Customer Reviews

Deliver Us from Evelyn

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was a real treat! Nobody writes like Chris Well, his style is fun and quirky, fast paced and intelligent.

Like its prequel, FORGIVING SOLOMON LONG, DELIVER US FROM EVELYN is set in Kansas City, Mo. Detective Tom Griggs and his partner, Charlie, have the never ending job of taking out the city's trash. But as soon as they bring down one organized crime king-pin, three new ones emerge.

The snooty media mogul, Evelyn Blake's, husband is missing, but she doesn't seem to care. A mysterious employee is spilling the goods on their blog and she's livid. Add to the mix a con-artist with all the luck of Wylee Coyote and you have a recipe for a whole lot of fun.

I enjoyed Deliver Us from Evelyn -- it's a pretty snappy story, with some good plot twists. I really enjoy seeing how some of the characters from Forgiving Solomon Long are developing. Well does a good job of making Charlie Pasch and and Tom Griggs distinctive characters that engage the reader's interest. What's more, most of the secondary characters come to life, especially "failed thug Nelson Pistek," and the religious con man with the ever-evolving set of aliases. And the end of the book gives a promise of more to come. I think I would have enjoyed one less subplot to keep track of, but that's a small criticism. I have to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime fiction. There's a lot of truth here, but it's never preachy.

While FORGIVING SOLOMON LONG was a fine read, and I recommend it, this follow-up goes a few steps beyond. It's smoother, I think, in structure. It's got a big funny bone around its criminally dark heart.

I like Chris' style. He uses fragments well and plays around with conventional POV for good effect. His chapters are brisk and short and move things along nicely. He must have taken note of complaints about loose ends in FSL--I wasn't complaining, btw, and I was satisfied with the conclusion-- cause this baby has multiple epilogues, from the touching to the outright hilarious. I suspect the whole tv cables things is some kind of wry metaphor . . .


Chekov would be proud of Well's use of a particular "prop". Comic and film fans will enjoy references to some faves, including philosophical dialoging on the subject of comics and their readership. The spiritual content is pertinent; forgiveness and repentance are key issues, as they were in FSL.

While one doesn't need to read FSL to follow the plot and characters of and enjoy DELIVER US FROM EVELYN, it sure is nice to catch-up with the detectives and see things change for them in certain ways.

Others have provided a synopsis of the plot, but just so you know:

Billionaire Warren Blake is missing. An anonymous blogger is writing about it--and her special relationshihp to the man--and she's also dropping hints that it's foul play. Mobsters of various factions are involved, making things a bit complicated. And Blake's egocentric, volatile, flighty, power-mad whackjob of a wife is looking mighty suspicious, even as she goads the political powers to put pressure on the police force to find her husband or solve the mystery of his disappearance. So, here come the good guys of the KCPD--the emotionally troubled Griggs, the pop-culture enthusiast Pasch, etc. Add in some weird goings on at a comics book store, and an inept and cowardly wiseguy who bungles every plan he makes, and you've cooked up a pretty cool bit of crime fiction.

The pace is fast, the tension is delicious, and the humor gives it that extra pizzazz that makes this a keep-me-up-til-the-wee-hours read.

I suggest you just buy it, enjoy it!

Mir

"Nobody complains when a whodunit doesn't have cursing," Chris Well wrote in a recent WOG (now doesn't WOG sound better than BLOG?). I think you're onto something, Chris. Everyone is surprised you have that detective finesse in your down- and- dirty crime thriller-- I mean up- and- clean, given the genre and audience. But that genre is confused. Booklist said Tarentino's Pulp Fiction comes to mind. I don't think so. I think we're reading Chris Well because we don't want to read (or watch) Tarentino. I know I don't.

I don't think that's what you mean to write either, Chris. You've named some of your sources: Dashiel Hammett, Raymond Chandler, but here in your second novel, you're already leaning more toward Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and G.K. Chesterton. Subtle, boy, subtle. As Sayers, the second president of the Detection Club (Chesterton was the first) remarked, it's all about detection and not about the crime. Those gory guys just don't get it. You've got your work cut out for you though, pal. Look at your first influences: those hard-boiled dicks and hard-bitten gumshoes that TV loves.

And arguably, your readers may not want all that fancy stuff. Writing to a deadline, to a contract, lots of books, keep 'em coming. That's the tradition of the pot-boilers. A steady stream of action heroes-- action and intrigue. But here you are, sly dog, slipping in any number of nuanced observations, with as many pop cult cameos as The Simpsons. I only see a few I know, but other readers likely see more. Just about anyone can see more influences than Tarantino.

