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THE DISAPPEARING BODY has a slow start. Victor Ribe is paroled because his father died in an attack on a warehouse. This connection does seem vague until the end of the book. He returns home and finds things are a mess. The warehouse is outraged over the arrest of three union workers. A local politician with plans to become a senator has to deal with an affair from the past. In addition, Ribe wants to find his old girlfriend because he is still in love with her. Add to this mix a mob organization, communism, a heroin trade and crooked cops. Ribe must remain alive while trying to figure out who murdered his father. THE DISAPPEARING BODY has a similar feel to E.L. Doctorow’s books. (E.L. Doctorow is best known for books such as Billy Bathgate.) They are very detail-oriented, and slightly dry. In addition, the build up to the climax is slow. The beginning of the book introduces a lot of characters that seem unconnected and unnecessary to the basic plot. It is not until the end of the book that everything finally begins to make sense. Obviously in this type of book, the mystery is not truly the main priority. This book is a dark, gritty look at the American dream. Grand does a good job of setting the time and place. The book has the feel of the 1930s in a major urban port town. The book also demonstrates the creation of the early mob/ underworld connection. At this point, the mob is slowly moving away from bootlegging and other Prohibition activities toward hard drugs such as heroin. THE DISAPPEARING BODY does a phenomenal job of demonstrating the changes the mob underwent to become the organizations now associated with that title. THE DISAPPEARING BODY is the second book by David Grand. Although a relatively unknown, his work shows great potential for the future.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, August 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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