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Matt Ingwalson
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Sin Walks Into The Desert (Sin & Nicki Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Matt Ingwalson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings
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Sin Walks Into The Desert was named Shelf Unbound's Best Indie Book of 2015!

Sin gets a late night call from la Calavera. She's an ex-federal agent living on half a lung in a retirement home near the border. And she says el Viejo is missing. This is el Viejo she's talking about. Diabetes and arthritis may have the old man in a rocking chair now, but in his day he was the baddest of snipers and the bravest of private eyes. He also saved Sin's life, back when the boy was a 12 year old punk hellbent on shooting up the school bus with his daddy's .357. So Sin heads off to find his mentor, only to find a nest of killers with ancient vendettas waiting for him in the desert with the kingsnakes and coyotes.

This is award-winning desert noir. It's a tale about violent people, barren spaces, and the lonely search for your own humanity. If you like vigilante fiction, movies like Sicario, or the sparsely written novels of Cormac McCarthy, Sin Walks Into The Desert is for you.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Sin & Nicki
  2. Print length
    193 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 2, 2014
  6. File size
    2481 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The arid desert landscape creates a stark, unforgiving backdrop to the hunt for el Viejo juxtaposing the harsh reality of the crime against Sin's loyalty. No one walks off into the sunset; no one is a hero... Sin Walks Into The Desert is a taut, suspenseful tale without a wasted word or scene. IndieReader Approved. Five Stars." - IndieReader.com"

Sin Walks Into The Desert is a tense novella, a neo-Western noir with a cast of larger than life characters... It's a little coyote of a book that holds on and doesn't let go. In some places, this is the best self-published writing I've read - original, well-edited, and filled with interesting and compelling characters." - CrimeFictionLover.com

"The greatest strength of the book is that it is impossible to pigeon-hole the main character... The nonlinear structure of the book assembles Sin's story like a jigsaw puzzle, flashing between the present and the past watershed moments in his life to build the picture of why he is like he is. Four stars." - San Francisco Book Review

"A sterling achievement, featuring an ultracool protagonist and doting descriptions of all types of guns." - Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00K3E3YJC
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2481 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 193 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings

About the author

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Matt Ingwalson

Matt Ingwalson

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Most of my earlier stuff was genre novellas - mysteries, horror, vigilante thrillers and so forth. In 2015, Sin Walks Into The Desert was named Shelf Unbound's Indie Novel of the Year. And the Owl & Raccoon series earned a small following.

Recently, I've been aiming for wilder things. Like Mary Monster, which is a gothic noir about indie music, devil cults and an immortal Mary Shelley. And my most recent mystery, Chatterhat, which my friends have compared to rambling, paranoid comedies like Big Lebowski and Inherent Vice.

Probably because I got my start with the novellas, I've never really hunted for a traditional publisher. Maybe I ought to. But it seems like a lot of work, when what I want to do is just write whatever I feel like writing. Hopefully, somewhere along the line, I turn out something you love.

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5
79 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Paksanim
4.0 out of 5 stars See if you can keep from hoping Sin prevails...
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2015
Verified Purchase
A not-nice story of retribution, played out in sparse settings with raw emotion to mirror the stark landscapes.

Well-developed protagonist who evokes sympathy for his merciless actions.

Not what I expected; more that I bargained for when I plucked it off the free limited-time offer.

More of Sin, please. This guy deserves more literary life.
One person found this helpful
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Carolyn Hertz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great characters. Enjoyable novel.
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
Sin Walks into the Desert by Matt Ingwalson, (Sin & Nicki Book 1) is an unusual story. Sin is off into the desert to find his mentor, el Viejo who is missing. Sin received the news from Catrina, aka la Calavera, who is an ex-federal agent living in a retirement home near the border. I gave it five stars.

El Viejo had saved Sin's life, when he was a 12-year-old kid. Even though diabetes and arthritis have crippled him, el Viejo had been bad and brave.

When Sin met Petr, la Calavera's husband he was thin enough to look like an aspen. He told el Viejo: "'Thought you said he was stone cold Viking killer.' 'No, I said Petr was Swedish intelligence, Sin. Not everyone who works in MLE pulls triggers for a living. I believe he analyzed satellite imagery.'

'Whatever,' Sin said, because that was what he always said when he wasn't saying nothing."

Sin further describes Petr: "Petr reached one hand out past her shoulders. His fist had thick blue veins tunneling all across it, as brightly colored, in their own way as the tattoos on Sin's hands."

Sin describes when the first met la Calavera: "If she didn't have the plastic tube pumping little bursts of oxygen into her nose, she would've been about the most beautiful woman Sin'd ever seen....She was an old woman and her skin showed it, but her eyes were so bright and hard that they sparkled like stars magically visible in daytime skies."

El Viejo is talking to La Calavera and Sin as he brought their dinner: "'We'd best dig in. The sun goes down quickly when you're in a valley,' he said. La Calavera nodded, 'But the stars, they will shine so bright.'"

Regret Things is a new novel about Nicki and Sin that I look forward to reading.

This is Book 1 in a series of three books. I received a free kindle copy of Sin Walks Into the Desert by Matt Ingwalson in an Amazon promotion. That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase:  Sin Walks Into The Desert (Sin & Nicki Book 1)
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Sin walks into the Desert
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
The characters are interesting but the story doesn't seem to me to flow well. Not one of my favorite books.
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Kindle Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Just trash
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Seriously, Matt Ingwalson must have more literary talent than is exhibited in this novel? I stopped reading in the middle of the 2nd chapter because of the storyline and the unnecessary, excessive use of profanity. Ya gotta do better than this if you hope to capture an audience...
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mzbeastle
4.0 out of 5 stars Intense, hard-hitting, well-written story
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Stark. Explosive. Emotional. The setting helps move the story into memorable territory, with a character who feels "real" and with a sense of loyalty which I admire. Great story.
One person found this helpful
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Big bear
2.0 out of 5 stars Sin came to set things straight
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
The problems took a lot to get things done. It was a slow to read and keep the story in a way that kept you interested. I know that you have to get to figure out what they are trying to tell in this story.
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S. M. Wolfenden
5.0 out of 5 stars Life Twists Us All
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
I just finished a journey through sad memories. This novel brings the teen and twenty part of my life back. A youth searching for someone who cares is taken by his uncle who loves him and trains him and teaches him unique skills. This novel is not for the romantic not the "life is a happy dream" people. If you want some introspective time, here is your book. This story line is all about life being full of karma.
One person found this helpful
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Patrick Cowan
5.0 out of 5 stars Efficient. Engaging. Exciting.
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
Sin Walks Into The Desert proves that less can be much, much more. Ingwalson crafted an efficient, engaging, and exciting thriller that leaves you satisfied, yet eager for more. The characters are well crafted and the dialogue is sharp. It's also quick read that can be knocked out if you've got a few hours to spare, which is perfect because once you start, you won't be able to stop.
2 people found this helpful
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