Rain Steam and Speed

Allissa Oldenberg

Summary

Owen Linton-House grows up living his parents' hopes and dreams, but when he is expelled from school, he leaves home in shame, the day before his eighteenth birthday.
Living in a squat in Battersea, he rescues an Afghan Hound, becomes addicted to heroin, and ends up smuggling drugs out of Amsterdam for a Russian cartel.
When MI6 make him an offer he cannot refuse, Owen starts to live out a real-life spy thriller, caught up in an international drugs network, living and working in Canada and Afghanistan, trying to find the source of the drugs, how they are brought into the country, and who is responsible.
Throughout his adventure, Owen is searching for love, for his own identity, and for a measure of redemption, vowing to return home when he is thirty. It is his sister, Helen, who writes his story.
Owen's adventure is framed by rain, snow and scorching heat. He is introduced to Mayakovsky's 'The Bathhouse,' to steam baths, and to steamy relationships. He is drawn into the shady world of drugs, of cannabis, heroin, ecstasy, and amphetamines.
In spite of his mistakes, it is hard not to feel compassion for Owen, and "Rain, Steam and Speed" prompts the reader to ponder if we can ever really break free from our pasts, our parents' expectations, the consequences of our poor choices, and our addictions.

Available since: 09/26/2024.

Print length: 760 pages.

Other books that might interest you

What Are the Odds

David List

The debut novel from screenwriter and producer David List, What Are the Odds is an entertaining, binge-worthy, and addictive crime thriller.
Ray Dawson, a former NYPD detective unfairly forced into early retirement, never thought he would get another chance to be with his second wife and love of his life, Stephanie. So when she opens the door to the possibility, he spends his savings on an extravagant romantic getaway at a resort in Costa Rica. But Ray is still as much a cop as he is a man, and when, in the hotel elevator, he has a chance encounter with Wilbur Bailey—a wily, neurotic, and environmentally conscious fugitive with a $5 million bounty on his head—things get complicated.
IRS Special Agent Phil Dancourt is determined to bust Mika Salko, the corrupt CEO of Houston-based Amco Oil, and believes Wilbur Bailey, an Amco analyst with a conscience, is the one guy on the inside who could help bring Salko down. But in a bizarre twist, Bailey embezzles millions and disappears, putting Phil’s job on the line. Now, after Wilbur is sighted in Costa Rica, Phil is sent to retrieve him. But from the moment he steps off the plane and crosses paths with Ray and Wilbur, nothing goes as planned.
The encounter propels the three men into a harrowing, death-defying, life-changing, and often hilarious journey, attracting unwanted attention from a heroin-addicted dishwasher, a powerful, corrupt CEO, bloodthirsty gangs and drug cartels, and pandering government watchdogs. Along the way, they come face-to-face, in unexpected ways, with life’s larger questions: friendship, love, loss, faith, and the commitment to values larger than oneself. What results is a trio of unlikely friends, and Ray can only hope that once it’s all over, Stephanie will still be there.

Show book

A Calculated Whisk

Victoria Hamilton

In the new Vintage Kitchen Mystery from the author of Cast Iron Alibi, Jaymie Leighton is confronted with two murders and the threat of danger far too close to home . . . 
 
 
 
When a woman living under a cloud of suspicion for her husband's death comes to vintage kitchen collector Jaymie Leighton with a mysterious request, she's not sure whether, or how much, to get involved. The police believe they have new evidence of foul play in what was initially ruled an accidental death, and the woman's terrified they'll try to pin the crime on her. Before Jaymie can decide whether to help her, though, the woman's found murdered in the woods near Jaymie's cabin. 
 
 
 
Still unsure whether the woman was truly innocent in her husband's death, Jaymie decides to get to the bottom of both murders. But as she digs deeper into the couple's past and discovers a tangled array of long-buried wounds and family secrets, Jaymie begins to sense that danger is still lurking in the woods near her home. With a killer on the loose and her family in danger, Jaymie must uncover the culprit before she loses all she holds dear, including her own life . . .

