Black Maps

Rating:
Summary: Great Book -- Hard to Believe it is a Debut Novel
Review: As an avid mystery reader, I am always looking for the next "new thing" in the genre. I think that I have found it. Black Maps is an exciting debut in what I hope will become a long series of mysteries set in my hometown of NYC.

The writer spins an exciting and complex tale that gives equal weight to atmosphere, character development, action, and of course, plot. He draws the reader into the world of banking and Wall Street. While he does present some pretty detailed and technical financial information, he does so with such style and ease, that it neither boring, nor difficult to follow.

John March easily has to be the most exciting new PI character to come on the scene in a awhile. Like most detective characters, he's tough, smart, and always skeptical -- but that's where the similarities end. He's the black sheep of a well to do family, plus he's also got a boat load of guilt to contend with, thanks to the untimely death of his wife. (Hopefully that story will be developed in a prequel someday!) He's also got some unusual hobbies for a PI -- running, music, and reading, to name a few, which make him quite interesting, and a true New Yorker.

Black Maps is a great read for any fan of fiction, mystery, NYC, or of great writing. In fact, I'd have to say that thing that most excites me about Spiegelman is his writing style. Its quality is well beyond what most people would expect in a book of this genre. If you love to read, get this book.

One last comment, if there are any Steely Dan fans out there reading this review, you should definitely read this book!

Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Read
Review: Black Maps is a page turner, full of exciting scenes that expose the true nature of greed, power, and fear. The characters in the story come to life through detailed descriptions and crisp narrative and dialogue, while the backdrop of Wall St/New York City evokes a feeling of glamour and danger.

What makes Black Maps such a great read is the complex story line with all its twists and turns. Just when you think you have it figured out, the story shifts in another direction. Just when you think all is well, more danger lurks behind the next corner, or in this case, on the next page!

Black Maps is great mystery with alot of substance. Its the type of book that one can read more than once, with the same sense of enjoyment each time.

It's truly one to be tried by all mystery fans.

Rating:
Summary: Complex Debut Novel: Black Maps by Peter Spiegelman
Review: In this debut novel, author Peter Spiegelman has created a complex and entertaining character, John March, who hopefully will be at the center of many mysteries to come. John March is now a private investigator three years after his life collapsed with the death of his wife thanks to a serial killer he was stalking on behalf of his employer at the time, the FBI. The pain is still fresh as are the constant and well-meaning efforts from family concerning his chosen profession. After all they reason, when one is born to money one should stay in a money field to make more and what he does for a living is so unseemly.

But March goes his own way as most loners do and at the request of a friend takes the strange case of Rick Pierro. Rick is wealthy by anyone's standards and is being blackmailed. From documents the blackmailer supplied and is threatening to use, it appears that Rick was a small part of a massive money-laundering scheme years ago. Part of the scheme has come to light in the last year or so and multiple investigations are underway. While Rick admits to doing business deals with the principals named in the documents, he claims that the documents themselves are fakes and that all his deals were and still are legit. With his job on Wall Street in jeopardy, Rick wants to pay off the blackmailer once, if the person can be convinced not to come back for more. Rick can't afford a hint of scandal should anything come out but has no intention of being bled dry either.

March thinks the whole deal is strange and problematic at best but agrees to do what he can. Before long, he suspects that Rick is lying to him and that Rick isn't the only one that the blackmailer has blackmailed. But the blackmailer, who takes offense at being looked for isn't the only one that has resources to deal with March. So too does a Federal Prosecutor and her task force which have to show result from months of investigation and at this point, they don't care how they go about it.

Hammered from all sides, March works the case in this complex and enjoyable novel. March is multi layered and complex as are many of the supporting characters. These characters were not cut out from cardboard but are instead created and soon come alive in the reader's imagination as the work moves forward.

At the same time, the storyline continually twists and turns as the novel works towards a conclusion hidden in the shadows. Nothing is what it seems or appears to be and as things move forward, events and characters get murkier and murkier in this gritty novel. This is an amazing book that this review does not do justice and is well worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: Hoping for more from this author
Review: This book is a terrific debut by a new author, and I'm always thrilled to discover one who can write the way he can. His character, John March, is an ex-deputy sheriff turned private investigator working in New York city, and the case in Black Maps concerns financial shenanigans and blackmail at a very high level. Very well written and Spiegelman makes the world of high finance seem interesting - not an easy task, I'm certain. His characters are well developed and the plot, while complicated, is easy to follow.
If I have any complaints, it is that he kind of over emphasizes his character's physical fitness: John March seems to live on tuna and yogurt and runs five to twenty miles every day. When he's not running, he's working out at the gym. I felt like saying, "okay, okay, we know he's physically fit - now move on!"
But that's a small gripe and I feel almost guilty at mentioning it, since the book is so good otherwise.
All in all, a very good read, and I hope to hear more from this author.