Review: Not my style
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2013
This is a departure for me; I've mentioned previously that while I enjoy the "cozy" sort of mystery story, I don't often read the grittier, hard-boiled mysteries that make up a substantial percentage of the books in this genre.And gritty is what we get here! It's no spoiler to note that the villain in this piece is a vicious, psychopathic homophobe. The actions of this monster are truly appalling. While it makes for a good mystery plot, I simply didn't find large portions of the book very enjoyable to read; the content was too unpleasant for my tastes.My primary objection to the book---quite apart from the basic content, that is!---was the ridiculously, insanely complicated machinations of the villain's quest for revenge. It was so over-the-top, so complex, that I simply couldn't buy it. Oh, it made for an extremely exciting finale, but at the same time I was thinking "Seriously? Someone who apparently was certifiably insane was actually able to pull that off?"Now, I did enjoy watching the slow-growing relationship that unfolded between Sonny and Luki; both men have been so damaged by their pasts that they have a lot of difficulty in opening up to one another. The prospect of a serious relationship terrifies them; immobilizes them (Luki most particularly). And it's quite gratifying for the reader when things finally do move in that direction, to see how they are changed for the better.(Though---while Luki's past is well documented, I never did get a sense of Sonny's background or exactly how he became the person he is today. And that was another problem for me.)The book, while complete in itself, is apparently the first in the ongoing "Vasquez & James Series." I believe book two explores more of Sonny's life. I confess that I am curious to know what the future holds for Sonny and Luki, but the fact remains that these books simply aren't the sort of mysteries I enjoy. The anti-gay animus in the first book, even though of course it was only displayed by the "bad guys," was quite off-putting for me. And what it all boils down to is that this type of mystery is a bad fit for me personally; not my thing at all. I prefer my reading to be a bit more upbeat and positive in tone. Well---as upbeat as a mystery can be, that is. After all, the genre specializes in dead bodies and the like!That said---I'm quite sure that many people would find this book quite absorbing; a great mystery. But it just wasn't meant for me.Nice cover artwork, though.