Ten years after winning the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, my debut book is on the road again.
Del’s a small-time crook with a moral conscience—robbing convenience stores for tuition and academic expenses. Brash and sassy Louise goes from being a holdup victim to Del’s lover and accomplice. Hitching their meager fortunes together, they set out in search of a fresh start, an honest life, and a chance to build a family. Fueled by road-trip energy and rom-com vibes, their journey takes them cross-country—with pit stops into every brand of suspense: a real-estate scam in Southern California, a screwball heist in Napa Valley, a hold-up in a Vegas wedding chapel, and a wintry detour into North Dakota noir before a sharp turn toward Louise’s home state of North Carolina. But is home where the heart is—or just another brand of heartache threatening their happily-ever-after?
ADVANCE PRAISE
“Art Taylor writes the kind of short fiction that lingers with readers long after they’ve finished the book, and On the Road with Del and Louise is no exception. The perfect mixture of gripping suspense, compelling characterization, and more twists and turns than a mountain road, Taylor’s novel-in-stories featuring a duo of quasi-criminals is as successful in taking readers on a scenic trip across the United States as it is in taking them on a trip through many different subgenres of crime fiction. Filled with adventure and heart, On the Road with Del and Louise is a thrilling road trip readers will enjoy to the very last mile.” — Ashley-Ruth Bernier, author of The Bush Tea Murder
“Art Taylor uses his mastery of the short story to create On the Road with Del & Louise, a novel-in-stories. Though each story stands alone, when read together the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts in this compelling must-read novel.” — Michael Bracken, Edgar and Shamus Award-nominated author
“Warm yet unsentimental, down-to-earth and pragmatic without being cynical—Art Taylor’s characters, like his voice, are a breath of fresh air. Don't miss the chance to go on the road with Del and Louise.” — Donna Andrews, Agatha Award-Winning Author of the Meg Langslow Mysteries