Have I got a deal for you!
If you're a mystery reader, especially an Alaska mystery reader, I'm offering a free book in exchange for an Amazon and/or a Goodreads review.
Here's a review of this book, by fellow writer, Lawrence Elliott. And remember, you can read the first thirty pages of any of my books, free, on Amazon. Search: Jonathan Thomas Stratman.
on December 27, 2015
At once a period piece capturing the 'gee-whizz' feel of the post-WWII 50's and the deep paranoia of
the Cold War, a frontier adventure in a harsh and wild land, and an almost hard-boiled style mystery,
"Indecent Exposure" is a fantastic novel that heralds the beginning of a series that can't be written
fast enough for my taste.
The protagonist is a complex man; an Episcopal Priest both practical and tough, who mixes a weary
faith with compassion and insight into human nature to influence the hard-scrabble lives in his frontier
village, deep in the wilds of Alaska. The relationships he builds throughout ring true and are laced
with humor and affection, even as they are tinged with suspicion in relation to the cold-blooded
murder of a widely-loathed man, Frankie Slick.
As the mystery unfolds, Stratman deftly balances an ethereal haunting steeped in the grieving heart
of a lonely man, with the brutal reality of life on the edge of starvation and poverty lived at minus
thirty degrees. With snipers, spies, the dark underbelly of human nature, and the redemption that
an earned faith can bring to even the darkest corners of life, "Indecent Exposure" is a page-turning
delight. The prose feels effortless as the pages evaporate in record time. The noir-ish mystery is
both tantalizing and realistically satisfying, yet still manages to explore grief, betrayal, and the
enduring values of compassion and faith.
Weaving these facets into a compelling novel is no mean feat, but to do so in a lean 236 pages is
a tour de force in narrative pacing and literary style. Fans of episodic mystery series everywhere
have a strong entry into the genre, and a memorable protagonist to root for. Can't wait for the
next installment!
the Cold War, a frontier adventure in a harsh and wild land, and an almost hard-boiled style mystery,
"Indecent Exposure" is a fantastic novel that heralds the beginning of a series that can't be written
fast enough for my taste.
The protagonist is a complex man; an Episcopal Priest both practical and tough, who mixes a weary
faith with compassion and insight into human nature to influence the hard-scrabble lives in his frontier
village, deep in the wilds of Alaska. The relationships he builds throughout ring true and are laced
with humor and affection, even as they are tinged with suspicion in relation to the cold-blooded
murder of a widely-loathed man, Frankie Slick.
As the mystery unfolds, Stratman deftly balances an ethereal haunting steeped in the grieving heart
of a lonely man, with the brutal reality of life on the edge of starvation and poverty lived at minus
thirty degrees. With snipers, spies, the dark underbelly of human nature, and the redemption that
an earned faith can bring to even the darkest corners of life, "Indecent Exposure" is a page-turning
delight. The prose feels effortless as the pages evaporate in record time. The noir-ish mystery is
both tantalizing and realistically satisfying, yet still manages to explore grief, betrayal, and the
enduring values of compassion and faith.
Weaving these facets into a compelling novel is no mean feat, but to do so in a lean 236 pages is
a tour de force in narrative pacing and literary style. Fans of episodic mystery series everywhere
have a strong entry into the genre, and a memorable protagonist to root for. Can't wait for the
next installment!
How to write your review.
Your review can be shorter than Lawrence's. Just rate the book, by assigning it some number of stars, and then write a couple of lines about what you like or don't like about it.
How to get your free book.
Send me an email or a Facebook message and I'll work out the Amazon transaction. Be sure to mention this offer to friends ... especially librarians.
And thank you. I couldn't have done this without your support.
(Offer ends October 1, 2016)
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