This is the second Romeo thriller novel I’ve read by James Scott Bell. This time, Mike Romeo, an investigator for Rabbi Ira Rosen, Attorney-at-Law, former Mossad agent is in the midst of trying to help Archie Jennison, an old friend (cage fighter) with a murder rap. Archie is also attached to an old unsolved Hollywood murder in a weird way – his father maybe the killer. While trying to get to the bottom of Archie’s dilemma’s, Mike is also trying to help some other folks: C Dog, the leader of a punk rock band (“Unopened Cheese”) to settle up with a loan shark he owes Twenty grand with penalty and interest, and Artra Murray, a doctor who runs a public medical clinic who is on the verge of closing due to lack of funds.
Zane Donahue, a rich and well connected (not all legal) cage fight promoter could be the key to helping Mike solve the murder cases and help him out financially. But Zane is not a man to be trusted and Mike must use his instincts and intellect to outmaneuver him. Along the way, folks are hurt and Mike escapes from an attempt on his life because he was getting too close to finding out the truth.
Overall, this was a quick and well-written read. I loved the intricacy of the storyline, the snappish dialogue (Mike never misses a beat to perplex folks around him with his intellect – Shakespeare, Kierkegaard, Latin, etc.), well developed characters, and realistic fight scenes. There were many times I laughed out loud and sat on the edge of my seat during tense moments. I enjoyed this novel especially the ending with a twist. I will definitely read another novel showcasing Romeo’s wit, charming personality, and helpful disposition. A great read! Two thumbs up!
Rating: 4 stars
Some of my favorite lines:
“Why won’t
you consider fighting for me?” Donahue said. “That hundred grand is real cash
money.”
“I’m not a
violent person,” I said.
Donahue
snorted. “I know your cage record. Funny, but I can’t find anything before
that.” “Nothing funny about it,” I said.
“You are
apparently a man with a past. And you don’t want anybody to know about it.”
“Life can
only be understood backward,” I said. “But it must be lived forward.”
“You come
up with that?”
“Kierkegaard.”
He took a languid pull on his cigar and let the smoke issue from his mouth like a genie from a lamp. “A fighter who reads Kierkegaard. You are going to make a lot of money.”
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