There are pleasures in life that ground the soul, like coming home for the first time your freshman year in college. I just had a literary equivalent of that experience. Many months ago, I was possessed by demons who convinced me to review books for a major website. The tsunami that hit my inbox held several terrific gems (like Pagan Moon & Doha 12). Unfortunately, finding them was like picking the right grain of sand on the beach. So I resigned, finished my commitments, and returned home to reading books I enjoy by writers I admire. First on the list?
Zoë Sharp.
Her fourth book, written way back in 2004 BGE (Before the Google-on-your-smartphone Era), will treat you to a Brit’s view of Florida during Spring Break. I saw the pheromone-melee at Daytona Beach firsthand when I took my then sixteen-year-old daughter to Disney World and, completely oblivious to the holiday, made a stop-over.* It was an experience I will never forget. And Ms. Sharp managed to capture it in such vivid detail that I was transported back in time and space. She even added a sulking, unappreciative teenager:
Of all the training I’d had in the army to prepare me for stress under combat, nothing compared to trying to keep a stroppy teenager under control.
Amen.
She opens the book with a bang that grabs your attention better than any writer today:
I shut my eyes tight in the absolute and certain knowledge that I was just about to die. Around me, people were screaming. Lots of people, but the prospect of dying in company did nothing to alleviate the terror.
The thrills and spills and close scrapes never let up. Interspersed with the emotional rollercoaster are some rather keen observations:
I’ve always thought you can tell a lot about somebody by the way they treat other people’s staff.
But what sets Ms. Sharp apart from other writers is how she imbues her heroine, Charlie Fox, with real life thoughts. Charlie Fox is one of the few (if not only) heroines to agonize over killing a man. Jack Reacher never really cares, even when he kills a marginal bad guy. Charlie Fox is psychologically wounded, morally conflicted, and even lets it affect her decision-making the next time she pulls a trigger. But don’t worry, all the right people get their just deserts in the end.
I’ve noticed a lot of disappointed readers lately. This summer’s crop by brand name authors seems to be falling short. You’ll find it the perfect summer for catching up with Zoë Sharp! It’s like coming home.
Peace, Seeley
* I spent most of my time repeatedly grabbing my daughter’s wrist and saying, “No, you cannot go for a ride with those boys. Now put on your beach wrap.”
Sock Puppet NOTE: MY REVIEWS ARE MY REACTIONS TO THE BOOKS I READ and not a response to the voices in my head. I have no relationship, financial or familial, with the author. I do not expect, but would not refuse, any cash, gifts, or reciprocal reviews. Just sayin.
