Book Review: Too Beautiful to Die

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Too Beautiful to Die     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Glenville Lovell
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Ethnic
Putnam, Jul 2003, $23.95, 304 pp.

Three years may have passed, but African-American Blades Overstreet remains bitter over the incident that nearly cost him his life and ultimately did cost him his wife. During a bust, an undercover white cop "accidentally" shot police officer Blades, who felt it was a deliberate effort to eliminate a black cop. The brass told him to shut up so he quit and sued. The acrimonious aftertaste and avenging obsession over the subsequent two years led to his wife Anais leaving him to go to California.

Jimmy Lucas once saved Blades’ life so he now asks a big favor of Blades. Jimmy wants Blades to help his "Precious" find her long lost father. Warning Jimmy that the debt is now paid, Blades begins making inquiries only he finds a murdered FBI agent during his investigation. Already detested by the NYPD brass and most of its rank and file for failing to live up to its blue color code, Blades finds federal and local law enforcement want to hang his black butt with the crime. He knows he needs to uncover with 200 proof evidence the identity of the real culprit o he will find himself behind bars.

Though containing a powerful condemnation of racism, this exciting urban noir is clearly for those in the audience who appreciate macho males bragging about sexual conquests in between acts of violence. So the question begs itself as to why this suburban female reviewer kept reading in spite of feeling like an outsider. Somehow Blades hooks the reader as an underdog David who the audience follows in hopes he wins the day against entrenched Goliath bureaucracies and regains his love. This work is clearly for specified sub-genre fans that will enjoy Blade’s New York City joy ride.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner