Review: Al Capone at the Blanch Hotel Linda Bennett Pennell
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2014
1930, O’leno, FL. Jack Blevins (12) & his BMF Ezekiel (Zeke) & Isaiah Taylor (African American) were sitting by the river fishing & got scared because there is a stranger getting out of his car they do not know. Jack told his sister Margaret & Meg (18) Blevins about the man throwing a canvas wrapped body in the Santa Fe sinkhole river. Dr. Latham’s car was found.Jack’s dad used to be friends with Zeke’s dad & did not want him playing with him anymore. Jack & Meg (18) were very close because they had survived the Scarlet Fever epidemic. Jimmy (2) was their younger brother. Jack had hid his/Zeke’s fishing poles in a hollowed out tree & they were gone. Arnold is the dad. Deputy Sheriff DeWitt Williams (Seminole Indian) is Meg’s fiancé. Meg tells him the boy’s story. Sheriff Ike Darnell (moonshine) is the boss.Meg works as a waitress & chamber maid for a Hotel. Her boss is Albert Menzie. George Phillips (a.k.a. Alfonso Capone) & Vito were eating in the restaurant. Deputy Sheriff DeWitt Williams acknowledges their being in there eating. Deputy Sheriff DeWitt Williams & Meg goes  to Ichetucknee Springs to see Zeke’s G/P Mr. Taylor is he running moonshine?Fast forward 2011, Gainesville FL. Dr. Liz Reams had just moved from Seattle, WA. She is a crime writer (Alfonse Capone, Baby Face Nelson, Elliot Ness, Scarface). She was doing her dissertation on this topic. She starts her research (Lake City Blanche Hotel, Palm Island).Liz was still seeing Johnathan who is in the Navy & stationed in TX, soon to be deployed. He had not returned from his tour to the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Jacksonville FL. Roberta proof read’s Liz’s manuscripts for her.Liz’s research of 1930, turns up some remarkable news: Charlie Blankenship of O’Leno FL; had been reported missing by his common law wife. James Jamie Tuttle found with a bullet to his head in 5 Points. Moses Jackson (55, African American) found strung up in a tree, with a cross burning probably the KKK (1930, Columbia Tribune Editor Silas Barnes).Will Deputy Sheriff DeWitt Williams solve the crime of the body being thrown in the river, & the killer(s) brought to justice? Will Dewitt & Meg get married? Will DeWitt beat out Sheriff Ike Darnell & get elected sheriff some day? Will Dr. Liz Reams get her crime manuscript published. Will Liz & Johnathan got married?Cool book cover, font & writing style. I love crime & I love history. A historical trance back/forth in time, a true to life, suspense filled, crime filled mystery. I just can’t say enough about this very well written book, easy to read/follow, never a dull moment. Lots of surprising twists/turns. No grammar errors, or out of line/repetitive sequence sentences. Quite the unique set of characters. Could be the makings of a Chicago mob mystery or KKK movie. An easy 5 stars for this book.Thank you for the free bookTony Parsons MSW (Washburn)