Review: Rush To Buy Rushmore
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 14, 2013
This collection of sixteen diverse, entertaining stories from the sure hand of Ed Lynskey is a real treat for readers and a real bargain at the Kindle price of $2.99.Most of the stories have a crime element--some softboiled, some hardboiled, a few somewhere in between. There are touches of mystery, a bit of humor, and several nifty twists.Lynskey's recurring PI character, Frank Johnson (featured in seven novels and numerous short stories) appears here in five of the stories, ranging from the poignant "No Thumbs" to the blunt and violent "How To Defuse A Terrorist"."Lakota Road", another quietly poignant tale, features another recurring character named Payne, whom Lynskey describes as "a hard-luck dude". He is also featured in a second tale entitled "Emily, Thrice Stoned".The title piece, "Smoking on Mount Rushmore", is a quirky, sexy tale with carefully layered character insight and another of those nifty twist endings I mentioned earlier.I also mentioned the sure hand of author Lynskey, which, of course, is evident in all the stories. His dialogue snaps and he is especially adept at presenting the West Virginia working class along with their habits and outlooks.If you're not yet familiar with Lynskey's work, you can start right here to correct that oversight. I predict you will then quickly be in search of more reading with his byline attached to it.Recommended.