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HOODWINKED by R. J. Kaiser Mira Books, June 2001 440 pages $6.50 ISBN: 1551668203 Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Two paintings of Van Gogh's Sunflowers’ are on a Caribbean island, in the possession of mogul Simon Van Biers. He plans to hold onto them, whatever the cost. Two people arrive, a cowboy named Billy Blue and an art expert called Zoë, both claiming to own the paintings. They have to join forces to free the paintings from Van Biers' grasp.

Kaiser writes in a very chatty and friendly style, making the novel very easy to read. He gives each character their own individual voice and the differences between the speech patterns of Simon Van Biers and Billy Blue are notable. At times, Kaiser's writing is enough to make you laugh out loud.

Despite the writing having a humorous slant, Kaiser has not neglected the plot elements of the story and has crafted an interesting tale about the Van Gogh paintings, running in tandem with a murder, which is also linked to hitmen and voodoo. Whilst the story is somewhat tongue in cheek, it is still an enjoyable mystery story that makes a change from the hard-boiled, dark novels that are becoming increasingly popular these days. If you want a story that will make you laugh and does not take itself too seriously, then HOODWINKED, is one to consider.

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