Getting into bed with the wrong guy can get you killed.

Wanting to free herself from her boyfriend, aging gangster “Maddog” Palmieri, Bobbi Ricci concocts a misguided plan with Denny, Maddog’s ex-driver, a guy who’s bent on getting even with the gangster for the humiliating way in which he was sacked.

Helping themselves to the gangster’s secret money stash, along with his Cadillac, Bobbi and Denny slip out of town, expecting to lay low for a while before enjoying the spoils.

Realizing he’s been betrayed, an enraged Maddog calls in stone-cold killer Lee Trane. As Trane picks up their trail, plans quickly change for Bobbi and Denny, who now find themselves on a wild chase of misadventure through northern British Columbia and into Alaska.

Time is running out for them once they find out that Trane’s been sent to do away with them, or worse, bring them back — either way, Maddog will make them pay.

“Nobody portrays lowlifes gunning for the high life as credibly as Dietrich Kalteis. Zero Avenue delivers a shitload of excitement, and a glimmer of light, in one badass world.” — John Farrow, author of The Storm Murders Trilogy

“… a style that’s breezy and confident, comic and ribald — [Kalteis is] especially letter perfect in portraying characters who’ve got ‘loser’ stamped smack in the middle of their foreheads.” — Toronto Star on Poughkeepsie Shuffle

“In Deadbeat, Kalteis skillfully writes authentic-sounding dialogue … [He] makes it difficult not to root for the little guys up against ruthless gangs in this fast-paced thrill ride.” — Publishers Weekly on The Deadbeat Club

“Kalteis masterfully evokes the eccentric characters and manners of the times and the brawling decadence of the
Barbary Coast.” — William Deverell, author of the Arthur Beauchamp series on House of Blazes

“Kalteis does a brilliant job of planting us in this particular time and place. A sharp-witted, affecting noir, Dust Bowl-style.” — Kirkus Reviews on Call Down the Thunder

Dietrich Kalteis is an award-winning author. Cradle of the Deep is his eighth published work. His debut, Ride the Lightning, was hailed as one of the best Vancouver crime novels. He lives on Canada’s west coast and spends as much time as possible in California.

“Pace, plot, characters, settings, action, humor, conflict, and a satisfying resolution. Big ticks in all the boxes.” — Col’s Criminal Library

“Cradle of the Deep has humour, great characters, and the situations are well played — you’ll enjoy it.” — Murder in Common

“A hair-raising escapade fueled by impulsive choices, this page-turner kept me up most of the night.” — The Ottawa Review of Books

“Dietrich Kalteis’s Cradle of the Deep is a humdinger of a ride through Vancouver Noir, a DIY manual for what not to do when going on the lam.” — Winnipeg Free Press