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Piggyback
When two young girls disappear with a trunk-load of pot, unaware that their payload has been packed with an extra five kilos of cocaine, a lovable loser persuades a sociopathic killer to pursue them across Northern California in a violent, twisted goose-chase that ends in a horrific place none of them could have forseen.
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2012
14 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Tom Pitts
25Ìýbooks74ÌýfollowersTom Pitts received his education on the streets of San Francisco. He remains there, working, writing, and trying to survive. He is the author of AMERICAN STATIC, HUSTLE, 101, COLDWATER and the novellas PIGGYBACK and KNUCKLEBALL.
Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com
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Find links to more of his work at: TomPittsAuthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 26, 2012
Piggyback employs the best of pulp cinema, and is steeped in the rich tradition of such hardboiled heavyweights as Leonard and Ellroy. The pace is fast, the morals lacking, and the results devastating, unforgiving, and a book that is impossible to put down. The landscape of Northern California and its pot trade is explored with an insider's POV, and though these characters are, in many ways deplorable, Pitts finds a way to make us care about what happens to them. No one is innocent here, but everyone is sympathetic. And more importantly, compelling. Hanging out with a sociopath, screw-up, and a couple dopey girls has never been so much fun. Pick this up; you won't be disappointed.
July 22, 2014
Well, that was another quick one. Two sittings. I'd call PIGGYBACK a hardboiled mystery. The protagonists are rough and straightforward, but they're just a vector for the storyline: two of Paul's mules took the wind with a trunk full of pot spiked with a piggyback of cocaine. It's a big investment. Too big of an investment to disappear, if Paul wants to live to see tomorrow. So his enforcer buddy Jimmy and him go out hunting for missing payload and the dumb fuckers who thought they could get away with stealing it.
Reconstructing what happened to the payload and its meaning in the lives of Jimmy and Paul is the principal attraction of PIGGYBACK. It's a fun, lean, fast-moving story that's over before you can take a breath. I think it could've been leaner, meaner and faster, given the archetypal characters as it goes through a lot of details every novel goes through in order to do exposition. The result is that PIGGYBACK lack a little bit of a sense of identity. It's something that's bound to happen when so much is happening is such few pages.
I'd recommend PIGGYBACK for its successful spin on a classic, the disappearing payload, as it illustrate the powerful pull of its gravity in our world and how worlds can collide, crash and burn around the object of one's greed. PIGGYBACK doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it runs pretty damn fast.
Reconstructing what happened to the payload and its meaning in the lives of Jimmy and Paul is the principal attraction of PIGGYBACK. It's a fun, lean, fast-moving story that's over before you can take a breath. I think it could've been leaner, meaner and faster, given the archetypal characters as it goes through a lot of details every novel goes through in order to do exposition. The result is that PIGGYBACK lack a little bit of a sense of identity. It's something that's bound to happen when so much is happening is such few pages.
I'd recommend PIGGYBACK for its successful spin on a classic, the disappearing payload, as it illustrate the powerful pull of its gravity in our world and how worlds can collide, crash and burn around the object of one's greed. PIGGYBACK doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it runs pretty damn fast.
April 7, 2013
Becky and Shelley are two young women who like to party and think they've ripped off a car trunk load of free drugs.
ln fact all they've really done is bring down a shit load of chaos unpon themselves.
Tristen and Jerrod are their hapless boyfriends who get swept up in the chaos.
Jimmy is a sociopathic criminal enforcer who agrees to go and look for the drugs at the request of Paul, the loser who has misplaced them. Paul is an idiot. Jimmy is smart. he can see a good opportunity for profit when it presents itself.
Mix in an assortment of other criminal types and the result is a wonderful read that you'll finish quickly and be left wanting more.
This is not art, it's pulp, pure and simple with lashings of violence and no morals. If that's your bag, buy Piggyback now. If not, there's a 99 cent version of Wuthering Heights available for your Kindle that you might want to check out.
ln fact all they've really done is bring down a shit load of chaos unpon themselves.
