{"product_id":"9781250238146","title":"The Best Bad Things : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Katrina Carrasco\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e**Finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Lambda Award in Bisexual Fiction**\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sexy, fun, serious and unputdownable.\" —Bethanne Patrick, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Brazen, brawny, sexy . . . full of unforgettable characters and insatiable appetites. I was riveted. Painstakingly researched and pulsing with adrenaline, Carrasco’s debut will leave you thirsty for more.” —Lyndsay Faye, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gods of Gotham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA vivid, sexy barn burner of a historical crime novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things \u003c\/i\u003eintroduces readers to the fiery Alma Rosales—detective, smuggler, spy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is 1887, and Alma Rosales is on the hunt for stolen opium. Trained in espionage by the Pinkerton Detective Agency—but dismissed for bad behavior and a penchant for going undercover as a man—Alma now works for Delphine Beaumond, the seductive mastermind of a West Coast smuggling ring.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen product goes missing at their Washington Territory outpost, Alma is tasked with tracking the thief and recovering the drugs. In disguise as the scrappy dockworker Jack Camp, this should be easy—once she muscles her way into the local organization, wins the trust of the magnetic local boss and his boys, discovers the turncoat, and keeps them all from uncovering her secrets. All this, while sending coded dispatches to the circling Pinkerton agents to keep them from closing in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlma’s enjoying her dangerous game of shifting identities and double crosses as she fights for a promotion and an invitation back into Delphine’s bed. But it’s getting harder and harder to keep her cover stories straight and to know whom to trust. One wrong move and she could be unmasked: as a woman, as a traitor, or as a spy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA propulsive, sensual tour de force, \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e introduces Katrina Carrasco, a bold new voice in crime fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinalist for the 2019 Washington State Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Lambda Award Finalist in Bisexual Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated for Best First Private Eye Novel by the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Awards\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTen Favorite Books of 2018, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA.V. Club\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTen Best Crime Books of 2018, \u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFavorite Crime Books of the Year, \u003ci\u003eCrimeReads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBest Crime and Mystery Debuts of 2018, \u003ci\u003eCrimeReads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBest 50 Best LGBT Books of 2018, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAutostraddle \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eLibraryReads \u003c\/i\u003eTop 10 Pick for November 2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eCrimeReads \u003c\/i\u003eMost Anticipated Crime Book of 2018\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"New and Notable\" for November in \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecommended Read at \u003ci\u003eBustle, My Domaine, Publishers Weekly, Women.com, \u003c\/i\u003eand more\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003c\/b\u003eLove crime fiction? Love historical fiction? Have I got a book for you! Meet Alma Rosales, a Mexican American, bisexual, cross-dressing, defrocked Pinkerton detective whose hunt for stolen opium on behalf of her boss and sometimes-lover Delphine Beaumond will keep you on the edge of your seat and maybe even wondering if you’ve lost your mind. Sexy, fun, serious and unputdownable.\" \u003cb\u003e—Bethanne Patrick, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"\u003c\/b\u003eA slippery, sexually charged thrill-ride.\" \u003cb\u003e—Trish Bendix, \u003ci\u003eO, The Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A remarkably ambitious debut . . . [\u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e] crackles like a fast-traveling fire, immersing its reader in a time and place long gone . . . Carrasco is a gifted wordsmith . . . and an imaginative storyteller . . . Her greatest creation is Alma, a fearless adventurer who embraces her own duality: female\/male, Latina\/white (a Mexican American, Alma can change her skin tone depending on how much French-chalk powder she applies), agent\/double agent.\" \u003cb\u003e—Moira Macdonald, \u003ci\u003eThe Seattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I love books that focus on the artifice of gendered behavior, and weave the performance of identity into the larger performance of the spy . . . [A] wildly creative take on the genre.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMolly Odintz, \u003ci\u003eCrime Reads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eT\u003c\/b\u003ehe action scenes (not to mention the sex scenes) are plentiful and crackling with tension.\" \u003cb\u003e—Maris Kreizman, \u003ci\u003eVulture\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A gender- and genre-bending tale  . . . So evocative it ignites all the senses, even as the thunderous pacing leaves you scrambling to pick up on all the clues. The action scenes will fill your nose with the acrid smell of gunpowder, and leave your tongue with the metallic taste of blood. \u003cb\u003e—Danette Chavez, \u003ci\u003eAV\/AUX\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Unusual, explosive, and highly quotable . . . Carrasco has a tight grip on her setting, which seethes with brawlers and cutthroats, and her plotting is crackerjack. . . Carrasco’s rapid-fire prose mirrors Alma’s sparking, barely contained energy. . . For all her sharp edges, she’s impossible not to fall in love with.