About the Author

Jason S. Ridler is a writer, historian, and improv actor. He’s the author of Rise of the Luchador, Blood and Sawdust, and the Spar Battersea thrillers. Hex-Rated, the first book in the Brimstone Files, was published in 2017 by Night Shade Books. A former punk rock musician and cemetery groundskeeper, you can visit Jason online at ridlerville.wordpress.com.

Reviews

Praise for Black Lotus Kiss

“Another hardboiled joyride through the weird side of 1970s Los Angeles. . . . Ridler’s plot takes one outrageous twist after another, and most of the novel’s pleasures derive from seeing the unlikeliest characters caught up in its byzantine shenanigans. Filled with smart-aleck banter and period pop culture references, this is a solid sophomore effort.” —Publishers Weekly

“Black Lotus Kiss feels retro and fresh all at once, gritty and real and more hilarious than expected.”—Manhattan Book Review, 4/5 Stars

“Jason Ridler wields his prose with the confidence of a veteran axe-thrower. That dead-eye precision makes Black Lotus Kissa fist-pumping good time for readers who want knuckle-cracking hardboiled fiction spiked liberally with black magic and adrenaline. Read this book or regret it until beyond the grave.” —Chad Dundas, author of Champion of the World

“There's no denying the care and loving detail that's been poured into this book. It's a celebratory mash-up of hard-boiled dicks and supernatural twists—all set in a delightfully greasy 1970s magic-porno-pulp reality.” —Chad Damiani, former World Championship Wrestling announcer and screenwriter

Praise for Hex-Rated

“Terrific fun, dripping with rich period detail and nods to Ed Wood movies and Jack Kirby comics. Smutty, profane, and unapologetically slathered in pulp, Hex-Rated is a loving homage to all the musty, dog-eared paperbacks stuffed in the used bookstore's spinner rack.” —Jason Heller, NPR

“Steeped in the style of 1970s pulp detective fiction . . . Brimstone is cut from the cloth of the classic wisecracking detective, and Ridler peppers the text with perfectly pitched hard-boiled vernacular. The novel’s wild mix of comedy and supernatural perils bodes well for its detective’s future adventures.”—Publishers Weekly

“Rollicking, exotic, and pulpy to the max.”—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Take Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, throw in a double fistful of black magic, and shake until fiery combustion. Bring on more Brimstone Files, immediately.” —Andrew Post, author of Aftertaste

“Deliciously uncomfortable, wonderfully gritty,and a worthy successor to the occult detectives of old.”—Brian Keene, author of The Complex

“The book inside is even better than the cover. . . . This is the first of the Brimstone Files novels, and I can’t wait for the next one. Filthy, magical, and dangerous, Hex-Rated and Jason Ridler should both definitely be on your radar.”—Other Worlds Than These

“Fast paced, clever, and a great example of world-building. I loved the diverse and complicated supporting characters throughout and found the magic and lore to be consistent and handled deftly. . . . it has everything you should be looking for in a supernatural-drenched thriller. And that cover art is sweet.”—Bob Freeman, Occult Detective and author of Keepers of the Dead

Praise for Black Lotus Kiss

“Another hardboiled joyride through the weird side of 1970s Los Angeles. . . . Ridler’s plot takes one outrageous twist after another, and most of the novel’s pleasures derive from seeing the unlikeliest characters caught up in its byzantine shenanigans. Filled with smart-aleck banter and period pop culture references, this is a solid sophomore effort.” —Publishers Weekly

“Black Lotus Kiss feels retro and fresh all at once, gritty and real and more hilarious than expected.”—Manhattan Book Review, 4/5 Stars

“Jason Ridler wields his prose with the confidence of a veteran axe-thrower. That dead-eye precision makes Black Lotus Kissa fist-pumping good time for readers who want knuckle-cracking hardboiled fiction spiked liberally with black magic and adrenaline. Read this book or regret it until beyond the grave.” —Chad Dundas, author of Champion of the World

“There's no denying the care and loving detail that's been poured into this book. It's a celebratory mash-up of hard-boiled dicks and supernatural twists—all set in a delightfully greasy 1970s magic-porno-pulp reality.” —Chad Damiani, former World Championship Wrestling announcer and screenwriter

Praise for Hex-Rated

“Terrific fun, dripping with rich period detail and nods to Ed Wood movies and Jack Kirby comics. Smutty, profane, and unapologetically slathered in pulp, Hex-Rated is a loving homage to all the musty, dog-eared paperbacks stuffed in the used bookstore's spinner rack.” —Jason Heller, NPR

“Steeped in the style of 1970s pulp detective fiction . . . Brimstone is cut from the cloth of the classic wisecracking detective, and Ridler peppers the text with perfectly pitched hard-boiled vernacular. The novel’s wild mix of comedy and supernatural perils bodes well for its detective’s future adventures.”—Publishers Weekly

“Rollicking, exotic, and pulpy to the max.”—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Take Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, throw in a double fistful of black magic, and shake until fiery combustion. Bring on more Brimstone Files, immediately.” —Andrew Post, author of Aftertaste

“Deliciously uncomfortable, wonderfully gritty,and a worthy successor to the occult detectives of old.”—Brian Keene, author of The Complex

“The book inside is even better than the cover. . . . This is the first of the Brimstone Files novels, and I can’t wait for the next one. Filthy, magical, and dangerous, Hex-Rated and Jason Ridler should both definitely be on your radar.”—Other Worlds Than These

“Fast paced, clever, and a great example of world-building. I loved the diverse and complicated supporting characters throughout and found the magic and lore to be consistent and handled deftly. . . . it has everything you should be looking for in a supernatural-drenched thriller. And that cover art is sweet.”—Bob Freeman, Occult Detective and author of Keepers of the Dead