Graveyard Grove

Rating:
Summary: "Graveyard Grove" knocks 'em dead!
Review: Ben Dewitt's third novel, "Graveyard Grove", is a knock-out thriller. Once you pick it up and start to read, you won't be able to put it down until the last page has been turned.

The book follows Jefferson Davis Treat, a retired wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, as he joins up with Floyd Carter, a gay detective with the Detroit police force, as they investigate the murder of Treat's father-in-law, a successful businessman and closet homosexual. As they journey from Detroit to Chicago to El Paso, Texas, they hook up with Bennie Myers, the sexy daughter of another businessman involved in the plot, and the three of them go to work to get to the bottom of a criminal ring that specializes in drugs, prostitution and murder.

DeWitt's specialty is character development and political intrigue, and he delivers these strengths in abundance in "Graveyard Grove". Bennie Myers is DeWitt's most interesting character yet, and her strong personality and intense sexuality give this book a great deal of bite. The interplay between Floyd Carter and Jefferson Treat Davis is always interesting and honest, and DeWitt makes the most of these two very different men working together for a common cause.

DeWitt's knowledge of the workings of the government and the many law enforcement agencies that make up our national security system also gives the book a very realistic flavor. The competitions and jealousies between agencies plays a part in the development of the plot, and an extra flair is the addition of several Mexican agencies since the action takes place mostly in El Paso, Texas and its sister city, Juarez, Mexico.

DeWitt knows the playing area of this book geographically and politically, and he uses both to their fullest extent. If you're looking for a book that captures its plot and players to perfection, "Graveyard Grove" is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: A great detective novel with strong characters and plot
Review: This is the third book released by Ben DeWitt. The first novel "No Other Way" is a Korean war novel. The second "Death of a Hummingbird" is a another action mystery. Like Tom Clancy, Mr. DeWitt shows a strong knowledge of current military technology, global politics, the interaction between global police agencies and the military, and the underlying continuing love/hate relationship of Mexico and the United States. Mr. Dewitt captures much of the continuing conflict and flavor of El Paso, Texas, the location for much of the action of "Graveyard Grove". Although both Mexican and U.S. officials may be annoyed by the story line, it clearly is more authentic than what is published in the news or seen on CNN. Local and international politics and personalities are interlaced with action that often overrides national borders. As in life, it becomes very difficult to know who to trust. High officials trade knowledge across national boundaries for their own benefit. Much of the real work gets done only when personal favors are repaid, not through slow official channels. Several of the characters in "Graveyard Grove" are interesting enough to become the basis for a series of their own like "Spencer for Hire". Floyd Carter, the Detroit homicide detective, is a hardened, believable cop with a distinctly human side that is not often spoken of in fiction writing. Jefferson Davis Treat, the retired Detroit Lions football player is ideally positioned in his business to have some great stories of his own to tell. A life history of Sherman Christy, the hired assasin, could fill volumes. Overall, the story is excellent, the writing flows well, and the characters are interesting. I highly recommend "Graveyard Grove" as a novel that you will find hard to put down before you finish it.