A review by rosseroo
Blown by Mark Haskell Smith
2.0
This has much of the feel of the kind of breezy crime caper Elmore Leonard was so famous for, alas not quite at that level of execution. The plot is pretty straightforward, as Forex trader Bryan LeBlanc pulls the trigger on his scheme to pull out of the Wall Street rat race with $17 million of investor money, and live a life where he chooses what to do. The mechanics of this are not that interesting (the usual financial market dirty tricks leading to a bank in the Caymans), but relief comes in the form of those pursuing him. As in so many of Leonard's books, there's a quite colorful cast of characters pursuing the $17 million -- including a mopey gay investigator who works for Bryan's firm, Bryan's Korean-American boss who is fleeing her impending wedding, Curaçaoan private eye Piet Room, an Australian solo sailor, and the bank manager in cahoots with Bryan.
Various wacky antics ensure, albeit with a good deal more explicit sex than in any of Leonard's books. However, the book wants to have this kind of wacky caper plot while also trawling darker themes around fulfillment and happiness. By the end, a lot of people are dead and the book ends on a sour note that's an awkward contrast to all that came before. Not sure I can recommend this to anyone, even as a light beach read.
Various wacky antics ensure, albeit with a good deal more explicit sex than in any of Leonard's books. However, the book wants to have this kind of wacky caper plot while also trawling darker themes around fulfillment and happiness. By the end, a lot of people are dead and the book ends on a sour note that's an awkward contrast to all that came before. Not sure I can recommend this to anyone, even as a light beach read.