Review: Fun, light, pulpish, tale set in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 11, 2010
"Come Here and I'll Show You" by Derek Lantin is an enjoyable action packed tough guy novel that was a fun read.  It's not the kind of novels I usually read, but I'm glad I read it, because it was fun escapism time, and reminded me of the time I spent in Thailand.  It's a pretty simple, straight forward story told in the voice of the hero, Edwards, a former U.S. Army Veteran who spent time in the secret war of Laos.  As such, the book is based in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, and the author's familiarity of the area lends to the enjoyment of reading about this part of the world.The book is written in "pulp" style and starts with, "So I'm sittin' at Smokey-Joes bar an' I'm thinkin' Smokey don't look too happy."  This is the kind of narration throughout the book, and it sort of grows on you.  I've never read Mickey Spillane, but I enjoyed the Mike Hammer television show with Stacy Keach, and this reminded me some of him, and I started thinking I might check out some of those older novels.One of the reasons I liked this book was because the hero, Edwards, is tough.  I like tough guys, and I liked this character.  It was right near the beginning, with this passage, that I really started liking him, "I work out in the gym every day an' I spend a couple of hours at the shootin' range every week.  It's a real busy schedule, but what good is a guy if he ain't tough?"  Yes, I like this guy.  He also has a fondness for attractive women, and they toward him, so it's a good tough, macho guy kind of story, that is light and entertaining to read.About half way through, I was pretty sure I had the title of the book figured out, and I was close.  I was not exactly right, but close enough.  I was glad I was not entirely correct, because I liked the little surprises.  With that said, the story line is pretty simple, and you sort of know where it is going, but that's okay because you can just relax, maybe partake in your favorite beverage as the hero of the tale does on numerous occasions, and enjoy the fun ride.The firsthand knowledge of the area and topic by the author, combined with a "pulpish" fun yarn about a tough hero who likes his women and beverages, makes this a great pick when you want a light quick-paced yarn for some escapism reading.Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks.