Review by suddenly_beavers -- Blinders by Michael Amon
1 posts
[Following is a volunteer review of "Blinders" by Michael Amon.]
Blinders by Michael Amon is a thriller/crime story revolving around wine tasting and a cast of characters with rather dubious morals. The story starts with retired blinder Trilby enjoying a glass of wine in one of the higher-end wine bars in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. However, his evening takes a turn for the unexpected when he meets Bobby, a completely out-of-place country bumpkin with wine tasting abilities that could rival the greatest sommeliers. Having been out of the blinding game for years and with an extensive debt on his back, Trilby decides to initiate Bobby into the hidden depths of the wine tasting scene, where rich wine fans and connoisseurs alike participate in competitions and gamble small fortunes away by betting on the possible winner.
The story of Blinders is told through changing perspectives arranged in the form of shorter or longer chapters. This kind of storytelling method is usually the nail in the coffin for many aspiring writers, simply because creating a distinct, realistic voice for more than a few characters is hard work, and maintaining it is even harder. Somehow, though, Michael Amon makes it all come together. The resulting pace is very reminiscent of popular heist films like Ocean’s Eleven, with a consistent and airy flow that is far more common in visual media. The alternating perspectives allow the author to present characters that are deeply flawed and more or less unethical, but who at the same time are not caricatures that you can’t take seriously. You won’t want to root for almost any of them but, in my opinion at least, there is a certain charm to watching amoral people trying to solve the massive problems they create for themselves.
As is usually the case for crime/heist stories, Blinders also comes with a lot of exposition and informational segments. Thankfully, the author has taken great care to provide all this detail in a way that feels natural and not like relentless info dumping. Moreover, every subject discussed in the story, even in passing, has clearly been researched in depth. Even though I personally have zero interest in wine, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the various facets of its production, which is proof of Michael Amon’s ability as a writer more than anything else.
Before the conclusion, I just want to make clear that this is not a lighthearted story. While it features the glamour and energy one would associate with high-end city living and nightlife, it also has very clear references to subjects that are not easy to stomach. As I mentioned before, the vast majority of the characters are immoral to some degree, and with that come various illegal activities that are (mostly) only spoken of and which are not very pleasant to read about. They undoubtedly add realism to the story and I was personally fine with their presence, but I feel potential readers should keep this information in mind.
Wrapping up, there’s really not one negative thing I can say about this book. I would recommend it for all fans of the genre, as well as anyone else who doesn’t mind some harsher themes in their books. As such, I’m giving Blinders4 out of 4 stars. I hope everyone who decides to read this book has as much fun with it as I did.
******
Blinders
View: on Bookshelves |
Blinders by Michael Amon is a thriller/crime story revolving around wine tasting and a cast of characters with rather dubious morals. The story starts with retired blinder Trilby enjoying a glass of wine in one of the higher-end wine bars in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. However, his evening takes a turn for the unexpected when he meets Bobby, a completely out-of-place country bumpkin with wine tasting abilities that could rival the greatest sommeliers. Having been out of the blinding game for years and with an extensive debt on his back, Trilby decides to initiate Bobby into the hidden depths of the wine tasting scene, where rich wine fans and connoisseurs alike participate in competitions and gamble small fortunes away by betting on the possible winner.
The story of Blinders is told through changing perspectives arranged in the form of shorter or longer chapters. This kind of storytelling method is usually the nail in the coffin for many aspiring writers, simply because creating a distinct, realistic voice for more than a few characters is hard work, and maintaining it is even harder. Somehow, though, Michael Amon makes it all come together. The resulting pace is very reminiscent of popular heist films like Ocean’s Eleven, with a consistent and airy flow that is far more common in visual media. The alternating perspectives allow the author to present characters that are deeply flawed and more or less unethical, but who at the same time are not caricatures that you can’t take seriously. You won’t want to root for almost any of them but, in my opinion at least, there is a certain charm to watching amoral people trying to solve the massive problems they create for themselves.
As is usually the case for crime/heist stories, Blinders also comes with a lot of exposition and informational segments. Thankfully, the author has taken great care to provide all this detail in a way that feels natural and not like relentless info dumping. Moreover, every subject discussed in the story, even in passing, has clearly been researched in depth. Even though I personally have zero interest in wine, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the various facets of its production, which is proof of Michael Amon’s ability as a writer more than anything else.
Before the conclusion, I just want to make clear that this is not a lighthearted story. While it features the glamour and energy one would associate with high-end city living and nightlife, it also has very clear references to subjects that are not easy to stomach. As I mentioned before, the vast majority of the characters are immoral to some degree, and with that come various illegal activities that are (mostly) only spoken of and which are not very pleasant to read about. They undoubtedly add realism to the story and I was personally fine with their presence, but I feel potential readers should keep this information in mind.
Wrapping up, there’s really not one negative thing I can say about this book. I would recommend it for all fans of the genre, as well as anyone else who doesn’t mind some harsher themes in their books. As such, I’m giving Blinders4 out of 4 stars. I hope everyone who decides to read this book has as much fun with it as I did.
******
Blinders
View: on Bookshelves |
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