A well-built mystery that’s stronger than its flaws.
Sex, murder and a runaway case of psychic ability combine to complicate the life of a hapless photographer in Scott’s debut entry of a planned mystery series.
Shifting between multiple viewpoints and timelines, the narrative’s main thrust follows Phoenix photographer Lance Underphal, a 57-year-old man barely eking out a living taking crime scene photos for a local newspaper. A former electrical contractor, Underphal is still reeling from hard times that left him broke, a widower and, worst of all, haunted by his wife’s voice. As he struggles to make sense of the clairvoyant flashes that leave him increasingly haggard and unable to function, his reporter boss, Lacey Friends, is growing close to homicide detective Frank Salmon. Despite poor first impressions, Underphal is soon providing information to Salmon, who uses it to make headway in his investigation of a developer’s violent murder. However, the violence spreads, and not even Underphal’s ability to see the dead can keep up with the spiraling darkness that surrounds the first—but nowhere near the last—killing. As promised in the novel’s disclaimer, there’s copious sex and violence throughout the book, but Scott treats it as part of the story, for the most part avoiding gratuitous mentions to concentrate on advancing the plot. The numerous shifts in time and perspective can be disconcerting at first; however, readers familiar with nonlinear storylines will have no trouble, especially after the first few chapters, when the narrative develops a rhythm that helps anchor the reader. Scott handles the primary character voices with confidence, and he uses the Phoenix geography to good effect in establishing the tone and setting. But not all aspects of the book work as well: The female characters are almost invariably thin in description, virtually all of them described in terms of sexual attractiveness, which doesn’t help develop them as people. Furthermore, much of the dialogue and physical descriptions go on for several beats longer than necessary, seemingly undermining the author’s trust in the readers to understand what he’s saying. Overall, however, Scott crafts an intriguing hook and a sympathetic protagonist in a world that, while seemingly depraved and dark, is clearly recognizable and believable.
A well-built mystery that’s stronger than its flaws.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1938701955
Page Count: 402
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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