Customer Reviews

What Goes Around: A Novel of Power, Love and War

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Once I started this story, I was hooked. I keep thinking, "What can possibly happen next to this guy?" The main character, Doug Carlson, is a male version of the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" because whatever life throws at him, he just keeps on ticking. The ending was a total shocker and I plan to read the next story in the series to find out what happens next.

"What Goes Around" starts off fast-paced and absorbing, and ends with a bang! David O'Neal's first book of power, love and war in this progressive series of four, won't disappoint. An action novel that also delves into relevant social and ethical issues, O'Neal uses his experience as an ex-marine to create this tightly-written drama about how an ordinary man can get caught up in circumstances beyond his control. The decisions that the protagonist, Doug Carlson, uses to cope with Mob aggression and control in the gambling lifestyle of Nevada are colored by writer O'Neal's unique insights into the warrior mentality from his military service in the Vietnam jungles. This series, which includes "The Pact With Bruno," "Choosing to Kill," and "Fool Me Twice," illustrates how possibly this "jungle" could inadvertently creep into our own backyards. I read all four novels back-to-back, and found them hard to put down. Very good reads!

Great plot, interesting characters, and a fascinating perspective on American life--then and now. The then, for O'Neal, is the Vietnam war. Now is the culture of contemporary California and Nevada--rich, violent, out of control. Battles with the Mob in the present alternate with intense flashbacks to combat, surfacing the confusion, grief, and rage, as well as the skills needed to overcome the guerilla attacks by made guys and their henchmen. It's jarheads vs The Sopranos, and the Marine Corps wins--by a whisker.

Slip into the realm of the Mafia as Doug Carlson begins his journey and pulls you along with him each step of the way. Feel the suspense, the thrill, the anticipation, the emotions, as they are written by David O'Neal in a compelling, can't put down novel. It is a novel you will remember forever.

Doug Carlson could be Mr. Everyman before his bump with a mob leader. Mr. O'Neal leads us on a deadly rollercoaster ride which transforms his character from a peaceful citizen to a deadly adversary. I can't wait for another installment of Doug C.

I read Dave O'Neal's second book, "The Pact With Bruno," first. Now I know why some reviewers are calling him the next Elmore Leonard. But you must read "What Goes Around," to know what makes Doug Carlson tick. The night has eyes. And O'Neal's books would make great movies.

People who live in the United States refer to themselves as American while generally excluding the other inhabitants of North and South America. To me this interesting anomaly is indicative of an isolationist introspective and a self-absorbed mind set. One that has produced novelists who created a series of startlingly accurate snapshots of American society during its evolution.

Steinbeck and Hemingway told us, with sometimes-brutal clarity, about the first half of twentieth century America, while John D. MacDonald continued the tradition through the third quarter. Now, David O'Neal has taken up the torch with his first novel focusing a harsh white light on the explosion of mindless casual violence that seems to characterize the hardening of America as it nears a new millennium.

This American novel written for an American audience offers an extreme level of violence and for the reader unfamiliar with the pending societal breakdown in the USA, there is a quality of futuristic science fiction. The importance of the Vietnam War in recent American memory is also difficult for non-American readers to grasp.

The writing is typically American, like that of Hemingway, MacDonald and most recently of Robert Ludlum; it is fast-paced, tough and casual. It is hard to put down because it moves so fast. This is a book where long rambling, artistic descriptions simply don't exist. From page one to the very end something important is always about to happen. After reading the first page, you've committed yourself to a roller-coaster ride that doesn't stop until the book is finished.

Much more than an action adventure novel for men, it is a thoughtful examination of the latest, most disturbing attributes of a failing society. Through his fiction, O'Neal rivets our attention on this disquieting phase of societal change in a way that forces us to ask whether we can allow the latest mutation to continue unchallenged. He warns that we not accept the increasing violence, but challenge the inevitability of a final breakdown. O'Neal sounds a wake-up call that one can only hope it will be answered in time.

From a writers perspective there are several problems, but such criticisms are minor, technical and unlikely to be noticed by most readers. The lasting impression of What Goes Around is of a powerful, tightly written and entertaining novel that, almost incidentally, illustrates the latest and most frightening mutation of modern society. It's a good book that gently forces us to reflect on the direction society seems to be taking. It is this last attribute that raises it above the level of mere entertainment and into the class of a serious novel.

Dave, you have an exciting little book. After getting started, I could not put it down. It is a well-written, suspenseful novel and should become a hit. It reads quite well on two different levels, as a fast paced thriller and a critical look at failed human systems.

Dave, Your novel was an excellent read. Your characterization was done exceedingly well so the reader got the impression early on they knew exactly what the character would be like. My favorite character was Mr. C., believe it or not. :) I couldn't wait to get to see him again as I turned the pages.

The beginning, middle, and ending moved along well and flowed. Too, you write tight without wasting words. An asset every writer could use, especially me. :)

There was only one thing that bothered me and that was the one line paragraphs. That slowed my reading down some, but then again, it is your style and every writer has his own and it may have just been me since I haven't read that type of book for a long time.

Anyway, Dave, it is a very well done novel. It shows the time and work you put into it and your love of the characters. Let me know when the next one comes out, ok?

There are certain principles used in writing fiction, "Tricks of the Trade" as they are sometimes called. Unfortunately, most first time authors don't spend the necessary time studying them. David O'Neal is an exception. His first novel, What Goes Around, is a great read. The writing is clear, concise, and he uses one of the primary tenets for writing good fiction: he keeps the action moving.

That said, What Goes Around is one of the most enjoyable paperbacks to be published in some time. It has all the elements of good fiction: action, suspense, mystery, romantic involvement and a strong, likable protagonist. O'Neal also uses another of the most important methods of keeping the reader interested: the protagonist must somehow grow and change. O'Neal understands this and uses it dramatically. When Doug Carlson inadvertently becomes the target of mob violence and as he and Catherine, his companion, become ever more involved, Doug is constantly having to make decisions which will impact on him for the rest of his life.

There is also another aspect of O'Neal's writing, which generates an ever-increasing involvement with his characters: They think and wonder about their role in society and how society impacts on them. Doug Carlson's reflections and introspection's as he is pursued and becomes engaged in violent, life-threatening actions causes one to stop and think how he or she might react in similar circumstances, yet O'Neal never lets the story drag. The scenes, the setting and the dialog keep you immersed in the story from beginning to end. Pacific Coast Press should plan on printing lots more copies of this book. They are going to need them.