Plot Summary:
Denton Ward -- "genius, recluse, alcoholic, psychic" -- and
Monty Crocetti -- "part-time punk rocker, full-time investigator,
girlfriend and partner of Denton Ward" -- were heading out the door to
celebrate their anniversary when Denton received a phone call from a scared
young girl in the local mental hospital. Lisa Rappaport is a young heiress
with partial amnesia who is convinced that Denton's psychic skill is the
only thing that can help her remember and reclaim her life.
Denton has the ability to "read" a person via a brief touch of either that
person or an object they've touched. The simple act of paying his bill at
a local diner gives Denton a glimpse into the waitress's hidden inner
sadness, nostalgia and painful memories. To escape the onslaught of
others' emotions -- not to mention the intrusive media who know him as the
local "psychic" -- Denton has retreated to his private world of books,
alcohol and prescription meds.
He is moved by Lisa's plea, however, and reluctantly agrees to do what he
can to help her, with the assistance of his girlfriend, private eye Monty.
Wading through alien abduction theories and a possible teenage virgin
pregnancy, this unique sleuthing team gets caught up in a complex world of
murder, break-ins, right-to-life protesters, guilt, deception and dumpster
diving.
About the Author:
A St. Petersburg native, William Mize has a degree in
creative writing from San Francisco State University and a passion for
mystery novels. Resurrection Angel is the first book in his planned
twelve-book series involving characters Denton Ward and Monty Crocetti.
Having won awards for his short story writing in San Francisco, Mize has
been nominated for several awards for Resurrection Angel. He blogs about
books, movies and life in general at www.williammize.com.
What I Liked:
Denton and Monty are two of the most fascinating l
characters I've ever encountered. They're deeply troubled individually,
but deeply committed to each other and to solving their case. I enjoyed
the rapid-fire dialogue, which makes up about 2/3 of the book.
Also, I got a kick out of the press conference that Denton and Monty hold
for the Tampa Bay area media. Denton refuses to let anyone from Channel 44
attend "because they cancelled Creature Feature, that's why." He and Monty
go on to explain to the other reporters about Dr. Paul Bearer and the
Creature Feature TV show that used to come on Saturday afternoons on
Channel 44, and they make the Channel 44 camera crew leave before starting
their press conference.
What I Disliked:
Sometimes the rapid-fire dialogue goes on a little too
long, making it hard to keep track of who's saying what. Also, if you read
this book, DON'T read the back cover beforehand. When I was about 1/3 of
the way through Resurrection Angel, I remembered that I hadn't looked at
the back cover yet, so I flipped the book over and took a look. A major
plot point -- one I hadn't gotten to in the book yet, of course -- is
mentioned on the back cover! Grrrrr....
Bottom Line: Captivating, funny, sarcastic and unusual. I'm looking
forward to reading the sequel.
Rating: A
"FANGRRL" is ©2007 by Lisa Ciurro. All graphics, except where otherwise noted, are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2007 by Nolan B. Canova.