Then there's-- should I even bring this up?-- the floating narrator. Changing faces with every chapter. Or are they sub-chapters? How to keep up in this swirling montage of mixing streams? Not only various lives, but diverse visions colliding, shrapnel everywhere. The camera changing angles, fading in and out, ala Woody Allen. The writing as a pick, as Annie Dillard said, chipping away along with the detectives, each blow inching closer to discovery.

Then there's the humor, not forced or tacked on, but arising naturally from the affairs of men, the vicissitudes of life, delivered, of all things, in the whimsical tone of the narrator, which is never done; it's too hard to do, yet somehow it works. Then, I'd think you've been reading Flannery O' Connor for that Gothic element. Do I see any inspiration in Missionary Bob from Hazel Motes in Wise Blood? But then there's the distinctive Chris Well humor, when the old couple giving hitchhiker Bob a lift call him Padre, and he continually piles up a fevered litany of such interchangeable church titles as Bishop Right Reverend Good Fair Damascus Rhodes.

I notice that your third novel moves towards a single narrator and longer chapters. Far be it from me to suggest it, but were you to move imperceptibly, as Sayers suggested, from crime to detection, I'd keep reading. Seen a certain way, beneath the red herrings and shimmering sheets of illusion, Deliver Us From Evelyn is really a detective yarn. For all the conflux of inspirations there is a distinctive voice, and your novels wouldn't be mistaken for those of anyone else. Which is to say that while we may wonder whodunit, we would never wonder whowroteit. There are too many clues for the careful reader to follow: the stealthy pacing, the shift in voice, the unexpected flash of humor. The author is in this room. In this library: Chris Well.

If Deliver us From Evelyn were a movie, its TV Guide blurb might read: "After heartless media mogul Evelyn Blake's husband disappears, a young police detective determines to unravel the mystery." And while that is the essence of this novel, the description hardly does it justice. Evelyn is more than just another crime story. Yes, it's about a missing Warren Blake. Yes, it's about a police investigation. Yes, Evelyn Blake is ruthless ala the character Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. But it's also about redemption, searching for meaning in life... and comics.

Detective Charlie Pasch returns from Well's first novel Forgiving Solomon Long as the central viewpoint character, but his is hardly the only perspective. From the anonymous blogger spilling Blake Media secrets, to the con-man determined to pull off another elaborate heist, Deliver Us From Evelyn jumps all over Kansas City.

But it's the bad guys who steal the show. Especially the con-man who's posing as a minister. This guy has attitude, and it makes for some interesting exchanges, because Chris Well has a way of making even the hardest criminal likable. You might even have to squelch a chuckle in a few scenes. (After all, cough cough, this is a crime novel.) Not so likable is freezer cold Evelyn Blake, who deserves her employees' agnomens of "Queen Evel" and "Cruella D'Evelyn". And we've got a few mob henchmen as well, who are perfectly happy bumping people off.

Perhaps the most intriguing character is the anonymous blogger. The conversational blog entries are peppered throughout the story and make for a nice change of pace amidst the police investigation and con games. An insider at Blake Media, there's no corking this person's opinions, and suspicions, of Evelyn. Only when Blogger and Detective Pasch join forces does the truth about Warren Blake's whereabouts finally surfaces.

Occasionally the ensemble cast made it challenging to know exactly who to root for, and I would've liked to have seen a little more description of what exactly Evelyn Blake looks like, but most readers probably won't even notice this amidst the zipping plot. Loaded with pop culture references, including mentions of Switchfoot and The Wizard of Oz, perhaps most central to the plot of Deliver Us From Evelyn are comic books. It's no secret Charlie Pasch can talk for hours on the subject, and comics ultimately play a part in piecing together the puzzle. But if you're not a comic fan, don't worry. The comic references don't overload the novel. They simply embellish it. I came away from the story with a new appreciation of their value.

Compelling, quirky, and engaging, Deliver Us From Evelyn will be a welcome addition to your bookshelf.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze Magazine

Here's my review, which was included in the July 2006 issue of CCM Magazine (with a few extras added in that were cut from the original column due to space constraints):

CCM's very own Chris Well returns with a striking sophomore effort, Deliver Us from Evelyn (Harvest House). This thriller packs all the punches, capers and obscure allusions you've come to expect from Well, a novelist and long-time Christian music industry writer and editor. In this offering, the heartless Evelyn Blake lords over the family media empire even as her reclusive billionaire husband has vanished. You know how they say art imitates life? Well, we're not saying that's completely accurate because our publisher isn't hitched to a reclusive billionaire husband. Oh, and, no, she's not really heartless. So, I guess life doesn't actually imitate art. Chris even offers the disclaimer in his dedication that the title character is in no way, shape or form based upon our very own, beloved publisher. Does that smack of a cover up?! Nah. But it's fun for us, nonetheless. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book! It's definitely great summertime fare!

