The Nervous System

"The most incredible thing about Nathan Larson's "The Nervous System" is just how credible it is--a ravaged New York City, a postmodern warrior with a code, villains at once smaller and larger than life, the futile human obsession to create order out of chaos. And the prose is perfect, as tweaked and jumpy and memorable as the man known as Dewey Decimal. I'm a Library of Congress girl myself, but Larson's uncannily original fiction deserves its own number within any system of library classification." --Laura Lippman, author of "What the Dead Know" "Sheer magic and delirious joy, this intellectual giddy riot is the book of the year. "The Nervous System" is a rock 'n' roll paranoid masterclass in invention, with writing so crafted, gifted, I long to quote every line. The mystery is taken to a whole new level of technospeak artistry, and wonderfully witty, like John Kennedy Toole if he'd written a mystery novel and did meth--a lot of it. The warmth of the character seeps through in Dewey Decimal's love for a devastated New York and still the city sings. The New York Public Library should put up a plaque to the most original PI since Marlowe. OCD never seemed so compelling. Loved it--and then some. What a writer." --Ken Bruen, author of "The Guards" "I'm a sucker for a postapocalyptic setting, and Nathan Larson's is a doozy; but the real gold here is the voice. I could listen to this guy all day. If you loved "The Dewey Decimal System," you'll love this one too. If you didn't love "The Dewey Decimal System," it's because you didn't read it. That's okay, you can start here. Thank me later." --SJ Rozan, Edgar Award-winning author of "Ghost Hero" "The second book in the Dewey Decimal series is even better than the first. Nathan Larson shows us a New York City both fantastical and eerily familiar, and a detective whose biggest mystery is himself--as it is for all of us. Although there's plenty of action and gunplay, the Dewey Decimal books are more about identity, who we are, and where we live than crime. This is the best new detective series I've read in years. I love this book." --Sara Gran, author of "Dope" ""The Nervous System" is an armed-to-the-teeth, punch-in-the-guts, post-apocalyptic page turner. You'll be afraid to put it down." --Maggie Estep, author of "Hex" After a series of large-scale terrorist attacks, New York City is reduced to a shadow of its former self. As the city struggles to dig itself out of the wreckage, a nameless, obsessive-compulsive veteran with a spotty memory, a love for literature, and a strong if unique moral code has taken up residence at the Main Branch of the New York Public Library. Dubbed "Dewey Decimal" for his desire to reorganize the library's stock, he gets by as bagman and muscle for unscrupulous politicians and underworld figures--as detailed in the first book in this series, "The Dewey Decimal System." In "The Nervous System," Decimal, attempting to clean up loose ends after the violent events in the first book, stumbles upon information concerning the gruesome murder of a prostitute and a prominent US senator's involvement. Immediately he finds himself chasing ghosts and fighting for his life, pursued by Blackwater-style private military contractors and the ever-present specter of his own past. Decimal confronts a twilight world of Korean hostess bars, childhood bogeymen, and the face of the military-industrial complex gone haywire--all framed by a city descending toward total chaos. Praise for "The Dewey Decimal System" ""The Dewey Decimal System" is a winningly tight, concise, and high-impact book."--"New York Press" ""The Dewey Decimal System" is proof positive that the private detective