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BAD GUYS
by Linwood Barclay
Bantam, April 2006
448 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0553587056


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Zack Walker is just your average family man trying to make a happy existence for himself and his family. He is a struggling writer with a couple of science fiction novels published under his belt, but not enough to support his family. He has taken a job as a feature writer for a local newspaper to the chagrin of his loving wife. After all, she is his boss.

If she can't make him take out the trash, what makes her think that he will listen to her at the office? Right now she is not happy with his latest assignment. His work on a human-interest article has taken a whole new turn as he, unconsciously, makes himself a part of the story. Why couldn't he go to another newspaper?

For the last couple of weeks Zack has been interviewing Lawrence Jones, a former police officer working as a private investigator. Zack has been following and accompanying him doing his work, hoping to come with a great story for the newspaper. They have shared their lives and he tells Lawrence how his daughter is asking for the family to have a second car because one car doesn't cut it for a family of four.

Lawrence offers to take him to a police auction to help him get a new car not knowing the mess they are going to get involved in within the next few days. And if that wasn't bad enough during a routine stakeout things go bad rather quickly when shots are fired and a car chase ensues and Zack is in the passenger seat. Well, Zack wanted some excitement in his life and he appears to have gotten it. He will be introduced to some very bad guys who are going to make his life a bit interesting. That is, if his wife doesn't kill him first.

BAD GUYS is a funny and suspenseful novel that turns out to be a very pleasant family-oriented story. The Walkers are all fully involved in the novel and it is clear that they are ready for whatever life brings them. What makes this book a delight is that readers can easily see themselves in this family and identify with one of the family members or a situation inside their home. The husband infuriates his wife; his wife loves him and hates him at the same time; teenage daughter can't get her parents to understand how difficult her social life is; little brother is a bit of a pest, but his heart is in the right place.

Nothing appears to be forced and the narrative is easy to follow. It is rare to find a good and entertaining mystery involving an entire family without some over-the-top situations. Barclay does not do that, all he wants to do is entertain and he does that by keeping the book as real as possible. Not many authors can pull it off. BAD GUYS is worth the read.

Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, July 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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