Tristen and Jerrod are their hapless boyfriends who get swept up in the chaos.
Jimmy is a sociopathic criminal enforcer who agrees to go and look for the drugs at the request of Paul, the loser who has misplaced them. Paul is an idiot. Jimmy is smart. he can see a good opportunity for profit when it presents itself.
Mix in an assortment of other criminal types and the result is a wonderful read that you'll finish quickly and be left wanting more.
This is not art, it's pulp, pure and simple with lashings of violence and no morals. If that's your bag, buy Piggyback now. If not, there's a 99 cent version of Wuthering Heights available for your Kindle that you might want to check out.
March 6, 2013
I was tempted at first to say something to the effect that Tom Pitt’s novel PIGGYBACK was “the best of noir,� but that would have been almost akin to damning it with faint praise. Like Nabokov, I don’t believe in genres. Like him, I think the only genres are “good writing� and “bad writing.� Well, PIGGYBACK belongs in that first group and I’d go beyond “good� to declare it “superlative� writing. I’m ranking it among my personal list of one of the best books I’ve read, period.
There are a lot of writers penning novels that are crime-based and centered around criminals. While many of them are entertaining and I enjoy reading them, this novel goes beyond mere entertainment and is a book that contains that rare verisimilitude that only those who’ve walked the walk can achieve. As a criminal of many years myself, I recognize those few writers who’ve actually lived on the dark side and Mr. Pitts is indeed, just such a writer and you can tell.
I’ve known his characters intimately. Up close and personal. And, I am positive that he does as well. It shows in the way he treats his characters and the choices he has them make. You can’t fake veracity, although there are lots who try. They can fool the straights but they can’t fool the ex-con. Jimmy is my ex-cellmate. He’s my old rappy. He thinks and he acts exactly like the way criminals act. His rappie Paul is a guy I’ve known many times in my own life as well. These characters—all of them—are as true as any characters ever have been. They’re real, man, and they’re not Hollywood in any sense.
PIGGYBACK will show you the true nature of the criminal. And, in doing so, it transcends genres. This is literature and of the highest order.
October 2, 2013
Wow! Jimmy moved weed for a living. On top of that, he would move cocaine and heroin. That was known as the Piggyback. He was very professional and good at his job. He was sharp and in control. But, when a knock broke the silence one morning, he opened the door to all a whole mess of worms.
Tom Pitts wrote a fast paced, witty novel about drugs, violence, and friendship. It was so good that I did not want it to end. When I hit the last page, I thumbed back to see if it was really over and done. Every character was painted clearly and every gunshot was felt when it hit. I cannot express how much I loved this book and this writer. All I can say is I cannot wait for Tom Pitts to write another novel. If you love Don Winslow or Robert Crais, then I think you will love Tom Pitts.
Tom Pitts wrote a fast paced, witty novel about drugs, violence, and friendship. It was so good that I did not want it to end. When I hit the last page, I thumbed back to see if it was really over and done. Every character was painted clearly and every gunshot was felt when it hit. I cannot express how much I loved this book and this writer. All I can say is I cannot wait for Tom Pitts to write another novel. If you love Don Winslow or Robert Crais, then I think you will love Tom Pitts.
February 11, 2013
Piggyback is a short, sharp blast of a read; a noir novella with snappy dialogue, a relentless pace, cinematic visuals, and strongly etched characters. The whole story has the feel of a movie narrative; indeed it would make a good film given its Tarrantinoesque qualities. Jimmy and Paul make for an interesting double act: strong and thoughtful paired with weak, skittish and easily distracted; and the small cast of other characters are well penned. The plotting is tight with a strong story arc, fashioned through a series of minor twists of fate leading to a very noir ending. I was gripped from the first page and tore through it in one entertaining sitting.
February 19, 2013
Paul is a total screw-up. He's lost five kilos of coke hidden in a bag with a lot of marijuana, otherwise known as a piggyback. Paul has screwed up so bad he has enlisted the help of a guy named Jimmy. A professional who helps fix the type of severe screw-ups that Paul has now made. Being a professional Jimmy knows what he's doing. Right?
