DIRT: An American CampaignMark LaFlamme
Today I have the pleasure of hosting Dirt: An American Campaign, as part of Mark LaFlamme's virtual blog tour. I try to be extremely picky when agreeing to participate in blog tours, because I'd hate to write a negative review and yet I'd hate to lie and say I liked a turd.
Any wariness was immediately erased by the premise of the novel -- the son of a White House contender breaks into the cemetery and steals the body of his wife, then runs off with her -- which told me I wouldn't have to worry about writing a bad review.
My intuition was sound, because Dirt was a great read. The novel is fast-paced, and LaFlamme's prose never dawdles or plods. Dirt begins as a grief-sricken Calvin Cotton exhumes his wife before skipping town. This news is quite unsettling to his father, Governor Frank Cotton, who is currently in the running to be the Republican Party's nominee for president. Deeply concerned about hiscampaign son, the governor sends in Thomas Cashman to quietly sweep this problem under the rug.
Surprisingly, Cashman decides to enlist the help of Billy Baylor, a man who understands Calvin's point of view. Once a best-selling novelist who wrote about men in just Calvin's situation, Baylor now spends his days in an alcoholic stupor, unable to surmount his own grief. Propelled by the promise of free booze, Baylor agrees to help Cashman find the distraught young man and retrieve the body of his wife, who is quickly getting quite...ripe.
Any wariness was immediately erased by the premise of the novel -- the son of a White House contender breaks into the cemetery and steals the body of his wife, then runs off with her -- which told me I wouldn't have to worry about writing a bad review.
My intuition was sound, because Dirt was a great read. The novel is fast-paced, and LaFlamme's prose never dawdles or plods. Dirt begins as a grief-sricken Calvin Cotton exhumes his wife before skipping town. This news is quite unsettling to his father, Governor Frank Cotton, who is currently in the running to be the Republican Party's nominee for president. Deeply concerned about his
Surprisingly, Cashman decides to enlist the help of Billy Baylor, a man who understands Calvin's point of view. Once a best-selling novelist who wrote about men in just Calvin's situation, Baylor now spends his days in an alcoholic stupor, unable to surmount his own grief. Propelled by the promise of free booze, Baylor agrees to help Cashman find the distraught young man and retrieve the body of his wife, who is quickly getting quite...ripe.
Somehow I don't think Bethany looks this good
After the opening exhumation scene, the novel barrels ahead until reaching the end. I was surprised to see that, although I had anticipated one scene, I never anticipated the full extent of the final revelations. I was also glad to see that Dirt does not descend into preachiness, as the author sides with neither political party. LaFlamme makes clear that ALL politicians have some dirt on their hands, and, in the cutthroat world of Washington, nice guys truly finish last.
In a nutshell: Taut and fast-paced, Dirt grips the reader until the shocking ending. Not for those who believe in the purity of their candidates, however.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
In a nutshell: Taut and fast-paced, Dirt grips the reader until the shocking ending. Not for those who believe in the purity of their candidates, however.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
2 comments:
Awww, thanks for the beautifully written review. It's a nice site you have here. It's an honor to be included.
PS... Great Tom Petty reference, too.
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