Customer Reviews

The Game of 30 (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Jimmy Mcshane Pi)

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

 

 

William Kotzwinkle, despite his frequent turns converting blockbuster movies like ET: the Extraterrestrial into novels, is one of the more consistently interesting fantasy writers around. In The Game of Thirty, he tries his hand at a hard-boiled private eye novel and proves quite capable.

Jimmy McShane is a former military cop turned NY City private detective. When he is hired to look into the mysterious death of an antiquities dealer, he finds himself getting drawn into a murderous match of wits with the killer, based on the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs' Game of Thirty.

Mixing traditional elements of noir fiction--first person narrative, wisecracking dialogue, and urban locale--with nearly Victorian elements, reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes or Fu Manchu tale--cobra venom, egyptology and the like--and throwing in a New Age heroine as Jimmy's sidekick, Kotzwinkle produces a neat little thriller that manages to be both modern and nostalgic and seems like it would be perfect for the big screen.

GRADE: B

"The Game of Thirty" is a well written and enthralling mystery that blends a wide array of characters into a wonderful whodunnit. Ancient Egyptian artifacts, New York jewelers and pedophiles make this a read you can't put down

The Game of Thirty is a little bit above average when it comes to stories in the mystery-esque genera. The plot is interesting, and although it revolves around a typical "hard guy" main character and "kooky, yet bright" dilettante female companion, the story does not come across as being too cliche. For me the best part about the book was the Egyptian atmosphere, which is centered on a board game - the Game of Thirty. Although at times this game is used to envoke far too much foreshadowing, on the whole it helps the story progress. An antiquities theme runs througout the book, but many other sub plots are developed (generally well), that allow the reader to peak into other walks of life. The worst part of the book is the ending. Readers can guess the ending about 1/2 way through, and the conclusion is completely unrealistic. Still the Game of Thirty is a good read.

Kotzwinkle's fertile imagination has weaved a plot with just enough twists to be interesting without being convoluted. His character development is sympathetic and complex, . The author has a great eye for detail and creating a proper setting, so the story is a good read throughout. The hero is virile and smart but also compassionate. The ending is not a straight- forward one, but leaves the reader with certain personal judgements to make. I can"t wait for the movie !!

I expected a murder mystery that takes place in Manhattan in 1990s to be more
realistic. This one has a lot of unrealistic events and characters, especially
toward the end. Three stars.

There's plenty to admire in "The Game of 30". Author William Kotzwinkle creates some highly original characters and kicks off an intriguing plot. (POSSIBLE SPOILER) What I liked less about this otherwise well-written crime novel was the shift from murder mystery to sci-fi at the story's close.

Jimmy McShane is a successful NY City Private Eye who is engaged to look into the murder of a wealthy Egyptian antiquities dealer. His murder involved the injection of cobra venom and ritual disembowelment. Somewhere along the trail of the murderer, PI McShane uncovers a child prostitution ring that overlaps with the antiques dealer's killing.

Kotzwinkle's protagonist and his crime-fighting associates are well drawn--they have depth and operate with appropriate mix of Manhattanite cynicism and salty humor. The author's plot is also sound and, as stated, pretty original. But when a slightly hard bitten and quite dark story suddenly turns to fantasy to reach its conclusion, I've got to object. The switch to metaphysics (or unexplained insanity) is, in my opinion, a cop out that diminishes the rest of the author's work to that point.

The Game of thirty was a ming boggling and fascinating book. It seemed to lead you into a new dream and keep you there. This book deals with tough issues, deeper than you can imagine, and handles them straightforward, in a New Yorker approach. I definetlty reccomend this book to anyone. It is an intriguing tale that sweeps you off your feet.