The Devil Went Down to Austin - Hardcover

Riordan, Rick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553110977 ISBN 13: 9780553110975

Publisher: Bantam, 2001

Synopsis

Rick Riordan, triple-crown winner of the Edgar, Anthony, and Shamus Awards, has already emblazoned his name on the map of crime fiction with his Tres Navarre novels -- a fast, funny, totally hip series that blends masterful writing with richly drawn characters and nonstop action.

Now Riordan brings his P.I. Tres Navarre to the heart of Texas -- Austin -- with a fiercely original thriller that explores family ties as deep and twisted as the waterways of Lake Travis.

Tres Navarre, private eye and sometimes English professor, is hoping for a laid-back working vacation when he accepts a teaching gig at the University of Texas at Austin, even if it means shacking up for six weeks with his big brother Garrett, who calls Austin home.

Garrett Navarre -- computer programmer extraordinaire, Jimmy Buffett fanatic, and all-around eccentric -- is hoping to retire a multimillionaire thanks to a high-tech start-up company he and two buddies have launched. Garrett has bet everything from his career to the Navarre family ranch that the company will stay alive long enough to make a public stock offering, allowing him to ride the Austin high-tech boom right into the saddle of luxury.

Both Tres's and Garrett's hopes are shattered with a single gunshot. Garrett's oldest friend and business partner ends up murdered at his lakefront home -- and Garrett is the only suspect.

As Tres delves into Garrett's bizarre world to find the truth behind the murder, he comes face-to-face with the damaged relationships, violent lives, and billion-dollar schemes of a brave new high-tech world.

Among the players: a corporate takeover artist with a trail of broken enemies in his wake and an overzealous desire to make Garrett's company his own; the victim's wife, a hard-edged beauty haunted by three generations of family failure; and the head of an oil-rich clan with more power than morals and enough skeletons in the closet to man a ghost ship. Connecting them all -- the beautiful waters of Lake Travis and an unspeakable evil that lies within its depths.

A suspense novel of depth and sizzling emotional power, The Devil Went Down to Austin is Rick Riordan's most entertaining work to date.

About this title

About the Author

Rick Riordan is the author of three previous Tres Navarre novels -- Big Red Tequila, winner of the Shamus and Anthony Awards; The Widower's Two-Step, winner of the Edgar Award; and The Last King of Texas. A middle-school English teacher by day, Riordan lives with his wife and family in San Antonio, Texas.

From the Back Cover

"Powerful writing about a palpable evil distinguishes Edgar, Anthony and Shamus award-winner Riordan's fourth Tres Navarre novel. ... An extremely skillful writer, Riordan manages a complicated plot without losing narrative force."
-- Publishers Weekly

Raves for Rick Riordan:

"In Rick Riordan's case, believe the hype. He really is that good."
-- Dennis Lehane

"If not the king of Texas crime writing, Rick Riordan is certainly among the princes!"
-- The Denver Post

"Riordan writes so well about the people and topography of his Texas hometown that he quickly marks the territory as his own."
-- Chicago Tribune

"Rick Riordan has a Texas-size talent for spinning a great story."
-- Tami Hoag

"There's a reason why this guy keeps winning awards. ... Rick Riordan is a master stylist. I can't wait for his next."
-- Harlan Coben

And for The Last King of Texas:

"A winner."
-- The Washington Post

"Raise your margarita to Rick Riordan. ... This tale of revenge and remorse sizzles and skids like drops of water on a hot skillet."
-- Texas Monthly

"Tres's taste for excess is as ferocious as his addiction to fiery food, and the fearless joy he takes in his roughneck adventures gives a real kick to this colorful series."
-- The New York Times Book Review

"Starts off with a literal bang and then gathers speed from there."
-- Entertainment Weekly

From the Inside Flap

, triple-crown winner of the Edgar, Anthony, and Shamus Awards, has already emblazoned his name on the map of crime fiction with his Tres Navarre novels -- a fast, funny, totally hip series that blends masterful writing with richly drawn characters and nonstop action.

Now Riordan brings his P.I. Tres Navarre to the heart of Texas -- Austin -- with a fiercely original thriller that explores family ties as deep and twisted as the waterways of Lake Travis.

