Almer John Davis publishes gangster epic “Sugar of Lead: A Novel”

A harrowing tale of love, crime, and redemption, “Sugar of Lead: A Novel” by Almer John Davis has been well-received by readers for its outstanding plot, excellent character development, and well-crafted scenes of violence. This book provides a unique perspective on the Asian-American gang world, an at times surreal depiction that leads readers into the Korean-American gang subculture in contemporary Los Angeles. 
 
“Sugar of Lead” presents the journey of Michael “Sugar” Pierce, a white American lost among Korean mobsters in Malibu. Due to his ethnicity, Pierce is treated as an outsider and therefore is never completely trusted by the majority of his criminal colleagues. Yet, as a “blood brother” to Simon Rhee, heir of a Korean mob boss, he is nonetheless “family,” and considers it his duty to look after his Korean comrades, especially the unspoken love of his life, Katherine Song Rhee – wife of his “brother” Simon.
 
This serpentine story begins with the immediate aftermath of Simon Rhee’s murder. Pierce, complicit in the act, takes it upon himself to atone for the death. The fact that Katherine is now a widow creates an awkward situation for Pierce and for her, as she has long felt the same unspoken love. In addition, Pierce must deal with conflicts not only within the gang but between him and the almost supernatural presence of rival Chinese gang leader Wu Li. When the body count spirals out of control, Pierce settles on an even more arduous task: to fight for peace.
 
Can a stone killer, a man stained with the blood of many others, still redeem if not his own life, then at least the life of another? Immerse yourself in the shadowy and dangerous world of Michael “Sugar” Pierce as he undertakes a campaign of vengeance and redemption in “Sugar of Lead: A Novel.”
 
Jeanne Cavelos, winner of the World Fantasy Award and author of “Babylon 5: Casting Shadows” describes “Sugar of Lead” as: “A marvelous mixture of gangsters and philosophy, hot lead peppered with poetry.”
 
Await the public display of “Sugar of Lead” at the 2019 L.A. Times Festival of Books on April 13-24, 2019 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA.
 
Sugar of Lead: A Novel
Written by Almer John Davis
Published by Xlibris Corp.
Published on October 15, 2001
Paperback price: $19.99
 
 
About the Author
Almer John Davis is a successful private teacher and published novelist, short story writer, poet, and produced screenwriter. His shorter pieces have appeared in the magazines “Poetry L.A.”, “Crosscurrents” and “Writer’s Forum”. His novel “The Manchilde” (Iron Tree Press), was called “notable” and “highly imaginative” by the Los Angeles Times. Publishers Weekly described it as a “novel for those who enjoy probing for meaning in experimental prose.”

Prolific American author Joyce Carol Oates has read sections of his novel “The Vanishing Woman” and terms them: “Extremely well-written and suspenseful…Davis is talented.”

Louis Owens, author of “Bone Game” and “The Sharpest Sight,” calls Davis: “A writer I value.”

Author Jeanne Cavelos, “The Science of the X-Files,” says about his novel “Sugar of Lead”:  “The writing is beautiful…imbued with power and poetry…the characters are fascinating and compelling…the plot satisfying, yet surprising.”

Alex Blackburn, editor of Writers Forum, University of Colorado, says: “Davis has tremendous dramatic talent.”

His play “Blood Red Horses On The Moon” has received staged readings at First Stage and the Tiffany Theatre in Los Angeles. His screenplay “Under The Gun” was independently produced in Los Angeles as well.

Mr. Davis is married, has three sons, and with his wife and family, makes his home in southern California.

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