Official Review: Blood Spiral by Sam Waas

[sahmoun2778]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blood Spiral" by Sam Waas.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mitch King is such a great character! I enjoyed every minute of “Blood Spiral” by Sam Waas.

Mitch is a private detective in Houston. One of the first things that attracted my attention was the author’s descriptions of Houston weather. Having experienced it myself, I can tell you that the descriptions are spot on. This is the first book in a series and in this one Mitch is hired by a local attorney to investigate a murder. Terrie is a beautiful young woman who has been arrested for the murder of her long-time boyfriend. Mitch is in love at first sight. He believes she is innocent but still in danger because she took a shot at the murderer, and missed, just after her boyfriend was shot. When the charges against her are dropped, Mitch decides the safest place for her is his house, and maybe even his bedroom. Mitch’s second client in the story is an astronaut who is being harassed by a co-worker and asks Mitch to try and scare her off. Throughout the book, he goes back and forth between protecting Terrie, and trying to find the murderer. There’s a couple of surprising twists near the end that you won’t see coming.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. In particular his descriptions, whether it be of the weather, the scene, or the character, they are thorough without feeling heavy and cumbersome. They fit seamlessly with the action and dialogue. Another strength of this book is the characters. Mitch, in particular, moves effortlessly from tough guy to gentle soul, and Terrie had me completely fooled for a while. The relationships Mitch has with the local cops was refreshing and fun. For a change, a PI who is friends with the cops.

The only problem that I had with this book was that there is not much in the way of background on Mitch. I would have liked to know more about his history and was he always a PI. I will also note that there is some sexual content and a few grisly crime scene descriptions, so this book may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

I’m giving this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, because it was a thoroughly engaging story with a great plotline and characters. Readers who enjoy mysteries, PI’s, or police procedurals should enjoy this one. I would definitely read other books in this series.

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Blood Spiral
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[moderntimes]

Thanks to the reviewer for a coherent, smart, and meaningful review of my first "Mitch King" novel, Blood Spiral. The review mentioned some of the aspects of the novel which I've tried to covey, did not reveal spoilers, and summarized the plot and themes nicely. It's always appreciated when a reviewer talks about WHY the book was good (or bad) and provides potential readers a sharp guide to making their upcoming purchase selections. The reviewer's comment about not providing too much biography on my protagonist, Mitch King, is also valid. Many readers become bogged down in too much "backstory" and therefore I kept this to a minimum. Mitch's personal life will be more thoroughly explored in the 2nd novel in the series, and in continuing books about this Houston private eye. Again, thanks!

A completely revised 2nd novel, Blood Storm, will soon follow, with the new and 3rd in the series, Blood Vengeance, also scheduled for publication later this year. Blood Spiral is now available via Amazon, with Blood Storm and Blood Vengeance next.

[gali]

Sounds intriguing. Thank you for the lovely review and congratulations to the author for the positive review!

[anonanemone]

Congratulations @moderntimes on a great review! Good job sahmoun2778!

[moderntimes]

The review was fair and literate, and most important, discussed the specifics of why the reviewer (mostly) liked the book. We had a long and productive thread in the General section about "What constitutes an unfair review" and we talked a lot about the things which make a review fair, too. Naturally I'm pleased that the reviewer gave 4 stars but what is more essential is that the exact points of the book were brought out (correctly, too) and therefore a prospective reader will be properly guided. For example, the reviewer correctly cautioned about some graphic crime scenes and some sexual descriptions. This is of course because I'm writing for adults, not juveniles. Mature juveniles would perhaps be okay with the book, but anyone with a more delicate sensibility might wish to avoid this novel. Which is fine with me, as my novels are not meant for everyone. But the correct idea per the reviewer was to mention this as a guide to prospective readers, a very astute thing to do. I wish more reviews were this thorough.

[DennisK]

I just finished reading Moderntime's first book. I agree with sahmoun2778,s assessment. In testament, I want to read the next installment to see how Mitch deals with his situation at the end of this story.
My only criticism would be the sex scenes. It felt like I had stumbled onto a porn site which I read like an old worn out joke. I imagine that sex can be a difficult subject to write about, as It would be so easy to become crude. Mitch is a rough and tumble character; so I wouldn't expect him to be a Don Juan in this context, but he is sophisticated enough to accept his gay systems security partner – Mitch is capable of empathy. Considering how Mitch felt about his client, the subject can't be avoided. But I think it should have been more polished. I'm not suggesting the author create a voyeuristic scene – just a sense of sincerity. I think he would gain a more empathetic response from the reader.
What I liked most about Moderntime's talent is his descriptive ability. For example, in chapter 24, about the third paragraph, he wrote:

“I got out and looked around. The air was warm, heavy with moisture, and the street quite. The engine ticked as it cooled. No other sound or movement. I went around and opened Terrie's door.”

