Customer Reviews

A Crooked Man

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

 

 

Senator Nick Schlafer is trying to push through a Bill in Congress, legalising drugs and drug taking.The President and most of his political opponents are adamently against such a move and Nick is accused of using the bill to make up for his daughters apparent suicide from a heroin overdose.He becomes involved with a high ranking mafia member who agrees with the proposed Bill because it coincides with mob interests.Perhaps this type of writing will appeal to readers with an interest in political situations but I really couldn't work up much interest and was able to identify "The Crooked Man" of the title almost immediately.

"A Crooked Man" begins with the focus on Senator Schlafer's opinion on decriminalizing drugs. This topic is what initially got me interested in the book (and urging from a friend). Being a resident of New Mexico, the topic of decriminalization of drugs is a hot topic because our governor, Johnson, has the same feelings as Senator Schlafer. "A Crooked Man" not only discussed some of the research in legalizing drugs, but also some of the historical information that was interesting.

Other than decriminalizing drugs, the story also involved the suspicious death/suicide of the Senator's daughter and threats made directly to the Senator. The book was rather slow until approximately page 190. Page 190 was when the book became much more exciting and suspenseful and the book began moving much faster as the mob got involved, family secrets were exposed, and the mystery of his daughter's death began to unravel.

Overall, I gave "A Crooked Man" 3 stars because there were enough tists and turns to keep my interest, but the first 1/3 or so was rather slow and some of the characters and their reactions (verbal and physical) throughout the book were very unrealistic.

'A Crooked Man' features U.S. Senator Nick Schlafer who has proposed to de-criminalize drugs across the United States. Soon afterwards he is caught up in a confusing maelstrom of drug power players who may or may not want the bill to be passed, including the Drug Czar and mafia-types.

Schlafer's difficulties are complicated by a messy family background, inlcluding a daughter whom police believe slit her wrists while high on drugs. Family politics and national politics become intertwined and the book really starts to lose its focus. Schlafer is confused about who to trust and family secrets are exposed that shake him to his foundations. However, so many different things are going on that Lehmann-Haupt does a poor job of keeping all of the strands moving forward in a credible and meaningful way.

While a breeze to read, I was not terribly impressed. I give this one a grade of C+.

When I picked up A Crooked Man, I figured it would have to be well done, since it is written by a literary critic. I agree with the one editorial reviewer who advises Mr. Lehmann-Haupt to keep his day job. The plot is interesting enough, the politics of strange bedfellows, personal tragedy of the Senator's daughter's suicide/murder? leading to the Senator's interest in the war on drugs. However, the author seems to employ every cliche possible on the long rambling trail to the obvious conclusion. Even when the evil doer is exposed in a diary, the Senator doesn't seem to grasp the identity. He is not the brightest bulb and in that sense, perhaps the senator does mirror our current politicians. I believe the author tried to reach beyond his current abilities. His characters seem one-dimensional and scattered. Something less ambitious may be better until he gets the hang of creating it, rather than tearing it apart.