Sunday, April 28, 2024

Fast Times Big City by Shelly Frome Blog Tour Book Review

 

FAST TIMES, BIG CITY

by Shelly Frome

April 15 - May 10, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day.

Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever.

But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless "Big Apple" was up for grabs at a dicey turning point.

My Review:

 Frome immerses his readers into the culture of 1950s New York and broader to political events in Ireland and Cuba. It was fun to read about television shows and movies of the era. Frome is a master at creating the setting with wonderful descriptions of places.

The plot itself was slow and methodical. There was one scene with a bit of suspense but mostly the action was Bud trying to get information as he ventures in New York City. Frome's writing style includes dialogue between mob people, sometimes cryptic and hard to follow. I felt is was a bit difficult to understand how Bud was supposed to complete the task he was given. Bud felt the same, it seems. About half way through the book, at the end of one of his conversations with the person who gave him his task, Bud admits, “...he didn't understand, not at all.” (1801/3520) I was with Bud at that point.

This is a novel for readers who would like an immersion into the era of the 1950s, the mob families of the time and their possible influence on international events.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction
Published by: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Number of Pages: 250
ISBN: 9798886330267
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Getting as overtired as can be, he opted for the radio once again and the show tunes station. Within minutes another song from West Side Story came filtering into his room. This time the star-crossed lovers put the images on the poster to words, yearning for “a special place,” claiming if they held on tight they could take each other there. Somehow, some day, somewhere.

Even after he switched the radio off, the sweet melody and yearning lyrics stayed with him. But soon faded and dovetailed into the dread of what might await him under these pressing circumstances. He finally let go of it all and sank into a fitful sleep.

***

Excerpt from Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome. Copyright 2024 by Shelly Frome. Reproduced with permission from Shelly Frome. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders, Miranda and the D-Day Caper and Shadow of the Gypsy. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting. Fast Times, Big City is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Catch Up With Shelly Frome:
www.shellyfrome.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @ShellyFrome
Instagram - @authorshellyfrome
Twitter/X - @shellyFrome
Facebook - @AuthorShellyFrome

 

Tour Participants:

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

1 comment:

Wall-to-wall books said...

Thanks for your thoughts! Sounds interesting!