Tres Navarre, private eye and sometimes English professor, is hoping for a laid-back working vacation when he accepts a teaching gig at the University of Texas at Austin, even if it means shacking up for six weeks with his big brother Garrett, who calls Austin home.

Garrett Navarre -- computer programmer extraordinaire, Jimmy Buffett fanatic, and all-around eccentric -- is hoping to retire a multimillionaire thanks to a high-tech start-up company he and two buddies have launched. Garrett has bet everything from hi

Reviews

Powerful writing about a palpable evil distinguishes Edgar, Anthony and Shamus award-winner Riordan's fourth Tres Navarre novel. The tough, wisecracking PI and English professor moves himself and the action from his San Antonio base to Austin, where he expects simply to teach University of Texas students and visit with his brother, Garrett. But instead of tackling Beowulf he must tackle a different quest, a different monster. Garrett, software genius and free spirit, has launched a startup company called Techsan Security Software, with his friend Jimmy and Jimmy's wife as partners. Enter a truly nasty character who devours startup companies like Techsan, leaving a trail of ruined or dead owners in his wake. Techsan's brilliant beginnings lead to a takeover offer, while the offer's rejection leads to troubles that threaten to destroy the company and the Navarre family ranch, which Garrett has used as security. Soon one of Garrett's partners is dead, Garrett's the prime suspect and Tres is digging desperately for any foothold that will keep his brother from jail. An extremely skillful writer, Riordan manages a complicated plot without losing narrative force. Even the potentially distracting use of periodic asides, in the form of e-mails from the killer about his past crimes, serves to heighten tension and provide a focus for the reader. Then there's the spectacular, unforgettable description of a dive into a preserved pecan orchard at the bottom of a man-made lake. Some blatant misdirection may disgruntle certain readers, but this is a mere quibble with a book sure to enhance the author's solid reputation. (June 5)Forecast: Backed by blurbs from Dennis Lehane, Tami Hoag and Harlan Coben, this book is a dead cert for genre bestseller lists.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Why Garrett Navarre apparently killed his best friend is a mystery. Why author Riordan has won the genre's "triple crown"--the Edgar, Anthony, and Shamus awards--is not. In his acclaimed Tres Navarre series, Riordan combines all the elements of award-winning mystery fiction: unforgettable characters, intriguing plots, and delicious suspense. In his latest adventure, San Antonio PI Navarre is renovating his great-grandfather's ranch. When the family lawyer threatens to foreclose on the ranch, Tres discovers that his older brother, Garrett, has mortgaged the property to finance his rapidly failing startup software company. Outraged, Tres takes off for Austin to confront Garrett, a paraplegic for whom heaven is smoking a joint at a Jimmy Buffet concert. When Garrett's friend and business partner Jimmy Doebler is murdered--and Garrett is discovered at the scene--Tres realizes it will be a long time before he returns to San Antonio. To find the real killer, Tres must discover who has been sabotaging Garrett's company and what role Jimmy's wife, Ruby, the third partner and Garrett's former lover, played in the treachery. Complicating life even more for Tres is his former lover, sexy and savvy lawyer Maia Lee, who arrives to defend Garrett. Navarre just may have become the most appealing mystery hero in Texas. His latest is pure heaven for mystery fans. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Garrett, the wheelchair-bound brother of PI Tres Navarre (The Last King of Texas), has risked the family ranch on a promising start-up venture involving a software encryption product. Unfortunately for Garrett and his argumentative partners best friend Jimmy and Jimmy's now ex-wife the nasty, scuba-diving banker/entrepreneur interested in buying the product has sabotaged their test sites in order to force a cheap sale. When someone murders Jimmy, the police blame Garrett, which catapaults Navarre into action. Clipped prose speeds the action along as Navarre's old flame joins the fray. Sarcastic humor, memorable characters, and spectacular action scenes round out a spellbinding adventure. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Lars Elder looks like a banker the way I look like a private eye, which is to say, not much.

He was waiting on the porch of my family ranch house, flicking a switchblade open and closed, a computer disk and a can of Budweiser next to him on the railing.

