| FUNNY MONEY
Pocket, Jun 2002, 24.00, 304 pp. ISBN: 0743436865 Retired cop Tony Valentine supplements his pension by exposing grifters at the Las Vegas casinos. He figures he needs the extra income because his son is always hitting him for a “loan” to pay off a questionable debt or two. Tony's former partner Doyle Flanagan is in the same line of work currently employed in Atlantic City. Doyle calls Tony to tell him about his current case involving a six million-dollar scam at the Bombay Casino. While on the phone together, a bomb explodes killing Doyle. Tony takes this personally and decides he must bring his partner's killers to justice, his style. He knows the prime path to identify the murderers is through the Bombay Casino besides which he believes that the corrupt gambling industry needs periodic cleansing so that the mark is not illegally fleeced. The second Tony Valentine tale lives up to the fabulous debut novel, GRIFT SENSE, with a strong investigative story line starring a hard-boiled yet somewhat soft in the middle sleuth whose actions and reactions make James Swain's tale feel excitingly genuine. Tony is the novel with his ambivalent attitude towards his son and his linebacker approach to justice and fairness. Fans of a modern day bruising yet compassionate private detective not afraid to wristlock and kiss lock women wrestlers will relish FUNNY MONEY. Harriet Klausner | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Misc. Murder Plotlets - Big focus on forensic evidence Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - power How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - Northeast Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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