Speed Queen - Softcover

O'Nan, Stewart

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802138535 ISBN 13: 9780802138538

Publisher: Grove Press, 2001

Synopsis

Stewart O'Nan is one of the most highly acclaimed fiction writers of his generation, selected by Granta as one of the Best Young American Novelists and hailed by The New York Times as "a master." Grove Press is proud to reissue his haunting noir novel The Speed Queen. The Speed Queen is the gripping story of a twisted love triangle's drug-fueled killing spree across the desert plains, told in the voice of Oklahoma death-row inmate Marjorie Standiford, who is recounting her experiences for a best-selling horror writer researching the murders. It's a chilling, unputdownable crime novel in the tradition of James M. Cain -- a voyage into the dark soul of the American West.

About this title

Review:

Stewart O'Nan's The Speed Queen opens on Oklahoma's death row. Marjorie Standiford, scheduled to die that night for the murder of 12 people, dictates the story of her life into a tape recorder. Before she goes, she wants to set the record straight. It seems that one of her accomplices, Natalie, has already produced a bestselling book on the subject, and Marjorie doesn't want to be outdone. Her tape will be sent to an unnamed writer known as the King of Horror with a list of titles identical to those of Stephen King.

It's evident why a horror writer might be interested in Marjorie's story--the details of her life are pretty darned horrifying. A deep love of cars is what attracts Marjorie to her husband, Lamont, in the first place; an unplanned pregnancy is what pushes them into marriage. In the early days of their love affair, driving around in Lamont's convertible with the baby in the back and doing a little speed on the side is enough, but possession leads to prison time for Marjorie. There she meets Natalie, who will complete their deadly triangle. Once on the outside, Natalie, Marjorie, and Lamont start mainlining speed, then dealing it, and before long, a landscape of drive-thru restaurants and convenience stores becomes the backdrop for a series of gruesome murders. Marjorie may not be the most reliable narrator, but she is an original one, and The Speed Queen provides one heck of a joy ride.

From the Publisher:

Here's a little insight into publishing. There are tons of people that work on each book in different ways - publicity, promotion, sales reps, production, managing editorial, and a bunch of other people you've never even imagined. One of things editorial has to do is write up a little description that everyone can access to in order to have some clue as to what the book is about. After all, everyone can't read every single book. There are just too many. This book was purchased by my boss during my first few months. It was one of the first books that I worked with that I truly enjoyed. Here's a small part of what I wrote for The Speed Queen: "In her manipulative, ignorant, calculating but vulnerable voice we hear a character that one reviewer called 'straight out of David Lynch'. She is funny, lovable, terrifying and crazy in a way that feels like home. Stewart O'Nan creates a character that could easily be the confused girl you knew from high school. Set against the backdrop of milkshakes, french fries, low-paying jobs, drugs and highways, Marjorie is someone that we understand because she is a part of America." I actually meant that.

-- S. Gutierrez, Assistant editor

About this edition

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0802138535
• ISBN 13: 9780802138538
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224