Overview

A hard-boiled crime novel set in the jazz world of Harlem between 1936 and 1961, Viper's Dream combines elements of the epic Godfather films and the detective novels of Chester Himes to tell the story of one of the most respected and feared Black gangsters in America. At the centre of Viper's Dream is a turbulent love story. And the climax bears an element of Greek tragedy. For the better part of 20 years, Clyde 'The Viper' Morton has been in love with Yolanda 'Yo-Yo' DeVray, a singer of immense talent but a woman consumed by demons. By turns ambitious and self-destructive, conniving and naive, Yo-Yo is a classic femme fatale. She is a bright star in a constellation of compelling characters including the chauffeur-turned-gangster Peewee Robinson, the Jewish kingpin Abraham 'Mr. O' Orlinsky, the heroin dealer West Indian Charlie, the corrupt cop Red Carney, the wife-beating singer Pretty Paul Baxter, the pimp Buttercup Jones and the brutal enforcer Randall Country Johnson. But Viper's Dream has a fast-paced vibe all its own, a story charged with suspense, intrigue and plot twists and spiced with violence and humour. It is also steeped in music. The Viper's story is intertwined with the history of jazz over a quarter century. 'For too long, Jake Lamar, an American expatriate in Paris, has been one of French Crime Fiction's best kept secrets. But now, at last, thanks to No Exit Press, Viper's Dream, widely considered to be Jake Lamar's masterpiece, is published in English and it does not disappoint. Viper's Dream is one Long High, sweeping us through Harlem from the 1930s to the 1960s on riffs of melancholy poetry cut through with the hardboiled beats of gangsters and their streets, leaving us hooked on a pure, true Jazz Noir Classic' - David Peace 'Prepare yourself for a total immersion into Harlem, from the 1930s to the 1960s, into a universe of music and drug trafficking, of murder and betrayal, interspliced with a most dangerous love story. All the codes of the crime novel come together in a most enjoyable way' - ELLE

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9780857305497

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Reviews

Today, we dream of vipers. Trust me, you won't be disappointed by this trip. Viper's Dream gets our highest recommendation * Antoine de Caunes, host of Popopop, Radio France * Prepare yourself for a total immersion into Harlem, from the 1930s to the 1960s, into a universe of music and drug trafficking, of murder and betrayal, interspliced with a most dangerous love story. All the codes of the crime novel come together in a most enjoyable way * ELLE * What a juicy novel. Jake Lamar has written a sweet and melancholy jazz symphony. We're completely involved with his characters. This is everything you could wish for in a novel * Sunday Journal * Jake Lamar keeps the reader guessing until the final pages, when an excellent double twist that we don't see coming at all, reveals a drama worthy of the greatest Greek tragedies * 20 Minutes *

For too long, Jake Lamar, an American expatriate in Paris, has been one of French Crime Fiction's best kept secrets. But now, at last, thanks to No Exit Press, Viper's Dream, widely considered to be Jake Lamar's masterpiece, is published in English and it does not disappoint. Viper's Dream is one Long High, sweeping us through Harlem from the 1930s to the 1960s on riffs of melancholy poetry cut through with the hardboiled beats of gangsters and their streets, leaving us hooked on a pure, true Jazz Noir Classic * David Peace * Laced with a stiff shot of politics, romance and jazz, Viper's Dream is moody, poetic and immersing -- Deborah Levy Viper's Dream, with its African-American gangster anti-hero, is reminiscent of Ray Celestin's jazz-oriented thrillers and similarly introduces real jazz greats into a fascinating melange * Financial Times * Wonderful writing. From the first lines, you're there. You can almost see sweat flying off the strings of a slapped upright bass. You've been listening to the music, reading the book, for hours now -- and it's still full of surprises -- James Sallis Dark poetics, magical prose and meticulous storytelling-Viper's Dream is way more than a crime novel. It is an intriguing seduction. A revelation * Stephen Mack Jones, author of the August Snow series *

For too long, Jake Lamar, an American expatriate in Paris, has been one of French Crime Fiction's best kept secrets. But now, at last, thanks to No Exit Press, Viper's Dream, widely considered to be Jake Lamar's masterpiece, is published in English and it does not disappoint. Viper's Dream is one Long High, sweeping us through Harlem from the 1930s to the 1960s on riffs of melancholy poetry cut through with the hardboiled beats of gangsters and their streets, leaving us hooked on a pure, true Jazz Noir Classic * David Peace * Prepare yourself for a total immersion into Harlem, from the 1930s to the 1960s, into a universe of music and drug trafficking, of murder and betrayal, interspliced with a most dangerous love story. All the codes of the crime novel come together in a most enjoyable way * ELLE * Today, we dream of vipers. Trust me, you won't be disappointed by this trip. Viper's Dream gets our highest recommendation * Antoine de Caunes, host of Popopop, Radio France * What a juicy novel. Jake Lamar has written a sweet and melancholy jazz symphony. We're completely involved with his characters. This is everything you could wish for in a novel * Sunday Journal * Jake Lamar keeps the reader guessing until the final pages, when an excellent double twist that we don't see coming at all, reveals a drama worthy of the greatest Greek tragedies * 20 Minutes *

Author Information

Jake Lamar was born in 1961 and grew up in the Bronx, New York. After graduating from Harvard University, he spent six years writing for Time magazine. He has lived in Paris since 1993 and teaches creative writing at one of France's top universities, Sciences Po. He is the author of a memoir, seven novels, numerous essays, reviews and short stories, and a play. His most recent work, Viper's Dream, is both a crime novel and an audio drama, set in the jazz world of Harlem between 1936 and 1961. He is a recipient of the Lyndhurst Prize (for his first book, Bourgeois Blues), a prestigious Centre National du Livre grant (for his novel Postrit), France's Grand Prize for best foreign thriller (for his novel The Last Integrationist), and a Beaumarchais fellowship for his play Brothers in Exile. He is currently working on a memoir about his life in Paris.

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