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A KEVIN R. TIPPLE BOOK REVIEW: The Case of the Greedy Lawyers by Carl Brookins It is tough to pull off humor in a mystery. Some authors just are funny for a line or two and some vanish off into the pool of slapstick. They drown there and before long the idea that the book is a mystery is long gone. Then there are those few who pull it off throughout the entire novel.
An example of this is Carl Brookins. Mr. Brookins is also the author of the cozy novel “Old Silver” which has very funny lines. When one has read that book and one reads this novel, it is hard to imagine that both good books came out of the same mind. They did and this one happens to be a favorite of mine.
The Case of the Greedy Lawyers By Carl Brookins Five Star Hardback, 2005, 266 pages ISBN #1-59414-319-6
You may not have been aware of it but Minneapolis is the home of Private Detective Sean “No Middle Initial” Sean. Yes, you read that right. His first name is his last, he has no middle name, and maybe that is why he looks at everything just a little differently than most would. He’s short at just five foot three, known for wearing his red Keds even when wearing nothing at all, and is good at what he does no matter what that might be. He also has a sense of humor except when one of his clients gets murdered.
Except she really wasn’t his client. She drifted into his office one day, hardly said a word, told him she would have to give things some more thought and left. Sometime later she was found dead. For Sean, after being asked to identify the body, he isn’t ready to let the police take over. He begins to investigate with all trails leading back to a huge law firm with a name that sounds like many publishing houses all put together. As he digs, violence begins to erupt and it becomes clear that this wise talking PI is being used as a pawn in someone’s power game.
This book is a very enjoyable read from start to finish on two different levels. On one, it is a send up of all the classic detective novels. With allusions to other books and characters and how they would react, the read is often very funny. The author clearly has a knack for puns and delights in naming so many things after various publishing houses. Many of them seem to be villains in one form or another which increases the amusement factor especially for those working in the writing profession.
On another level, the read is a typical detective story with occasional violence, a beautiful woman in his life, and all the rest including a complicated and intriguing case that slowly becomes clear. The story line moves forward at a steady pace and features a character that is unique and entertaining. Misdirect ions are many and what appears obvious in the middle part of the novel is far from certain by the end.
The result is an entertaining roller coaster of a ride and one very good novel. A fun fast read, one can only hope that more adventures are planned for the detective with no middle initial.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2006 |