2 out of 4 stars
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Gravnick by Bob Herpe falls into the crime and mystery category. Actually, the subtitle is Action, Adventure, and a Taste of Matzo Ball Soup. As you can guess, the author has a little fun along the way, and some readers may enjoy the ride. Gravnick is heavily character-based, the plot revolving around a determined Chief of Police, a skilled assassin, and a cosmetics queen. Herpe provides surprises and unanswered questions at the end of this book, setting up the possibility for another novel.
Ernie Gravnick serves as acting Chief of Police in Highland Park, outside Chicago. His family history is linked to the mob, and he has connections across the city. During his career, Gravnick has doggedly pursued criminals, no matter their past or associations. Now, he finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation that is much more complicated than it first seems. During the chase, he also finds danger, love, and heartbreak.
I liked the way the author drew the main characters. Herpe allows readers to see their motivations and backgrounds, and we get to know them pretty well. It was interesting to see what they would do in the situations they experienced. I also liked that the author sprinkled humor throughout the book. For instance, one man gets grazed by a van. He is unhurt, but his pants are ripped, showing that his underwear matches his bright red bowtie. Further, he is unfazed by the close contact, and he continues to take notes about the van as he stands on the sidewalk in his bright-red glory.
Unfortunately, while the main characters were pretty well-rounded, minor characters were just numerous, and keeping them all straight became a chore. Besides there being so many characters, the author added to the confusion in some cases. For instance, there are three characters named Jennifer. Additionally, a lot of the dialogue isn’t natural. For example, this is one of the characters talking about her husband, “Then with a look of unbridled anger that I never knew him capable of, he sneered and said, ‘And now my darling wife, with that accomplished, I am ready to execute a takeover of your beloved company.’” (Loc 265)
I also had some trouble following the plot. The action was fast-paced, but some chapters seemed to wander, leaving me confused about plot direction. The passage of time between scenes is sometimes unclear, and settings jump back and forth.
Besides plot and character questions, this book contains many, many errors. Some errors concern format, but most are grammatical. There are numerous issues related to comma usage alone. Sometimes a few errors aren’t distracting, but these absolutely broke my reading pace and took away some of my reading enjoyment. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. I’m taking one star for editing errors. The other is for the lack of plot continuity. It’s certainly better than a 1-star book, but the story caused me to have more questions than I should have. People who like “cop stories” may enjoy Gravnick despite the plot and editing issues, but I think more people would enjoy it after another round of editing. Prospective readers should know that this book contains gory descriptions, adult language, and some adult situations.
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Gravnick
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