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BLACK RAIN - Vincent Alexandria Harlequin Kimani/Sepia September 2007 |
SYNOPSIS: Kansas City detective Joe Johnson is a passionate family man, and a loving husband and father. But on the streets, he can go toe-to-toe with the toughest gangsters. Joe is also fiercely loyal to his fellow officers; so when FBI agent Cheryl Chase makes a distressed late-night call, he's ready to respond without hesitation.
MYSTERY |2+| Jennifer Brathwaite
REVIEW: Be vigilant about the choices you make, every action has a
consequence.
A married, seasoned police officer – Joe Johnson – is recruited to help
a fellow law enforcement colleague, Cheryl Chase, with whom he shares a
mutual attraction, get out of a dangerous situation comprised of murder,
money and dirty cops. Not knowing who to trust, Joe prepares to go into
this dangerous situation alone (for the most part), putting not only his
life, but his friendships with those closest to him, as well as his
marriage, at risk. With pressure coming from all sides, Joe must keep
his wits about him and trust his instincts if he and his motley crew of
would-be heroes are to survive.
The book moves at a satisfactory pace but there are times where the
story seems to lag with nothing new really happening but moreso a
regurgitation of established plotlines with no additional depth or
insight.
Unfortunately, the characters in BLACK RAIN are not very good. It is
difficult for the reader to become invested as they are written like
caricatures of a stereotype, and are mostly one-dimensional, making them
unbelievable. The characters of Sweet St. Louis and Dread are two of the
worst offenders of this limited drafting. Further, the relationship
between, the reactions to events, and behaviour of, most of the book’s
players are not convincing or normal.
Setting is not used that much as a major factor in the text. Although
there are several different locations there are not really that
fascinating. Perhaps the best used setting is Dread’s house, which,
menacing and dark in its description, is reminiscent of how the man
himself is supposed to be.
Another weak aspect of the novel is the dialogue. Wholly unrealistic and
unconvincing, it is over the top and written much like a stage play,
with the lines being far too dramatic. An example of such is the
conversation between Joe and his wife when he tells her he is going to
take on the case, or the exchanges involving him and his friends from
the hood.
On the whole the concept for BLACK RAIN is interesting but the book
itself doesn’t deliver. Almost the entire story is Joe preparing to help
Cheryl. The actual act of doing so is then anti-climactic as it is
handled quickly in the last twenty-two pages of the novel. Alexandria’s
choice of first person writing doesn’t help in making the reader feel
anymore connected to the characters so by the end, the reader isn’t that
devoted to the story or the individuals therein. All in all, a good
story idea but ultimately a letdown.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 28th October 2007