\"  \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eKristin Centorcelli, \u003ci\u003eCriminal Element\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In Alma Rosales, author Katrina Carrasco has created an unforgettable lead. . . and her ability to maintain control while juggling dual identities and agendas is awe-inspiring. \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things \u003c\/i\u003eis an intricately twisty, immensely enjoyable piece of crime fiction; a debut by a promising novelist worth watching.” \u003cb\u003e—Blu Gilliand, \u003ci\u003eCemetery Dance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This historical mystery takes on gender and sexuality in a way that many novels set in the 19th century do not, and it will give your book club lots of fodder for interesting conversations.\" \u003cb\u003e—Elizabeth Roww and Kelly Gallucci, \u003ci\u003eBookish\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e is a terrific historical crime novel, filled with action, atmosphere, twists, and glorious writing, but it is also a direct challenge to the idea that masculine and feminine identities are fixed opposites.\" \u003cb\u003e—Neil Nyren, \u003ci\u003eBookTrib\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alma is a cross-dressing, bisexual, half-Mexican, badass woman who goes undercover in this historical fiction story set in 1887 Washington state. She lives life on the edge with gusto and nerve. An enjoyable ride for readers who like a fast-paced story and don’t mind graphic content.” \u003cb\u003e—Joseph Jones, \u003ci\u003eLibraryReads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A new favorite in crime fiction.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eWomen.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Carrasco's first novel explores every nook and cranny of what it is to be two-natured. Male and female, cop and criminal, marginalized and sovereign, best and bad . . . Readers looking for sexy, dangerous action unencumbered by apologetics will love this book. Carrasco is an author to watch.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Carrasco succeeds in coupling a feminist historical that maintains period plausibility with an exploratory queer narrative rarely seen in the crime genre. Even readers uninterested in Alma’s identity journey will be impressed by her intelligence and social acumen, and drawn by the constantly shifting politics and well-timed reveals of the plot. Breath-catching pacing, tantalizingly rough-and-tumble characters who are somehow both distasteful and deeply relatable, palpable erotic energy, and powerful storytelling make this a standout.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] richly detailed historical mystery . . . [a] wildly creative take on the genre.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eCrime Reads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An unforgettable debut . . . The complicated plot, subplots, violence and double-crosses all serve to keep readers hooked from start to finish.\" \u003cb\u003e—G. Robert Frazier, \u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The best thing, upon opening \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e, is to ensure you don’t have any plans for the next day or so. Instead, surrender to this book’s glorious race through the rain-soaked, crime-ridden streets of nineteenth-century Port Townsend. Katrina Carrasco’s jaw-dropping debut is powered by Alma Rosales, a runaway steam engine of a woman: fast, ferocious, and barreling heedlessly toward her destination. Carrasco writes with stunning verve and fierce intelligence, and \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e will keep you guessing until its explosive end.” \u003cb\u003e—Carrie Callaghan, author of \u003ci\u003eA Light of Her Own\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A brazen, brawny, sexy standout of a historical thrill ride, \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e is full of unforgettable characters and insatiable appetites. I was riveted. Painstakingly researched and pulsing with adrenaline, Carrasco’s debut will leave you thirsty for more.” \u003cb\u003e—Lyndsay Faye, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gods of Gotham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Gritty street fiction set in the lawless past when Port Townsend was the \u003ci\u003eDeadwood \u003c\/i\u003eof the Pacific Northwest, Katrina Carrasco's \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things \u003c\/i\u003e is a bloody brawl of a book. Carrasco uses a whippy structure and flexible prose to play an unsettling shell game as Alma, dressed as Jack, sheds her impulse control along with her corsets, and the plot accelerates into a visceral, unexpected underworld of bare-knuckle fighting, opium smuggling, and genderqueer lust.\"\u003cb\u003e —Nicola Griffith, author of \u003ci\u003eSo Lucky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“HOLY SHIT! I nearly chipped a tooth on the opening paragraph of this book and choked to death. Katrina Carrasco is a powerful writer, her prose as sharp as a Hattori Hanzo sword from \u003ci\u003eKill Bill\u003c\/i\u003e, with one badass female protagonist, Alma, a detective who is kicking ass and taking names in a world of power-hungry men and women smuggling opium, trying to stay one step ahead of them while balancing her physical attraction to the ringleader. But be warned, you may need a trip to the dentist after reading this amazing debut!” \u003cb\u003e—Frank Bill, author of \u003ci\u003eCrimes in Southern Indiana\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDonnybrook\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Savage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A vibrant and compulsive read; in Alma Rosales, Katrina Carrasco has created a gender-bending heroine who is impossible to forget. \u003ci\u003eThe Best Bad Things\u003c\/i\u003e packs a massive punch and succeeds in queering the crime genre.” \u003cb\u003e—Saleem Haddad, author of \u003ci\u003eGuapa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNominated Shamus Awards - Nominee (2019), Winner Shamus Awards - Winner (2019), Short-listed Lambda Literary Award - Nominee (2019)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781250238146\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Picador","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40698766459086,"sku":"9781250238146","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_ed3ae219-9bd1-4faa-86f5-d20810ca4b37.jpg?v=1640494671","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781250238146","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}