Review: Back Lash by Chris Knopf

A Mysterious Review of Back Lash by Chris Knopf. A Sam Acquillo Mystery.

Review summary: The previous books in this series have been outstanding examples of crime fiction, but this latest entry seems somewhat unfinished, not nearly as polished as its predecessors. The plot is weakly structured and the narrative is undistinguished. At best, an average book in this otherwise outstanding series. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

Back Lash
Chris Knopf
A Sam Acquillo Mystery
The Permanent Press (May 2016)

Publisher synopsis: Not everyone gets to live their adult lives orbiting a central mystery. But that's how it's been for Sam Acquillo, for whom a single, horrific event has helped define his entire existence. Now that event has reached out from the deep past, an unwanted visitor, with secrets within secrets he's forced to unpack like a Russian doll, each more ominous than the one before. What is revealed would be disturbing enough if it wasn't so personal. Not a welcome development for a man who also once said, "Avoidance, rationalization, and denial are highly underrated coping strategies".

The action moves from Southampton to the Bronx, where Sam once prowled in the part-time care of his father, owner of a truck repair business and a temper that stood out even on the mean streets of the city. It's here that Sam learns that evil history doesn't only repeat itself, it can improve upon the original product. That no matter how things change, the world of cops and criminals, priests, power brokers, wise guys, and even wiser old bartenders stays the same.

Or gets much, much worse.