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TWELVE-STEP FANDANGO tells the story of a drug-addicted paranoid by the name of Martin Brock who goes to hell and beyond right before our eyes. He lives in a forlorn off the beaten track community in Spain with a bunch of other misfits and addicts. Although he inhabits a deserted castle with his girlfriend, Luisa, this is no romantic and sentimental setting. The King of the Castle is cocaine, and no one is going to bump him off his throne, least of all Martin, who chooses coke over everything else in his life. He and Luisa have long ago settled in a relationship of convenience. He's a low level drug dealer, and he keeps her supplied. One day, a guy Martin associated with in the past by the name of Yvan shows up at his doorstep. Yvan's in pretty bad shape, with a leg that is festering from gangrene. When he goes off to the big Dope House in the Sky, he leaves his only earthly possessions to Martin, a motorcycle. Martin is pleased with the bike, but the answer to all his druggy prayers are answered when he finds five kilograms of cocaine hidden under the seat. Martin's dreams are about to come true, or so he thinks. In truth, the snowy white gift leads to nightmares. Yvan ripped some people off, and they are hot in pursuit of the cocaine. Martin hides the dope, and what ensues is a chase of epic proportions, with an unhealthy dollop of betrayal, torture and murder. Chris Haslam has written an impressive novel. TWELVE-STEP FANDANGO is a hard book to like. It is populated with extremely unlikable characters, and there is almost nothing that happens in the book that gives a hope for any kind of bright future for anyone in its pages. There's one character who has some dignity; everyone else is an addict, murderer, traitor or degenerate. There is one amusing quirk that Martin has, which is to correct the other characters' English, even when they are about to kill him. Despite its dark themes, I found the book exceptionally well done. Haslam has written some of the most eloquent and unique prose that I've ever seen, and he's overlaid this anarchic book with a tart sense of humor. My copy of the book is laden with page points marking memorable passages. I liked the book a lot, but realize that the mainstream reading public will find its lack of hope too much to handle. It's a brutal but beautiful book. TWELVE-STEP FANDANGO is part of the new Dark Alleys imprint of Harper Collins. If this work is representative of their catalog, I am going to be one very happy reader.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, August 2004
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