After kidnapping two guys who know where the drugs are Paul and Jimmy set out on a road trip from hell to get back the piggyback, and it involves all manner of rednecks, pothead teens and rich, drunk moms.
Tom Pitts has a great writing style, gritty and cinematic. He writes purely hardboiled noir with distinctive characters and plenty of graphic violence.The story is fast-paced and full of realistic dialogue. Piggyback is a quick read and another round that hits between the eyes from the people at Snubnose.
After kidnapping two guys who know where the drugs are Paul and Jimmy set out on a road trip from hell to get back the piggyback, and it involves all manner of rednecks, pothead teens and rich, drunk moms.
Tom Pitts has a great writing style, gritty and cinematic. He writes purely hardboiled noir with distinctive characters and plenty of graphic violence.The story is fast-paced and full of realistic dialogue. Piggyback is a quick read and another round that hits between the eyes from the people at Snubnose.
November 5, 2013
I was happy to pick up a signed copy of PIGGYBACK as it had been on my to-read list since it came out last year. PIGGYBACK is the tale of a loser who turns to the wrong guy for help. From the onset, you know this won’t turn out well. The book is a blast � the kind of compact, wild novella that you can burn through in one sitting. It’s dark � there are no saints here � but the characters are real, their actions believable, and a great sense of black humor carries the day.
June 15, 2013
"Piggyback" is a slam-bang story that lives up to the credo of its publisher, Snubnose Press -- it's compact and has stopping power. Pitts did a really good job of keeping up his initial burst of momentum. I had a lot of fun reading. Something of his I liked even better was his entry in the "All Due Respect" anthology.
December 9, 2012
Total Madness! I loved it. Short and sweet! Only .99 cents on Amazon right now. Pick it up and read it!
December 30, 2012
A great fast read. Ain't no heroes in this drug saga. Recommended to Elmore Leonard and ken bruen fans.
March 27, 2013
Piggyback by is a nasty, dark, sensational piece of #noir writing. This is one bad ass novella. Crackling good. #mustread.
March 19, 2018
This is one of those books I missed when it came back. I circled back around when it was recently re-released by Down & Out Books. And man oh man, this is perfect. All the characters are doomed from the start, and you can't help but root against them because they are awful people. Fast, sharp, and highly recommended.
September 13, 2021
A real gritty crime novella here by Tom Pitts. Great story.
April 16, 2014
I'm a little bit in awe of Piggyback. The ease with which Tom Pitts moves this story into motion, shifts into high gear and then manages the plot is impressive. We go from a standard character introduction in the opening pages right into the story before we even realize we're off for the ride. And what a ride! Jimmy's buddy Paul is missing a shipment of weed. Even worse, Paul is missing a shipment of cocaine that's riding "piggyback" inside that shipment! Jimmy is a can-do kind of guy. Jimmy's pretty sure he can find Paul's missing goods. Off they go on what begins as a basic, but extremely well-told story of strong-arming and shaking-down.
There's plenty of violence, suspense, even humor, but what really sets Piggyback apart is the way in which Tom Pitts diverts everything away from what you're expecting without you even noticing. You think you see it coming, but you don't. It doesn't go that way, but a different way. The conclusion of Piggyback is both satisfying, yet inconclusive. It's shot full of noirish ambiguity and absurdity. Plot threads are left unresolved. New plot threads are revealed. No explanations given.
And the amazing thing is that Pitt pulls it off! You finish the last page with a complete, satisfied sense that the story has concluded, despite the fact that the conclusion has created as many questions as it's answered.
Piggyback is a stunner.
There's plenty of violence, suspense, even humor, but what really sets Piggyback apart is the way in which Tom Pitts diverts everything away from what you're expecting without you even noticing. You think you see it coming, but you don't. It doesn't go that way, but a different way. The conclusion of Piggyback is both satisfying, yet inconclusive. It's shot full of noirish ambiguity and absurdity. Plot threads are left unresolved. New plot threads are revealed. No explanations given.
