise as the scrappy dockworker Jack Camp, this should be easy-once she muscles her way into the local organization, wins the trust of the magnetic local boss and his boys, discovers the turncoat, and keeps them all from uncovering her secrets. All this, while sending coded dispatches to the circling Pinkerton agents to keep them from closing in.
Alma's enjoying her dangerous game of shifting identities and double crosses as she fights for a promotion and an invitation back into Delphine's bed. But it's getting harder and harder to keep her cover stories straight and to know whom to trust. One wrong move and she could be unmasked: as a woman, as a traitor, or as a spy.
A propulsive, sensual tour de force, The Best Bad Things introduces Katrina Carrasco, a bold new voice in crime fiction.
Praise
