Vengeance

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read--Though Fonesca's No Rostnikov
Review: A finely crafted new character, Lew Fonesca, a Sarasota, Florida process server with both brain and heart who finds people with a little help from his friends. Very enjoyable read, and a real page turner. But as far as I'm concerned none of Mr. Kaminsky's many fine title characters come close to my very favorite: Porfiry Rostnikov ("The Tub") and his quirky band of crack Moscow detectives. Mr. Kaminsky can keep on writing the others, and Fonesca is one of his better ones, but I PRAY that he brings Porfiry back. I really miss him.

Rating:
Summary: After Rosnikov, a disappointment
Review: After having gone through almost every Rostnikov mystery with great joy, I was eagerly anticipating Kaminsky's new main protaganist, Lew Fonesca. But unfortunately I was disappointed. The characters just weren't that interesting to me, particularly Fonesca. I guess it's because I could identify more with Rostnikov - a sincere guy trying to do the best for himself, his family, and his fellow man. Fonesca, for whatever reason, seems aimless. Rostnikov was also grappling with "the system" whereas Fonesca had essentially dropped out. These observations are applicable to most of the characters in both stories.
The plot, though interesting and entertaining, was dominated by the personalities. And the intricacies and resolution of the plot came too late to have a major effect on how I responded to the book.

Rating:
Summary: After Rosnikov, a disappointment
Review: After having gone through almost every Rostnikov mystery with great joy, I was eagerly anticipating Kaminsky's new main protaganist, Lew Fonesca. But unfortunately I was disappointed. The characters just weren't that interesting to me, particularly Fonesca. I guess it's because I could identify more with Rostnikov - a sincere guy trying to do the best for himself, his family, and his fellow man. Fonesca, for whatever reason, seems aimless. Rostnikov was also grappling with "the system" whereas Fonesca had essentially dropped out. These observations are applicable to most of the characters in both stories.
The plot, though interesting and entertaining, was dominated by the personalities. And the intricacies and resolution of the plot came too late to have a major effect on how I responded to the book.

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed reading this book...
Review: and it is difficult not to like him.

I'm a fan of Kaminsky's Abe Lieberman series, but I like Lew even better. Picture someone in midlife who drifts to Florida when his wife dies; and puts together a very simplistic lifestyle in one of Florida's wealthiest communities. You get a great look at Sarasota from the back of a Dairy Queen! You get a hero with a real sense of humor and a knack with people who is masquerading as a process server. You get a strong set of supporting characters, particularly in Flo, Sally, Ames and the fascinating Harvey, a computer research maven and Dr. Ann Horowitz, Lew's elderly psychiatrist.

In "Vengeance", the first time we get together with Lew (a Stanley Tucci lookalike), Kaminsky has woven together two different mysteries, one of which is exceedingly difficult to figure out. The characters are more carefully drawn and the romance is soft and believable. Fonesca is someone could very probably have met in your own lifetime, and his unassuming habits and thoughts are in sharp contrast to his quick wit and humor... A tidbit...

"I'm gay, Mr. Fonesca. I told you." "Why do they call it gay? Most of the homosexuals I've known are smiling on the outside and depressed on the inside", I said. "Like you?" "There is a distinct similarity", I said, sinking back into the chair.

A great and breezy read; makes you want Kaminsky to keep returning to Lew in the future!

Rating:
Summary: Lew Fonesca is a quirky everyman...
Review: and it is difficult not to like him.

I'm a fan of Kaminsky's Abe Lieberman series, but I like Lew even better. Picture someone in midlife who drifts to Florida when his wife dies; and puts together a very simplistic lifestyle in one of Florida's wealthiest communities. You get a great look at Sarasota from the back of a Dairy Queen! You get a hero with a real sense of humor and a knack with people who is masquerading as a process server. You get a strong set of supporting characters, particularly in Flo, Sally, Ames and the fascinating Harvey, a computer research maven and Dr. Ann Horowitz, Lew's elderly psychiatrist.

