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—"Lonesome
Point," by Ian Vasquez; Minotaur Books (263 pages,
$24.95)
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Ian Vasquez takes the
common themes of sibling rivalry and family secrets to
deliver a thoughtful look at unbridled ambition and
failed dreams. While Vasquez's debut last year used the
tenets of the private detective novel, "Lonesome
Point" firmly proves his affinity for a gripping
noir tale. "In the Heat" was a good debut but
Lonesome Point succeeds on an even higher level.
Leo Varela had ambition
when he left his native Belize for college, but now, the
50-year-old Leo is realizing that his "go-slow
attitude in most things" has left him a failed poet
stuck in a dead-end job in a Miami hospital's psych
ward. With a pregnant girlfriend, his life needs to
change, but that's not likely to happen.
Patrick Varela, Leo's
brother, allowed his ambition to control his every move
as he became a Miami-Dade County commissioner. With a
smart wife and an in with Miami's movers and shakers,
Patrick will do anything to keep his position.
The brothers' lives are
about to be upended when an acquaintance from Belize
asks Leo to kidnap a patient from the mental health
ward. If Leo doesn't help, the old friend will expose
the brothers' violent background that erupted at
"Lonesome Point," a remote area of Belize.
Vasquez quickly gets to
the heart of each brother, showing the emotional resolve
and moral center that each man has, or lacks. It would
be easy to turn "Lonesome Point" into an
updated Cain and Abel story. Instead, Vasquez's
storytelling skills will remind readers of early Elmore
Leonard, especially with its surprise denouement.
Vasquez, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., showcases
his native Belize in flashback scenes, while also
providing a view of Miami's dark alleys.
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