Monday, February 19, 2018

The New Noir




Dead Soon Enough
By Steph Cha

                The Juniper Song book series is written with a contemporary twist that adds dimension to the shadows inherent in a noir mystery story, while still paying homage to the great authors who created a masterful body of works in the genre’s beginnings. This newest book has a case that is a fast paced read. You’ll be intrigued as Private Investigator Juniper Song finds a victim could be found Dead Soon Enough.

                Steph Cha writes what she describes as Korean-American feminist noir. I’d add that her Private Investigator novels are mystery filled with thrills. These situations and characters appeal to a broad audience regardless of gender or background. Her books are spiced with thought provoking references to Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, and then transcend that epic to make this urban noir her own. Treat yourself to a real action packed PI series with titles Follow Her Home, Beware Beware, and Dead Soon Enough.

                In this third book of the series the case concerns the mystery of a woman’s disappearance and the experiences of the Armenian-American community in Los Angeles. The search for the missing woman uncovers her activist embroiled efforts in an ugly and public battle over the erection of an Armenian genocide memorial. While handling the sinister side of Los Angeles, other issues with the client bring up questions surrounding surrogate pregnancy. The investigation also tests Juniper Song’s satisfaction with her noir lifestyle.

                This author creates a cast of characters who are all intriguing and fascinating. You really don’t know what they will do next, and the emotions that drive them are described intently and bring a meaningful dimension to the story. We all have beliefs and causes and people that we believe in, and this book explores what people will do for those. What extremes will their actions reach? In the work of this author, she writes so sincerely about raw, human emotion that will have you on the edge of your chair. That creates a fun adventure to read and also presents memorable and haunting ideas.

                And if you want to hear more from the author listen to Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Steph Cha

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