And the amazing thing is that Pitt pulls it off! You finish the last page with a complete, satisfied sense that the story has concluded, despite the fact that the conclusion has created as many questions as it's answered.
Piggyback is a stunner.
February 13, 2017
This kept me interested. I think the author could have gone into more detail with the characters and made them real people
I thought i was going to get a real explanation as to why the girls had did what they did
I thought i was going to get a real explanation as to why the girls had did what they did
November 20, 2013
If you're a drug mule but decide to keep your latest haul you better have a damn good getaway plan or you are one dumb shit. Two teenage stoner girls decide to keep the weed for themselves but they did not realize that there was a piggyback of coke included and now the higher ups are pissed and heads are going to roll. Caught in the middle are Jimmy and Paul who try to track down the lost shipment before the Mexican dope dealer kills them all. Piggyback is a fast-paced thrill ride with great dialogue and good action scenes. Too bad it was so short as I would have loved to read more about Jimmy and his nefarious ways. When I first finished this book last night I kept wondering why Jimmy would get himself involved in the first place. He should have told Paul to go to hell when Paul knocked on his door. But thinking about it overnight it now makes better sense to me why Jimmy did it. Great book. Recommended.
December 20, 2013
PIGGYBACK is a breathlessly told tale about bad decisions -- really, really bad decisions -- and the consequences that follow. Pitts' straightforward, no-frills style harkens to the good old days of pulp fiction: outlaws, guns,contraband and, of course, a brassy, boozy dame.
Paul has a simple job -- ensure a delivery of a load of weed and, secretly, coke (the "piggyback" of the title). But when he screws that up, he panics and calls Jimmy, his friend and a real pro in this line of work. Against his better judgement, Jimmy decides to help Paul out, even with the risk of running afoul of the Mexican drug lord whose shipment Paul lost. Jimmy's decision sets off a manic, violent chain of events that can only end one way: messily.
Fans of hard-boiled and noir fiction will love this short, engrossing read. Like his protagonist Jimmy, Pitts' words are like a pistol butt to the side of the head.
Paul has a simple job -- ensure a delivery of a load of weed and, secretly, coke (the "piggyback" of the title). But when he screws that up, he panics and calls Jimmy, his friend and a real pro in this line of work. Against his better judgement, Jimmy decides to help Paul out, even with the risk of running afoul of the Mexican drug lord whose shipment Paul lost. Jimmy's decision sets off a manic, violent chain of events that can only end one way: messily.
Fans of hard-boiled and noir fiction will love this short, engrossing read. Like his protagonist Jimmy, Pitts' words are like a pistol butt to the side of the head.
November 4, 2013
I knocked PIGGYBACK out in 2 sittings. You can get the gist of the book from other reviewers, but know that Pitts stands out among his peers. I struggle with this novella being so short though. It was either the perfect length or it could have gone into a full fledged novel.
A flurry of drugs, murder, and sociopaths are tightly knit into the perfect afternoon read. When things blow up, Pitts throws a curve ball that I did not see coming. For that, I am thankful. Crime novels are often predictable but Pitts kept me on my toes.
A flurry of drugs, murder, and sociopaths are tightly knit into the perfect afternoon read. When things blow up, Pitts throws a curve ball that I did not see coming. For that, I am thankful. Crime novels are often predictable but Pitts kept me on my toes.
September 2, 2015
Quick read, compelling story. Memorable mainstream losers and cohorts co-opt a shipment of stuff from some guy, you know, and the guy panics and gets someone else involved, a tougher guy, you see, and during ensuing recovery process, well, much mayhem erupts. I like all of Tom's books, but this one may just be my fave. 5 Stars.
February 24, 2013
So much drama packed in 112 pages! Such a quick read!
May 12, 2013
Fast and brutal story with no good-guys at all. Great old-school style noir.