…..the street quite. The engine ticked as it cooled. …. That bit grabbed me like a hook and put me right into the scene. It's funny how something like describing the ticking of a cooling engine could engage me as a reader. Perhaps after building a visual scene, he added that sound which created a more realistic experience. Writers have five senses that they can employ – it's great when they know how to use them.

[moderntimes]

Thanks for the commentary. I do try to paint a picture of a scene. Mr. Bill Pronzini, one of the masters of private detective fiction today, said that the scenery of a chapter and descriptions so that the reader can picture this in the mind's eye is much like a separate character in the book, and that I had done a superb job of this. Having his very fine feedback was, as you can imagine, very encouraging.

Regarding the sex, I am writing a modern novel meant for adult readers, and my fairly graphic depiction of a sexual encounter is a parallel with the very strong descriptions of the crime violence and murder scenes. Both are meant to be "photographic" and almost clinical in their narrative. Also understand that for this particular situation, the "romance" is not at all such, as might be engendered in a more authentic and deep encounter between two people. It's graphic because the very emotions underlying the scene are also graphic and dark, thus the description is almost mechanical in nature, like a sex manual. This is intentional, not to shock the reader, but to transmit the message that there's really no "love" in the thing, the coupling more animalistic than human. That was my motive but I don't pretend to be an expert in such things either, I can only try. I wanted to imply that the "affair" was abrupt and only skin deep, exactly like a cheap movie might portray, lacking genuine emotions.

As you can see, Mitch is highly intelligent and possessed with genuine emotions, regardless. The conflict we see in his character is how he wrongly lets his animal part sometimes overrule his humanity. Guilt is what results, and hopefully he will learn from his mistakes. But he's very fallible and tends to blow through things regardless of his knowing better.

If you want to see how Mitch's actions have been judged by others, you should refer to the end of ch 55, when Joe Duggan is angry with Mitch, Joe in the front seat of his cop car, Mitch in the back:

Duggan suddenly spun around, facing me, and reached back with both hands. He grabbed my jacket, jerked me upright from the seat as if I were a rag doll.
“You listen to me, Mitchell King.” His voice was slow ice and despite the darkness, I could see the steel glitter in his grey eyes.

And read what Duggan says after this. It's an indictment of Mitch and a certain indication of how far Mitch has wandered. And so the almost clinical and mechanical graphic sex is how it was all done, wrongly so. And by the way, if you may think that Terrie's behavior is unrealistic, I can attest that some of her actions are a slightly altered situation from real life.

Thanks again for the feedback. It shows that there are people out there who are actually reading the books!

[sahmoun2778]

Thanks for the kind words. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to future installments.

[DennisK]

The way I read it was that Mitch had some genuine feelings for Terrie – yes, the lust was there, but I suppose I subconsciously invented a deeper need that you didn't want in the character. My miss. I have no problem with Terrie's character being believable – I felt something was wrong with her quite early in the story. You explained this with a description of her history. As far as how he was judged by others, it was painfully clear that he violated the friendships he had, and their trust. I think you ended the story well. But now I wonder how he will live with this in his own mind. It's a dangling thread that I will live with.

[moderntimes]

sah -- it's my pleasure -- your review was first rate. Thanks again

Dennis -- my motives and the way I express them in the book are perhaps incorrect or could have been done better, but it's my way of writing and I appreciate the thoughtful feedback. As with any novel, the text goes through endless rewrites and revisions, and there is always "one more thing" to change or tweak. Eventually I have to "slap hands" and let it go to press. My publisher has a schedule, after all.

Incidentally, not 5 minutes ago I finished the final review of the galley proofs for my 2nd novel in the series, Blood Storm, which will soon be published. For those who look at the reviews, an earlier version of this book was done but the novel was completely rewritten and revised -- hopefully made better now -- and so I'll be putting the novel up for a new review, soon as it's out in print and e-book. The 3rd in the series, Blood Vengeance, will follow toward the end of the year.

Mitch is a work in progress, as you can certainly understand, so that his psyche and personality will evolve as the books progress. It's my intent to carry readers along in 2 ways -- the plots themselves, and the world view of Mitch King.

Thanks again.

