Dangerous Games [Hardcover]

When we last saw Jack Liffey, he had found the perpetrator of various crimes of vengeance arising from the racist history of Terminal Island, been dumped by his new girlfriend, survived a collapsed lung and renewed his relationship with his teenage daughter, Maeve. Liffey also fell for a police officer named Gloria Ramirez, a Native American who was raised by Latino parents who taught her to hate her own heritage. "Dangerous Games" begins with Liffey living in East L.A. with Ramirez; his moody daughter is delighted with Ramirez and hopes her father won't mess this one up. But Liffey's relationship leads inexorably to a new search for a lost child: Ramirez's beautiful 18-year-old niece has disappeared from her tiny reservation in the Owens Valley leaving enough clues to make everyone suspect that she's been swallowed up by L.A.'s porn scene. Liffey feels up to the task.

If it were left at that, our hero would have more than enough to occupy him. But during one clear day while Liffey waters his girlfriend's lawn and Maeve lounges alongside chatting with her father, a gangbanger loses control and shoots indiscriminately in Liffey's direction leaving Maeve severely wounded. As Maeve recuperates, Liffey adds a new mission to his list: revenge. His subsequent confrontation of the perpetrator and eventual solution is one of the most surprising and fulfilling aspects of the narrative.

But there is still a lost child to find. And this is where things get ugly as we're thrown into the world of phone sex, porn films, dangerous reality videos, AIDS and very violent men who truly believe that women are meant to be controlled and used in any way imaginable. Throughout, we're treated to Shannon's smart dialogue, complex characters and a thrill ride of action. The denouement takes place in the Malibu Hills, set ablaze by reality "filmmakers" as their ultimate get-rich-quick venture. As Liffey and others try to outrun the flames, Liffey muses on all the failures in his life and wonders about the meaning of it all. There are wonderful things in life to be certain: the love of both his girlfriend and his resilient, brilliant daughter. But all the mistakes are there too: failed relationships, a battle with alcohol, physical scars too many to count. In Shannon's sure hands, we see the world through the eyes of a man who struggles to reconcile life's joy and pain shaped in large part by Los Angeles itself. Shannon offers more questions than answers. But that's okay. Finely-crafted novels do that. And this is certainly one of Shannon's best.

[The full version of this review first appeared in The Elegant Variation.]

Okay, Shannon is a great writer ...BUT...his Jack Liffey character has become unreal. So politically correct that he is only overshadowed by his daughter who makes Shirley Temple look like the wicked witch from the west. For every stone unturned to reveal a snake this duo finds a butterfly waiting to be set free -by kindness and most of all - understanding. Apparently there is no evil, only non-understanding types (ie white, Christian and usually male). I got lost in DANGEROUS GAMES when Liffey meets up with the gang banger who shot his daughter and ends up wanting to teach him how to write an essay! All in the same few paragraphs. One can overcome plot problems if the writing keeps you entertained but when the characters become so unreal that you start laughing at them, then it's time to put the book aside. Sorry.

It startd out as just another run-away investigation. A pretty Paiute girl, sick of her life on the reservation, heads to Hollywood hoping to make it rich in the sex trade. Private detective Jack Lifey won't make her go home to the abuse she faced there, but he does want to talk to her, make sure she's following her own plans.

The invetigation is only one of Jack's problems. His daughter is shot in a drive-by shooting, his girlfriend police detective Gloria Ramirez is havin problems with their relationship and Jack can't seem to get away with his impossible wish to save everyone, even if they don't want to be saved.

Author John Shannon writes a moving tale that goes far beyond a simple mystery. Jack Lifey is a perfect everyman, but also a man who maintains his hope no matter what. The Los Angeles setting comes to life, whether Jack is patrolling the lowest sewers of the porn business or visiting the homes of the elite in Malibu or nearby Rancho Mirage. Fans of Jack Lifey will want to grab DANGEROUS GAME fast. If you're new to John Shannon, you're in for a treat

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