Book Review: Snatched

A good mystery with plenty of twists, off-beat characters and a comic undertone. It felt, at times, like watching a classic Three Stooges hallway scene with Larry, Moe and Curly popping in and out of doors. More Janet Evanovich than Coen Brothers, but still a fun read. (4 of 5 Stars)

Snatched on Amazon.com

 

 

Book Review: The Sun Also Rises

I cracked open The Sun Also Rises again on a whim, after listening to a podcast about the story behind Hemingway’s writing of the classic. I kinda wish I hadn’t. If this band of un-merry drinkers were Millennials instead of the “Lost Generation,” I’d no doubt find their Facebook pages insufferable. Some stones are meant to be unturned and some old favorites not to be reread. (2 of 5 Stars)

The Sun Also Rises on Amazon.com

 

 

Book Review: Jesse Garon

Great premise for a mystery — searching for Elvis’s twin brother, instead of The King. (Spoiler alert: no 7-Elevens in Kalamazoo, Michigan figure in this story.) I liked the main character, Phil Allman, but, frankly, “Cinderella Story” endings ain’t really a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich for me, but, hey, I’m not a fascist or an antifa. Since there are no half stars, I rounded up.  (4 of 5 Stars)

Jesse Garon on Amazon.com

 

 

Book Review: Being Written, A Novel

As one who barely manages to control or corral the characters I put to page, I was hooked from the moment I read the description of Being Written.  The idea of a minor character subverting an author’s plot line for his own gain was not only intriguing, but made the writer in me curious how Conescu would pull it off.  Well, he did and it was great fun.  While some may not care for the ending, I found it absolutely perfect for the story. (5 of 5 Stars)

Being Written on Amazon.com

 

 

Book Review: Superheat

An “everyman” action story, Superheat’s plot keeps you moving along like a kayak in white water rapids, as Industrial Engineer Daniel Robles runs afoul of meth cookers, cops & evil corporate weenies at work and lovers & lesbians on the home front.  (4 of 5 Stars)

Superheat on Amazon.com

 

 

Book Review: Burritos and Gasoline

When I got to the end of this road trip, I was kind of scratching my head and staring at the map, wondering how, exactly, I got here from there.  Like, the bridge was out, but we made it anyway without taking a detour. Redemption seemed to come just a little too easily and conveniently for Frank, so while I had rooted for him to pull out of his “death spiral” on the journey down I95, his “happily ever after” victory felt a bit hollow.  (3 of 5 Stars)

Link to Burritos and Gasoline on Amazon

Book Review: Pistol Poets

I’ve got kind of a rule never to read novels set in academia where the main character is a writer as I’ve found most have a “hothouse fiction” flavor to them. But rules are made to be broken and I made an exception with Pistol Poets. Alas, I almost didn’t make it past the first chapter. A quick search of Google maps would have shown Victor that East St. Louis is in Illinois, not Missouri. Other distractions included “automatic” pistols, clips and cordite, making this seem more a poorly researched MFA project with potential than prime time fiction. (3 of 5 Stars)

Link to Pistol Poets on Amazon