If 6 Were 9 : A "Militant" Mystery

Rating:
Summary: Craven Images
Review: "To be a very good journalist is very hard. To be a mediocre one is easy. All I ever wanted was to be a mediocre journalist...[I] am neither proud nor ashamed of my mediocrity. "

So states Clay Robinette, the protagonist of Jake Lamar's latest novel. Unlike BOURGEIOS BLUES, I do not think this putative mystery is at all autobiographical but I did get the feeling a great deal of Jake could be found in the character of Clay. Try as he might, Mr. Lamar has far too much talent to sink into the bathyal depths of commonality; a number of passages reflect true brilliance in this otherwise pedestrian offering. Mr. Lamar seems to be a writer in search of a genre, and as with his "contemporary black folk" story, CLOSE TO THE BONE, I hope mystery/thriller is merely another pit stop on the raceway to non-fiction.

I'm somewhat of a cynic myself so Mr. Lamar's style is generally appealing. In this story of a sometimes philandering, "victimized," college professor, who formerly was a latent philandering, run-of-the-mill, "victimized" New York Times journalist, everyone has an ulterior motive that periodically intersects their hidden agendas. These characters afford the author ample opportunity to express his cultural and political views. Unmasking the murderer of a manipulative, nubile white coed is the mystery, but that part of the story serves only as backdrop to a stream of sardonic social commentary. Trust no one, believe even fewer, and never, under any circumstance, accept what you observe as valid.

If Mr. Lamar had opted to write a book on the condition of race and relationship in America, sans the translucent vestments of a mystery, I would have rated it at the highest level. As it is, his problematic spavined development of that component cannot be overlooked. There are a number of gaffes no mystery novelist, regardless of seasoning, should have allowed to pass.

Comparatively speaking, fiction is an insulated category. Criticism is generally directed at the storyline as opposed to the writer's personal leanings. I tend to believe Mr. Lamar has the fortitude to withstand the heat of provocative non-fiction. I, for one, am hoping he decides to step out from behind the shield.

Rating:
Summary: If 6 were 9 reviewed by K. White
Review: I know this was supposed to be a mystery, but it had me laughing out loud. Never having read Jake Lamar, I didn't know what I was in for especially with the opening line being full of four letter words. Once past that we find out Pirate Jenny is dead found in a black professor's office who just happens to be his young white student and ex-lover. This doesn't look good for the professor who is not high on everyone's credibility list from being black-balled from his journalistic career for fraud. Whoa. It only gets wilder from there. Looking forward to more of Jake Lamar.

Rating:
Summary: More Like 3.5 stars!
Review: If 6 Were is an intriguing and suspenseful mystery read from Jake Lamar that I stumbled upon one cold, winter day. With a cup of hot chocolate, mild incense and soft music playing in the background, I cuddled up with this book and allowed Lamar to take me into the world of para-militancy, college politics, the world of the CIA/FBI and taboo issues such as incest, S&M and interracial dating. As I read and consumed this book, I quickly realized that If 6 Were 9 was not an ordinary read. The more involved I became with the read the more I felt that the mystery was just the backdrop for Lamar's cultural and political views. The storyline had so much going on that,at times, I wondered what was the focal point. It seemed as tho' every time I was on track regarding the mystery, Lamar would throw in some quirky, satirical element that unfortunately made me skip a beat. While the basic premise of the storyline was "Who Killed the White Girl"...the story so often veered often the beaten path that I was left wondering exactly what was the point . All-in-All, the story was suspenseful, the characters were colorful, and the plot twists and turns were surprising; however, I just wished it was a little more focused. Lamar appears to be a skilled and creative writer so I will check out other books so that I can hopefully gain a better assessment of this writer's style.

Rating:
Summary: More Like 3.5 stars!
Review: If 6 Were is an intriguing and suspenseful mystery read from Jake Lamar that I stumbled upon one cold, winter day. With a cup of hot chocolate, mild incense and soft music playing in the background, I cuddled up with this book and allowed Lamar to take me into the world of para-militancy, college politics, the world of the CIA/FBI and taboo issues such as incest, S&M and interracial dating. As I read and consumed this book, I quickly realized that If 6 Were 9 was not an ordinary read. The more involved I became with the read the more I felt that the mystery was just the backdrop for Lamar's cultural and political views. The storyline had so much going on that,at times, I wondered what was the focal point. It seemed as tho' every time I was on track regarding the mystery, Lamar would throw in some quirky, satirical element that unfortunately made me skip a beat. While the basic premise of the storyline was "Who Killed the White Girl"...the story so often veered often the beaten path that I was left wondering exactly what was the point . All-in-All, the story was suspenseful, the characters were colorful, and the plot twists and turns were surprising; however, I just wished it was a little more focused. Lamar appears to be a skilled and creative writer so I will check out other books so that I can hopefully gain a better assessment of this writer's style.

Rating:
Summary: Overall..I good book
Review: It took me a little while to "get into" this book. Alot of background history was given, that in the long run was needed to get the overall affect. But being inpatient as I am, I wanted it to hurry up and "be good". It was, at long last, a very good mystery. The person (or persons) that I thought had actually committed the murder were not the guilty parties at all. The actual murderer was a complete surprise. The story line was both interesting and completely different. It was indeed a militant mystery with a contemporary storyline.

Rating:
Summary: Overall..I good book
Review: It took me a little while to "get into" this book. Alot of background history was given, that in the long run was needed to get the overall affect. But being inpatient as I am, I wanted it to hurry up and "be good". It was, at long last, a very good mystery. The person (or persons) that I thought had actually committed the murder were not the guilty parties at all. The actual murderer was a complete surprise. The story line was both interesting and completely different. It was indeed a militant mystery with a contemporary storyline.