Lars' hairline had receded since I'd seen him last, but he still sported the earring, the Willie Nelson beard. His shirt, vest, and jeans were faded to the colors of a dust storm, and his eyes gave the same impression -- dry and turbulent.

"Tres," he said. "Thanks for coming."

"No problema."

What I was thinking: The Navarre family banker drinking beer at ten in the morning is not a good sign.

Lars closed his knife, looked out toward the wheat fields.

Fifty yards away, past the tomato garden, the ranch caretaker was putting hay into the cattle feeder. Harold Diliberto stopped to watch us, his pitchfork suspended, dripping straw.

"Harold showed me the work you've been doing inside," Lars said. "You've been spending a lot of time out here."

"Some," I admitted.

I tried not to feel irritated, like Harold had betrayed a confidence.

Truth was, I'd been out at the ranch every weekend since the end of April -- scraping old paint, filling in the spreading cracks in the original section of the house that had been my great-grandfather's homestead in the 1880s. I'd neglected both my jobs in San Antonio, ditched the cell phone, dropped out of my social life with little explanation to my friends.

"Place was overdue for some maintenance," I told Lars. "You ask me out here for the Home Beautiful tour?"

He didn't smile. "Talked to Garrett recently?"

"Maybe four, five months ago."

"But you'll see him soon. You're teaching that summer class in Austin, aren't you?"

Another surge of irritation. "British lit, for six weeks. May I ask how the hell you know about it?"

Lars brought the switchblade up like a conductor's baton. "Look, I'm sorry. I had to talk to you before you left. You know what Garrett's been up to?"

"You mean like Buffett concerts? Smoking pot?"

"His programming project."

"Must've missed it. I tend to phase out when Garrett talks about RNI."

Lars winced, like I'd just told him the price of an expensive gift. "Tres, Garrett isn't working at RNI anymore. He quit over a year ago."

I stared at him. My brother had worked at the same software company for sixteen years. He practically ran the place, took all the days off he wanted, had a retirement package.

"Got himself involved in a start-up company," Lars told me. "That was two years ago -- spring of '98. Then last year, May of '99, he decided he couldn't keep working both jobs anymore. Garrett just left RNI -- no severance, no benefits."

"Not possible."

"He's working the start-up with Jimmy Doebler."

I studied Lars' eyes, tried to tell if he was joking. Apparently, he wasn't, and beer for breakfast started sounding like a good idea.

Last I'd heard -- maybe three years ago -- Jimmy Doebler and Garrett hadn't even been speaking to each other. When they were speaking, they got along about as well as electricity and gunpowder.

"You're sure?" I asked him.

Lars picked up the computer disk, handed it to me. "Some files -- things I was able to find on the Internet. They're calling themselves Techsan Security Software. Three principals in the company -- Jimmy, his wife Ruby, and Garrett. They've been designing an encryption product. The beta-testing started in January."

I wagged the floppy. "It's news to me. Why the dossier, Lars? What's your interest?"

He rubbed his beard with his knuckles.

"I've known Jimmy and Garrett for a long time. I was around when Garrett--" He faltered. "Well, you know. I was around for the bad times. But when I called Garrett last week, I'd never heard him sound so bad. He and Jimmy are fighting again. Jimmy and his wife have separated -- all because of this company they've started. I asked Garrett how they were holding up financially. He just laughed. The last few days, he won't even return my calls. I thought maybe you could talk to him."

I looked over the split rail fence, down the pasture toward the woods. The Charolais were grazing in the dry bed of Apache Creek. The water tower glistened gray.

I thought about the hundreds of times I'd watched the sun come up over the Balcones Escarpment from here, the topography like an onion, layer upon translucent layer -- my first hunting trip with my dad, a dozen Thanksgiving dinners, my first night with a woman, three hurricanes, two fires, even a snowstorm. I remembered my grandfather, over there by the northern property line, digging holes for fence posts.

And even after six weeks of manual labor, rebuilding my relationship with the ranch, I could still feel that Sunday afternoon last April, down in the clearing, when I'd almost died at the hands of an old friend.

All I wanted was a few more weekends, time to scrape paint.

