Review: Steinbeck could not have done it Better
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 3, 2013
Monterey Mischief is not your average murder mystery. Simpson has created some real characters -- nothing like the faceless PIs in most mysteries.  I felt like I knew these people personally and hated to say goodbye when I finished the book. In fact, I'm not sure I would categorize this book as a mystery. It is much closer to being true literature - something one would expect from Ken Follett, John Irving, or John Steinbeck. It is that good.Simpson also drew me in with his descriptions of Monterey and Mexico. It was more vivid that a movie. I really could visualize the people and places as though I were there. Though the plot is not complex, it is fresh and keeps the reader going until the last page. Where I usually try to discover hidden clues in a mystery, I became far more interested in what Carlos, the protagonist, was going to do next. Will he turn in an ex lover for murder? What is he going to do about the discovery of an art fraud? And what is he going to do after returning from Spain? That last question would make a great sequel.I also enjoyed Carlos' (or should I say Simpson's) knowledge of photography and the hidden references to Oskar Barnak, the father of modern photography, and inventor of the Leica 35 mm camera. Simpson weaves these details, as well as some photographic history, into the story without dragging it down. It becomes part of the fabric: vivid threads that make the story interesting. I love it when I can learn something new without a lecture.I highly recommend this book if you want an engaging read. One that keeps you thinking about the characters long after you've read the last page.