The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery [Paperback]

Andrew Kent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

What Lies Beneath?
When neuroscientist John A. Novarro was separated from his past and given a new identity as Johnny Denovo, the Denovo name quickly sent a chill through the world of high-stakes criminals.
And while they try to adapt, he keeps picking apart their primal signals - the metaphors that betray them.
In this, his second published case, Johnny's hired by a bio-tech mogul facing a bizarre form of blackmail and a disruptive pattern of corporate espionage. Within hours, Johnny's drawn into a mystifying mirrorscape of secrets and half-truths. He soon discovers a cabal exploiting a venerable Boston landmark as part of an even more sinister plot. Running out of time and facing a certain threat, Johnny must use his unique abilities to untangle truth from fiction and discern friend from foe - even as his strength wanes, his options collapse, and his adversaries rush to complete their plans.
Will his mind and muscle endure to the end? Or will he become a forgotten footnote to a devious plot with timeless roots?

Praise for the First Mystery, "Spam & Eggs"

". . . a masterpiece of deductive challenge, engrossing reading, and engaging entertainment."
- ReaderViews.com

"My fellow mystery fans, this book is not to be missed. . . . puts the writing of a lot of very seasoned and famous mystery writers to shame."
- The Book Friar

Andrew Kent is an author who lives in central Massachusetts with his wife, children, and dogs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608441156
• ISBN-13: 978-1608441150
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,351,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrew Kent is an author living in central Massachusetts with his wife, children, and dogs. He writes the critically acclaimed Johnny Denovo mystery series, fast-paced novels about a detective who uses metaphors to solve crimes. The first, "Spam & Eggs: A Johnny Denovo Mystery," was published in February 2009. The second, "The Green Monster: A Johnny Denovo Mystery," was published in September 2009. The third in the series, "Entanglement: A Johnny Denovo Mystery," was published in late 2010.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Mystery October 7, 2009

By R. Crane VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Looking for an absorbing mystery that is chock full of twisting plots and tantalizing clues? A mystery which is too intricate to be solved by reading the first few pages? Then this is the right book for you.

It is the second Johnny Denovo mystery, the famed detective who was launched in "Spam and Eggs". Johnny Denovo is a high-tech intellect, brilliant neuro-scientist, and media star. Andrew Kent has done it again with this sequel: created a character so memorable and distinct that he will surely dazzle on-screen someday as he dazzles in a book.

What distinguishes Johnny is his sheer brilliance and technological wizardry. It is brains not brawn that shines as Johnny becomes involved in the world of bio-technology.

In this case, Johnny starts after the identity of a blackmailer. The title derives from a seating section in a baseball stadium from where one of the blackmail conspirators sends messages. But that is far too simplistic an explanation of all that happens in this novel. Ultimately Johnny is caught in a web of conspiracies, terrorists and global threats. How Kent manages to tie all these various threads together is amazing. The book captures your attention from the first page to the last. In the hard copy, the print/font/layout are easy on the eyes. My only question is how long do we have to wait to see Johnny at work on his next case?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fast Paced Mystery for All... December 22, 2009

By Twisted Knickers

Format:Paperback

When I received the review copy for this book in the mail, I was initially disappointed and said, "Crap, I didn't know it was a baseball book. I hate sports books." Of course, it's not a baseball book, and the cover really isn't a good representation of the story or the genre, so don't be put off as I initially was by the packaging. The ballpark is a pivotal setting, but the story has nothing to do with Baseball.

As the book begins, neuroscientist/detective John A. Novarro and his sidekick Tucker, the kilt-wearing intelligence expert, are at a baseball game when they are approached by bio-tech mogul McNaught. McNaught is being blackmailed over a rather interesting extra marital affair and wants to enlist alter ego Johnny Denovo in order to expose the blackmailer and prevent his dirty laundry from being aired in public. At this point, we move very quickly into the detective genre with a light, fun, good for all ages mystery, replete with corporate espionage, eco-terrorism, double agents, false identities, and a Chinaman that makes the best wonton soup for those rare occasions when you are infected with a particularly nasty weaponized virus. No, I respect the genre, and so this review was carefully written: you won't find any plot spoilers here.

