Review of Charlie's Diner

[Liz Hodges Lehr]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Charlie's Diner" by Dennis F Killeen.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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If you are a fan of crazy plot twists, you will want to read Charlie’s Diner: A Novel by Dennis F. Killen . While I am leaving this 5 out of 5-star review, I am still pondering the outcome. The story starts out benignly enough. The setting is a small town, most likely in Pennsylvania, but it could be a small town anywhere. The main character is Charlie, an apparently kindly older man who is well known and well respected as a business owner in his community. Charlie tragically lost his only child to a car accident and his wife to cancer. He lives alone. Charlie has eaten breakfast at the same diner every day for more than 30 years. Many years ago, before his tragedies, he befriended a longtime waitress at the diner named Flo, who often worries about Charlie. Charlie is very skilled at compartmentalizing his life, and Flo did not even know he was getting married to his wife until after the wedding. Flo has never quite forgiven Charlie for that surprise. This is your first clue that maybe everything is not as it seems with Charlie, because he is obviously very close to Flo.

One day in the diner, Charlie overhears a conversation between a younger man and his wife. Charlie also notices the young couple has a small child. He decides to make an anonymous gift to them, and at first you think he wants to help a young family because he lost his own. Charlie makes an anonymous cash gift to the wife and goes on about his normal day. As a regular customer in the diner, Charlie has established a reputation for generosity. The wife returns to the diner to inquire about her benefactor, and the staff identifies Charlie for her. In the pages that follow this seemingly innocuous event, you will be swept into a plot with many twists and turns.

As the story unfolds, you change allegiances as the true nature of the characters are revealed. In the end you will wonder about motive, and ultimate results and maybe even question the concept of justice. It’s a great read with excellent editing, I only encountered one typo on my Kindle version. I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone who likes to be surprised by human nature, it’s a fun read, I can’t think of anything I would change!

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Charlie's Diner
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