2 out of 4 stars
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Taxi Driver by Mark C. Brown is a crime/thriller book about a taxi cab driver in Washington, DC who discovers a plot against the US President. The book follows cab driver, Gino, as he tries to help the police solve the conspiracy.
Gino often talks with his customers as he gives them rides to their destination. Sometimes Gino even eavesdrops on unsuspecting patrons while they talk on the phone or to fellow passengers. It’s hard to imagine what types of sensitive information cab drivers hear on a daily basis but Gino learns of a menacing plot that he believes the higher brass of the military are involved in. Gino feels compelled to learn more and help apprehend the assailants.
This book is a look inside the life of a taxi cab driver. Many stories and movies have been written about this subject. The taxi universe is the service industry on steroids, with drivers encountering humanity, sometimes behaving its worst. Often times the drivers are treated poorly, like servants, and it’s often a thankless job. Gino overhears something he shouldn’t have overheard, most likely because the patrons do not realize he is listening. Personally, I feel like the story lacks originality and is not realistic at all. Also, I felt the interaction between the characters was not believable and the narrative often did not flow easily. The worst thing about the book were the countless grammatical errors. The book was poorly edited. It was easily the worst edited book I have ever read. To just provide a few examples, many times the wrong word was used like “how” instead of “owe” or “come” instead of “comb”. There were also many spelling errors and run on sentences.
I did like Gino’s character in the book. I felt like he was a good guy trying to do the right thing even if it compromised his own safety. He felt compelled to help catch the bad guys, even if it placed him in danger.
In summary, I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. Based on the terrible editing and lack of originality of the story, I just can’t rate it any higher. I think with some professional editing; the book could be much better. The constant errors were very distracting throughout the story. For readers who are looking for a unique and believable story, this would not be a good pick. For those who are not distracted by editing errors and like to read about the plight of the taxi driver, this may be a good selection. Overall, I just can’t recommend this book with any enthusiasm.
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Taxi Driver
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I would have liked to read about the life of a taxi driver, though I can't imagine how it could be entwined in a murder mystery genre?