August 8, 2014
A quick, fun read! Drug deal gone bad, tough guy tries to fix it! Super short, but tightly written! I wanted more!
January 17, 2015
Short, well-constructed, brutal story,
Read
February 13, 2013Terrible, cliche, and boring as hell.
April 3, 2017
I recently decided to reread a few books that I have previously enjoyed and see how they held up to the passage of time. While there have been a few selections that didn’t hold my attention the second time around, Piggyback by Tom Pitts not only held up for a second reading, it probable grabbed me even more.
When Paul trusts a couple of local girls to make a large delivery of pot for him, he decides to put a little piggyback on the delivery, a shipment of cocaine. This decision comes back to haunt him when the girls disappear from the grid and leave Paul in debt to a dangerous drug dealer. With nowhere else to turn, Paul seeks out Jimmy, a man who can get things done using words or violence. Jimmy and Paul set out on a quest to find the missing goods in order to keep Paul alive. But when the drug dealer decides that Jimmy is on the hook for the missing drugs as well, a mission that started to help a friend, becomes a journey to save his own life.
Pitts starts this noirish tale with the pedal to the metal and never lets off the gas. The story ratchets up the tension when Jimmy and Paul locate the boyfriends of the missing girls and leverages their lives for clues to the missing shipment. As the story jumps from narratives, the reader is always looking for a small fix of the narrative they are leaving.
I really loved the fact there is not one likable character in the whole mix. At first I thought Jimmy seemed to be a quality guy who was just helping a friend, but as the tale progresses, you see glimpses of Jimmy that prove he is a heartless swine who fits into your classic noir character outline. He isn’t on this quest in the name of friendship; it’s almost as if he is in this quest for the thrill of the action and is willing to hurt everyone and anyone who gets in his way.
Pitts has a great knack for locating the people within the underbelly of society and giving them a voice. The characters become alive with motivations, dialogue, and an energy you can feel. Many people may prefer to look away from the types of people who live within the world Pitts creates, but Pitts will make his reader take notice of them.
This book is a great read and I am really looking forward to Pitts� upcoming release, Static. As you join me in awaiting his new release, it would be wise to stock up on some of his older releases to satisfy the jones for more Pitts.
Highly Recommended.
When Paul trusts a couple of local girls to make a large delivery of pot for him, he decides to put a little piggyback on the delivery, a shipment of cocaine. This decision comes back to haunt him when the girls disappear from the grid and leave Paul in debt to a dangerous drug dealer. With nowhere else to turn, Paul seeks out Jimmy, a man who can get things done using words or violence. Jimmy and Paul set out on a quest to find the missing goods in order to keep Paul alive. But when the drug dealer decides that Jimmy is on the hook for the missing drugs as well, a mission that started to help a friend, becomes a journey to save his own life.
Pitts starts this noirish tale with the pedal to the metal and never lets off the gas. The story ratchets up the tension when Jimmy and Paul locate the boyfriends of the missing girls and leverages their lives for clues to the missing shipment. As the story jumps from narratives, the reader is always looking for a small fix of the narrative they are leaving.
I really loved the fact there is not one likable character in the whole mix. At first I thought Jimmy seemed to be a quality guy who was just helping a friend, but as the tale progresses, you see glimpses of Jimmy that prove he is a heartless swine who fits into your classic noir character outline. He isn’t on this quest in the name of friendship; it’s almost as if he is in this quest for the thrill of the action and is willing to hurt everyone and anyone who gets in his way.
Pitts has a great knack for locating the people within the underbelly of society and giving them a voice. The characters become alive with motivations, dialogue, and an energy you can feel. Many people may prefer to look away from the types of people who live within the world Pitts creates, but Pitts will make his reader take notice of them.
This book is a great read and I am really looking forward to Pitts� upcoming release, Static. As you join me in awaiting his new release, it would be wise to stock up on some of his older releases to satisfy the jones for more Pitts.
Highly Recommended.
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