Len Joy

Joy begins this tale, July 18, 2003, with Dancer Stonemason, standing is his dead sons Clayton's driveway, whistling for Clayton's dog, Russell.

Dancer is known for pitching a perfect game. He had two sons Clayton and Jim. Jim is the largest GM dealer in Southern Missouri. Interestingly, Jim's wife Paula once had a close relationship with Clayton.

Ted Landis, a wealthy developer, now owns the home where Dancer had been staying. Dancer is walking downstream to visit two women, Phoebe and Lucy. They live in the ramshackle cottage and are refusing to sell their property to Landis.

At the cottage, Dancer meets Wayne Mesirow who recently returned from a National Guard tour in Iraq. Wayne will help Dancer deliver JukeBoxes to Landis. Oddly enough, we learn Wayne's wife is having an affair with Landis, while Wayne is trying to come to terms with the suicide of his buddy, Sonny.

I was captivated by the eerily quiet prologue. There are many tragic connections in this skillfully written storyline and the observable similarities between Dancer and Wayne evoke multiple senses.

In one day, we learn it is the hottest summer in years. The people in Maple Springs Missouri have secret relationships and are grieving a loss in one way or another.

We see flashbacks and life-changing incidents that afford us the opportunity to recognize we all are created to interact and support one another. And, like an impending tornado, we often leave a cloud of debris behind and are in need of rescue. Yes. Everyone dies famous.

I received a copy of this book through the generosity of Anna Sacca, Senior Publicity Manager with FSB Associates.… (mehr)

Dry Heat by Len Joy

Intense, thought provoking, impactful story that I could not put down…totally engrossing from beginning to end!

What I liked:
* Joey: athlete, high school senior, intelligent, typical in many ways of young men his age, has a brilliant future ahead of him…until his world abruptly changes.
* Mallory: young girl in high school, difficult family situation, friend of Joey’s, likable, facing a difficult situation
* That Joey’s family seemed a cohesive loving supportive unit…though they were also human
* Lua: a good friend of Joey’s who stood with him through thick and thin
* The writing, era, setting, plot and character development
* That it made me think and feel while seeming all too believable
* The growth and changes in both Joey and Mallory
* That it wasn’t polished and pretty but rather nitty gritty and at times dark…but not too dark
* Thinking about whether or not there is really justice when people go to court
* That not everybody who was bad was entirely evil just as not everyone good was perfect
* Joey’s lists, his personal rules, and his solutions to situations toward the end of the book
* That there was hope at the end of the story…and thinking about what might happen to the characters after that last page of the book.

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that justice is not always meted out fairly and it may happen more often than we realize

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and BQB for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars… (mehr)

First, I wish to thank Anna Sacca from FSB Associates for offering me the chance to read and review this crime novel. As always, I am happy to do so, here are my thoughts.

The story chronicles how an Arizona teenager’s life changed for ever after an innocent night of fun turned solemn. On his 18th birthday Joey Blade celebrated with his new girlfriend Wendy and TJ Grimes, a pot dealer, at a bonfire party, when it exploded sending embers into the crowd, the trio took off, speeding away by car. When a gun goes off in a police shootout and TJ did a disappearing act, Joey left behind is tossed in jail accused of shooting police officers. What was supposed to be a promising career was then dashed. Then the story revolved around Joey dealing with court proceedings, rekindling things with Mallory, his old girlfriend.

The second half of the book depicts Joey as an adult with unfinished business. All along the narrative Joey emerges as a character to root for. His freedom did not come easy he needed help from Chico Torres, a drug lord he met in jail. Was that a good choice?....

What a melodrama we read. It shows how in the blink of an eye someone’s life can change. This gritty story full of danger, betrayal, love and loss escalates after a leisurely opening into a fast-paced action. I couldn’t help but to turn pages nonstop, this dynamic story is so exciting. Mr. Joy seamlessly weaves complex relationship and relevant issues such as teenage pregnancy and young adult drama into a full tilt plot populated with unforgettable characters.

“Dry heat “, is a compelling drama I definitely recommend.… (mehr)

I loved Len Joy's other three books, and I enjoyed EVERYONE DIES FAMOUS too, since many of the characters from his first novel, AMERICAN PAST TIME, are in here, because yes, it's a sequel, set 40-50 years later, in 2003, once again in the small town of Maple Springs, Missouri. Dancer Stonemason is into his seventies now, a widower and grandfather, filled with regrets, trying to make sense of his life. His son Jim is here, and Jim's adult daughter, Kayla, about to be married. And Trudy Bennett, onetime lover of Dancer's older son, Clayton, is now the local mail-carrier and EMT. And a couple new characters, Wayne,an Iraq war vet, and Anita, his estranged wife. It's an intriguing stew of characters, no question. But, because it is a sequel, and because the whole story takes place in just a couple of days' time, an inordinate effort is required in tracing the connections and relationships of the past fifty years, making the novel a bit top-heavy in backstory, slowing the forward momentum of the narrative to a near-glacial pace. This changes in the final few chapters when a looming tornado strikes and all hell breaks loose. It was indeed a gripping, compelling finale, although I must confess I was left a bit confused about Dancer's fate. That said, still a good read, with a complex, well-defined cast. Highly recommended, especially if you're already a Len Joy fan.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (mehr)