In "Vengeance", the first time we get together with Lew (a Stanley Tucci lookalike), Kaminsky has woven together two different mysteries, one of which is exceedingly difficult to figure out. The characters are more carefully drawn and the romance is soft and believable. Fonesca is someone could very probably have met in your own lifetime, and his unassuming habits and thoughts are in sharp contrast to his quick wit and humor... A tidbit...

"I'm gay, Mr. Fonesca. I told you." "Why do they call it gay? Most of the homosexuals I've known are smiling on the outside and depressed on the inside", I said. "Like you?" "There is a distinct similarity", I said, sinking back into the chair.

A great and breezy read; makes you want Kaminsky to keep returning to Lew in the future!

Rating:
Summary: Very poorly edited
Review: I enjoyed "Vengeance," mostly because I liked the off-beat characters and the amusing dialogue. The Lew Fonseca character is very funny. Such characters as Lew's cut-rate therapist, the gun-toting sidekick, Lew's alcoholic but warm-hearted friend, Flo, and the computer hacker named Harvey are nicely portrayed. The plot is not particularly realistic or even all that interesting, but this book is worth reading for the droll and fairly strange people that Kaminsky has created.

Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: I have been a Toby "Peelers" fan for ages and was delighted to find out Stuart Kaminsky has begun a new series. Yea, Stuart!

Right from page one, I was suckered into Lew Fonesca's world. I hope it doesn't take too long for the second book to appear, but I will wait patiently. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Poor Editing of a Mystery with Appealing New Characters!
Review: Mysteries are seldom strong in characterization. Usually, the mechanics of the plot keep the author more than busy. Vengeance succeeds very well at both levels. This first entry into what could become a series holds great promise. Surprisingly, though, it is marred by more errors that should have been caught than any other novel I have read in years. I have accordinlgy graded down what otherwise would have been a rave review. Authors usually get a chance to catch errors in galley stage, so the profesional editors should probably not get all the blame here.

Lew Fonseca has integrity and persistence going for him, but little else. No one is going to mistake him for Nick Charles, Sam Spade, or Mike Hammer. He is licensed as a process server, and gets occasional jobs from attorneys to find people. Like a terrier, he gets to the bottom of where the missing people are. He is lucky to get paid $50 a day. He lives in his office. He gets leads for jobs at the Dairy Queen, where he eats most of his meals. He gets around by walking or riding a bike . . . unless he can charge a rental car to a client. He's depressed and has a hard time taking danger seriously. Perhaps he even has an unconscious death wish. He lost his wife three years before, and hasn't recovered yet. In this mystery, he is asked to find a runaway teenaged girl who is probably being sexually abused by her father. Separately, a local businessman asks him to find his missing wife. Normally, Lew has no work. Now he has too much. He puts his attention mostly on the runaway, and still can't keep up. And who is that mysterious man who's following him?

Lew Fonseca's buddies are as vivid in their uniqueness and appeal as he is. You'll enjoy thinking about them as examples of how the purpose of your life is more important than the resources you have. The book has a strong moral tone, without being preachy, that saves the book from being disgusting as various extreme forms of human depravity are exposed.

The mystery was hard for me to solve. Maybe you'll get it sooner than I did, but I was puzzled up until the last few pages. That made the book much more enjoyable for me.

A good lesson from this book is to consciously avoid judging people by their appearances and occupations. Everyone is different from what they seem. Try getting acquainted with someone you would normally not spend time with, and see how many of your assumptions about that person turn out to be wrong. That's a good way to overcome the Ugly Duckling stall!

Rating:
Summary: A Very Appealing New Character
Review: The author has done a great job of developing the main character. I hope he'll continue with more Lew Fonesca mysteries! Let's hope, though, that he finds a different publisher. I cannot remember reading a more poorly edited book. The errors were so numerous they became a major distraction from a well-crafted story.

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed reading this book...
Review: This is my first book by Stuart M. Kaminsky, I enjoyed his work a lot, I highly recommend it.