Manistique is a well-crafted old school detective noir tale featuring greed, firepower, organized crime and familial bonds, all contained behind an eye-catching cover that is a gorgeous work of fine art.
What starts as a favor to a friend evolves into a quest across the country to find the truth about what led to a shootout at a poker game inside a New Mexican bar. Despite constantly insisting he’s not a detective, Luke Fischer certainly acts like one on this mission that he can’t seem to let go despite no apparent reason to continue other than intellectual curiosity and maybe a taste for danger. His dogged pursuit leads him to Michigan where he teams up with a small-town sheriff and discovers an age-old truth: Follow the money. As Luke and the sheriff hit the road to find the money and some answers, hitmen come out of the woodwork and bodies start dropping like flies. Not one to let things go, Luke will stop at nothing to see this case through to the end…even if it costs him his life.
There’s a lot to like about Manistique. It’s well written and contains intriguing characters that span a spectrum of simple “what you see is what you get” folks to complex individuals with wisdom and depth. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the case keeps the reader engaged and moves at a good pace that is neither slow nor in a hurry to get to the final destination. And there is a plethora of action that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
But perhaps the star of the book is the unique settings. From the middle of nowhere hole in the wall dives of New Mexico to the small towns, lakes and wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Craig Terlson paints such vivid illustrations of each locale that they become as important to the plot as the individuals and action sequences featured throughout. Which makes these places way more than just background ambiance. In fact, they serve as critical characters that add contextual depth and beauty to the story.
All told, Manistique is an entertaining thriller that should be paired with a Pacifico while watching the pinks and purples of a beautiful southwestern sunset to ensure maximum enjoyment. But even without the cold beer and colorful skies, Manistique holds its own as a perilous whodunit saga with an old-time aura.
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