The Incumbent (Gansky, Alton)

Rating:
Summary: Politics, romance, murder and laughter-- It has it all!
Review: I found this book to be a great and entertaining read with a few surprises that caught me off guard and a great line here and there that made me laugh out loud:

"I smiled, trying to picture gentle Dr. Jerry Thomas fighting off attackers with his rectal thermometers of death."

It was worth the time and money. A great whodunnit (and is still doing it) novel that'll having you second guessing until the end.

Rating:
Summary: Started out so good but...
Review: I have read everything Alton Gansky has written, and he is one of my very favorite authors. His remarkable imagination has led to some truly outstanding novels. This book was different from his others. The protagonist is a woman--"Maddy," the mayor of a small town. The first problem I had was in the way this main character was portrayed. Gansky seems to think that the only thing women do is cry and hug one another. There were so many tears and embraces that it finally turned me off big time. I would not be able to stand being around such an emotional person. But of course I kept reading, because the plot had really gripped me. I waded through all the tears to find out what would happen next. The mystery of who was abducting Maddy's campaign workers, and why, was built up nicely. Obviously someone wanted to destroy Maddy's political future to keep her from running for a higher office. At least, that is what seemed obvious by the story line. I started to really get into the book and couldn't wait to see how the story would resolve itself. Then, all of a sudden at the end, the story took such a ridiculous and unbelievable turn that I was left very disappointed. Folks, I hate to write negative things in a review; ESPECIALLY when it's a book by one of my very favorite authors. But This book simply does not stack up to the writer's ability. I hope Gansky turns back to writing the Stanton books, or ANY of his previous characters instead of this one. I give it 3 stars because of how well written it is up until the absurd ending. If you are a Gansky fan who would never miss one of his books, go ahead. But if you haven't read his books before, don't start with this one--the others are all much better!

Rating:
Summary: A story with maximum suspense and strong Christian themes
Review: In THE INCUMBENT, as in some of his previous novels (THE PRODIGY, DARK MOON), author Alton Gansky shows that he knows how to set up a story with maximum suspense while incorporating strong Christian themes, to the continuing delight of his faith fiction readers.

In the small southern California coastal town of Santa Rita, Mayor Madison "Maddy" Glenn watches as those who worked on her campaign begin disappearing one by one --- with only a few drops of blood left behind in symmetrical patterns and carefully arranged to point toward her as the reason for the kidnappings. But why has the perpetrator gone after her friends, and not the mayor herself? As the attractive (and single) detective Judson West tells her, "My guess is, they want something from you." Soon, she is riddled by guilt: "I was feeling like the reincarnation of Typhoid Mary," muses Maddy. As the story unfolds, any association with the mayor seems to be an invitation to murder, assault, or abduction.

Unable to know whom to trust, the attractive widow takes in Celeste Truccoli, the 19-year-old daughter of one of her friends who has disappeared. When it soon becomes apparent that anyone she loves is in danger, Maddy's mother and father also move in, and Gansky paints them both as engaging, loveable parents. Back at the office, Randi Portman, Maddy's able personal assistant, keeps things running smoothly while pushing the Mayor to up the ante and run for Congresswoman at the next election. When Celeste's estranged father jets in for reasons never fully explained and begins having Maddy and Celeste followed, chaos ensues. Dr. Jerry Thomas, a middle-aged divorcee who has known Maddy for years, adds another dollop of possible romantic intrigue to the tale.

Gansky does a good job writing in first person as a woman, and is adept at laying many false rabbit trails for the reader to follow. He also writes some nice descriptions of the beautiful southern California landscape where the story unfolds (although he has a fondness for the word "azure"). He occasionally overdescribes (flames in a fireplace "dance like leprechauns on St. Paddy's day" and tears "broke through like Huns attacking a village"). He sometimes falls back on the overused novelist's device of describing his characters appearance as they see themselves reflected in a window or a mirror. Gansky also occasionally "tells" rather than "shows" ("The pier is a place of constant activity..."). He also makes many of his sentences the same length, rather than varying the length for the enjoyment of the reader. Readers may also find themselves confused when the plot ending revolves around a fire ant bite that seemingly happens on a boat at sea (or happens at a location where there is a security camera close by).

Yet all of these are blips in what is a genuinely enjoyable suspense novel. Gansky knows how to keep his readers guessing, and the device of the blood drops he uses to frame his story around will have a chilling effect on the reader. Although some conversion scenes feel a little heavy-handed rather than flowing seamlessly into the story, the redemptive conclusion of the novel has some nice twists and surprises. This fast-paced tale of intrigue in a small southern California coastal town is an enjoyable one for faith fiction fans.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby ([e-mail])