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5.0 out of 5 stars
strong amateur sleuth, October 16, 2010
In high school in 1993 in Pittsburgh, Dexter Bolzjak was a legend on ice until he suffered a meltdown in the Pennsylvania state championship. Soon afterward, irate hockey goon fans abducted him and beat the crap out of him. Eight years since his rise, fall and assault has left Dexter a shell of what he was as he sorts produce at a warehouse while trying to keep his sanity, which he recognizes as a full time job.
Aging alcoholic Lou Kashon offers Dexter a deal to make some real money if he locates his lost love, former movie star, Mercy Carnahan, who has not been seen in public since 1958. The cash is too good to pass up so without asking too many questions Dexter begins a search for the recluse.
The key to this strong amateur sleuth is the past of Dexter and Mercy, as the audience sees how they got to where they are today. Fast-paced and vividly descriptive especially the violence (you will feel the hip checks), In Search of Mercy is an aptly titled thriller that readers who appreciate something radically different will fully enjoy.
Harriet Klausner
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Hypnotic Prose But Light on Plot, July 28, 2011
At first blush Dexter Bolzjak doesn't seem like the stock protagonist that pops up in most mysteries. He's not a disenchanted journalist, a reclusive police detective or even a family member seeking answers, revenge, etc. Instead, Bolzjak spends his day with his head down, sorting rotten onions at a whole sale produce warehouse while trying to scrape by. When he is approached by a homeless bum with a surprisingly large stash of money and even more surprising request -- to find a reclusive film star who disappeared decades ago -- Bolzjak is drawn by the money, not by a sense of curiosity or even justice. This changes over time, but don't be fooled into thinking that Bolzjak is your average "hero."
What makes the character of Bolzjak interesting is his inner struggle to repress his childhood trauma. As his search deepens for the missing actress Mercy Carnahan it becomes clear that Bolzjak and the mysterious woman he seeks share common psychological and emotional scars. Ayoob does not pull any punches and the reader will slowly realize the full extent of Bolzjak's ordeal in often very graphic images. Carnahan's story never feels quite as developed but the fleeting glimpses into her life as a film femme fatale are quite captivating and suggest a woman with many secrets of her own.
Michael Ayoob's prose is engaging and vivid. His writing style is concise but he gets a lot of bang for his buck. There are times when he slips into the psyches of his traumatized characters and for a few moments the reader is enveloped in the same darkness and chaos that plague Bolzjak and Mercy. The reader will feel his or her own chest tighten when the images feel almost suffocatingly real.
Unfortunately good prose can sometimes mask a lack of plot and that seems to be the case here. As intriguing as Mercy Carnahan was I never felt like I truly understood her or her motivations. Ayoob builds a lot of tension and sends his characters down interesting paths but the final resolution seemed too brief after all of the work of getting there. I would have gladly sacrificed a few pages of hockey for more about Mercy and Lou.
Fans of good writing will enjoy this book, but those looking for a satisfying mystery might find themselves a little disappointed.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
In Search of Mercy is a hard core, dark, suspenseful and filled with a strong storyline and an engaging character in Dexter, October 16, 2010
Dexter Bolzjak was used to rowdy crowds. Dexter used to play hockey for the Falcons. His position was goalie. After one really violent game against the Blizzards, Dexter was accosted and tortured.
Years later, Dexter is grown up. Dexter was sitting eating lunch at a fast food joint, when a bum comes walking in. The bum starts causing some trouble when he spots Dexter and walks towards him. Dexter thinks the man is crazy but when the bum hands Dexter a hundred dollar bill and tells him there is more where that came from and to visit him the next day, Dexter can't resist the temptation.
The bum is not really a bum but Lou Kashon. Lou knows Dexter's father. Lou wants to hire Dexter to find Mercy Carnahan. Mercy used to be a very famous actress back in the day. Dexter agrees. Dexter is headed down a dark, gritty path, where there is no turning back.
In Search of Mercy is Mr. Ayoob's first novel. I have to say that after reading this book that Mr. Ayoob has nothing to worry about as his future as a writer is bright. The way Mr. Ayoob portrays mannequins in this book, just may have you quickly getting over your fear of clowns. Dexter is one disturbed individual but this is what I think gives him the edge as a private investigator. The flash back of the torture Dexter endured is horrific. Also, when Mercy would visit Dexter in his images, it was kind of like a weird trip but in a good way. In Search of Mercy is a hard core, dark, suspenseful and filled with a strong storyline and an engaging character in Dexter. Fans of private investigator mysteries will enjoy this new voice.
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