Customer Reviews

The Wonderland Murders

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Jesse Asconcio, Hispanic former FBI man, then politician, and now PI and part-time poet, is called to take a look at a dead woman hanging in his-father-in law's amusement park, Wonderland. Police and Jesse soon learn the dead woman was a call girl. And Jesse knows full well that his father-in-law and brothers-in-law frequently make use of the same escort service where the dead woman worked for $750 a night. Within two days another corpse is discovered shot to death at Wonderland, this time a known pimp. Next day, another murder, this time a Wonderland employee stabbed in the House of Horrors. The investigation, headed by Jesse's friend, who happens to be a black detective, begins in earnest, and the male in-laws all find themselves implicated. A woman shows up in Jesse's PI office and drops $2,000 on him to find the daughter she gave up for adoption 17 years ago. Jesse soon finds himself deeply involved in the investigation of the murders, the missing daughter, a prostitution ring and a nasty smuggling ring--more than enough to keep one PI busy for a while. This is a great mystery! The Wonderland ambiance, the detectives working to solve the murders, the vagaries of the wealthy and degenerate--all of these elements blend and work well. I liked the multicultural aspect; the characters were true to life in all cases. And I loved Jesse's relationship with his wife and children--a poignant and different touch for a PI of any nationality. In fact, after the first mention, I never gave a thought to anyone's nationality; it didn't matter to me because they were all so good at their jobs. Excellent work, Kent! My husband, my daughter, and I all loved this book.

Kent Braithwaite's Jesse Ascencio, his private eye hero in his debut mystery, The Wonderland Murders, represents the new face of Orange County. Jesse has a brown face, and he is a positive role model for the Hispanic population in Orange County. As a Latina and a lifelong resident Orange County, I was impressed by this mystery. Braithwaite has his finger on the socio-economic pulse of this region. I enjoyed the play Braithwaite gave to the various ethnic groups who are jockeying for position in our new social order. Jesse's a poet and a private investigator. He is married to an white woman, and his best friend is a black man. These characters represent today's Orange County, and, to a lesser extent, today's new America. Some murders occur at an amusement park owned by Jesse's Newport Beach father-in-law, and his investigation into this Asian woman's theat leads Jesse into entanglements with a prostitution ring. And several more homicides. The story rings true. The dialog reads well. The social message is rewarding. Brathwaite's The Wonderland Murders is a fine first novel.

The first sentence in the book leaps off the page and grabs you. "'You called the cops?' I asked, gawking at the corpse. I would've preferred to think I was staring, but I knew , in all likelihood, I was gawking."

The speaker is Jesse Ascencio, a real class act private investigator with an intriguing background; former Congressman,
FBI agent, poetry writer and faithfully married man. Who wouldn't like him?

The corpse is a murdered Asian beauty in a Southern California coastal amusement park.

Ascencio, working closely with an African American detective, dives into the investigation only to be hit with additional daily murders. He soon finds himself embroiled in a much bigger picture involving smugglers, prostitutes and then real danger to himself! All the ingredients to keep us reading through the night; just as an excellent mystery should.

I'm anxiously looking forward to Mr. Braithwaite's second, third and fourth novels.

California has always been a gold mine for crime fiction. Hammett. Cain. Chandler. MacDonald. In recent times, Roger Simon, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Sue Grafton, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and Jan Burke. Kent Braithwaite joins their ranks with his crime novel The Wonderland Murders. It continues the Golden State's golden crime fiction tradition with modern noir twists. His PI is Latino. His themes echo contemporary times. This novel definitely deserves the attention it has received from newspapers, TV, and radio, including Newsweek and NPR. It is a true gold nugget.

Southern California is a land of sun, stars, surf, and sand. In The Wonderland Murders, Kent Braithwaite brings murder to a California theme park. With a Mexician detective leading the action, the book is stunning. I loved it, and it gives Latinos another new hero to root for in multicultural southern Cal. I enjoyed the way different ethnic groups interacted in the story, and how the detective kept his cool and proved to be the hero I was hoping he would be. I liked the cover, and I'm wondering where that roller coaster actually is, if it does actually exist. Excellent modern mystery.

Every so often a mystery series debuts that simply sparkles. Kent Braithwaite's new series starring Jesse Ascencio, a Hispanic PI who operates along the Southern California coast, is one of those. I genuinely enjoyed THE WONDERLAND MURDERS. Braithwaite's story and characters reminded me of those I found in the works of Robert Parker, Ross Macdonald, and Dennis Lehane. The main plot and the subplots tied together perfectly in the end. The novel was both entertaining and enlightening. This book deserves to be widely read. I am eagerly anticipating the next mystery in this series. I hope it will be even more wonderful than WONDERLAND.

Wow! It's about time for mysteries like this one! According to the latest Census data, the Latino population has become the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS introduces a private eye who is perfectly representative of our ethnicity. Jesse Ascencio is a professional Hispanic man with roots in America's working class. He's a lot like people I know, except he is a private cop, a tough private cop. He's confronted with a series of murders at an amusement park in suburban Los Angeles. Working comfortably in the multicultural wonderland that southern California has become, Jesse investigates these murders and eventually solves the crimes after confronting exploitation and personal danger in any number of guises. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS also introduces a fascinating, and culturally diverse, group of supporting characters. Jesse's Anglo wife. His parents and in-laws. His darling children. His best friend--a black cop. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS is obviously the first mystery in a new series. Bring on the next book! Viva Jesse Ascencio!

I heard Kent Braithwaite speak while he was featured on an author panel at Pasadena's Left Coast Crime convention flanked by Roger L. Simon and Robert Ferrigno. What company Mr. Braithwaite keeps! Both Ferrigno and Simon are bestselling legends. Some questions from the packed conference room were aimed by name to Braithwaite, and he held his own with his heavyweight companions.

Following the panel, I picked up The Wonderland Murders, got it autographed, and read it in one night. Braithwaite's book is a fast-paced thriller that Ferrigno quoted Newsweek as saying "might well be a great book." It was.

It's a modern noir work featuring a Hispanic family man private eye. It takes place in sunny Southern California, and reveals the darkside of that paradise. It is a mystery that deserves the notice it has received and is still receiving. I'm thrilled I bought this thriller.

This novel was filled with racial and gender stereotypes, was way too predictable and often lagged in places. The characters were often unrealistic, unlikeable and uncreative, the dialogue was rigid and the narration was worse.

I enjoyed this book. It was an unusual mystery set in a usual mystery setting--Southern California. I feel the author has a firm grasp on his Hispanic protagonist and the ethnically diverse social scene in Southern California. The mystery of the story also worked for me. I recommend The Wonderland Murders highly.