The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

March 2, 2022

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

In June 1954, 18 year old Emmett Watson returns to his family home after serving a prison term at a juvenile work farm for involuntary manslaughter. His plan is to pick up his younger brother and then head for California to start a new life, and possibly find their mother who left them years ago. Their plan is to drive the Lincoln Highway. But two convicts from the work have followed him home and they have plans of their own. 

I loved the author's two previous books, so nobody was more surprised than me that I didn't love this one. Emmett wasn't the protagonist or even the main character, and they don't travel on the Lincoln Highway. There's a road trip but it goes toward the east coast. There are a lot of silly antics by silly side characters. The plot (if you can call it a plot) is silly, too. The whole tone of the book was off somehow - even when there is a scene that involves a beating or murder, there is a clownish tone. I just didn't connect with any of the characters or the story. Although it got a lot of positive reviews, I'd give it a miss.

November Road by Lou Berney

December 2, 2019

November Road by Lou Berney

Frank Guidry is a trusted mob lieutenant for organized crime boss Carlos Marcello in New Orleans.  After President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Guidry finds that he is unwittingly involved in the assassination since he drove a Cadillac Eldorado to Dallas a few days earlier and left it near Dealey Plaza for his boss's hired sniper to use as a getaway car if necessary.  When two of his associates turn up dead, Guidry realizes that Marcello is killing off anyone who knows about his (Marcello's) involvement with the assassination, and that he (Guidry) needs to disappear fast.  As he races west to get away from the hitman who is hot on his trail, he encounters a woman named Charlotte traveling with two her children and their dog, stranded when their car broke down.  Guidry quickly decides that that they are just the camouflage he needs to get to Las Vegas undetected, never expecting to fall in love with Charlotte and visualize a new life with her and her family.

Since the day the Warren Commission issued their findings that John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper (Lee Harvey Oswald) who was working alone, a majority of Americans have doubted the commission’s report.  In 1979, the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations issued their own report that the Kennedy assassination was most likely the result of a conspiracy.  Volumes have been written about who the real killer was, and conspiracy suspects include (but are not limited to) the CIA, the KGB, Fidel Castro’s Cuban government, and organized crime.

This is a work of literary fiction masquerading as a crime novel set against the backdrop of the Kennedy assassination, not an in-depth examination of the crime.  Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of books about the Mafia or organized crime, but Berney’s novel is based on the assumption that the assassination WAS a mob conspiracy.  In addition to an intriguing “what-if” plot, Berney’s characters are three-dimensional and fully-fleshed rather than being flat clichés.  Guidry isn’t a crude thug, but a thinking man who questions others’ and his own actions.  A heroic act is completely within his nature, and like any good noir character, Guidry is totally capable of unexpectedly falling for a good dame.  If you enjoy a complex historical thriller, I highly recommend November Road.

Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

September 17, 2019

Shark Skin Suite by Tim Dorsey

When Florida-phile Serge A. Storms goes off his meds, anything can happen.  In this adventure, Serge decides that his latest calling is the law.  But never mind law school, Serge is going freelance in the style of the heroes in his favorite movies, writing wrongs and dishing out justice to those who would scam the innocent.  The plot is more complicated than some of Serge’s stories, with plenty of crooked lawyers, planted evidence, and double-crosses.  Characters from past novels appear, including Brooke Campanella, Mahoney, the Four G’s, and Coleman – we even get to meet Coleman’s brother, lawyer Ziggy Blade.  No matter how dire things seem, remember that Serge always wins.

Tim Dorsey’s Serge A. Storm series is sometimes classified as mystery or suspense but I think they fall into the adventure category (wild car chases, a zany knight errant who fights for the innocent, exploration of unfamiliar cultures, the hunt for treasure, a group of misfits who band together).  If you enjoy your mayhem mixed with some sick humor, this series is for you.  I listened to the audio version and the reader, Oliver Wyman, gets Serge’s voice just right.

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

June 26, 2019

The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

A sweet warm story about a stray cat taken in by a Japanese man.  After living together for five years, Satoru realizes that he needs to find a new home for his beloved cat Nana.  They travel around Japan in Satoru’s silver van, visiting Satoru’s friends to find just the right place for Nana.  The narrative alternates between Nana’s voice, the other animals in the story, and the humans who surround them.  Nana (who is a male cat) is quite an entertaining little guy, making wry observations/comments on the differences between humans, cats, and dogs.  I’m actually a dog person but loved this story about a guy and the cat he loves.

Of course the story isn’t really just about a guy and his cat – it’s about unconditional love, between Satoru and his family, between Satoru and his friends, but mostly between Satoru and his cat.  I lost my beloved golden retriever Luke last year, so I know how an animal can be your best friend, and the bond between the two of you.  Yes, you will be sobbing at the end, but you will also have laughed and taken a wonderful road trip.

Because it’s a very special thing – to have your own cat (or dog) in your home.