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Book Review By yosef shapiro
Bust by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr

   This novel is a collaboration between crime fiction writers.They are writting the novel in the style of the hard boiled detective novels of years gone by. But they are setting the story during the present day.

    Wealthy, successful New York City business owner Max Fisher finds himself in a delightfully familiar scenario: he wants to get rid of his nagging wife so he can take up with his sexy secretary, Angela Petrakos. When Angela introduces Max to Dillon (who she codenames Popeye), a former IRA hit man, Max thinks he's found his man; what Max doesn't know is that Dillon is already Angela's man—and the two plan to double-cross Max as soon as it becomes profitable.

   Dillon, however, proves to be less a professional than a psychotic: he'd just as soon kill "for the price of a pint" as he would for Max's wealth.

   Another wrinkle in the plot is wheelchair-bound Bobby Rosa, an ex-con with a taste for lewd photography, guns and blackmail. As it tends to do, the murderous plot goes awry.



Plot & Themes
Tone of story - Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 40 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Crime plotlets:
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here? - crazed lover/family member

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race
Unusual characteristics:

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Dumb

Setting
United States Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Explicit sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - actual description of sex
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