Customer Reviews

Cat-Eyed Trouble

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whenever I read book reviews, I am struck by the differences in my tastes and those of others. To be honest, I don't like very many books I read But I read almost constantly - perhaps 3 or 4 books every week. There are a lot of mediocre books out there - books that tell a good story, but do so flatly, without any passion, books with greatly realized characters doing boring things, or books that are written competently, but without any pace or plotting. As much as I would like all the authors I read to write with the poetry of James Lee Burke, or the electricity of Dashiell Hammett, or the imagination of Tim Powers, I know this can never happen.

So it always surprises me when I have finished a mediocre book that I read based on someone else's glowing review. One such book is "Cat-Eyed Trouble" by Robert E. Skinner. In the past three months, I have read no fewer than 7 raves about this book (although I tend to discount Harriet Klausner's reviews, as she does not review a book as much as summarize it, then tell you whether she liked it or not), but my experience was less than glowing.

This book represented the worst of what I call "Dungeons and Dragons" mystery writing. IN D&D, characters explore a room and may find clues that point them off to a different room. In "Cat-Eyed Trouble", Wesley Farrell, the quasi-criminal, half-white, half-black proprietor of Le Tristesse spends the entire novel knocking informants around. None of them knows anything at first, but after a few pokes in the snoot, each one has a single piece of information that adds to the whole story. That single lead is always a good one and Wesley is off to the next "room". It seems odd to me that no one lies, no one knows more than one piece of the puzzle and no one bests the hero.

Iz Daggett is a black cop who is just returning from a stint in Angola prison after having been framed for the murder of Junior Obregon. The entire cast of baddies is thrown into an uproar because they think that Iz will somehow figure out who actually committed the murder. All of the book's action hinges on this fear, yet it leads me to one question: why didn't one of these turkeys pay to have Daggett hit while he was still in prison rather than wait until he was out wandering the streets?

Another source of irritation is the solution to Obregon's murder. I won't reveal the name here, but the one person in the entire book who acts contrarily to expectation is the murderer. Skinner telegraphs the answer so loudly the book becomes less of a "Whodunnit?" than a "Whyamistillreadingthis?"

Finally, and this is a minor one, Skinner seems obsessed with the kinds of alcohol each character drinks. The book is so filled with lists of name-brand liquors that the action is broken because you find yourself asking "Did they really have Peter Dawson scotch in the thirties?

I truly liked Mr. Skinner's first fictional novel - Skin Deep, Blood Red - and was so disappointed by his second entry into the mystery field. The premise of the book is good but it just never gets to any real intrigue or edge of the seat suspense. Mr. Skinner has great characters -they just don't seem to mesh together. And some of the scenes have no relationship to believability. Perhaps, this one was just too much an attempt to produce book #2 too soon. Wesley Farrell was a great character developed in book #1 and I was truly disappointed by his character in book #2. And if I knew a woman's liber, I would not recommend this book to her because the role of women was insulting and demeaning. Better luck next time - bring back Mr. Farrell with all his charm and mystic of book #1.

This was a fun book! An exciting, intriguing story, great characters, and - all-important for nit-pickers like myself, all the little background details rang true. He got the clothes, the cars, the music, the streets, the guns, the talk, the atmosphere.... right. Excellent. After wading through so many dreadful 'period' novels where the hero 'clicks off the safety catch on his revolver', talks in 1990s jive, and stumbles through the book doing stupid things and surviving on dumb luck and the benevelence of the author (for this latter, that Robichaux buffoon of James Lee Burke's novels comes to mind - what a pathetic doofus!) - here I find a gem. Set in 1938 New Orleans, it brings that time and place to life as it unfolds the twisty-turny storyline, throws the various characters into (often-violent) conflict, and rips and roars along in juggernaut fashion. As usual for me, I found this book at our local library - where, almost invariably they will stock one book from a series but never the first one, so now I'll have to track down SKIN DEEP, BLOOD RED. And anything else (fiction or non-fiction) that Robert Skinner has written. One review said he was a librarian at Xavier University in New Orleans. Hmmm.... well, his painstaking research, delight in detail, and above all - love of the 'noir' genre - shines through in this terrific book. I read a lot of books - I devoured CAT-EYED TROUBLE in less than a day (greedy!) - and confess also to being a student of history (with degrees in it - gasp!) and a technical nit-picker. I *love* to pounce on author's technical errors (if they are egregious!) as well as lame plots, inconsistent characterization or - most of all - incompetent protagonists (like Robichaux) muddling through yet another bad book. But, when I find one of the rare good ones, I am enthused. And CAT-EYED TROUBLE is one of the very very best. I loved it. You probably will, too. Three thumbs up! :-)

Thin on plot lines. Soap opera style with inadequate character development.

When I first read about the character of Wesley Farrell, I was prepared not to like him. A man that would hide his African blood didn't sit well with me. But as I got into the book and his character, I found myself drawn to this enigmatic character. What a sourpuss reviewer bernpage is. What a shame to be an avid reader and not enjoy half of what he reads. Anyway back to my review. This book has suspense, romance, and Louisiana flavor. I loved the French names associated with Louisiana's rich French history. The women were beautiful, strong, and shrewd; the men handsome, r smooth and oozing with southern charm and masculinity. Israel Digget is my kind of guy as well as Wes. I will definitely add Robert Skinner's books to my shopping cart. I'm getting ready to order Blood Red, Skin Deep!

In 1938 New Orleans, Wesley Farrell, who is half Caucasian, passes himself as being white so that he can own and run a local nightclub. Wesley's mother was a Creole of Color, who raised him by herself. His father turns out to be a white police officer, Captain Frank Casey. Though cautious towards each other, Wesley and Frank have gained respect for one another, especially after working together on a previous investigation (see SKIN DEEP, BLOOD RED).

Ex-cop Israel Dagget, a former member of the Negro Squad, has just been released from Angola Prison after being framed for killing dealer Junior Obregon five years ago. Dagget wants to prove his innocence and turns to Wesley and Frank for help. However, the trio have a tough opponent, who will kill to keep the status quo.

The second novel in the Farrell mysteries is a terrific tale that brings to life The Big Easy during the Depression. The story line of CAT-EYED TROUBLE is dark and gloomy while the characters feel genuine. Robert E. Skinner takes the readers on a magic carpet ride to 1930's New Orleans that is pure fun.

Harriet Klausne