One of the best books I have ever red. ( )

2006 ( )

This was a great find and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading it. Not only was it an easy read but it flowed and I found the pages flying by. I was expecting a thriller but it was quite a gentle thriller that built up over time. First person narrative is sometimes hard to focus on, it all depends on the style of narration but because I didn’t feel as a reader we were meant to warm to Cal Cunningham; I felt it was a good choice in a Bret Easton Ellis sort of way.

The story is about Cal, who is a penniless bookstore clerk in Manhattan. Having dreamt about writing his own book it looks like the chance to be in print has landed in his lap. His flatmate of two years, Stuart, has died in an accident and also had his own literary aspirations. What will Cal do with what he finds? Cal’s decision leads him into a rollercoaster ride of deceit and blackmail.

It’s a superb fiction debut, culminating in an interesting turn of events. The characters are well-written resulting in being able to visualise with them. There is one part in the novel that I found frustrating and it is a journey taken on the river. I could see its place but it just didn’t seem as well thought out as the rest of the novel. Having said this, he is still an author I’d happily recommend for his fiction. ( )

Flimsy but fun

Interesting plot - well written, kept my attention. Some gratuious violence at the end, I would have preferred it to have stayed away from the prerequisite American slide into gore and bodily harm ... otherwise, very good. ( )