Skip to main content

Where the Dead Lay - Review

I hate to write a bad review, so by extension this will not be a bad review of David Levien's second novel, WHERE THE DEAD LAY. However, this was a pretty close call. What went wrong, and what went ultimately right?

The 'what went wrong' is pretty easy; basically the first one hundred pages. Character, plot, pacing, all of it. A stunningly uninvolved dirge. The elements of a story are thrown up on a wall to see what sticks. Not much did . So what changed?

Well, right around page 96 The author finally decides to get down to business. You can almost see the moment where Mr. Levien finally gets what his own story is about. It is ok to have a story where your lead character is spiritually lost, but the Frank Behr of the first third is being written as lost. Mr. Levien uses the sign post of personal tragedy to tell me that Frank is a lost soul. Don't tell me, show me. Once Frank''s focus becomes finding justice for his murdered Jui-jitsu instructor, he can sublimate his own personal desire for punishment in an unjust world. The book moves along with a vigor missing from the opening. What took a week, now only took me only 24 hours to finish.

The book still sputters at times. The pregnant girlfriend story goes nowhere, and virtually stops the book cold each time she makes an appearance. One of the more enticing stray threads of the first hundred pages explores the criminals of the book, a family of violent thugs. I admire the attempt, but with limited space it just didn't work. Too many characters, three sons, the father, and the mother all vying for our attention. It is all set up with no follow through.

What really does work is the creation of Frank Behr. He is one of those tortured lone wolves in a world of chaos. Not exactly original, but when well written (i.e. everything after the hundred page mark) you can't help but pull for a guy who has seen so much rot in this world.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Very Best of Mr. Dennis Lehane

I thought this post would appear in October. Ya, know when SHUTTER ISLAND: THE MOVIE was supposed to be released. And then it wasn't. Something about Leo not being able to do 'press' for the movie. Doesn't really matter the reason, a February release date has one of those fancy Hollywood meanings: Not Good. Look I'll be honest, I didn't connect with SHUTTER ISLAND. I loved the fifties setting, the haunted house atmosphere, and impending doom of the Hurricane. Even the set-up of the story was intriguing but how it played out just didn't work for me. Some interesting characters, a bunch of great set pieces, but the ending announces itself with an expected, thud that went nowhere. Am I still going to the movie? Its Lehane, Scorsese, Leo, and Ruffalo of course I am. Anyway the list. 8. Prayers for Rain - 1999 The last Kenzie-Gennaro book follows our heroes as they investigate a guy who is terrorizing women into committing suicide. The book played like an episo
4 comments
Read more

Small Mercies - The Return of Dennis Lehane

 A time honored tradition at The Hungry Detective HQ is to perform the twice annual, and largely ceremonial, 'Dennis Lehane New book 20XX" Google search. Nothing comes up on his long abandoned Website, except notification of the script work for his television and film projects.  Grousing aside, 2022 was a big year for Mr. Lehane. BLACK BIRD, a show he created, played on Apple+ to solid acclaim. The show's star, Paul Walter Hauser, won a Golden Globe. But despite that I have yet to watch it. Not for any other reason than I am a movie person more than a TV person. The TV I do watch is watched in an arcane order that is difficult to decipher and even more baffling to explain. Short story, I need to watch ANDOR [Editor's Note: Slow going on ANDOR despite everyone telling me it is amazing.] And then BLACK BIRD, or maybe SLOW HORSES. I'll get there...  Anyway at the dead end of 2022, I did the search. Found out he wrote a book. SMALL MERCIES . I was excited to hear it. I
Post a Comment
Read more

A Fogotten Post: A Remembrance

[Editor's Note: Started this missive, never came back to it. Still relevant, I suppose.] I am reading MURDER IN OLD BOMBAY by Nev Marsh. This was... technically still is... on my to buy pile. In the before time... the overwhelming to be read pile time... I would have bought this and thrown it on the shelf to read in the near or more likely distant future. I hope I like it enough to buy the second in the series. Buying a book is fun, buying a book that is good is better. [Editor's Note: Abandoned this book, unfinished.] BLACKTOP WASTELAND - S.A. COSBY So glad I didn't buy this last summer. Good decision to put off buying and reading what would have certainly been one of the best books of the year. New goal for the remaining 2021 calendar. Don't be dumb. Buy Mr. Cosby's follow up and read day one! [Editor's Note: I did buy a signed copy of RAZORBLADE  TEARS, meanwhile B.W. won every award, except the Edgar where it wasn't even nominated!? Also Signed firsts of
Post a Comment
Read more