Casting in Dead Water

Rating:
Summary: An evening's diversion with references to fly fishing.
Review: I am an avid detective story reader, and an enthusiastic fly fisherman, so I was thrilled to discover the Max Addams series. Unfortunately, I am not thrilled with this debut novel. Although reasonably well written, the book does not rise above genre fiction. It is written in the over-used first person narrative that is almost ubiquitous in crime fiction. The characters are clichés. Addams is a 50ish, divorced refugee from the corporate wars. He has a distant relationship with his child whom he did not help raise, and a troubled relationship with his son-in-law. His business is always on the verge of financial ruin. Nevertheless, he gets laid regularly by good looking women who do all the pursuing. (The sex scenes reminded me of James Lee Burke's David Robicheaux novels.) Along with Addams, we have the predictable cast of characters. They include an aging dog with more intelligence than most humans, a perpetually drunk hillbilly with an uncanny knack for fixing things, and a female curmudgeon who can split wood with one hand while whipping up gourmet meals at a moment's notice with the other. The bad guys are equally predictable; a large, hot-tempered bully named Bull, and an oily, smooth-talking lawyer. The outcome was predictable. The way Addams is rescued from final ruin was worthy only of a made for sequel movie.

The fishing scenes demonstrate that Leitz is indeed a fly fisherman. He speaks knowledgeably about tippets, false casts, nymphing, mending line, tight loops and neoprene waders. In Addams' river the fishing is always excellent, too much so. In the early spring, when the river is trubid, cold, and high, the fish practically jump into the net. Within hours of an environmental disaster that killed hundreds of fish, Addams and a guest at his resort are catching trophy fish with monotonous regularity. Although these are wild fish (universally believed by fly fishermen to be smarter than stocked fish) and they have been caught and released previously, which is supposed to make them more wary, they eagerly rise to take the hook of the most bumbling amateur. I should fish such water. Comparing a 20 something blond beauty to Joan Wulff requires too much suspension of disbelief. I also wonder if the catch and release practice he follows on his private water will not eventually lead to overcrowding and stunted growth.

In the end, I was most disappointed that Leitz squandered the opportunity to write a novel about real issues. The plot springs from an environmental disaster caused by the owners of a greedy logging company. Opposing such deeds may seem to be a sure pick for a good guy designation. Life is not that simple. By thwarting the loggers, Addams puts a lot of people, including friends of his, out of work. Leitz hints at, but doesn't confront the complications caused by rural poverty, unemployment, and poor education. He completely avoids the resentment often demonstrated by locals for visitors. He does not ask, nor attempt to answer, the question, whose river is it? The setup was ideal for an analysis of the conflict between affluent vacationers who come to the back woods to get away from it all, and the year round residents who find it a struggle to attain the basic necessities that urban dwellers take for granted. These are real issues, confronted every day by people in California, Vermont, New Hampshire, and every other state with environmentally sensitive lands, economically disadvantaged residents, and activist environmentalists.

Casting in Dead Water will not teach you how to fish. It will not prompt sober thought on ecological concerns. It will not break out of the good-guys-win-in-the-end-and-have-great-sex genre. It may provide a few evenings of escapist entertainment. Perhaps that is enough, but I wish this novel did more.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it! Max Addams is the "Spenser" of fly fishing.
Review: The author obviously knows fly fishing. Interestingly, you don't have to. Leitz manages to give you just the right taste of this poetic sport mixed perfectly with a top notch plot, fantastic characters and wonderful Vermont setting. The forest clear-cutting background in this story is quite timely and the murderer is very well disguised. I can't wait to get my hands on the other two books in ths series. Mr. Leitz, if you're reading this, "keep writing!"

Rating:
Summary: Don't Take it So Seriously
Review: To try and compare David Leitz with Burke or even Chandler would be a mistake. I think his writing is just plain fun. One of the joys of fly fishing is the atmosphere of mountain streams within walking distance of a cabin tucked into the forest waiting with a crackling fire and a dog curled up on a blanket. Then let's add a little thrill to the scene with an unsolved murder. If you read it for a quick, enjoyable thrill and to keep the fishing fires burning when you can't get to that cabin, then so be it. If you read it with the critical mind of an English professor, I'd say lighten up a bit. For the cost of a paperback, I think this is a very enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and try it out.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Take it So Seriously
Review: To try and compare David Leitz with Burke or even Chandler would be a mistake. I think his writing is just plain fun. One of the joys of fly fishing is the atmosphere of mountain streams within walking distance of a cabin tucked into the forest waiting with a crackling fire and a dog curled up on a blanket. Then let's add a little thrill to the scene with an unsolved murder. If you read it for a quick, enjoyable thrill and to keep the fishing fires burning when you can't get to that cabin, then so be it. If you read it with the critical mind of an English professor, I'd say lighten up a bit. For the cost of a paperback, I think this is a very enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and try it out.