Review: Mr. Hooligan

Sometimes when I start a book, the opening grabs me, and I think, “This is good writing!” I have found, however, that such books usually disappoint me. They do not live up to that initial draw.

Mr. Hooligan by Ian Vasquez is such a book for me. Chapter one dangled a hope a fabulous tale to come. On the Caribbean island of Belize, a woman is speaking with a dying man, and she says she will tell him the story of a certain young man, who was in trouble years ago. No names, no hints, just the promise of a story worth the wait.

Immediately we move to Riley James and his friend Harvey, drinking, driving and getting into trouble. Thus begins the long story, told in real time, of how Riley became indebted to the Monsanto crime family; how he wants to get out, to marry the beautiful American woman living next door; how all is not what it seems.

I had hoped for somebody more sympathetic than a small-time crook for a protagonist, after that opening. I put down the book. I picked it up again, put it down again. The story just never gained any momentum for me, so I gave up.

I looked it up on Amazon and found six people had given it 5 stars. Booklist called it “classic noir” and said it “plays all the notes with feeling.” Could I be wrong? Absolutely. I may never have given the book sufficient chance. Or I might just not care for drug runners and their seamy world.

So if you are a noir fan, you like drug stories, or those set in the Caribbean, don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. In 2009, Ian Vasquez’ last book, Lonesome Point, won a Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. As I said, the man knows how to put words together. Whether you find what he has written a winning combination may depend on your tastes.

Recent reads

I finished The Blue Orchard and published my review (here). On Amazon, people have been gushing about this book as if its the next great literary thing, but I was not that impressed. I liked it quite a bit but there was just too much of it,  IMHO.

I got Angelology right away from the publisher (in 2 days); were they hoping I could read and the review this 400+ page book in time for its release on March 9? There was no way I could do that.

So, it was with only mild guilt I picked up The Hunger Games first. The children's librarian at Norwich Public Library told me I should read it because I liked Harry Potter so much. And I did like it, more than I realized at first. It's such a different story, and amazingly, the author kept me guessing even though it was clear in some respects what the plot had to be.

The action takes place at an indefinite time in the future, after global warming has reduced the livable surface area of the earth. The action takes place in what used to be the United States, where The Capital is in the Denver area, and the outlying areas are separated into districts based on what they can produce. The heroine, Katniss, is from District 12, where they mine coal.

The districts are hardscrabble places with limited resources, the Capital is technologically advanced. In order to keep the districts in line, the Capital is brutal.  One of their worst techniques is the Hunger Games, where 2 teenagers from each district are chosen to fight to the death. Naturally Katniss is chosen.

What made me realize how much I liked the book is how much I've been thinking about it since I finished. It doesn't have the addictive power the Dexter series does, soI don't feel I need to read the next book in the trilogy immediately. But I'm sure I will read it, and probably see the movie when it is made.

I've now started Angelology and really liking it. (This link about becoming an angelologist looks cool: http://www.angelologist.com/) It's not a face read, though; I'll be at it for at least another week.