Blog Tour/Mandy Reviews: Blue Eyes by Jerome Charyn

Welcome to our stop on one of Mandy's favorite author's virtual book blog tour: Blue Eyes by Jerome Charyn. Tribute Books is promoting this tour in celebration of his upcoming ebook re-releases for Open Road Media of all ten of Charyn's cult crime novels starring Isaac Sidel. These novels have also just been picked up by HBO for an adult animated series pilot.

To visit the blog tour's official site, click here.

Jerome Charyn's Bio:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him "one of the most important writers in American literature."

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as "a contemporary American Balzac," and Los Angeles Times described him as "absolutely unique among American writers."

Since the 1964 release of Charyn's first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were name New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.

In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn's book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Click the following links to visit:

Jerome Charyn's Web Site

Jerome Charyn's Facebook

Jerome Charyn's Twitter

Book Info:

ISBN #: 0-380-00882-3

Page Count: 236

Copyright: 1974

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

First Avon Book Printing was in January 1977

Book Trailer:

Book Summary:

(Provided by Tribute Books)

A cop and his disgraced mentor attempt to bust a white slavery ring.

Before Isaac Sidel adopts him, Manfred Coen is a mutt. A kid from the Bronx, he joins the police academy after his father's suicide leaves him directionless, and is trudging along like any other cadet when first deputy Sidel, the commissioner's right hand man, comes looking for a young cop with blue eyes to infiltrate a ring of Polish smugglers. He chooses Coen, and asks the cadet to join his department after he finishes the academy. Working under Sidel means fast promotions, plush assignments, and, when a corruption scandal topples his mentor, the resentment of every rank-and-file detective on the force.

Now just an ordinary cop, Coen hears word that his old mentor has a line on a human trafficking operation. When Sidel's attempt at infiltration fails, he sends in Coen. For Coen, it's a shot to prove himself and redeem his mentor, but it could cost the blue-eyed cop his life.

Mandy's Review:

Cover/Title

I had to take a picture of the cover of the copy I received from Tribute Books because I could not find a picture of this cover anywhere online. Of all the covers for Blue Eyes, I like this one the best. I think it is the best representation of this novel that there is.

Blue Eyes refers to one of the main characters of this novel, Manfred Coen.

Plot/Main Characters

Manfred Coen is a cop whose mentor has fallen from grace. He gets transferred from borough to borough depending on where he's needed. He's a cop's cop in that he's hard and tough when he needs to be, but he's also got a soft heart when it comes to his ex-wife and her daughters.

In this novel, he's being used by the cops to infiltrate a human trafficking operation that involves a porn movie maker and his niece, a Chinaman who promises revenge on Coen, a simpleton with a club foot, ping pong and several other elements. As Coen becomes more involved in solving the case, he unintentionally turns former friends into enemies ... enemies who want to see him dead.

Isaac Sidel is Coen's mentor. Even though you don't "see" him often in this novel, you still get the feeling that Isaac is the one pulling everybody's strings. He's the puppeteer of this production put on for the reader's enjoyment.

Overall

This novel is a gritty showcase of the cops and detectives of the 70s. The writing style will have the reader's mind bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball on a table tennis top. It is a wonderful trip back in time that will entertain you and leave you wanting more.

Side Note

The puppeteer, Isaac Sidel, has his own Twitter handle. If you want to follow him and see what he has to say, click here. =)

Mandy Reviews: Star Child and 13 More Twisted Tales by Frank G. Poe, Jr.

ISBN #: 978-0741473608

Page Count: 159

Copyright: February 2012

Publisher: Infinity Publishing

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Poe's stories aren't just good reads. They're thought provoking experiences. Poe's introduction, Beyond the Bright Light, as heard on radio is a must read for the curious. Discover what lies beyond and fourteen entertaining tales. Poe delivers another crop of twisted stories. Disturbing, weird and rich with dark humor, his tales examine our relationships, society, religion, and even politics with alternative histories and flat out science fiction. Hags, trolls, djinn, knights, bears, aliens, this book has everything. Readers sit back and enjoy the wild ride. It's easy to see why reviewers compare Frank to Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe.

Mandy's Review:

First, I'm not sure that I would compare this author to Stephen King. Stephen King is such a huge horror icon. His proverbial writing shoes would take a huge writing master to fill. One thing I will say about Frank G. Poe, Jr.: He has a vivid imagination and an individuality to his writing.

I must agree with my co-reviewer, Kathy. This book is in need of a serious editor. When "cacky" is used in place of "khaki" in reference to a pair of shorts, or when "carrots" is used in place of "carats" in reference to a diamond ring, it makes one wonder if an editor looked at this work. If there was an editor, then it's apparent the editor did not read the work closely.

Back to the review ...

Star Child and 13 More Twisted Tales is the second collection from this author that makes you want to say, "Hmmm ..." These tales are twisted, but not in an "Oh my gosh, that was so freakin' awesome," but more of a slightly off-center thought process.

Of the fourteen tales, I think Picture Perfect could have been left out. It doesn't really feel "twisted" in the way the other stories are. It's more of a "lesson learned" tale, yet it's probably my favorite of the bunch.

If you're looking to read a compilation of short stories that are reflective of a twisted viewpoint, then Star Child and 13 More Twisted Tales is for you.


*Paperback copy was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Kathy Reviews - Cops, Crooks & Other Stories in 100 Words: 101 Tales by Mark S. Bacon

ASIN #: B007Q1MKUY

File Size: 249 KB

Page Count: 117

Copyright: March 29, 2012

Publisher: Archer & Clark Publishing

Book Summary:

(Taken from author's website)

Can you imagine a mystery being created and solved in 100 words? That's the purpose of Cops, Crooks & Other Stories in 100 Words, a new, short ebook of flash fiction. The book contains mini mysteries, mini puzzles with satisfying, unexpected endings.

