Review: Pigeon Blood Red by Ed Duncan

by MK French

September 2016; 978-0692769478;
ebook and print (250 pages); mystery, thriller
a free book was provided for this review

Rico is a Chicago enforcer that takes his job seriously. No one is exempt from suspicion, not even his girlfriend. When tasked with the job to retrieve a pigeon blood red necklace that was stolen, he believed it to be a simple job. However, he isn't able to retrieve the necklace, the murders were very public, and the innocent people that he has to hunt down manage to stay one step ahead of him. He has a strong sense of right and wrong despite his job as an enforcer, and at the end, he has to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie.

The main plot of the story is very tightly written. There are flashback chapters or parts of chapters thrown into the mix that do bog down the pace of the action. We get an entire chapter of backstory for the necklace when an offhand comment by Litvak's bodyguard about two-thirds of the way through the book, for example, and it really wasn't necessary to know where Litvak got it. All we needed to know that the ruby necklace is priceless, Litvak wanted it, and Rico had to get it back. There were chapters on others' backstories that really didn't need to be delved into at such depth in that part of the plot. The characters could have talked about it instead if it was relevant, and some of it actually wasn't.

I enjoyed the pacing of the action sequences, even in the side-plots that weren't necessary to the main story. Part of the book takes place in Honolulu, and the descriptions of the hotel and luau were fantastic. The characters were more like caricatures for parts of the story, which is rather in keeping with action movies you would see in the theater. It's a nice and fast read and doesn't need too much emotional attachment.

Buy Pigeon Blood Red at Amazon

MK French, reviewer. Born and raised in New York City, M.K. started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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