In Deliver Us From Evelyn we see the return of Detective Tom Riggs and Charlie Pasch. Detective Riggs doesn't play as a big a part as Charlie does in the scheme of things. Many of his fellow detectives think he is strange and a "little off" because he knows a lot about many subjects. He is dedicated and a "real" character. Charlie knows the Bible too and tries to stay true to its teachings.

Warren Blake is missing. No one knows where he is or what happened to him. It's as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. His wife, Evelyn Blake, is running his multimillion-dollar media corporation. Evelyn cares about no one but herself. She has her staff changing things at the last minute and enjoys the power of seeing them miserable and their lives interrupted. She is called Queen Evel (draw your own conclusions) and for good reason.

Missionary Bob, a.k.a. Rev. Damascus, really doesn't want to find himself anywhere near Kansas City. He ripped off a mob boss in St. Louis and rumor has it that individual is in KC now. He needs to make money though. Things have not been going well and he lost his last 'take' in the little town he was in.

It is so easy to become involved in Chris Well's books. The characters are real and the action is fast. Several story lines are going on at the same time and they all unite toward the end of the book. The action builds as the detectives fight the mob, try to find out what happened to Warren Blake, and Rev. Damascus moves toward his destiny.

Armchair Interview says: Forgiving Solomon Long was good and Deliver Us From Evelyn is even better.

Well mixes a touch of cops n' robbers lingo with wry media references and witty dialogue. Though somewhat hampered by a lack of gritty language (no expletives from this suspense novelist), Well nonetheless tells a story with enough genuine drama and plots twists to keep you turning pages.

Chris Well's follow-up to Forgiving Solomon Long doesn't disappoint. Seamlessly blending pop culture and crime fiction, Deliver Us from Evelyn does for comic books and blogs what FSL did for classic TV.

Despite some pretty "out-there" scenes, the novel is at heart character-driven (or at least Well has found the perfect characters to inhabit his wacky plotlines). And while Evelyn Blake gets all the attention in the title and synopses (not that she'd let anyone share her limelight), there are plenty of other primary and secondary characters to love (or hate): the fortune-seeking, chocolate-popping mobster wannabe, the much-put-upon staffer(s) at Evelyn's magazine, the Evil Duke Cumbee (just the name and you're hooked), plus the feds/cops from the Organized Crime Task Force introduced in FSL.

There's a Bible story woven through the plot much the same as there was in FSL, but things turn on the elements of human nature revealed in the Bible, not in "deus ex" machinations. Ultimately the bad guys are brought to justice because of their crimes, not because they aren't Christians; this hasn't been--and still isn't always--the case with books coming from Christian publishing houses. If you're looking for a preachy book, this isn't it.

But if you're looking for a book that blends comedy, tragedy, action, a little romance, and whole lot of mayhem, Deliver Us from Evelyn delivers all that and more.

When media billionaire Warren Blake disappears, the poor minions at his publishing company are forced to follow every whim of his not-very-heartbroken wife, Evelyn -- otherwise known as Queen Evel. Someone at the office has started a blog speculating on the mystery of Blake's disappearance, and little dreams of the havoc her anonymous posts will cause.

Now that crime boss "Fat Cat" is out of the picture, other crooks are looking for a piece of the Kansas City crime pie. The Russian mafia meets with Evil Duke Cumbee's men only to find out it's a trap. A thug from the bottom of the pile gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and soon is on the run for his life.

When Evelyn Blake finally decides to make a fuss about her missing husband, members of the Kansas City Police Department, including detectives Tom Griggs and Charlie Pasch, are forced to drop everything and find him. The politically-charged case guarantees conflict between local cops and the Feds, which include Griggs' friend O'Malley.

After "killing" his previous alias, the Right Fair Doctor Reverend Damascus Rhodes is ready to con someone new for a living, and the grieving rich Mrs. Blake seems the perfect target.

With multiple subplots stacked up like a parfait dessert, Chris Well once again delivers a delectable novel. He places the scenes like a movie director, using a few phrases at the beginning to paint a visual picture of what's happening, letting the action play to the right moment, then cutting to the next scene. Several familiar characters from Forgiving Solomon Long are back and continue to deepen, but Deliver Us from Evelyn can be read on its own. Whether you read it for the rapid-fire plot, witty humor, or zany allusions, you're sure to enjoy this treat. -- Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com