Customer Reviews

Done for a Dime

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

 

 

David Corbett's story of the murder of a jazz musician is an utterly compelling read from start to finish. The deadly consequences of the initial killing, the aching hearts of the survivors, the alternating brutality and compassion of the all-too-human policemen - all are rendered in powerful, vivid prose that makes no compromises. Readers looking for crime fiction on a par with Dennis Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER need look no further than this terrific novel.

There is tension between father and son because famous blues musician Raymond "Strong" Carlisle has started drinking again only months after having a kidney removed. Toby Marchand moved in with his father to nurse him through his health crisis and is irate that his dad disobeys medical orders. Toby goes to play with his own band at a nearby club and his girlfriend Nadya escorts his father to see him perform.

Strong picks a fight with everyone he comes in contact with. When he returns home someone kills him with three bullets in his back. The police turn their attention to Toby and Nadya, but that fails to turn up any leads. What the police have yet to realize is that the killer lives next door to Carlisle in a boarded up Victorian, waiting to set fire to a part of the town that his clients want destroyed. These developers want to rebuild it in the image that will bring them the most profit. Whether the killer will succeed in carrying out his objective remains to be read.

David Corbett's story line is stark, gritty and totally believable. From the police to the average citizen to the criminals, Mr. Corbett creates a microcosm of life in the pages of DONE FOR A DIME. His perspectives is realistic and readers will accept that the lead detective on the case has to go outside the law to try to see that justice occurs. While many readers will not agree with the protagonist's solution, they will understand why he was driven to break the laws he was sworn to uphold. This is one police procedural it will be impossible to forget.

Harriet Klausner

This is the first of Corbett's books that I've read. It probably won't be the last even though I was underwhelmed. The writing was uneven. The plot was pretty good, the best part. The character dialogue was strained; I blinked a few times, wondering where that came from. Not fitting the character. The character development was weak; most of the characters I never could quite figure out. And there were a lot of characters, some with pretty ancillary roles that didn't seem to fit in very well. There were a number of things left hanging; don't like that. Maybe working toward a sequel (although the way things ended, that would be a challenge!). Worth a read and I'll read more of Corbett's stuff.

David Corbett, when is your next book coming out? I have just reread , "Done for a Dime". Now I an eargly waiting for the next novel. For those who have not experienced Mr. Corbett, I would encourage you to read his two books. I have been fortunate to hear Mr. Corbett read from his book. He has a great personality and a wonderful reading voice!

David Corbett's first book, The Devil's Redhead, was fantastic, and Done for a Dime is even better. The numerous characters are all well-drawn, distinct, and believable. The realistic description of the neighborhood and its various inhabitants, together with the jazz theme which winds through the novel, combine to create a strong sense of atmosphere and place. The plot races forward, much like the fire which is a central part of the story, to a conclusion which was not predictable, but which becomes inevitable. And, in addition to these large elements, there are innumerable shorter scenes--e.g., the rescue of a child during the fire, the description of a family which was murdered during the fire--which are so well-painted that they remain with you and add layers of depth to the main story. For anyone who wants their novels, mystery or not, well-written and thoughtful, with unusual characters and a story to tell, Done for a Dime is the perfect choice.

I noticed that David Corbett has a short story in the Akashic Books anthology "San Francisco Noir" and that's absolutely fitting, as this guy is a master of contemporary Bay Area noir. Corbett isn't afraid to plumb the dark side, and those who like their crime capers cozy won't be enthralled. But for unvarnished reality, for street poetry, for those who want an insider's tour through the lush life, corruption, racism, real estate manipulations, rootsy R&B and the tarnished souls who play this music, Done For a Dime delivers. Yet it's also studded with moments of redemptive and tender beauty, especially in the love story between Slavic white girl Nadya and African-American musician Toby. It's brave of him to tackle this, and he pulls it off with sensitivity and finesse. Corbett was a private investigator for many years and it shows in the detail, depth and gritty realistic sense of his plot and characters. I especially liked the music which ran through this book like an old sax riff, what Toby's murdered father called "The Deep Sweet." You could almost taste the smoky bar.

