The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd
William Morrow, 2010, $24.99, 390pages, ISBN 978-0-06-182701-3
There’s a special interest that we readers should be aware of and give some attention to: first novels. They have an aura about them because they encapsulate a lifetime of thought, expression and experience. (Or in some cases, inexperience . . . ) It makes no difference if the author is eight or eighty, they’ll put the sum total of their life’s events into the body of their first novel. And, as such, some of them are exceptional. They’re the little gems we try to find and bring to your attention; the first-time author with something to say that we all want to hear. And don’t worry, from time-to-time we’ll review the big guns as well, the A-list favorites like Michael Connolly and Lawrence Block, the giants of the mystery universe, as well as other well-known writers, but we’re trying to find your next favorite author as well, and this week we have a new up and coming author for you.
The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd is a first novel that’s packed with surprises. The action is fast-paced and relentless with new twists and turns in every chapter as well as sharp, snappy dialogue that captures the essence of protagonist Steve Vail and various other good, bad and indifferent characters in law enforcement and criminal enterprises. Mr. Boyd, a twenty-year veteran FBI officer, has an eye for detail, an ear for dialogue and the heart of a veteran spinner of stories as he takes us along for the ride while the FBI tries to track down a master extortionist and cop-killer intent on committing the perfect crime.
In the opening scene, Steve Vail, a former FBI agent and non-conformist hero, thwarts a bank robbery in progress when he knocks two would-be bank robbers out cold and tosses them through a plate glass window for good measure. He then disappears, avoiding publicity. The FBI tracks him down and enlists his aid to find an extortionist who’s made off with a couple of million dollars and killed five people, two of whom were FBI agents. The action and the plot turns never let up until the surprise conclusion on the last page.
You’ll be rooting for Vail, the non-organizational outsider who refuses to adhere to the FBI bureaucracy while trying to outwit an evil mastermind who always seems to be one move ahead of them. The Bricklayer is perfect light reading that will provide hours of relaxation. It’s a great debut from a first-time author. Drop us an email letting us know what you think of Noah Boyd and The Bricklayer.
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