The Wonderland Murders

Rating:
Summary: Trendsetting Mystery
Review: I first noticed Mr. Braithwaite's Wonderland Murders featured in the Sisters in Crime celebration issue of Publishers Weekly within the pages of an article profiling "Rising Stars" of mystery fiction. In an age in which men are writing in the voices of female protagonists and white Americans are creating leads of the widest possible variety of ethnic backgrounds, I found it refreshing to read this book by an African-American author starring a Latino private detective.

While set in today's suburban Los Angeles, its story reaches beyond the standard updated Raymond Chandler/Ross Macdonald sub-genre. The Wonderland Murders tells a tale of our time with serious social themes planted at its core. With a series of murders at the heart of the story, the novel deals with themes such as exploitation and assimilation with basic American values reverberating from its literary soul. Jesse Ascencio, his family, and the supporting characters are marvelous creations. The final plot twist came as an utter surprise, though it fit in perfectly with the events of the story.

I believe Mr. Braithwaite will be a rising star of mystery fiction, and I am most happy to have discovered this trendsetting mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Amusement Park Noir
Review: ... This Wonderland is located in California, near the Pacific instead of the Atlantic Ocean. The story deals with a private eye who is styled after the PIs in the classics, but with contemporary updates such as his ethnicity and his charming family. The story is as fresh as today's headlines. The plot addresses cultural diversity and immigration issues while also telling an entertaining mystery story. I enjoyed Kent Braithwaite's narrative voice and his sharply written dialog. I liked the way Braithwaite moved his story and his detective out of the confines of the amusement park and into our society as a whole. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS is a gritty book in the noir tradition. If such mysteries are your can of cat food, you'll like this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderland Rocks
Review: The Wonderland Murders is a perfectly written mystery. The opening scene, a murder in California theme park, gripped me. The rest of the first chapter laid the foundation for the rest of the novel. Key characters are introduced, and overriding themes begin to be developed.

Jesse Ascencio, the private eye lead in the mystery, is certainly a contemporary man facing contemporary issues. While the murder hunt is the novel's primary conflict, several subplots--internal and external--to this fully fleshed-out character keep the storyline moving swiftly. Ascencio is a good man struggling to be better. He has a family he loves and friends he cares about. He has the code of honor first introduced by Raymond Chandler and updated by authors such as Ross Macdonald, Marcia Muller, and Robert Parker since then.

Again, The Wonderland Murders is a magnificent mystery novel. Its plot moves in unexpected yet in thoroughly realistic directions. Even the villain, the suspects, and the other supporting characters are fully developed individuals. I believe Kent Braithwaite is at the dawn of a magnificent career. I salute him. Wonderland Rocks!

Rating:
Summary: The Book I'm Taking to Bouchercon
Review: When I finish writing this review, I will finish packing my luggage for the Las Vegas Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. Kent Braithwaite's Wonderland Murders will be in my bag. I'm hoping to get this mystery novel signed by its author.

Braithwaite is a rising star of the mystery community, and The Wonderland Murders is his debut novel. Two more books in his Jesse Ascencio series are forthcoming. I want his signature on this first edition.

Braithwaite's private detective hails from the classic Hammett/Chandler/Macdonald/Grafton tradition yet he functions realistically in our modern world. Ascencio is Latino. He is married. He has two children and a varied professional career. He is a poet with a social conscience and a man who walks the mean streets of our America. He is a man who is good enough for his world or any world.

The story of Wonderland involves, on the surface, a series of homicides that happen at a California amusement park. With the Pacific Coast as a backdrop, Ascencio solves these crimes in a fast-paced and exciting adventure. Serious social issues are also in the mix. Romance plays a key part in the tale. The Wonderland Murders is a contemporary noir novel that represents the future of crime fiction, and I'm taking it to Bouchercon, where I hope Kent Braithwaite will be speaking, to get it signed!

Rating:
Summary: dull and predictable
Review: The book has an interesting premise but the plotting proved dull and predictable, the writing stiff, and the characters one-dimensional. If you want an example of California Noir at its best try Raymond Chandler or Ross McDonald instead.

Rating:
Summary: Dull and poorly written
Review: Based on the large number of recommendations and the many lists throughout the book section of this site, I picked up this novel. I was hoping for a good mystery but found it rather lacking. The story lacked suspense and the writing style was limited. ...

Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Jewel of a Mystery
Review: I came across The Wonderland Murders when I noticed Kent Braithwaite's recipe in the recently published Second Helping of Murder. Braithwaite's work was featured with the work of such authors as Dick Francis, Linda Barnes, Raymond Chandler, and Agatha Christie. I gave this book a try.

I enjoyed it immensely. It was a swift and stylistic read. The Hispanic lead, a private eye, is representative of our time and the southern California mystery literary tradition. The plot hooked me. Braithwaite's brisk prose kept me reading all night. He knows how to write. He knows how to tell a story. The murderer's identity took me by surprise, and I loved the supporting characters and the various sublots. The Wonderland Murders is an exciting jewel of a mystery.

Rating:
Summary: A Gift For My Soldier
Review: My husband is stationed in Iraq. I've spent many nights alone reading mysteries. I love mysteries, every type of mysteries. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS takes place in a California beach community where my husband grew up. Its murders center around an amusement park. My husband worked at Disneyland as a teenager. This book was a perfect read for me. I loved the story. I loved the detective. I enjoyed the detective's poetry and his ethical standards. His family was a joy to get to know. The story was exciting. It moved quickly. Its ending was a major, though adequately foretold, surprise. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS is a terrif novel, and it is going into my Christmas package to a certain one of our troops I know well and miss terribly. I hope it reminds him of home and those of us who are eagerly awaiting his return. I encourage everyone to read Mr. Braithwaite's mystery novel.

Rating:
Summary: Dull
Review: This is a dull and unimaginative novel. I'm not sure what book the other reviewers read, but Wonderland Murder is a pure bore.

Rating:
Summary: Thriller from a Man of Mystery
Review: Kent Braithwaite, author of THE WONDERLAND MURDERS, appeared at an important California mystery event called Men of Mystery. I met him when he was signing his thriller sitting next to James Patterson. I gave author Braithwaite a try after chatting briefly with the gentleman while author Patterson signed a batch of his novels for me.

THE WONDERLAND MURDERS is an impressive modern crime novel. It takes place in Orange County (AKA OC) and involves homicides that occur at a beachfront amusement park. The happily-married detective is Hispanic, and the story is a serious one with noirish themes and attitudes. It deals too with social concerns. Author Braithwaite's prose reads swiftly and his story turns unexpectedly. It is an excellent novel.