Rating: 
Summary: My Favorite Book This Year
Review: I was hesitant to read The Wonderland Murders. After all, the media attention surrounding this mystery novel has been extraordinary. Newsweek, National Public Radio, major commercial TV and radio stations, and countless newspapers have all featured glowing stories about this book. Mr. Braithwaite has spoken far and wide at literary gatherings, book festivals, and mystery conventions all over this country. I expected disappointed. I wasn't disappointed. The Wonderland Murders is my favorite book of the year so far. (It is only May, so there is a ways still to go.)I know a thing or two about mystery fiction and America's literary and social traditions. The Wonderland Murders ties the mystery genre to American literarture in the best ways possible. It is a popular fiction work that will survive the test of literary time. Chandler, Hammett, and Macdonald come to mind. The Wonderland Murders deals with a Southern California private eye that is confronted by a series of murders at a California theme park. As he solves the crimes, the reader learns much about this character, his family, today's world, and American society as a whole. The Wonderland Murders is a fast-paced thriller that succeeds on all levels. It is a great debut work by Mr. Braithwaite.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable & Blah!
Review: I thought writer Braithwaite's debut novel was predictable and blah. A major disappointment to say the least! Hopefully his next book will be less amaturish. I like the mystery books I read to sparkle but The Wonderland Murders (yawn) well, you know what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: A LEFT COAST WONDER
Review: I heard Kent Braithwaite speak while he was featured on an author panel at Pasadena's Left Coast Crime convention flanked by Roger L. Simon and Robert Ferrigno. What company Mr. Braithwaite keeps! Both Ferrigno and Simon are bestselling legends. Some questions from the packed conference room were aimed by name to Braithwaite, and he held his own with his heavyweight companions. Following the panel, I picked up The Wonderland Murders, got it autographed, and read it in one night. Braithwaite's book is a fast-paced thriller that Ferrigno quoted Newsweek as saying "might well be a great book." It was. It's a modern noir work featuring a Hispanic family man private eye. It takes place in sunny Southern California, and reveals the darkside of that paradise. It is a mystery that deserves the notice it has received and is still receiving. I'm thrilled I bought this thriller.
Rating:
Summary: A Pelecanos of the West
Review: If you enjoy the mystery novels of George Pelecanos, you'll enjoy Kent Braithwaite's Wonderland Murders. Braithwaite, like Pelecanos, tackles sophisticated socio-economic and multicultural themes within the format of the mystery page-turner. Unlike Pelecanos, Braithwaite's mystery is set in America's West, along the California coast and in the environs of Reno. It has a heavy plot that moves swiftly. Its protagonist and his associates appear to be series characters, and I will enthusiastically buy future mysteries in this series.
Rating:
Summary: A Five-Star California Noir
Review: P>...Kent Braithwaite spoke at length about the literary roots of his detective series and the up-to-date themes he attempts to address in his debut mystery, THE WONDERLAND MURDERS. In this work, he succeeds masterfully. His detective lead, Jesse Ascencio, is an California noir hero proud of his Hispanic heritage. The story's plotline involves a series of murders occurring at a Pacific Coast theme park. His villains, suspects, and secondary characters are all believable creations. The novel is a fast read, and I consider it a masterwork of California noir.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheap Binding, Cheaper content
Review: ...This is a dull tawdry tale that proves that good writing does not always make for entertaining reading. In other words, yes, this guy has a writers education, but none of the writers art. Hopefully, a little more practice will help. This book may appeal to a certain sort of reader, but don't look to it for mass appeal for a broad audience. This book earns it's one star based on the fact that the main character was different from the stereotype, but even that was overdone to the point that he was not believeable. It was nice to have an hispanic hero, but he deserves to be represented with a better plot and persona. To top off the delightful experience of reading this book, the pages started falling out of the book from the start. ...
Rating:
Summary: Simply Astonishing
Review: On rare occasions, a debut writer creates a simply astonishing book. Kent Braithwaite has created one with his WONDERLAND MURDERS. It marks the first appearance of a Hispanic PI named Jesse Ascencio. While born into poverty, Jesse's married into California wealth, and this novel shows American culture at an evolutionary crossroads. The novel also presents a terrific mystery with a fine plot and intriguing characters. A simply astonishing debut effort!
Rating:
Summary: Buzz of the Bouchercon
Review: One of the things I enjoy most about going to mystery community events such as the World Mystery Convention--the Bouchercon--that was recently held in Austin is hearing the buzz from fellow informed readers about the rising stars of the mystery genre. In Austin this year, I kept hearing a few new names. Names including Lauren Henderson, Steve Hamilton, Rochelle Krich, Rick Riordan, and Kent Braithwaite. While the first four authors have several books published by large publishing houses, Mr. Braithwaite's WONDERLAND MURDERS is his debut novel. It is published by a small Florida press, and I found it to be an excellent read. From discussions at the Bouchercon, I understand the author is still making numerous appearances in his home base of California where the story takes place. This book has built its reputation like the recent independent film GREEK WEDDING. Word of mouth appreciation has built the reputation of this mystery, and its reputation keeps growing. One woman was carrying a recently-released Japanese edition of WONDERLAND MURDERS that she was hoping to get signed by the author. This mystery is truly an amazing American small press success story. It is an exciting read with many fresh twists on mystery genre conventions. It is all I expected and more. I'm glad a attended this year's Bouchercon and heard this buzz.
Rating:
Summary: Unrelentingly Dull
Review: This was a poorly plotted novel with leaden dialogue and paper-thin character development. The story line wasn't remotely plausible, and the ending was predictable. Try Ross McDonald for California-based mystery novels.
Rating:
Summary: Gracias, Kent Braithwaite
Review: I really enjoyed THE WONDERLAND MURDERS. I thought it was an excellent mystery telling a fine story. It was exciting and interesting. It had a redeeming social point of view. Read it, if you can.
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