A darkly funny satire of corporate greed, sexual desire, and crime from “the slightly more well-adjusted offspring of Hunter S. Thompson and James Ellroy” (Los Angeles Times).
The boy genius of the foreign exchange desk, Bryan LeBlanc is surrounded by acolytes of the free market, the true believers, the U.S. Marines of capitalism—“the few, the proud, the completely full of themselves.” He soon realizes that being honest at a dishonest job is not the path to success. Deciding to give Wall Street a taste of its own medicine, Bryan hatches an intricate plan to disappear permanently with just enough misappropriated money—and sailing classes—to spend his golden years cruising the Caribbean.
Bryan quickly learns that being a criminal, even a really smart one, is more complicated than he thought. He finds himself on the run in the Cayman Islands, wanted for murder. On his trail is an irresponsible team of investigators sent by his Wall Street firm, hellbent on reclaiming the millions before their clients notice it’s missing. Their efforts are complicated by an Australian sailor begrudgingly circumnavigating the globe to fundraise for breast cancer awareness.
In Blown, “Smith works out the mechanics of his heist beautifully . . . [It’s a] madcap crime caper, one with a little temper and a dirty mind” (Kirkus Reviews).
“Blown is his best yet: funny and frisky, with unforgettable characters and a surprising, twisty plot that will keep you up way past your bedtime.”—Edan Lepucki, New York Times-bestselling author of Woman No. 17
“A gripping, hilarious, wild ride of a book. I loved it.”—Lisa Lutz, New York Times-bestselling author of The Swallows
Genre: Literary Fiction
The boy genius of the foreign exchange desk, Bryan LeBlanc is surrounded by acolytes of the free market, the true believers, the U.S. Marines of capitalism—“the few, the proud, the completely full of themselves.” He soon realizes that being honest at a dishonest job is not the path to success. Deciding to give Wall Street a taste of its own medicine, Bryan hatches an intricate plan to disappear permanently with just enough misappropriated money—and sailing classes—to spend his golden years cruising the Caribbean.
Bryan quickly learns that being a criminal, even a really smart one, is more complicated than he thought. He finds himself on the run in the Cayman Islands, wanted for murder. On his trail is an irresponsible team of investigators sent by his Wall Street firm, hellbent on reclaiming the millions before their clients notice it’s missing. Their efforts are complicated by an Australian sailor begrudgingly circumnavigating the globe to fundraise for breast cancer awareness.
In Blown, “Smith works out the mechanics of his heist beautifully . . . [It’s a] madcap crime caper, one with a little temper and a dirty mind” (Kirkus Reviews).
“Blown is his best yet: funny and frisky, with unforgettable characters and a surprising, twisty plot that will keep you up way past your bedtime.”—Edan Lepucki, New York Times-bestselling author of Woman No. 17
“A gripping, hilarious, wild ride of a book. I loved it.”—Lisa Lutz, New York Times-bestselling author of The Swallows
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"I'm a big fan of Mark Haskell Smith's novels and Blown is his best yet: funny and frisky, with unforgettable characters and a surprising, twisty plot that willkeep you up way past your bedtime. Beyond all the fun and the ribald jokes is a wise portrayal of capitalism's dehumanizing effects. A terrific novel." - Edan Lepucki
"If you haven't been reading Mark Haskell Smith, get your sh*t together. Start with Blown, which is a blast. It's a gripping, hilarious, wild ride of a book. I loved it." - Lisa Lutz
"Sexy, funny, and surprising, Blown moves fast and is a lot of fun. Mark Haskell Smith is a writer whose books I am always grateful to have read." - Viet Thanh Nguyen
"Blown is a riotously funny, perfectly observed, and maddeningly engaging roller coaster that tears through a world dominated by greed, cunning, sex, and the extraordinary and ludicrous measures people will go to in order to be happy. Mark Haskell Smith takes you on a wild ride you won't dare get off until the very end." - Ivy Pochoda
"If you haven't been reading Mark Haskell Smith, get your sh*t together. Start with Blown, which is a blast. It's a gripping, hilarious, wild ride of a book. I loved it." - Lisa Lutz
"Sexy, funny, and surprising, Blown moves fast and is a lot of fun. Mark Haskell Smith is a writer whose books I am always grateful to have read." - Viet Thanh Nguyen
"Blown is a riotously funny, perfectly observed, and maddeningly engaging roller coaster that tears through a world dominated by greed, cunning, sex, and the extraordinary and ludicrous measures people will go to in order to be happy. Mark Haskell Smith takes you on a wild ride you won't dare get off until the very end." - Ivy Pochoda
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