Red
by Jack Ketchum

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Book Reviews of Red

Book Review: A book with a wide range of emotions
Summary: 4 Stars

The book revolves around a lonely old man and his dog and how both of their lives are basically destroyed by the immature actions of three teenage boys. As Avery Ludlow and his dog Red, begin to wrap up an afternoon of fishing, their peaceful time together is disrupted by the appearance of Harold and Danny McCormick and their friend, Pete Daoust. The boys, it seems, have decided that old Avery may just be an easy "mark" way out in the middle of nowhere and decide to rob him. After finding out that Avery has little or no money, Danny McCormick (the obvious leader of the boys) decides that the group needs to insure that Avery won't say anything about the failed robbery, so out of spite and intimidation, Danny shoots and kills Red.

What the boys didn't bank on, of course, is the determination and vengence of this grizzled Korean War veteran and the love that he had for his only friend. As Avery (or Av, as he is referred to throughout the bulk of the book) sorts out HIS emotions, he sets upon a course of action to right this wrong. When he finds out who the boys are and contacts their parents, he is rudely rebuffed and called a liar. The parents refuse to believe that their little angels could have committed such a heinous crime.

Well, they picked the wrong guy to mess with!

Ketchum does a great job of building the suspense and even throws in a twist or two. Will Avery get the satisfaction of having the boys dealt with by the authorities or their parents or will he have to take matters into his own hands? The reader will have to find out for his or herself.

The book is a VERY quick read because of its length and also due to the way that Ketchum causes the prose to jump off the book. Just prepare for an emotional roller coaster as you churn through the book to the finish. Also included in the August 2002 Leisure Books printing of this novel is the novella, "The Passenger". Very good in it's own right. Enjoy!

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