Common People

Rating:
Summary: This sideshow should be front & center!
Review: This is an excellent hardboiled whodunit with lots of sideshow flavor. I recommend it for fans of either mystery genre. The protagonist, Pel is a carnival "spruiker" (which I guess means promoter) who travels in a semi-shady world that he keeps seperate from his wife and son at home. The cast of characters includes a starving man, sleazy police, a mysterious bookie and a carnival freak show. Dialogue is witty and unlike many mysteries the plot makes sense and follows a logical path. My only complaints are that the plot drags right before the end and that I missed a major plot point having to do with the solution because it was only mentioned once in passing. Maybe you're more attentive. The book's afterword is very informative. Overall, a good read.

Rating:
Summary: This sideshow should be front & center!
Review: This is an excellent hardboiled whodunit with lots of sideshow flavor. I recommend it for fans of either mystery genre. The protagonist, Pel is a carnival "spruiker" (which I guess means promoter) who travels in a semi-shady world that he keeps seperate from his wife and son at home. The cast of characters includes a starving man, sleazy police, a mysterious bookie and a carnival freak show. Dialogue is witty and unlike many mysteries the plot makes sense and follows a logical path. My only complaints are that the plot drags right before the end and that I missed a major plot point having to do with the solution because it was only mentioned once in passing. Maybe you're more attentive. The book's afterword is very informative. Overall, a good read.