"The Devil's Redhead" brought David Corbett critical kudos and an Edgar nomination for Best First Novel, 2003. I've read it...by me, it's a hands-down winner, and "Done for a Dime" is every bit as explosive and compelling an exploration of the darker side of noir as that debut outing was. It's certainly equally well-written and so completely realistic as to make it abundantly clear that Mr. Corbett is a powerful new voice in suspense fiction. Rio Mirada in Northern California is schismatically polarized: economically, racially and geographically. Gang warfare, drug trafficking, political corruption, chicanery and greed have created a climate of violence in the Baymont area particularly which angst-ridden Detective Dennis Murchison; his bigot partner, Larry Stluka, and their fellow police can only hope to contain, not curtail. The latest random killing finds black jazz legend, Raymond 'Strong' Carlisle, brutally gunned down in his front yard. Cantankerous, proud and feisty, ill-health and age have forced him into an uneasy dependence upon his estranged musician son, Toby Marchand, who has a major problem explaining his fast arrival at the scene of his Dad's murder. Trying to uncover a motive for the old man's death by unraveling the last hours of his life, Murchison learns that Carlisle had taken part in a brawl at the Zoom Room (where he'd gone to hear his son's band with Toby's white girl friend, Nadya Lazarenko), effectively endangering Toby's gig there, and also tangled with some gang members, one of whom, Arlie Thigpen, had later been spotted in the vicinity of the Carlisle home by a neighbor. With two suspects safely in custody, what Murchison doesn't realize is that there's a wild card in this lethal deck: gangbanger-wanna-be, paranoic arsonist Manny Turpin who has been camping out in an abandoned house next door has a bone to pick with Carlisle too. At this point, we pick up the second plot thread: Manny has become the willing pupil and dupe of conniving Richard Ferry who has entered into a sub rosa agreement with corrupt power broker Clint Bratcher to torch the entire hillside enclave...lower/middle class predominantly black homes...thus clearing the way for lucrative redevelopment projects. Inevitably the two cases intertwine, but by the time Murchison and Stluka sort through a maze of misdirection and human duplicity, Baymonth is in flames and trapped people are dying. As answers slowly begin to emerge from the rubble, Murchison finds himself faced with the most desperate decision of his life: how to put paid to horrific crimes and a criminal whom only street justice can touch?

Frankly, I'm finding it very hard myself to do appropriate justice to this brilliant book. It reminds me so much of the music which it celebrates: there's a kind of wild power and barely contained desperation, a depth of feeling, an evocative dark splendor in the way it's developed and structured that makes Mr. Corbett's characters...their environment...their conflicts and dilemmas so achingly, utterly real. In Carlisle's terms: this is a 'Deep Sweet' of a novel, one that is not easily forgotten and absolutely a contribution to the genre that should not be overlooked.

The author has presented what, on the surface, seems like a
murder mystery as an older musician is shot in the back and
killed, for no apparent good reason, and the local cops start
their tedious process of questioning everyone.
But he goes much beyond that, and the story becomes quite complex, as to both the characters, as well as their motivations. So, in those senses, this can be a good read, and
many people will enjoy the complex story and the serious development of many characters.

However, the author has a strange way of trying to engage our interest, because he engages in so much "in" lingo, it's difficult to follow who all these people are and what they are
doing. He uses "inside" language when presenting the police
detectives and their work, the gangbangers and other criminals
who may be involved, the nearby dopers, and the corrupt politicians, so most of us are floundering a bit as we try to
decipher his language and its meaning.
This approach just doesn't quite seem designed to bring readers
into his fictional world, but, on the other hand, it does seem
to be used as a barrier to prevent our strong interest and engagement. A very odd use of language for a writer.
Instead of using the English language to inform and captivate
most readers, he seems more interesting in keeping our interest
at a distance.
This just isn't for everyone, because it is difficult to follow
in many places.
In addition, the overall tone of this book is so negative, and
so bleak, it becomes depressing, and while the author does a nice job of perfecting that bleak, down atmosphere, throughout
the entire story, that tone and atmosphere won't suit everyone.
There is considerable depth of character here, and many diverse
characters are presented, so many readers will be happy to follow their development.
But, as said, much of this is difficult to follow in detail,
with the language used to hide or cover activities and feelings,
and the bleakness and hopelessness of all the characters sets
such a negative tone, the book definitely isn't for everyone.

Jazz saxophonist Raymond "Strong" Carlisle is a cranky, irascible old has been, living on his past glories as a top musician and keeping at arms length, anyone who tries to get close to him. His son Toby, also a musician, can never live up to his father's expectations, and almost meekly submits to the old man's taunts and jibes. "Strong" has only recently had a kidney removed but is back hitting the bottle again, despite Toby's best efforts to keep him reasonably healthy. Toby's white girlfriend Nadya takes "Strong" to a club to hear Toby and his band performing but has to leave with him when the old man picks a fight with members of a drug gang. Later that evening, "Strong" is shot at his own house and dies, despite all of Nadya's efforts to revive him. At the same time, a group of developers organises a fire to be lit by an arsonist so that the whole hillside of houses can be destroyed, enabling the developers to buy up the land cheaply. An angst ridden detective, Dennis Murchison is given the case to investigate and becomes involved in a world of drug dealers, arsonists and psychos. I couldn't really empathise with anyone in this book which probably explains why I just didn't like it !

Praised by such bastions of fair-mindedness as the N.Y. Times, I read this book knowing what to expect and was not disappointed. I would like to use more colorful language, but will settle for this very apt cliche: "This book wears its emotions and liberal bonafides on its sleeves." The writing is passable, but the story and, more importantly, the philosophy underlying it, is didactic mush. Another James Lee Burke clone who never met a liberal cause he didn't like. Virtually unreadable.