Review: Brown-On-Brown

Who does hard-boiled mystery make you think of? Dashiell Hammett? Raymond Chandler? Robert B. Parker? Let me introduce you to Manuel Ramos. Are you a fan of noir? Manuel Ramos is noir as hell. His writing defies formula and defines character driven, plot-rich mystery. Dont pick this book up late at night if you intend get any sleep before morning.

Denver defense attorney Luis Móntez needs money. Too many deadbeat clients have left him high and dry when his services are no longer needed. One offers to make it up to him by bringing him a new client. This one has money up front. How can Luis resist?

Dominic Santos has landed himself in jail for a fire that ended a mans life. The fact that this happened on the ranch of an Anglo San Luis Valley rancher makes the situation dire for more than just Dominic. The whole valley is on the brink of civil unrest. The Chicano/Anglo disputes over water rights have split the area in two. Those that have the water and those that want to take it. The human element behind the war spins Luis around and leaves him wondering which direction to go in. No one is completely right, no one is completely wrong and its probable that no one is telling the truth. In the end, the only one Luis can believe in is himself and he doesnt consider himself a reliable source. He is drawn into a sticky web of lies and manipulation that topple his heroes, threaten his life and leave him thinking hes too old for this business.

Luiss bitterness and exhaustion were utterly palpable throughout this book. This is a man that has stared death in the face and come away a few times too many to retain hope. And yet he is offered redemption and sanctuary when his body and soul are on the brink of burning out. This infusion carries both him and the reader though to the end. This novel is a reprieve from mass-market commercialism. It is a study in the human spirit and a how to manual on hard-boiled protagonists.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jennifer Jordan

Book Review: Brown-On-Brown