Review: A Touch of Hitchcock Amid a City of Bites
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2011
I grew up watching Alfred Hitchcock and devouring the more than numerous paperbacks associated with the name.  They described in detail the poor schlubs who embezzled, cheated, and murdered.  Once the dirty deed was done, they went through extraordinary lengths to cover up the crime.  Charles (Charlie) is one of those poor schlubs.  He has an obsession with his mother, shades of Norman Bates, and an unfortunate marriage with his wife Mariana.  He's the type with a long fuse, but when it strikes, well...Charles has a tenuous hold on reality and it was hilarious watching him go to great lengths covering up the crime.  Nervous and unsure, berated by the insinuating voice of his mother.  The funniest part of all, he is oblivious to the crashing world around him amid the bites and chomps.What I like about Robert DeCoteau's writing is the loving detail and character interplay that brings you into the story, making you a part of it.  It seduces you and then he brings in the big picture and you're caught in the situation.  Robert DeCoteau's talent is one that cannot be denied.  Catch this story and follow up with the others in his canon.  You won't be disappointed.  Catch his book Don of the Dead as well.  He'll appreciate it; every good writer, such as he, looks for that boost of a thumb's up.P.S., I wonder if MacDonald's will appreciate their appearance here.  As it's been stated, a hand in need is a hand indeed.