In the Clear
by Steve Lopez

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Book Reviews of In the Clear

Book Review: Damaged Hero, weak mystery
Summary: 2 Stars

LaRosa turns to drink for a solution but finds this only a partial out. He tries to balance his own desires with those of his family and his girlfriend but cannot reconcile the dramatically different positions.

Author Steve Lopez delivers an intriguingly damaged character in Albert LaRosa. Unfortunately for the novel, none of the other characters possess even a fraction of LaRosa's depth playing out the roles of evil and corrupt developer, heroic shopkeeper, resentful youth, or whatever role Lopez seems to need. As solving the mystery of the bombings becomes secondary to the urge to protect LaRosa's loved ones, even LaRosa begins to lose his appeal.

Lopez writes compellingly about the New Jersey shore, the superficial appeal of Atlantic City, and the corrupting influence of money. For me, at least, the fascinating description of this nasty world did not compensate for unsympathetic characters and superficial mystery.

Literature & Fiction Books

• Books > Subjects
• Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery
• Police Procedurals