Book Review: The Prince of Deadly Weapons

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Prince of Deadly Weapons     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Boston Teran
Class/Genre:   Mystery
St. Martin’s, Nov 2002, $24.95, 368 pp.

Taylor Greene is The California golden boy as heir to a huge fortune, but he is not tainted by the power money can buy. He loves and is loved by his parents and his godparents until the mask of perfection melts away on the day he learns his parents and godparents are money launderers and murderers. Taylor sets up a meeting with William Reynolds, an agent of the Federal Government, but before that meeting can come to pass the Fed is murdered and two weeks later Taylor is dead as well.

Dane Rudd, the recipient of Taylor’s corneas comes to Rio Vista, California ostensibly to thank Taylor’s parents for giving him the gift of sight. In reality Dane has infiltrated Taylor’s intimate circle in the hopes of finding out what Taylor was going to tell the dead agent. He has the help of Essie, the woman Taylor loved and ultimately died for, but the investigation he started to stay out of jail becomes a chance for redemption for Dane because until he came to Rio Vista he was no better than the Greenes were.

Boston Teran has a lyrical and literary style of writing so readers feel that they are reading a poetic ballad. Although Taylor only has one scene in the book, he makes an impact on every character through their actions and reaction to his death. The author has captured the essence of evil and imbued several of his characters with it, making them monsters as malignant as Hannibal Lechter ever was. This is a very powerful novel that impacts the reader strongly on the emotional level.

Harriet Klausner

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