Good "Mob" book. After spending 5 years in prison, Dave Delano had the perfect plan. Throw in a little romance and a twist at the end.
Good read.
Good read.
A great mystery by a great writer.
Not too bad.
Kerr is shadowing those south Florida masters, Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, with a cute story about stereotypical Miami hoods, sleazy lawyers, a sexy FBI agent, and a sexier ex-con (paralleling Leonard's "Out of Sight," published the year before, just a bit too much), and an overly-clever, totally unbelievable plot, almost too obviously pitching Hollywood. Leonard's book got the flick, as he should.
Kerr's Bernie Gunther series are really outstanding. This take-off (rip-off?) of the south Florida masters, not so much. Too often sexy her and sexier him sound like bad intros for film noir Turner Classic Movies--Kerr should have just cribbed the jazzy lines and quick repartee directly from Chandler and Hammett. Too often the mob guys sound a bit too, well, Shakespearian. There are so many reality holes in the story line, Kerr has to strain to keep it afloat and convince you there are no icebergs this Titanic plot is going to hit.
Oh. It's 1997 and Kerr is really really ragging on Donald Trump. Just saying.
But a fun quick read it is, and an interesting change of pace from one of my favorite writers (when he is putting Bernie Gunther or Russian cops through their paces).
If Miami Noir floats your boat, grab this and a deck chair, and shove off!
Kerr is shadowing those south Florida masters, Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, with a cute story about stereotypical Miami hoods, sleazy lawyers, a sexy FBI agent, and a sexier ex-con (paralleling Leonard's "Out of Sight," published the year before, just a bit too much), and an overly-clever, totally unbelievable plot, almost too obviously pitching Hollywood. Leonard's book got the flick, as he should.
Kerr's Bernie Gunther series are really outstanding. This take-off (rip-off?) of the south Florida masters, not so much. Too often sexy her and sexier him sound like bad intros for film noir Turner Classic Movies--Kerr should have just cribbed the jazzy lines and quick repartee directly from Chandler and Hammett. Too often the mob guys sound a bit too, well, Shakespearian. There are so many reality holes in the story line, Kerr has to strain to keep it afloat and convince you there are no icebergs this Titanic plot is going to hit.
Oh. It's 1997 and Kerr is really really ragging on Donald Trump. Just saying.
But a fun quick read it is, and an interesting change of pace from one of my favorite writers (when he is putting Bernie Gunther or Russian cops through their paces).
If Miami Noir floats your boat, grab this and a deck chair, and shove off!
