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NoirNovels.com - A unique repository for all things noir
The Long Count
Reviewed By Rogue In Frank Megna's debut novel, The Long Count, Johnny DeMarco is an almost washed up boxer. Known in his heyday as the 'Brooklyn Bomber', DeMarco is now well past his prime and works as a Private Investigator to supplement is ever decreasing income from boxing. Life has been pretty cruel to Johnny; he lost his wife Mary and can't seem to get over her passing. Little does Johnny know that his life is about to take a dramatic turn. The story starts with Johnny getting pummelled in his comeback fight. Somehow, he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat and suddenly, at nearly 40, he senses one last shot at glory - if he can only stick to a punishing training regime and get himself back in to real shape. What he didn't count on was getting a call from and old school friend, Morris Steinberg, who wants Johnny to find his missing daughter, Bethany. Johnny is not interested in taking the case to begin with until Steinberg comes up with some serious cash. Johnny is convinced that Bethany is just pissed with her Dad and is punishing him. But as he starts to uncover Bethany's last known movements he finds himself being drawn into a world of cults, satanic worship and murder. Early on in the story Johnny meets a former colleague of Bethany's, the freaky Raster Glow, who has more facial piercing and weird fantasies than Johnny ever thought was possible. Together, the unlikely duo get hot on Bethany's tracks. Suffice to say, Johnny's boxing training goes all to hell, just as he is offered a sweet rematch with an old adversary. The question is, will Johnny survive long enough to climb back in the ring? From the outset, The Long Count subtly draws you in to Johnny DeMarco's world. It is clear that this guy is no genius, but what he lacks in brains he makes up for in stubborn determination to do the right thing. By comparison to his quarry, Johnny is a snow white angel and he finds it hard to comprehend the attitudes and interests of those he is hunting down. Johnny always seems to be half a decision behind where he needs to be to crack the case but somehow, with the help of Raster, he just about keeps up. Megna, an ex-boxer himself, has pitched the characters perfectly and manages to keep the numerous plot threads running without ever getting himself tangled. He has imbued the narrative with trademark Brooklyn/Italian dialect and mannerisms and this helps to create an genuinely believable setting. For a debut novel, The Long Count is extremely mature, well paced and very difficult to put down. Megna avoids clich? and the twist of boxer/PI is one I have certainly not come across before. As a result, the Long Count is a very refreshing newcomer to the genre. But perhaps the biggest compliment I can pay the author is to say that my biggest criticism was the typographical errors in my pre-release review copy! As I am sure these will be ironed out before final publication, I will close by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed The Long Count. It is gritty, funny, at times downright disturbing, never boring, and an excellent addition to my library. I hope that you will do this novel the justice it deserves and read it too. |
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