DAY & NIGHT FOREVER by Jack Nease
Booklocker.com/Pompano Press
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: Average
ISBN: 159113949X, $15,95, $28.95-HC, 300 pp, 2006
This mystery-thriller follows the standard genre formula–someone is murdered, the protagonist searches for answers, there’s a little romance and the truth is revealed in the end. How one gets there, to the end, is the key. Is it magical or mundane? Does the author have a special gift? Can we let go and believe what we read? Is the journey worth our time? I quote from the back cover:
"Maureen O’Neal is a one-of-a-kind Wall Street analyst, tough, incorruptible, and feared by corporate executives with something to hide. Her personal life is another story. So when her childhood buddy Gregory Overman phones and asks for help, she’s on the next flight to Florida. Once there, she’s astonished to learn he wants her to vouch for Roland Pettigrew, a sleazy billionaire-philanthropist known on The Street as Midas Man. Surprise turns to disaster when Pettigrew’s ex-wife is found murdered under circumstances that make Maureen and Gregory suspects. Together, these old friends must uncover the secrets of the Pettigrew empire and track down a killer, all the while grappling with the scars that have kept them apart."
Day & Night Forever is written from a third-person point of view with some personal insights into Mo (Maureen) through her thoughts. We never really know what Go (Gregory) is thinking or feeling, but for some reason we like him . . . maybe because he has a limp from polio as a child; he was in love with Mo as a young boy, and she hurt him; he’s a counselor who started drinking after the suicide of a young client, and he’s now in recovery. I personally could not relate to Mo, possibly because of her casual arrogance–smart, feared by corporate executives, all the way to who saved the day. But, just because I could not, doesn’t mean you may not.
As far as the development of the plot, it moved long nicely–Mo and Go were considered to be the prime suspects in the murder of Grace Pettigrew, and this information was in and on the news. Mo lost her job. So, Mo and Go had to solve the murder. I mention this because something in the ending didn’t track for me. First, they’re prime suspects according to corrupt police officer Fourquet, and next, they’re found on a sinking boat which is missing one person, Luther, and they’re no longer suspects or arrested for the missing Luther. Why should the police believe their stories now when they didn’t believe them before? Because we know all the answers? . . . and did those answers provide sufficient proof that they did not commit the murders?
Jack Nease excels as a writer in several areas: his ability to describe South Florida, so that it comes to life before your eyes, and his skill to convey his knowledge of the stock market and Wall Street, which add richness and depth to the story. The novel is well-edited, has a good rhythm, and I would recommend this book to mystery readers.
Reviewed by Kaye Trout - July 7, 2006 - Copyright
Genre: Fiction/Mystery/Thriller
Rating: Average
ISBN: 159113949X, $15,95, $28.95-HC, 300 pp, 2006
This mystery-thriller follows the standard genre formula–someone is murdered, the protagonist searches for answers, there’s a little romance and the truth is revealed in the end. How one gets there, to the end, is the key. Is it magical or mundane? Does the author have a special gift? Can we let go and believe what we read? Is the journey worth our time? I quote from the back cover:
"Maureen O’Neal is a one-of-a-kind Wall Street analyst, tough, incorruptible, and feared by corporate executives with something to hide. Her personal life is another story. So when her childhood buddy Gregory Overman phones and asks for help, she’s on the next flight to Florida. Once there, she’s astonished to learn he wants her to vouch for Roland Pettigrew, a sleazy billionaire-philanthropist known on The Street as Midas Man. Surprise turns to disaster when Pettigrew’s ex-wife is found murdered under circumstances that make Maureen and Gregory suspects. Together, these old friends must uncover the secrets of the Pettigrew empire and track down a killer, all the while grappling with the scars that have kept them apart."
Day & Night Forever is written from a third-person point of view with some personal insights into Mo (Maureen) through her thoughts. We never really know what Go (Gregory) is thinking or feeling, but for some reason we like him . . . maybe because he has a limp from polio as a child; he was in love with Mo as a young boy, and she hurt him; he’s a counselor who started drinking after the suicide of a young client, and he’s now in recovery. I personally could not relate to Mo, possibly because of her casual arrogance–smart, feared by corporate executives, all the way to who saved the day. But, just because I could not, doesn’t mean you may not.
As far as the development of the plot, it moved long nicely–Mo and Go were considered to be the prime suspects in the murder of Grace Pettigrew, and this information was in and on the news. Mo lost her job. So, Mo and Go had to solve the murder. I mention this because something in the ending didn’t track for me. First, they’re prime suspects according to corrupt police officer Fourquet, and next, they’re found on a sinking boat which is missing one person, Luther, and they’re no longer suspects or arrested for the missing Luther. Why should the police believe their stories now when they didn’t believe them before? Because we know all the answers? . . . and did those answers provide sufficient proof that they did not commit the murders?
Jack Nease excels as a writer in several areas: his ability to describe South Florida, so that it comes to life before your eyes, and his skill to convey his knowledge of the stock market and Wall Street, which add richness and depth to the story. The novel is well-edited, has a good rhythm, and I would recommend this book to mystery readers.
Reviewed by Kaye Trout - July 7, 2006 - Copyright
posted by Kaye | 5:24 PM
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