Seven stories in this collection have been published recently in five different fiction magazines: Stymie Magazine, MicroHorror, 100-Word Story, Flashshot and 101 Words. Most stories contain a protagonist, a challenge and a resolution.

A woman makes a daring escape after robbing a bank - with help from a passing cop. Two con men run into each other again - with unusual results - when they're both working the same resort hotel. A detective sergeant surprises his inspector by solving a murder at a snowed-in manor. These are some of the seemingly complex stories begun and resolved in exactly 100 words.

Kathy's Review:

Flash fiction is, according to Wikipedia, "a style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme brevity." The author went for the second option, offering up 101 (with bonus) blink-and-you-miss-it tales, mostly related to crime. They kind of remind me of brain teasers, like the famous one where the father and son are in a car crash, the doctor walks in to the E.R. to operate on the son and says, "I can't do this, he's my son?" And, of course, the doctor is his mother. These stories often have a twist at the end similar to that where you should have seen it coming. Some I had to read twice just to make sure I understood the twist or to look back and see how I missed the obvious ending. It could be one word that gives it all away, or a final sentence that delivers the punch.

I would describe this as "bathroom reading" and I don't mean that in a negative way - this is a collection that you pick up when you literally have a couple of minutes to read. I got through the whole collection in probably a couple of hours, maybe less, but I read it in several short spurts.

Most of these are cleverly thought out but a couple were groaners at the end. Mark Bacon obviously is a seasoned writer and with only 100 words to tell the story, these are edited with precision. For a taste of this genre, and for something light and quick, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this quirky collection of stories.

Charlene Reviews: A Lovely, Indecent Departure by Steven Lee Gilbert

ISBN #: 978-0985336509

Page Count: 282

Copyright: March 23, 2012

Publisher: Steven Lee Gilbert

Overview:

(Taken from back cover)

Anna Miller wants only one thing, her son, and she will do anything to keep him. When a district court awards custody of Oliver to his father, she abducts the five year old and flees to Italy where with her family's help they disappear into the fabric of her native homeland.

In A Lovely, Indecent Departure, the debut novel from award-winning writer, Steven Lee Gilbert, comes an emotional family saga of a missing child, an unjust legal system and the desperate climate of parental abduction. Told in prose that is both stripped-down and overpowering, Gilbert shapes the everyday conflict of child custody into a riveting and often tender search for sense of worth. Standing in the young immigrant mother's way is Evan Meade, the boy's guileful and mean-spirited father, who hires a child recovery specialist when the efforts of the embattled local sheriff, Monroe Rossi, fail to track them down. But as the investigation draws them all closer to Anna, Evan's true nature betrays itself and the question of what's in the child's best interest becomes not so clear anymore.

Objectively detailed, in a voice that refuses to intrude on the minds of its characters, A Lovely, Indecent Departure, captures in stark detail a world in which modern archetypes are turned upside down and may have the reader asking themselves: What would you do?

Charlene's Review:

A Lovely, Indecent Departure is the gripping story of one mother's love for her son. When Anna loses custody of her son, Oliver, she gives up everything she knows and goes into hiding with him. Fleeing to Italy, Oliver and Anna start over, with the help of Anna's extended family. Unfortunately, Evan, Oliver's father, is one step behind them, and with the help of a private investigator, soon tracks them down. This is a fast-paced story that brings up a lot of questions regarding ethics and parenting.

This novel brings together many genres, effortlessly. Merging crime, family drama, action, chic-lit, and intoxicating landscapes, A Lovely, Indecent Departure is captivating. While, at first, we aren't made fully aware of the reasons for Anna's choices, it becomes increasingly clear what her motives are, and Evan does not fail us in the role of the antagonist. While this type of story has been done before, Mr. Gilbert manages to draw us into his characters' perspectives in a fresh way. No matter what side of the custody battle you identify with, you will be riveted to the very last page.

Charlene Reviews: DJ Chronicles by John Foreman

ISBN #: 978-1466408241

Page Count: 314

Copyright: December 13, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Johnny B thinks he has it all: glamour, celebrity friends, free booze, lots of coke, and a roomful of strippers every night. But Johnny B is a perfect example of what happens to a human being when he falls through the hole in the ozone. The story opens in 2008 when Johnny crashes in pain to the floor of the club where he works. Rushed to the hospital, he needs immediate surgery. As soon as the booze and drugs clear out of his blood, that is. Flash back to the mid-nineties. Johnny is the hottest DJ is L.A., working at the premiere strip club of the decade, CG's. He interacts with Hollywood's A-list actors and rock stars. He's friends with gangstas, bikers, dealers, and hustlers. He's buddy, daddy, and mommy to an unpredictable group of beautiful strippers, keeping the club running and helping the girls with everything from boyfriend problems to addictions.

Charlene's Review:

DJ Chronicles is an insider look behind the scenes of a renowned strip club. Johnny B enjoys his life on the edge. With all the money, women and drugs he can handle, he lives fast and plays hard. The book begins with Johnny B in the hospital, and flashes back over his wild and crazy lifestyle. We watch his rise to the top, his personal triumph as he becomes a father, and we watch his decline from years of overindulgence.

This is definitely an edgy book. Mr. Foreman holds nothing back as we watch how celebrities live and how they self-destruct. I struggled a bit with the seemingly endless repetitive stories of sex, drugs, and rock n roll, but admittedly, this is a tell-all book and he tells it like it is. It reminded me of a train wreck, where you know what's going to happen, but you just have to continue reading because you have to see it for yourself. My favorite part of the book was actually the last paragraph; the only part of the book that I didn't see coming.