Philip Elliott’s PORNO VALLEY flickers between 2000, 1999 and 1998 with three separate yet connecting narratives. The beginning immediately hooks the reader and absolutely nails the genre; sublimely descriptive, slightly stylized and overlaid with wry, comic observation. Mickey is a comfortable yet enigmatic character; seemingly unassuming and world-weary but not so jaded that he can’t be surprised. Bethany speaks to Mickey on a deeper level, and her current boyfriend, Riccardo, has enough of a quietly sinister edge so that PORNO VALLEY becomes quickly and seriously involving. It’s amusing, intriguing and the scenes visually play through the mind drenched in sun-bleached, washed-out shades of sleaze and deceit. The comic glaze to the prose is tempered perfectly, tipping the reader to the right side of cynical sarcasm and never detracting from the cleverly constructed plot. Throughout, the writing is slick and literal yet punctuated with some sharply poetic metaphors. Mr. Elliott’s use of dialogue is exceptional; achingly authentic, incredibly entertaining and subtly providing the majority of the characters’ exposition.
The second narrative strand takes the reader to 1999 and the squalid world of newlyweds, Richie and Alabama. Addicted to heroin, flitting between motels and robbing diners to pay for their habit while dreaming of getting clean and one last job. Alabama is mentally broken and repeatedly debased yet clinging desperately to occasional forlorn hope. She is not simply a one-note junkie but a character written with emotional depth and fundamental compassion. The hopeless optimism for herself and Richie is agonizing in its futility and his portrayal is more straightforward as he furthers their slide into degradation. There are flashes of perception that he could have made something of himself but circumstance and drugs have stripped him of all but low, animal cunning and their tawdry tale is told with a veneer of brutal, black humor.
The third connection begins in 1998. Jemeka Johnson lives a grinding life with indifferent boyfriend, Ray-Ray, in East Compton. Through a series of events and coincidence, life changes dramatically for Jemeka, taking her into some dark, unforgiving territory. This was the weaker storyline with an element of predictability although the prose was especially taut and the dialogue blazingly good. In each flashback, there are some skillfully placed echoes of the other couple and both stories function excellently as the ever-decreasing wheels circling Mickey’s central axle. A third of the way through, the threads begin to pull towards each other. It’s fast-paced and well-executed with the common denominator of Jeffrey Strokes blossoming rapidly through all three stories. Mr. Elliott has fun with Strokes; taking the portrayal of an idiot savant to a whole new level. Other standouts are Heimdall, whose brief, seedy appearance is sickeningly good, and Floyd, the link straddling both couples and who is realistically depicted without becoming pantomimic.
PORNO VALLEY is a blisteringly brilliant ride in the best tradition of comedic-noir crime fiction straight into the sordid twisted underbelly of Los Angeles, and fully deserves to reach a wide, appreciative audience.
~Rose Auburn for IndieReader