Galveston
by Nic Pizzolatto
Galveston by Nic Pizzolatto holds a well received rating of 3.72 out of 5, based on 7.6K reader ratings. First published in 2004. The book spans 258 pages.
About Galveston
Recalling the moody violence of the early novels of Cormac McCarthy and Denis Johnson, a dark and visceral debut set along the seedy wastelands of Galveston by a young writer with a hard edge to his potent literary style. On the same day that Roy Cady is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he senses that his boss, a dangerous loan-sharking bar-owner, wants him dead. Known “without affection” to members of the boss’s crew as “Big Country” on account of his long hair, beard, and cowboy boots, Roy is alert to the possibility that a routine assignment could be a deathtrap. Which it is. Yet what the would-be killers do to Roy Cady is not the same as what he does to them, which is to say that after a smoking spasm of violence, they are mostly dead and he is mostly alive.Before Roy makes his getaway, he realizes there are two women in the apartment, one of them still breathing, and he sees something in her frightened, defiant eyes that causes a fateful decision. He takes her with him as he goes on the run from New Orleans to Galveston, Texas—an action as ill-advised as it is inescapable. The girl’s name is Rocky, and she is too young, too tough, too sexy—and far too much trouble. Roy, Rocky, and her sister hide in the battered seascape of Galveston’s country-western bars and fleabag hotels, a world of treacherous drifters, pickup trucks, and ashed-out hopes. Any chance that they will find safety there is soon lost. Rocky is a girl with quite a story to tell, one that will pursue and damage Roy for a very long time to come in this powerful and atmospheric thriller, impossible to put down. Constructed with maximum tension and haunting aftereffect, written in darkly beautiful prose, Galveston announces the arrival of a major new literary talent.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Nic Pizzolatto |
| Published | 2004 |
| Pages | 258 |
| Genres | Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller, Fiction |
| Average Rating | 3.72 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 7,601 |
Reader Ratings & Analysis
Rating Overview
How It Compares
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Galveston?
Galveston is categorized as Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller, Mystery & Thriller. Its primary genre classification is Mystery & Thriller.
Is Galveston worth reading?
Based on 7.6K reader ratings, Galveston has an average score of 3.72 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."
How many pages is Galveston?
Galveston has 258 pages.
Who wrote Galveston?
Galveston was written by Nic Pizzolatto. It was first published in 2004.
What is the ISBN for Galveston?
The ISBN-13 for Galveston is 9781439166640.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 22, 2026
