Customer Reviews

The King of Methlehem: A Novel

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

 

 

In my work I have interacted with scores of meth addicts. If you have not done so, be prepared to be shocked when you read this. In fact, you may believe that the addict/dealers in this book are overdone charicatures. They are not. They were so believable that the book really shook me.

Mr. Lindquist describes their lifestyle, their homes, their conversational style, and how they treat their children to a "T". In that way this book is truly remarkable and an eye-opener who doesn't understand the impact of this most sinister drug.

The underlying story is also very engaging. I read this in only a couple of quick sittings over 24 hours. My only criticism is that I found the ending a little abrupt or choppy, but I don't want to ruin the book by revealing anything further.

This is definitely a worthwhile read.

"Write what you know about."

That's what Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist has done in his latest novel. Great book.

Lindquist takes you deep inside the methamphetamine ("meth") world from the aspect of the users, dealer, "cook," prosecutor, police, and the defense attorneys. The complex characters find they share more than they think. One entertaining part of the book is the dialogue used by some of the meth users who often find themselves confused and struggling to keep up in the conversation.

The main story of the book is rivalry between the head meth "cook" of the county Howard Schultz and Pierce County Sheriff Mike Lawson. Yet, the personal lives and the issues of the hereafter and Nirvana weave their way into the book.

A must read for anyone who wants to know the mechanics and realities of meth use and addiction in the US and especially Washington State and how they are treated in the criminal justice system. Fortunately, Lindquist places his experiences in an entertaining novel rather than a documentary.

Linquist also incorporates in detail the dozens of different landmarks, restaurants, blogs, civic leaders, judges, attorneys, politicians, local personalities, in Tacoma which makes in an enthralling read for locals.

I went to my local bookstore searching for a different book entirely. They did not have the one I was looking for, but King of Methlehem was right there where my book should have been. The title made me laugh, so I picked it up and read about it. I usually don't go for the cop-thriller genre, but it sounded very interesting, since Meth is getting to be a problem in my region, also. I got home and finished it within the next four hours. It is an awesome, awesome book. The description on the back does not do it justice. The characters are all incredibly interesting. You'll run the gamut of emotions with this one, laughter, sadness, anger, suspense.
I only wish it had been longer!

This book contains a lot of places that really exist in Tacoma, WA. Interesting look into the Meth phenomenon. Felt my teeth rotting as it followed the main character to his various labs.

Maybe not so funny for you what don't come from around here, but still pretty good.

Mix identity theft, a ladies man, and a meth lab and this crime novel cooks up a potent brew of gritty chaos and dark events

I initially picked up this book because of the catchy title. After reading the DJ, I figured I'd give it a try......sounded kind of interesting. Was I ever disappointed. It is a rather short book, coming in at just over 200 pages....little more than a pamphlet, really. This simply did not give the author enough time to fully flesh out the story or develop the characters. I found it virtually impossible to connect with anyone in the story. It wasn't until the final few pages that I even started to give a flip about Wyatt, the main character.

While the story may have a moral to it, I suspect that the kind of people who would actually read it probably don't need to be to told not to use meth.

Overall, the idea had much potential, but fell short. Perhaps the author was under pressure from the publisher to get it finished quickly, or maybe he was rushing to collect his paycheck?