Review: I can't wait to get to the murders!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2008
No existential or teenage coming of age angst here! What we seem to have is a man who is going through a mid-life crisis of sorts. Donovan Grant is hiding - not really from himself or from his fears - more, it would seem, from his past or from events which during the length of this brief introductory excerpt, remain as yet undisclosed to the reader. He has a respectable, decent if poorly paid job as a pilot ferrying passengers from Fiji to a swank island hotel which seems to be well within his skills. But he's also abundantly aware of his shortcomings and he's wrestling with these demons - an overactive libido, a fondness for the demon alcohol, a sense of insecurity, the memories of a marriage that somehow rotted out from underneath him, and an almost incapacitating inability to make simple decisions.While the excerpt is purely a basis for building Donovan Grant's character and gives no indication of the Agatha Christie type mystery which is referred to in the synopsis, Doug Wicker's writing to this point is pure joy. His dialogue is so completely natural and witty. Even in this brief excerpt, the humour ranges from outrageous puns to wry groaners and hilarious belly laughs. In fact, it is so engaging that I groaned with dismay as I reached the end of the sample introductory chapters. I've got my fingers crossed hoping he finds a willing publisher who will let me get to the rest of the mystery.I only have one question. Is Old Abbey Brown Ale a real English beer? It sounds delicious. What a great name!Paul Weiss