Review of 'Idiot's Tale' - Anthony Land

When a distraught young woman bursts into private investigator John Rainwater’s office to announce that she has just escaped from a trio of kidnappers, it proves to be a perfect case for a six-foot, hard-muscled ex-Marine with a .45 automatic in his shoulder holster—none of which describes Rainwater. He much more closely resembles another character’s sneering assessment: “middle-aged geek with a gun and an unmerited confidence in your ability to handle a hard chance.”

He is, however, a highly intelligent geek, with a flair for research, which leads him to discover that the mysterious White Stone about which his beautiful green-eyed client, Morgana Trehane, was questioned by her captors could be the realization of the ancient alchemists’ dream of turning base metal into gold. Or something far more terrible could be at the heart of the web of lies, greed, appalling violence and great peril into which they find themselves drawn by Roni Miller, a heartless and possibly insane ex-Mossad agent.

In the steadily darkening, serio-comic course of IDIOT'S TALE, Rainwater will experience unconsummated love, heroism owing more to luck than courage, unmerited wealth and looming annihilation presided over by the spirit of the most misanthropic man he ever knew.

http://www.amazon.com/Idiots-Tale-Anthony-Land-ebook/dp/B00BE9F420/r

About the author

Mr. Land has made his living as a writer for over 50 years as a newspaperman, wire service reporter, television journalist, documentary writer, advertising man, medical writer, marketer, public relations advisor, and ghostwriter.  Idiot’s Tale is his first novel.

In keeping with his conviction that no author should be analyzed beyond what he chooses to publish, he reduces his autobiography to a single sentence. “I’m a non-believing summa cum laude graduate in philosophy from a Jesuit university who, in the course of a somewhat adventurous life, has seen more of the dark side of humankind than I might have wished.”

He and his wife, Sharon, are New Orleanians, exiled to Alabama by Hurricane Katrina.

My review

If you think this is going to be a run of the mill story about a Private Investigator then you will need to think again. To begin with, PI John Rainwater is no ordinary PI as he’s an ex English Professor and Morgana Trehane is not quite your typical spoiled rich brat. Although the beginning is conventional enough, the book soon takes the reader on a journey they won’t forget.

Anthony Land has a real talent for creating offbeat slightly quirky characters who nevertheless are incredibly realistic. Just when you think a character may be slightly over the top, as is the case of the mad ex-Mossad agent Roni Miller, Land suddenly reveals more and has us believing in her once again – until the next time.

I found the pace of the book and the storyline kept me turning the pages with Land once again making us believe in the almost unbelievable. He certainly has a gift for storytelling and I couldn’t believe the ending!!! I certainly didn’t see that coming.

Interesting, fast-paced, humorous at times yet tragic, this book is unlike anything you will have read before.

My rating

4.5 /5