Black Cordite, White Snow is just what the doctor prescribed if you’re feeling restless for a remarkable crime thriller that is hilariously dark and captivating from the opening salvo of elegant prose that Nate Granzow has penned in his traditional style of facts interspersed in between a mesmerizing story.
In the chilly city of St. Paul, Minnesota, known to the criminal underworld as Crooks' Haven, Niklas and Kessler Kristofferson seek a fortune by offloading some of the most fearsome weaponry that had been witnessed with tremendous ardor by the soldiers on the battlefields of France. The two brothers, leveraging their expertise as military gunsmiths, know that the criminal enterprises in the city will pay top dollar for these weapons of destruction. But before they can get away with their riches, they will need to contend with unsavory characters of all disciplines, from double-crossing gangsters to corrupt police officers. Finding themselves in the crosshairs of one decent detective who has gotten a scent of the Danish brothers’ dangerous plan, the Kristofferson brothers must think and fight their way out of the tightening noose from all sides of the equation.
Nate Granzow excels at the art of blending fact with fiction to the point where it’s hard to clearly say which parts may indeed be fictional. He brings to life the detailed minutiae of life in the Prohibition Era from the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota, to the deep-reaching underworld that existed in those days, all with rooted characters who struggle with their varying shades of grey as they entangle with each other. Kristofferson brothers are so dynamically intriguing that I felt bad reaching the end of the book because it meant I’d have to wait a while before I could meet them again in their next chapter (fingers crossed). Granzow holds a steady hand on building the tension through the pages, keeping the conflicts simmering with veiled threats and hidden agendas until the climactic event where we see the brothers go to war with cool old-school weapons. The pace never lets up for you to feel anything but thoroughly invested and excited in finding out what happens at the end.
I never thought I’d say it but Granzow somehow makes me nostalgic for a time I had no inclination to go back to until I dove into Black Cordite, White Snow. It’s awesome in all ways but especially for reminding you that reading can be a lot of fun as well as intellectually stimulating.
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