Title: The DETECTIVE
Author: Anthony A. Pellegrino
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781514439456
Pages: 224
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Joe Kilgore
Buy on Amazon
Pacific Book Review
A story and how it is told are two different things. Some novels succeed at one, but not necessarily the other. Occasionally excellent writing can overcome weak plotting. The reverse almost never occurs. Pellegrino’s tale is a fascinating character study replete with mystery, mayhem, murder, and more—all the ingredients that make the genre so appetizing to readers. His telling of it however, undercooks the feast.
Mike is a New York detective who lives in the New Jersey suburbs with his wife and two children. They initially appear to live the picture postcard life. Vacations, family dinners, all the trappings of the American dream seem to be correctly in place. Then, as you might expect, something happens with the potential to shatter this perfect picture. Mike’s wife’s best friend coerces the heretofore faithful husband into a one-night stand, secretly videotapes the encounter, and threatens to give the tape to Mike’s wife unless he comes up with twenty thousand dollars the best friend desperately needs. Overcome with guilt, and fear of losing his idyllic home and family, Mike comes up with a way to recover the tape and eliminate the blackmailer forever.
It never occurs to the detective, nor the reader for that matter, that abandoning his moral compass and turning to murder will ever be anything more than a once-in-a-lifetime event. But potentially sinister genes, brought about by parental lineage Mike is unaware of, begin a string of horrendous events that play themselves out over the course of years. Describing specifics of the proceedings that follow would deprive the reader of many twists, turns, and surprises that conspire to wreak physical and emotional carnage on both Mike and the people he holds dear. This story is in fact less of a whodunit and more of a what-will-happen-next and how-will-it-all-be-resolved. There is much to be praised in the page-turning potential of Pellegrino’s plot.
Unfortunately, this is also much to take issue with in how the author tells his story. While his prose is admirably straightforward and direct, it often leaves the impression that this seamy tale is being told rather priggishly. Dialogue is frequently less than real or conversational, and unimportant peripheral events are given more than their due. The storytelling simply doesn’t live up to the story. Of course, if you’re the type of reader who cares much more for content than style, you may well find The Detective a worthwhile way to assuage your crime genre appetite.
