Found this novel by Patrick Foss in good old Cargo Largo--the cheapskate's bargin bin--and picked it up based on my old rule of three: Interesting Title, Interesting Cover, Interesting Plot. Oh, and I think I actually read the first sentence, too.
I was hesitant because the book is set in Japan, and I know nothing of other countries or time periods, but curiosity won out and I started reading it the very next day. Three days later, I was cursing the ending. (But in the way I cursed the end of the first Lord of the Rings movie. You know, when you get invested in something and you want more.)
Book Description
If you commit a crime and nobody catches you -- is it really wrong?
For Chris Ryan and Jessica Romano, two Americans living in Japan, life is like a movie. Money comes easy when you're an "exotic" Westerner. Sex comes even easier. With every need instantly satisfied, the greatest worry is growing restless. Because when your life is a movie, it doesn't take long before you decide you need to do something ... cinematic.
So when a wealthy Japanese businessman, overcome with too much whiskey -- and too much Jessica -- boasts that he secretly keeps a fortune in cash in his home, Jessica enlists Chris and her boyfriend, Taro, to help her execute the perfect kidnapping. But they soon learn that the money might not be the only secret the businessman is keeping.
As the stakes start to rise, the three friends begin to question their motives -- and one another. It doesn't take long for them to realize that while the surest way to survive is sticking together, the surest way to get rich is betrayal.
The front-page praise for this book was another selling point for me: When I read about the 'graphic pop violence', I knew I was taking it home. And graphic it was, not nearly the worst I've ever read, but indeed graphic and messy. This story drives ahead and never stops to breathe, least not for more than a few pages at a time, but the action alternates between mental and physical in a way that ensures no one gets lost or drops out. I appreciated the very 'movie-like' style of storytelling, the flashy action and predictable scenes and cookie-cutter characters, with just a hint of sneaky plot twists. This story was very easy to visualize, and it makes me think it is targeted toward a younger audience, although not labeled as such.
However it seems as though all of Floss's creativity went into the scenery. I got a feel for Japan, especially the night life and the richer, sexier side of it all. But his characters were lacking. Chris could easily be played by the 'Sexiest Male Actor of the Minute', as he was all about cunning and flashiness. Jessica was over-feminized to the point of annoying--the classic blubbering blonde in any given slasher movie. And the third guy? Well, the fact that I've forgotten his name should be enough evidence.
Three out of five stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment