Reviewed By: Ruth Jordan - RAM
The Golden Rules
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
R. M. Ryan
Class/Genre: Mystery Thriller
May 2002, Four Walls Eight Windows 256 pages / $12.95 p.b.o.
This book came to my attention a little late as you’ll see by the release date. Written by local Financier/Poet Rick Ryan and published in the U.K. by No Exit Press it is Mr. Ryan’s first novel.
Set in the 1970s and featuring protagonist Owen Hill a down on his luck actor. The book is a good first novel. There’s an enjoyable plot featuring Krugerrands and a con gone terribly wrong. The aftermath is a surreal combination of Day of the Locusts and Another Roadside Attraction. All that’s missing is the purple KoolAid. In it’s place is the pink Edsel within which Owen tries to make his escape from a very bad end.
Parts of this book work rather well and parts show the growing pains of a scribe moving from one writing format to another. The character of Owen doesn’t ring true to this reader but that may well have been Mr. Ryan’s intention given the story and his poetry background. If so it was almost successful. I’m happy to say the author is busy with rewrites on his second novel for there is promise here of things to come.
Ruth Jordan - RAM
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ruth Jordan - RAM
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