Done Deal

Rating:
Summary: Solid debut novel
Review: What is it about Florida? It's a magnet for "unusual" characters and this book is full of them. The Kirkus review in the editorial section does a wonderful job of telling the key plot points so I won't be redundant.

I liked a number of things about this book. Johnny/Jack Deal is a very appealing protagonist. While I will always have a bit of a crush on Travis McGee, he isn't exactly a everyday sort of guy. Deal is very much an everyman caught in a vortex of events that are beyond his control or understanding. He responds with a nice mix of anger, humor and action. The supporting cast is also well done - particularly Leon, the heavy for the bad guys. He's strickly a character out of the Hiaasen school of Florida wackos.

I'll be reading the sequel to this book (Raw Deal) soon although I am a bit perplexed as to how Deal will continue to find himself involved in murder. My father was a contractor and the most crime he ever saw was the periodic stealing of materials from a job site. Still, if Jessica Fletcher could encounter a body a week, I'm sure Deal can too.

Rating:
Summary: Solid debut novel
Review: What is it about Florida? It's a magnet for "unusual" characters and this book is full of them. The Kirkus review in the editorial section does a wonderful job of telling the key plot points so I won't be redundant.

I liked a number of things about this book. Johnny/Jack Deal is a very appealing protagonist. While I will always have a bit of a crush on Travis McGee, he isn't exactly a everyday sort of guy. Deal is very much an everyman caught in a vortex of events that are beyond his control or understanding. He responds with a nice mix of anger, humor and action. The supporting cast is also well done - particularly Leon, the heavy for the bad guys. He's strickly a character out of the Hiaasen school of Florida wackos.

I'll be reading the sequel to this book (Raw Deal) soon although I am a bit perplexed as to how Deal will continue to find himself involved in murder. My father was a contractor and the most crime he ever saw was the periodic stealing of materials from a job site. Still, if Jessica Fletcher could encounter a body a week, I'm sure Deal can too.