Started: April 3
Finished: April 15
Notes: I came about this novel by accident, and almost by tragedy. I was visiting a friend a while back when we dropped in at his parents' house. Sitting in the garbage can in the kitchen was the hardback version of this book. Which is why I call it "almost a tragedy." Never throw away a book. Never! Sell it or give it away, but don't throw it away. So I rescued the book and took it home. I have never read this author and know next to nothing about him, other than I believe he is known for thrillers, but I always enjoy experience an author for the first time. Let's see how good this guy is.
Mini review: A pretty decent novel. Not great, but entertaining enough, especially as the protagonist is pretty funny in a sarcastic fashion. I won't go into too many details so as not to spoil anything, but this one involves an attorney and his ex-wife and their children and an unfortunate past they shared with a late mafia boss, but now it's ten years later and the mob chief's son is grown and comes looking for payback. I can't say I'll go out and buy any DeMille novels any time soon, but I can say this: Of all the modern thrillers writers I've read in the last few years, this is the only one who didn't send me away feeling as if I'd been insulted as a reader, as if I'd been written down to. DeMille is a pretty good writer, though I only base this upon this one novel, yet he's no Mario Puzo or Ed McBain, both of whom are tops in my book.
2 comments:
His acerbic wit is, to me, the biggest draw. I don't know how many times I have referred to the note on the fridge about the horse. But that may not have been this book. Charm School is great.
I read some of his stuff years ago and enjoyed it. Haven't read anything recently. Glad you saved this book. A tragedy indeed to throw away a book. I don't understand it.
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