AUGUST SNOW
Stephen Mack Jones
2017
Soho Crime
Sometimes you pick up a book and from the very first paragraph you just feel something click and you find yourself unable to put it down. AUGUST SNOW is one of these books.
August Snow is an ex-cop native of Detroit. His father was an African American police officer and his Mother Mexican American. He grew up in a part of the city called Mexicantown. He followed his Dad’s footsteps and joined the force but after opening an investigation into corruption he was dismissed. This was followed by a lawsuit which he won. Disenchanted with his life and the city he grew up in August took his 12 million dollar settlement and split town. After coming to terms with the situation and himself he returns to his family home and neighborhood. He’s doing what he can to make things better but Detroit has seen some really hard times and it’s an uphill struggle. Having the spectre of being thought of as a rat doesn’t help.
August is invited to the suburb of Grosse Pointe to the home of Eleanore Paget. Paget is a wealthy woman used to getting her way and wants to hire August to investigate some strange things happening at her bank. August declines and heads home. The next day Paget is found dead, an apparent suicide. August doesn’t believe it and starts looking into the death. There are a lot of people who want him to but out and he’s going to have his hands full. By the time he gets to the truth he may wish he had never gone out to Grosse Point.
Stephen Mack Jones does a great job in creating a very likable character and I sure hope this is just the beginning of a long series. August Snow is smart and wise-cracking in a time honored tradition of protagonists with their own code of justice doing what is right. It’s a tricky thing to create a character that is capable and likeable without turning them into a superman and Jones does it well. I also love the way he writes Detroit is only as a native could, with a love of the city and a realistic look at what it was, is and could be. This was a great read with a groove that just sweeps you up and brings you along and the pacing is so good it that the book just flew by. I look forward to more, much more please.
Jon