"Look, Lars, I won't say I'm not worried. But Garrett and Jimmy -- what you're describing. Unfortunately, it sounds pretty typical. I appreciate your concern..."

"You don't understand," Lars said. "Garrett needed capital for his share in the Techsan start-up. A lot of capital. With his financial record, nobody else would help him. I hate even talking to you about this, Tres. I know you don't have a lot of money."

I tried to hand back the computer disk. "If you made my brother a loan, I'm sorry, Lars. I don't see how I can help you."

"I couldn't talk him out of it," he said. "The deed is in his name. He made me promise not to worry you, but when he signed the papers he still had a steady job. Now ... He hasn't made a payment in over a year. It's just -- I don't know what I can promise, come July 1st. My boss is breathing down my neck."

My heart twisted into a sailor's knot. "July first?"

Lars pinched the blade of his knife, threw it toward an old live oak stump, where it stuck straight up.

"Garrett mortgaged this ranch, Tres. And unless I see something -- a sign of good faith by the end of this month, I'm going to have to foreclose."



Chapter 2

San Antonio and Austin are like estranged siblings.

San Antonio would be the sister who stayed home, took care of the elderly parents, made tortillas by hand in the kitchen, wore cotton dresses until the colors faded. She's the big-boned one -- handsome but unadorned, given to long afternoon siestas.

Austin is the sister who went away to college, discovered rock 'n' roll, and dyed her hair purple. She's the one my mother would've warned me about, if my mother hadn't been an ex-hippie.

That afternoon I figured out why God put the two sisters seventy-five miles apart. It was to give irate siblings like me a cooling-off period -- an hour on the road to reconsider fratricide.

Around two o'clock, I finally tracked down my brother. A friend of a Hell's Angel of a friend told me he was staying at Jimmy Doebler's place on Lake Travis.

Sure enough, they were down by the water, building some- thing that looked like the third little pig's house. It was a kiln -- pottery being Jimmy's second oldest hobby, next to getting Garrett in trouble.

From fifteen feet away, Jimmy and Garrett hadn't noticed me.

Jimmy was hunched over, tapping down a line of bricks.

Garrett was up on a scaffold, five feet above, doing the chimney. His ponytail had flipped over the shoulder and gotten stuck in a splot of wet mortar. Sweat glistened in his beard. He made an odd sight up there, with no legs, like some sort of tie-dyed polyp grown out of the board.

The afternoon heat was cooking the air into soup. In the crook of a smoke tree, a jam box was cranking out Lucinda Williams' latest.

"Garrett," I called.

He looked down as if he'd known I was there all along, his expression as friendly as Rasputin's.

"Well," he said. "My little brother."

Jimmy wiped his hands on his tattered polo shirt, straightened.

He hadn't aged well. His face had weathered, his mop of sandcastle hair faded a dirty gray. He had the sun-blasted look of a frat boy who'd gotten lost on Spring Break thirty years ago and never found his way out of the dunes.

"Hey, man." He cut his eyes to either side, wiped his nose. "Garrett said you wouldn't be up until your class started."

"Wasn't planning to be," I said. "Then I talked to the family banker. That kind of changed things."

Garrett stabbed his trowel between two scaffold planks. "This ain't the time, Tres."

"When would be the time, Garrett? Next month -- when they stick the FOR SALE sign on the front gate of the ranch?"

Lucinda Williams kept singing about her mamma. The bottleneck flew across her guitar.

"What do you want?" Garrett asked. "You want to take a punch at me?"

"I don't know. Are you filled with money?"

Garrett climbed down from the scaffold -- one hundred percent upper body strength. He settled into his Quickie wheelchair -- the deluxe model with the Holstein hide cover and the Persian seat cushion. He pushed himself toward me. "Come on. You've driven all this way pissed off at me. Take a swing."

He looked terrible. His skin was pasty, his eyes jaundiced. He'd lost weight -- Christ, a lot of weight. Maybe fifteen pounds. He hardly had a gut anymore.

I said, "I want an explanation."

"It's my ranch."

"It's our ranch, Gar...

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0553110977
• ISBN 13: 9780553110975
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336