Rating: 
Summary: Wil Hardesty, Determined PI, Deadly Friend.
Review: Richard Barre's novel THE INNOCENTS, introduces PI Wil Hardesty. Wil is a Viet Nam Vet, surfer-dude, who rides a Harley. Also, as the novel opens, he is a mourning father and troubled husband, trying to hash out the terms of his marriage after he and his wife, Lisa, have lost their 11year old son in a surfing accident. The theme of children lost to tragedy permeates this novel as Wil investigates the apparent ritualistic murder of seven children, their skeletal remains found in the desert after a rainstorm has uncovered them. A medallion found with one of the skeletons and publicized on TV alerts Wil's client that it was his son that was murdered and recently found. However, this client is reluctant to come forward due to the fact that for all intents and purposes he sold his son in exchange for safe passage across the border into the US for him and the rest of his family. Quickly Wil and his friend Paul Rodriguez quickly zero in on a strong suspect, the deadly Zavala Bolo who bought the child years earlier and gave Wil's client passage into the US. Just as quickly Bolo and his associates realize that Wil and Paul are after them and begin counter measures to evade capture, including plans to terminate the PI and his companion. The strength of the novel is its portray of Zavala and his associates as frightening threats. A few scenes give you the enemies' POV, in order to build tension by revealing how close the villain is to doing in the heroes. The novel is adequately written in a third person point of view, which allows Barre to reveal the minds of the villains as well as those of the PI, his associates, and several of the vitcims. Barre has attempted an ambitious first outing, however, there are several spots where the novel falls short. First, those PI fans that are used to getting a full-blown exposure to the PI's personality and mind through first person narration may feel distanced from Wil. It's as if Barre is holding everyone at arm's length from his main character. There are a few scenes in fact where we're given the interior world of minor characters better than the mind of Wil. I comprehended the tragedy of his lost son and the problems of his marriage but never felt them. Second, the plot hinges too heavily on coincidences: the upper hand given to the enemies by slips of the tongue by Paul and Wil at various points, clues consist of scraps of paper and candy wrappers (flimsy), and Wil lucks out when it comes to finding an expert in art/social history. Third, several characters are snuffed out or come close to death because of their association with Wil. In other words, it seems as if you're taking your life in your hands if are related to or otherwise in a relationship with Wil Hardesty. I'll spare you the list of causalities, suffice it to say, I had my doubts any characters would survive til the next installment. Overall if you can stand a few stretchers in believability and don't mind a bit of distance from your main investigator, THE INNOCENTS is spare, frightening thriller.
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Summary: SUPERB book. Hard to believe it's a first effort.
Review: THIS WRITER IS GOOD. Several times I'd picked this book up and put it down because of the synopses I'd read - surfer private investigator and such. This private eye has been very poorly misrepresented. Think of Wil Hardesty as a cross between early Spenser and Harry Bosch. Yes, he does surf but I won't get into that here because reading the book will put it into perspective for you. Mr. Barre's characters are tight and very original. Had to read the last 100 pages in one sitting as I couldn't put the book down. Highest recommendations for this book.
Rating:
Summary: SUPERB book. Hard to believe it's a first effort.
Review: THIS WRITER IS GOOD. Several times I'd picked this book up and put it down because of the synopses I'd read - surfer private investigator and such. This private eye has been very poorly misrepresented. Think of Wil Hardesty as a cross between early Spenser and Harry Bosch. Yes, he does surf but I won't get into that here because reading the book will put it into perspective for you. Mr. Barre's characters are tight and very original. Had to read the last 100 pages in one sitting as I couldn't put the book down. Highest recommendations for this book.
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