Box Nine

A stunningly original nightmare novel about the impact of a new synthetic drug - LINGO - on the depressed New England factory town of Quinsigamond, where it was secretly developed. Besides offering a potent high, LINGO also delivers a shot to the brain cells governing linguistic comprehension and verbal skill. Until murderous rages and babbling insanity take over, this mindexpanding feature makes the drug dangerously seductive to the unusually literate cops, scientists and dope dealers competing to find its distribution source. Written in the cranked up style of LINGO, Box Nine by Jack O'Connell shows a noir vision of a city that has become a virtual war zone between warring multi-ethnic drug cartels. The narrative shifts from one head case to another but never loses sight of Det Leonore Thomas, an undercover officer addicted to speed, rough sex, heavy metal and the feel of her .357 Magnum. A dark, disturbing book that speaks with a fine fury about the yearning for forbidden knowledge and the language to articulate the mysteries it unlocks.