From Publishers Weekly
This suspenseful third John Deal crime thriller from Standiford finds the Miami building contractor tangling with Chinese gangsters who are trying to move in on a scheme hatched by two Hollywood porno magnates to create X-rated films for the huge mainland Chinese market. Deal already has troubles enough?his wife, Janice, has sunk into a deep depression over the serious burns she suffered in last year's Raw Deal, and a close friend has apparently committed suicide, shortly after she has told her film-star sister, Paige Nobleman, that Paige was adopted. Deal and his tenant/pal, ex-cop Vernon Driscoll, begin investigating Paige's birth and, eventually, the friend's death, following leads that take them directly into the porno scheme and the path of some deadly Chinese gang members. Standiford, an unusually fine thriller writer who has won the Frank O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and who directs the creative writing program at Florida International University, is at the top of his game here, displaying excellent pacing and a particular affinity for action scenes. The ongoing saga of John Deal remains especially intriguing above all, however, because its author drenches each volume in the ambiguities?sometimes rewarding, sometimes nightmarish?of real life. $25,000 ad/promo; author tour; U.K. and translation rights: Sobel Weber; first serial and dramatic rights: Nat Sobel.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Library Journal
John Deal, building contractor turned sleuth from Standiford's Raw Deal (HarperCollins, 1994) and Done Deal (LJ 10/15/93), returns better than ever as he follows up on the horrible murder of his friend Barbara Cooper, who saved John's wife, Janice, in Done Deal. Barbara's estranged sister, fading actress Paige Nobleman, hires Deal and his tenant/sidekick Driscoll to find the people behind Barbara's death. The trail leads Deal and Driscoll to the West Coast, where they discover a growing market for pornographic films. This well-written, well-paced novel has gritty, believable characters and interesting subplots, such as John and Janice Deal's tenuous marriage, that reinforce the book's plausibility. This is a nice buy for public libraries with thriller readerships in need of more Stuart Woods (Dead Eyes, HarperCollins, 1994) and John Saul (Black Lightning, Fawcett, 1995).?Alice DiNizo, Raritan P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