[DennisK]

I think you have a great start; one with which you can be proud.

[bookowlie]

Nice, insightful review Sahmoun! For me, the author's writing style is paramount. Congrats to Moderntimes on receiving a 4-star review.

[moderntimes]

Thanks Dennis, bookowl and all others.

Essential in my Mitch King series is the primary character. When I began the novels, I wanted to bridge the gap between conventional genre thrillers and the more "literary" mainstream aspects of fiction. As a lifelong fan of both fields, I enjoy the fun and excitement of mystery thrillers but I'm also compelled to delve into the deeper emotional and cultural mores set forth in mainstream literature.

After some lengthy consideration and false starts, I hit upon the solution. I've created Mitch King to be a genuine modern (late 20th century) anti-hero instead of the more conventional hero type we find in most PI literature. Despite their failings, characters like Spenser (Robert B. Parker) and Philip Marlowe (Chandler) are more the 19th century heroic figure. They have their innate sterling self and although this is assailed, they are steadfast in their honor.

Not there's nothing wrong with this sort of protagonist. We see them everywhere, heroic figures. Comic books, TV crime shows, exciting action movies, and traditional genre literature of all types -- fantasy, mystery, romance, etc -- the fairly stalwart protagonist holding firm against the onslaughts of the corrupt world.

But I wanted to challenge this. And so I set Mitch King into motion. As you can see, he's highly intelligent and well educated, first class upbringing. But he's a flawed piece of work, because inside all the culture and intelligence and humorous take on things, he's a hollow man (aka TS Eliot, my fave poet). And he knows this and is fighting against it, trying to find a "center" to his life. This is precisely the makeup of the modern (or postmodern if you wish) anti-hero as exemplified in postmodern novelists like Umberto Eco, James Dickey, and others.

And so my books are a contrast afloat. They show modern crime, some of it pretty bloody, adult language and a little explicit sex tossed into the mix. Which is intentional and not meant to send readers searching for the "sex chapter" or the "murder chapter" but to set them back on their heels. Combine this with Mitch's very erudite reflections, the numerous literary references, and the fairly upscale narrative (fifty-cent words, ha ha) and this contrast is deliberate and consciously derived. I spend hours weaving the texture of chapter-to-chapter interactions, not just the plot (and yeah, plot is essential in a mystery -- although my books are less "whodunnit" than "whydunnit") but the actual sentence structure, the choice of words, paragraph length, and the rhythm of one active and perhaps violent chapter set up against a reflective and thoughtful one.

Consider for example Chapter 23. It's where Mitch drives up to Terrie's house. Action stops. And this entire chapter is an essay on modern American life, a reflection on the moral themes of our life today, which of course will bubble up into the story as it proceeds.

All this is deliberate and intentional. I want Mitch to be a character who changes. He's not like most heroic detectives, each adventure different but our hero is unaltered by them, steadfast and resolute. That's so much BS. WE all change with our life, we do. And I want Mitch to do this, too. And for the first book, Blood Spiral, then following soon by Blood Storm (totally rewritten since the older review here) and the very new Blood Vengeance, all these are new challenges to Mitch and he will evolve and change all along.

One of the most fun things I keep hearing is this: "I want to see what happens to Mitch next." or "I am looking forward to how Mitch reacts to things in the next story." -- these folks are talking about Mitch King as if he were a real person. And frankly, THIS is my objective. Yes, to tell exciting and interesting crime stories, and for this I think I've succeeded, but also to project a "genuine" human being into the fray. And honestly, I also think "I wonder how Mitch will react to this?" and I'm the guy who's writing the stories!

[kimmyschemy06]

That sounds like a very interesting book. 'PI who is friends with the cops.' I really like that, kind of rare Congratulations to Sam Waas for a wonderful book.

[moderntimes]

Thanks. Today I just received the first hard copies of novel 2 in the series, Blood Storm (review is pending now).

Publisher and printer did a fine job, looks excellent. Novel 3 in the series will be out soon.

Re. the PI being pals with cops, I tried to make my stories as realistic as possible within the boundaries of fiction, and as my PI remarks, "I'd be out of business within six weeks of crossing up the cops. All legitimate private investigators work hand in glove with them."

Which comes also from my personal knowledge of both, in that I am personally acquainted with both genuine private eyes and quite a few cops of various venues.

-- 14 Dec 2015, 14:48 --

Need a little help from my friends...

I'm asking that those who have read Blood Spiral to please post a review on Amazon. I'm not asking for high ratings, just a fair review.

Thanks in advance.