I killed Joe once, in a manner of speaking. But not twice. Not in the way you mean.'
Twenty-four year-old Welshman Llew Jones is in jail. All he wanted was to see America and write about it. Then he met the extraordinary Butterfly Joe and his freakish family and got caught up in an adventure that got way, way out of control. Now his friend's gone and Llew has to give his side of the story . . .
Part neo-gothic thriller, part existential road trip, part morality tale, The Killing of Butterfly Joe by Rhidian Brook is a thrilling, funny and epic story of experience, desire, friendship and family. It's about leaving the life of introspection behind to participate in the Great American Dream: the one that takes you from 'rags to riches via pitches'. It's about the end of innocence and the dawn of consequence; the forces of revenge pitted against the powers of forgiveness; and, ultimately, the search for freedom and self-definition.
'I killed Joe once, in a manner of speaking. But not twice. Not in the way you mean.'
Llew Jones wanted to see the States and write about the experience. Then he got caught up in an adventure that got way, way out of control. Now Llew is in jail, Joe is gone, and he has to give his side of the story if he's ever going to get free . . .
It started when he met the charismatic butterfly salesman Joe Bosco and his freakish family. Joe convinced Llew to join him on the road-trip of a lifetime and soon they were hurtling across 1980s America, trying to strike a million-dollar deal for the rarest butterflies of all. But Joe's prone to exaggeration, impossible to pin down, and has little respect for the law. So it doesn't take long for this road to lead to trouble.
The Killing of Butterfly Joe is a dazzling and propulsive book from the bestselling author of The Aftermath. Full of characters you'll never forget, this is a wildly original story about friendship, desire, and participating in the Great American Dream - 'the one that leads from rags to riches via pitches' - whatever the consequences.
