Review of The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp (2016, Orbit)

Jack Sparks is the literary equivalent of a shock-jock – a loud, vulgar, offensive sociopath; always scheming and lying, and who lacks care and empathy. What drives him is his ego and its massaging by his fans and followers on every form of social media channel. His latest venture is 'Jack Sparks on the Supernatural' a book in which he sets out to debunk religion, the afterlife and the paranormal. His journey starts with an exorcism in Italy, which he interrupts by laughing at what he sees as an absurd, staged act. What follows is a series of increasingly creepy happenings, including a strange, haunting video with no provenance that appears on his YouTube channel that then disappears. Jack is determined to discover who made the video in order to prove it’s a hoax, using it as a means to gather content for his book as he meets with a combat magician and a group of paranormal investigators. But the more he tries to disprove the supernatural, the more it seems like it might exist, and it all seems to be leading to his inevitable death.

The Last Days of Jack Sparks follows the slow descent of a loutish, egotistical author as he tries to disprove the supernatural in the face of increasing evidence to the contrary. The story is told through the book notes of Jack Sparks, collated and edited by his brother, who also intersperses the text with other evidence, such as letters and audio transcript. Sparks is somewhat of an unreliable narrator who is determined to both shock readers and favourably script his own portrayal. He travels from Italy to Hong Kong to Los Angeles, pursued by the consequences of an exorcism he disrupted and prevented. He creates antagonism and resentment, and in his wake leaves a trail of destruction. By mid-way through it’s clear where the story is heading, though there is still plenty of intrigue, twists and gore. While it’s billed as a dark comedy, the humour fell a little flat for me, in part because it is all rooted in the awfulness of Jack Sparks, a character with no redeeming features who is loathsome throughout. The story is well constructed and told, but I can’t say I enjoyed the characters or story very much.

Review of The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns by Sasha Issenberg (Crown, 2012)

In The Victory Lab, Issenberg charts the use of scientific methods in the practice of electioneering in US politics.  What’s fascinating about his account is that up until very recently there was very little science behind how elections were conducted, and there’s been a noticeable disconnect between political science and the electioneers. The strategy was simply one of blanket advertising across different media, mail shots, debates, mudslinging and rallies.  There was little attempt to scientifically measure and evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches, or to segment and target populations.  Drawing on his own experience of a journalist covering elections and interviews with a number of key players, Issenberg provides an account of the rise of data and statistically-driven campaigning in the US, culminating in Obama’s election in 2008.  Because the chapters are arranged by chronology and by particular groups/campaigns, the structure tends to move to-and-fro a little.  That said, the narrative it easy enough to follow, and the text is lively, engaging and informative.  Somewhat oddly, there seems to have been no attempt to learn anything from elections outside of the US, and Issenberg’s narrative barely strays beyond US shores.  Overall, what the book demonstrates is the US elections are now being run like lab-experiments, underpinned by big data and statistical algorithms, and they’re set to follow this approach for the foreseeable future.

Review of Cadaver Blues by J.E. Fishman (Stonegate Ink, 2012)

Phouc Goldberg runs his own business conducting debt relief negotiation - for a fee he’ll argue on behalf of his poverty-stricken customers with their creditors over outstanding debts that cannot be repaid and help consolidate debts.  Used to being treated like the ‘little Asian guy’ he has anger management issues and little sympathy for his clients.  When Mindy Eider asks him to intervene in the foreclosure on her uncle’s house, he agrees despite his reservations.  His efforts quickly run into a brick wall, but beguiled by Mindy’s beauty and innocence he agrees to play detective.  Mindy’s uncle has vanished, the bank is in a hurry to foreclose, and several parties seem interested in the property.  Something fishy is going on, but getting answers is proving difficult, though there are definite signs of foul play.  Moreover, Mindy acts of kindness to strangers are wearing down his cynicism.  He’s soon out of his depth, but determined to solve the case and get the girl.

Cadaver Blues is a competently written, mildly amusing crime novel.  The narrative is all show an no tell, with the story told through short, snappy scenes.  The characterisation is well realised, with Phouc Goldberg being particularly engaging as a hardnosed cynic - written as a kind of love to hate figure but with a decent, kindness very well buried under his abrasive exterior, and he’s accompanied by some nicely penned supporting actors.  The story is well plotted and unfolds at a brisk pace.  My only reservation is it all felt a bit formulaic, with the story lacking real spark and a captivating hook that raised it up out of the pack, and I never really believed the premise underpinning why the house was being foreclosed or who was behind the mystery.  Nevertheless, it is an entertaining read and the Phouc holds much promise as the lead character in a new series.

Review of Even Flow by Darragh McManus (2012, Roundfire Books)

Wilde, Whitman and Waters are the three members of the 3W gang in New York City.  Inspired by feminism, resistance and art movements, they have turn vigilante, administering justice to misogynists and homophobes - what they call ‘enforced karma’.  The gang video their exploits and send them to a local TV station.  They pass the first tape on to the police and the case is assigned to Detective Sergeant Danny Everard, a gay cop who is going through a messy break-up.  As Danny tries to track the gang members, they become more daring, and their exploits start to gain notoriety as they’re leaked on to the internet and to other media stations.  Whilst he has sympathy with the their message, Danny can’t condone their approach, and a cat-and-mouse chase ensues. 

Even Flow is difficult to categorise - it’s kind of a political, screwball noir.  It took me a chapter or so to get into the story, but once it clicked into place the pages just flew-by.  The second half of the story is especially strong as the action, dialogue and politics all get ratcheted-up, and it has a very nice noir ending.  It helped that the cultural references were of my generation and that the gender and sexual politics of the gang are ones that I share.  Interestingly, the text is broken up by photo-dialogue pieces, newspaper articles, emails and art.  The characterisation is a little thin, but what makes this a fun and engaging read is the plot and politics.  I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their noir to have a deeper message.

Review of Dust Devils by James Reasoner (Pointblank, 2007)

After a childhood living in foster homes, Toby McCoy has drifted south from Oklahoma to Texas seeking answers to his past.  He approaches a lonely farm, looking for work.  The woman living there alone is twice his age and nervy, but she agrees to take him on.  Over the next month they grow close, but both have their secrets.  The woman’s arrives in the form of two old friends intent on revenge.  After a gunfight, Toby and Dana are on the run with their two dogs, Max and Clifford, bound together through their developing relationship.  Their adventure, however, is only just starting as Dana tries to cut herself free from her past by confronting old demons.

The strong point of Dust Devils is the plotting, its strong noir undertones, and the characters of Toby and Dana.  The setup is very nicely done and the story continues at a nice, jaunty pace as the two principal characters seek to resolve their respective issues: Dana’s life of crime and Toby’s abandonment as a child and his mother fixation.  As they travel across Texas, the tale becomes ever darker, with the sense of foreboding growing, leading to a well played resolution.  Despite these pluses, the writing at times is quite flat, and despite a style that is mainly dialogue and action, it slips into tell rather than show at times.  The result is a nicely plotted story, told in a voice that is sometimes weak.  Nevertheless, Dust Devils is an enjoyable slice of country noir.