Big Red Tequila (Chapters 1-18)

What a treat!  I seem to be accumulating “favorite new authors” in droves lately, especially in the mystery/crime novel genres.  Until now, I had only read Rick Riordan’s novels from his Percy Jackson series, written for a young readership, but enjoyed very much by this not-so-young reader for its pace, wit and creativity.  That led to a curiosity about his books written for adults.  (I technically qualify.)  The fact that his Tres Nevarre series is set in the San Antonio/Austin area is a plus for me, since that is my current stomping ground, but I was anticipating a level of entertainment equal to that of the Percy Jackson series and I am thrilled to find that it is!  Now I look forward to reading everything I can get my hands on by Riordan. 

The first thing that stands out about this author is the wit.  It’s reminiscent of, but different from the narrative quipping of Charlaine Harris, Joan Hess or Sue Grafton, who write equally well in the same genre.  About the house he’s renting:  “The house didn’t look much better on a second take…The right side of the building , where the in-law’s smaller porch stuck out, had shifted on its foundations and now drooped down and backward, as if that half of the house had suffered a stroke.”  About the landlord:  “Gary was an anemic watercolor of a man…I got the feeling he might just dilute down to nothing if he got caught in a good rain.”  And about San Antonio weather in July:  “The sun kept its eye on the city until its very last moment on the horizon, looking at you as if to say, ‘Tomorrow I’m going to kick your ass.’” 

As the story gets more serious and our hero’s situations more dangerous, the humor abates somewhat, but the dialog continues to be sharply first-rate.  Our hero has a James Bond style of fearlessness, barging rashly into tight situations with the confidence that he can get out of them as he needs to.  Following a crime boss to his mansion and grabbing the gun away from the crime boss’s henchman is as brash as it gets.  His confrontations with various law enforcement personnel that try to intimidate him are also quite gutsy.  Many of these people remember his father in a rather negative light, and would rather not have to deal with a case that was dismissed ten years ago, for various, yet-to-be-disclosed reasons.  Anonymous phone calls telling him to leave town and thugs confronting him in public with the same message simply tweak his curiosity more. 

The premise seems a little thin at first:  as the book jacket says, “Ten years ago Navarre left town and the memory of his father’s murder behind him.  Now he’s back looking for answers.”  And no, there is not much more to it than that.  But the storyline propels us forward and clues to the answers he is seeking keep turning up.  When Lillian, his love interest, is apparently kidnapped it seems clear that it is related to his snooping around; now he has a double motive for continuing his quest. 

Of course, it’s a little less risky to boldly go into potentially dangerous situations when you are a tai chi master.  The descriptions of his encounters with people who try to rough him up are very nicely done, with concise explanations of the how and why of Nevarre’s tai chi defensive moves.  “It’s … easier to grab someone who has lots of muscles; it’s like walking around with built-in handles all over your body.”  I am reminded of “Roadhouse,” the old Patrick Swayze movie, in which he portrays a tai chi bouncer cleaning up a rough and tumble redneck bar.  Very entertaining novel so far!

 

 

 

 

 

Next week:  Chapters 19-33