Book excerpt: Three criminals on the run, not just from the law but from other criminals. Two of them are lovers, the third her former lover. Where does love lie, except in the grave? Deria is the psychotic woman who prefers to work with a guy who’s good in bed. Vern is her violent ex, who let her go because he thought she lived too dangerously. Russ is the new guy, new to Deria, new to whatever hell he’s gotten himself into. Can they keep the money from the psychotics who want it? Are they more psychotic? Or will they break down from the acts they must commit? If you liked Pierce’s Vern in the Heat, you’re going to love Snake Slayer. And if you didn’t read that one, strap in for the ride. It’s fast, it’s bloody, and it goes well beyond that, into the minds of those who commit the horrible crimes. Praise for Snake Slayer: “Pierce’s writing doesn’t so much take you for a ride as it throws you in the trunk and takes off at top speed. Kinetic, blistering, and hard-boiled to the bone, Snake Slayer is a read to be experienced more than once.” —Angel Luis Colon, author of Hell Chose Me “Imagine if Raymond Carver’s slick poetic prose and unhappy alcoholics found themselves with a gun and a thirst for crime—you’d get Rob Pierce’s bleak but darkly funny Snake Slayer.” —Shawna Yang Ryan, author of Green Island “Rob Pierce puts the pedal to the medal from the word go in his latest novella, Snake Slayer. Pierce is a master of tight writing and great action sequences cut lean and hard…a hard-rock symphony of violence.” —Bobby Mathews, author of Living the Gimmick “Rob Pierce explores the humanity of otherwise ordinary people who kill first and ask questions later. There is violence or sex on every page—for a reason. The dialogue is masterful and the action is flawlessly executed!” —Kris Calvin, author of Under a Broken Sky “Tough guys and tougher women, zip-tied together...Pierce’s sharp, minimalistic style lays the story like brutal poetry while offering glimpses of the horror and humanity behind his characters.” —Marietta Miles, author of May and After the Rain “Crime is a dish well-delivered: lean, unsentimental, and pitiless. That’s what Rob Pierce brings to the table, and Snake Slayer is a choice cut of prime unadulterated Pierce.” —Scott Adlerberg, author of Graveyard Love and Jack Waters “Deria…every woman’s fantasy of killing without compunction. Mesmerizing in its staccato delivery, Snake Slayer is also riveting with its psycho story, complete with happy ending. Well, sort of. A must-read noir gem.” —Kate Thornton, author of Buzz Kill “Rob Pierce has crafted an action packed tale of a woman on the grind determined to do whatever it takes in a blood drenched hell to make her own personal heaven.” —Tia Ja’nae, author of Ghosts on the Block Never Sleep “This is real crime fiction, reminiscent of Edward Bunker. Dialogue sharp enough to shave with and prose that repeatedly jabs before landing several knockout blows. With Snake Slayer, Pierce stakes his claim as one of the best in the business.” —Bill Baber “Lean, mean, and spitting venom, Snake Slayer coils around your throat and won’t let go. Rob Pierce delivers a hard-boiled narrative that’s all the more brutal for its fleeting moments of tenderness.” —Scott Von Doviak, author of Charlesgate Confidential “Deria, a woman who won’t hesitate to put a hole in someone, smile about it, and go along with her day.” —Kevin Lear “The high priest of Oakland low-lives is back with another nihilistic neo-noir nightmare ... this merciless book will shoot you in the back and finish its drink while you bleed out in the gutter.” —Tom Leins, author of Repetition Kills You and Sharp Knives & Loud Guns