Reviewed by: Keith Nixon
Genre: Noir
Approximate word count: 50,000-55,000 words
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Author:
Mike Dennis
turned full time to writing after a thirty year career in music, which saw him
tour all over the US, and several years as a professional poker player in Las
Vegas. After several short stories made it into magazines a publisher picked up
his first novel, The Take. Mike
Dennis lives in Key West where many of his novels are based.
For more
information visit the author’s blog.
Description:
Don Roy
Doyle has just been released from prison after a stretch for his part in a
diamond robbery. He arrives in Key West to get his hands on the $200,000 share
of the proceeds that’s rightfully his. His attempt to wrestle the money away
from his ex-partner in crime, Frankie Sullivan, opens a series of Pandora’s
boxes and everyone, from the FBI to the police to the Russian mafia and local
politicians, are after him in case he reveals the truth of what really happened
to the cash.
Appraisal:
It’s 1991. Don
Roy Doyle, a hustler and con artist, is just out of prison after a seven year
stretch and he has the scars to prove it. He was jailed for his part in a jewel
heist, the only gang member that took the fall. In the opening chapter Doyle
steps off a bus to arrive back in Key West and settle a few more scores, in
particular he wants his $200,000 share of the robbery proceeds. He wastes no
time and immediately confronts Frankie Sullivan (Sully) a nightclub owner and
partner in the original scam. Sully, however, has ‘invested’ the money in a dubious
property deal with the Russians mafia and cannot immediately access it. Doyle
gives him a week to do so or expect the worst.
After
leaving Sully, Doyle spends subsequent chapters reacquainting himself with
characters from his past – Avi Abraham a weapons supplier, BK the mayor and
ex-classmate, Ortega the local police officer who threatens to send Doyle back
to prison should he step out of line and Mambo DeLima a Cuban criminal. Then
Sully ends up dead and Doyle is in the frame for his murder.
And herein
lies one of the problems with this novel - new characters pop up almost every
chapter through literally the first half of the book (and one or two in the
latter half as well) including BK’s patriarchal father, Wilson J Whitney, and
Doyle’s ex-girlfriend Norma who’s turning tricks for BK (she immediately
becomes his current girlfriend), BK’s needy wife Rita, and a variety of Russian
gangsters among quite a few others. Unfortunately, the time spent introducing
characters, their past relationship to Doyle and / or the crime, means the rest
of the plot feels crammed into the second half primarily because Setup on Front Street is relatively
short at 50,000 words. So little space is left to fully explore the plot. For
example Ortega the policeman is only made reference to once more in passing,
FBI special agent Ryder appears then shifts to the background until it’s time,
all too soon and all too easily, to take down the bad guys (helped by yet
another character introduced to help Doyle get the information he needs).
That being
said, Setup on Front Street was an enjoyable
read, the story skipped along at a decent pace and the characters, despite
there being so many, were in the main colourful and entertaining. The plot is
set against an interesting historical backdrop - the locals are convinced
Castro is about to fall and Cuba will be a fantastic opportunity for a new
criminal gold rush that is about to begin and the various factions want a piece
of the action.
If I were
to come across Mike Dennis’ books in the future, I certainly would pick them up
and, I am sure, enjoy them.
FYI:
Infrequent
strong language.
Format/Typo Issues:
None of
significance.
Rating: *** Three stars
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