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.
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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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