In this, the second of the Denovo mysteries, we aren't given too much background on Johnny, but we get just enough that reading the first mystery isn't necessary to keep the reader in the loop. We know that John Novarro was once a brilliant neuroscientist and was extricated from his past and given a new identity as Johnny Denovo. In this second adventure, Johnny has made quite a name for himself and has an almost celebrity reputation.... But what struck me as interesting about Denovo is his rather peculiar deductive technique in which he translates metaphors in order to solve his mysteries. I liked that angle a lot, definitely a new approach. Use of metaphors, especially in language, are often subconscious tells, revealing hidden personality traits and motivations, so while Denovo isn't Spiderman, he does have almost inhuman depth perception.

In Detective Fiction, the rules of the game - codified in 1929 by Ronald Knox -- declare that a detective story "must have as its main interest the unravelling of a mystery; a mystery whose elements are clearly presented to the reader at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end."

In this, Mr. Kent achieved what he set out to do. The Green Monster is a fast-paced plot driven detective story, so you won't get much depth of character here. Most of the characters are your typical detective story stereotypes: the sexy dame who loves and assists the detective, the analytical sidekick who has a penchant for witty banter, and the Chinaman restaurant owner who is depicted a lot like Alfred Pennyworth. The book has a five & dime-store Dick flavour to it -- you know, the fast paced detective thrillers you loved as a kid and could buy at the corner store for some change. Well, you could when I was a kid -- and Denovo would make a great comic series. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting even if the eco-terrorism/biological Agent Orange angle has been done to death.

I reviewed this book from a hardcopy supplied to me by the author, and I noticed a few pervasive technical/editorial issues straight away.

Aside from the technicalities, this is a light good-fun sort of detective story with a clear message, definitely a G rating. I don't recall a single expletive in the book, and the story is devoid of graphic content. Like I said, it would make a great comic. The plotting was smooth and logical, none of the events seemed overly implausible -- except the phone in the water thing -- and the characters, while we never really get to know them, played their parts as expected. The last detective story I read was Bukowski's "Pulp" or rather his satirical homage to bad writing. I loved it, but the Green Monster is not that sort of story. In truth, I am a Marlow girl, and I tend to like a grittier more intimate approach to my detective stories. I also like a heavier does of psychology, and I like lush beautiful prose, so this wasn't entirely my cup of tea. I have read several BackwordBooks authors, and judging by those offerings, I suppose I was expecting something with a harder edge to it. Even so, it was still an enjoyable read, and the subject matter was topical without being overbearing. While Denovo is no Sherlock Holmes or Phillip Marlow, he has a certain intellectual campiness about him that's very agreeable, even if his egotism gets in the way and he doesn't call for backup when he should. All in all, with some strategic editorial guidance, I see a bright future for Det. Denovo and Mr. Kent. Very bright indeed. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the sleep deprivation! September 17, 2009

By J. Schwartz

Format:Paperback

Another great book from Mr. Kent! I ordered the physical copy, and then downloaded a sample of the electronic copy so I could get started. However, upon getting a taste, I couldn't get enough and I ordered the full meal and stayed up late finishing it off. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and Johnny Denovo has his hands full with his latest case, but when you have friends like Tucker the Terrible around, you know Johnny will rise to the occasion and save the day.

4.0 out of 5 stars IndieReader Review January 14, 2012

By Amy Edelman

Format:Paperback

Author Andrew Kent hits it out of the ballpark with the second in his Johnny Denovo mystery series.

The Green Monster finds detective Denovo at Boston's Fenway Park, where he and his sidekick, the renowned if sloppily clad technologist and intelligence expert Tucker Thiesen, are approached at a Red Sox game by an adulterous biotech mogul who claims he's being blackmailed. But world famous sleuth Denovo doesn't "do petty adultery," and it turns out this isn't a simple case, anyway. Instead, the former neuroscientist--who was forced to change his name and identity after his involvement in a top-secret government case--becomes embroiled in a complex web, with clues leading from third base to a mysterious website, and then deep into the bio-tech industry itself.

Along the way, Denovo enlists the help of his sexy agent/lover Mona Landau and calls in culinary reinforcements from his trustworthy neighbor, Wei, a Chinese cook, while investigating a slew of intriguing characters, including a chameleon-esque bartender, a New Hampshire recluse, and a shady geneticist. As Denovo probes his "limbic" brain, making connections and tuning into his uncanny ability to create and unravel metaphors, this fast-paced plot keeps readers wondering what play will come next--both at Fenway and in the world of crime.

With tension mounting, an exciting series of events reveals that a biological emergency is about to unfold; indeed, the health and safety of the entire nation may be at stake. In The Green Monster(named after Fenway's huge, left-field wall), the brilliant Denovo and his savvy team keep mystery fans guessing till the final inning.

Reviewed by Kathryn Livingston