Fairly disposable hard-boiled crime fiction with more than a passing nod to Hammett and Chandler. Or even Elmore Leonard without the sense of humour. The set up is simple: unlucky gambler Jimmy Luntz shakes off his debt collector's enforcer through a single act of violence. And this sets off a train of events that bring him into contact with a femme fatale who has been framed for embezzlement and has a plan to steal 2 million dollars. All the while, trying to keep one step ahead of the psychopathic Juarez – the guy he owes money to. The formula Johnson is working to is an old and obvious one, though fairly neatly done for that.Throw a few other low-life characters into the mix, add women as both the source of men's troubles and the means to soothe them, go strong on the flat, aggressive macho dialogue, build a rising crescendo of violence and the whole thing unfolds with a grim inevitability. Just, who doesn't love Denis Johnson? It's like he decided to be Raymond Chandler for a little while, without losing his own essential bitterness. It's pulpy and ridiculous - it was serialized in Playboy - but it's like Quentin Tarentino writes a book. Nobody Move is short and mean, seemingly written for the sheer fun of it. It's not Tree of Smoke, and it's not Jesus' Son. It's a great author playing with style and having an awesome time.
