Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Crime Fiction
Approximate word count: Dream Land: 8-9,000 words
Plastic Fantastic: 9-10,000 words
Availability
Dream Land
Plastic Fantastic
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Author:
During the
day Keith Nixon is in a senior sales role, traipsing around Europe for a UK
based high tech company. When he settles in for the night he reads and reviews
as one of the most prolific of the pals at Books and Pals as well as writing
his own fiction. His first novel, The Fix,
was picked up by Caffeine Nights Publishing, a small UK based publisher who is now
publishing this new series.
Description:
Dream Land
The first
of the Konstantin Novellas series, we’re introduced to Konstantin Boryakov, a
Russian with shady past and from what I can tell a shady present as well. Just
arrived in the UK to lie low for a while, things don’t go according to plan.
Plastic Fantastic
Konstantin
is finally set with a place to live and staying under the radar. But then a
neighbor with an agenda stirs the pot, forcing Konstantin’s hand.
Appraisal:
Dream Land
The first
of this new series of novellas introduces us to Konstantin. What a great
character Keith Nixon has created here. Obviously a Russian, and it appears
ex-KGB, Konstantin seems to have fallen afoul of the powers-that-be. At a minimum, he needs to go to ground. While
he doesn’t go looking for trouble, trouble seems to find him as he makes short
work of a group of thugs almost immediately after arriving in England. From his
talk and actions, Konstantin initially seems amoral with no qualms about doing
anything to anyone if it will benefit him.
However, as
the story progresses and I got to know him better, I realized I was wrong.
Konstantin has a strong moral code. He doesn’t mess with those who don’t mess
with him, but those who do, look out. He has someone he cares very much about,
yet suppresses his wants, it appears in order to protect this other person.
Even someone he’d just met receives his help when he feels a more powerful person
is meting out abuse. Konstantin is an interesting and complex character. I’m
looking forward to future installments of this series.
Plastic Fantastic
In the
first installment of this series we met Konstantin, a shady character with an
unsavory past who is trying to stay invisible to the authorities and avoid
trouble. In this installment he’s drug into someone else’s fight, but in the
process it solidified my opinion that while Konstantin isn’t bothered by
legalities or the rules of civilized society, he does have his own ideas of
what is right and wrong, and will land on the side of right. Although much
different in execution, the appeal of this character and series pulls the same
emotional strings as Don Pendleton’s “The Executioner” series or Charles
Bronson’s Death Wish movies and its
sequels. The rest of the series promises to be a heck of a ride.
FYI:
Adult
language.
Uses UK
spelling conventions.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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