Book Review: Save the Last Dance for Me

Reviewed By: Ellen Garbuny - RAM

Save the Last Dance for Me     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Ed Gorman
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: Sam McCain # 4

Save the Last Dance For Me by Ed Gorman is a quick read, witty and an enjoyable romp into the late 1950's. Set in a small town in Iowa, a young attorney/investigator sets out to uncover who killed two preachers and what their connections to the murder was.

In very few well chosen words, Gorman painted character pictures of the many people who populated the book. He has a keen eye for the odd detail that seems to succintly define the person.

The protagonist, Sam McCain, was humorously sefl-deprecating throughout the book. He also freely shared his thought processses. I am not sure we needed to hear all about his convoluted dating history and wonder just how much of that was filler for the book.

Gorman does a good job at describing the social milieu of the era. The anti-Catholic and anti-Semetic feelings stirred up during the Nixon-Kennedy campaign was a theme throughout the book.

A good enough read. 3 stars out of 5.

Ellen Garbuny - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ellen Garbuny - RAM