Show book

Third Chances

Dan Petrosini

He beat the odds. Now he has to beat a killer. 
Detective Frank Luca is back on the force, but the battle with cancer left scars that haven't fully healed. The surgery is over and the chemo is done, but a persistent mental fog threatens the one thing he relies on: his instincts. 
A brilliant serial killer is terrorizing the city, leaving behind a trail of confusing clues and rising bodies. Frank knows something isn't right, but with a new Sheriff waiting for him to fail and "chemo-brain" clouding his logic, he's starting to doubt his own mind. 
His partner, Mary Ann, is a master profiler facing her own crisis. The evidence is pointing in circles, and she's forced to wonder if she's protecting Frank or losing the lead. 
With his career on the line and a predator toying with his senses, Frank must cut through the haze to stop a killer who knows exactly where to strike. 
**You can enter the Luca Mystery Series with any book.

Show book

The Red-Headed League - Sherlock...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Jabez Wilson, a pawnbroker, consults Holmes about a job, gained only because of his red hair, which took him away from his shop for long periods each day; the job for to simply copy the Encyclopædia Britannica. After eight weeks, he was suddenly informed that the job ended. After some investigation at Wilson's shop, Holmes contacts a police inspector and the manager of a nearby bank. With Watson, they hide in the bank vault and catch two thieves who had dug a tunnel from the shop while Wilson was at the decoy copying job.

Show book

The Thumb Mark of St Peter - A...

Agatha Christie

When her niece’s fiancé dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, Miss Marple is drawn into one of her most personal cases. Rumors of madness, poison, and even strangulation swirl around the quiet English town. The local police dismiss it as heart failure, but Miss Marple knows better. 
With only her sharp instincts, a few seemingly minor clues, and a lifetime of observing human nature, she pieces together the truth behind the man's death. What she discovers is more chilling—and more calculated—than anyone suspected. 
This short story showcases Miss Marple at her most intuitive and relentless. 
Perfect for fans of classic detective fiction, small-town mysteries, and clever female sleuths.

Show book

Ever Silent (A Cassidy Wilde FBI...

Rylie Dark

This recording has been digitally produced by Rylie Dark, using a synthesized version of an audiobook narrator’s voice under license. “A brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down and I never guessed who the murderer was!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recovering gambling addict-turned FBI Agent Cassidy Wilde is summoned when a killer leaves a mysterious, single playing card at the scene. Finding herself trapped in the center of a diabolical case that summons her worst memories, Cassidy must keep it together to save the next victim in what is another hand in a deadlier game….

A new killer is crashing weddings across the Southeast, ensuring that brides and grooms never make it to their honeymoons, leaving a King of Hearts as their final gift. FBI Agent Cassidy Wilde races to catch a murderer who believes some vows are meant to be broken—with blood.

EVER SILENT is book #4 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings. The series begins with EVER GONE (BOOK #1).

The CASSIDY WILDE series deals out mystery and suspense with every turn of the page. Its compelling protagonist, a gifted investigator fighting her own demons, anchors stories that will grip you from the first card to the final reveal. Fans of Teresa Driscoll, Kendra Elliot, and Melinda Leigh are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are also available!

“I loved this thriller, read it in one sitting. Lots of twists and turns and I didn’t guess the
culprit at all… Already pre-ordered the second!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book takes off with a bang… An excellent read, and I'm looking forward to the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Fantastic book! It was hard to put down. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The twists and turns kept coming. Can't wait to read the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A must-read if you enjoy action-packed stories with good plots!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I really like this author and this series starts with a bang. It will keep you turning the pages till the end of the book and wanting more.”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I can't say enough about this author! How about ‘out of this world’! This author is going to go far!”
—Reader review for ONLY MURDER
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I really enjoyed this book… The characters were alive, and the twists and turns were great. It will keep you reading till the end and leave you wanting more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is an author that I highly recommend. Her books will have you begging for more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Show book