3 out of 4 stars
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Native Trouble by Mark Reps follows the bewildering actions of a group of criminals in a town near the America-Mexico border.
For Zeb Hanks, the campaigning for the upcoming elections is a tedious task which he is unwilling to undertake. Unlike other elections, his chances of winning this time are dwindling by the day. Instances of crime have fraught the town and his team is struggling to keep up with the perpetrators. The first incidence is a school-shooting prank that leaves everyone on edge. At first, it appears that some students may be behind the chilling event but as the crime rate continues to rise, Zeb begins to realize that there could be a political agenda behind the chaos.
I liked the dialogues in the book as they are full of humor and hence, entertaining. Zeb interrogates various town citizens in a bid to solve the crimes. The victims are a colorful and delightful group of characters. They are eccentric and their expressions are what would be expected from ordinary town residents. Their flawed perceptions and traits create their authenticity. The dialogues help in moving the story forward as they reveal different aspects of the town and its people.
I also liked the pace of the plot which makes the book a page-turner. The story is fast-paced and it remains engaging to the end. Some action scenes are comical such as when the criminals attack a pawn and loan shop. They rob the owner at gunpoint but in the end, they throw the money into the air and leave. A few scenes are gripping and death-dealing and each crime is quickly followed by another. After the pawn and loan shop incidence, the criminals strike again at a care center.
The chapters are clearly titled and the language is accessible to readers. The conversations and words used are easy to grasp which makes the book appealing to even a younger audience. However, the plot and the aim of the criminals are overly simplified and from the beginning, it is easy to predict the outcome of the story for readers familiar with stories on crime.
The conflict started in the book is also not solved in the end which makes the story less appealing. Even though it is part of a series, the conflict in the book could still have been addressed and the following books could focus on different storylines.
Native Trouble by Mark Reps is professionally edited and I did not identify any errors. It is an engaging read for lovers of crime stories. Readers who prefer stand-alone stories may not enjoy the book. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars.
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Native Trouble
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