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ReviewTHE BIG BLIND
BY RAY BANKS
By K. Robert Einarson
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Alan Slater's life is adrift. Days spent as a double grazing
salesman and nights wasted with a gambling addict coworker
Les Beale. The only bright spot is his girlfriend Lucy.
But an accident where he ran over and killed a dog begins
a process that causes his life to unravel and lose what
little he has.
After I finished this book, I found one line stuck out that
summarized who Alan Slater is: "Nothing to tell me
how I got here. No religion, no nothing. An empty husk rattling
around the place, that's what I am." This character
is both contemptible and sympathetic at the same time.
Banks creates excellent believable characters, which helps
to advance the plot. He captures the self-loathing of being
trapped in a pointless job and Alan's attempts to keep himself
balanced enough around his girlfriend to avoid losing this
one element of his life that is still positive.
The story has great pacing and the Bank's style has elements
of Ken Bruen while still being his own. His dialog is crisp
and natural.
This was Banks debut but it shows an understanding of the
essential hardboiled elements that keeps the characters
fresh and prevents them from slipping into melodrama.
This book is very enjoyable and is highly recommended.
Return to Summer 2007 Table of Contents
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2007 SPINETINGLER Magazine - All rights reserved
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