Review of The Poe Consequence
Posted: 14 Sep 2021, 18:28
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Poe Consequence" by Keith Steinbaum.]
The Poe Consequence by Keith Steinbaum is a suspenseful thriller that takes place in modern-day Los Angeles where a drive-by murder by rival gangs stirs a wild path of mysterious deaths and unlikely friendships.
The story begins with a foreshadowing by a tarot card reading in New Orleans by a spiritual ready. The mysterious Madame Sibilia informs Warren Palmer of a disturbing future involving death and tragedy. Following the fateful evening, Warren, his twin brother Kevin, and son Seth Palmer attend a Dodgers baseball game, not knowing that their lives will all be changed within the next few hours. On their way home, Seth and Warren stop at a local grocery store, at the advice of Uncle Kevin, to obtain painkillers. Within minutes, they are attacked and terrorized by a local gang, the North Rampart Lobos (“Lobos”). As they are being terrorized, a rival gang, the Alvarado Street Diablos (“Diablos”) initiates a drive-by on the Lobos as revenge for the death of one of their members. The night spirals into the death of Warren and the orphanage of Seth.
Following the death of his brother by rival gangs, Uncle Kevin takes over the care of Seth, his twelve-year-old nephew where the pair are forced to confront the numerous obstacles that stem from the loss of a loved one. Kevin is forced to face the new realities of having a child in his life while trying to control his growing difficulties with alcoholism. Seth is forced to face a world in which his father has died protecting him from a Latino gang and the resulting anger towards anyone of that nationality.
In a companion reality, both the Lobos and Diablos are having to face the grim reality of the members of both rival gangs dying to mysterious heart attacks. The local cops are able to determine that once a member from one gang murders another, that member mysteriously dies at 4:00 a.m. the next morning of a frozen heart.
The author does a fantastic job of taking characters that appear to have nothing in common other than their existence, and slowly incorporating each character more into the storyline and each other’s lives through well-timed flashbacks. In the beginning, I was concerned about the numerous characters and their apparent lack of importance to the storyline. With some patience, this was creatively resolved for each character and made for the best part of the story.
I also enjoyed the small references to Edgar Allen Poe’s more famous works of art. It was a fun way to incorporate Poe’s death-related genre into a mysterious serial killer’s mind. The author used some well-placed, well-known quotes to add to the suspense.
The storyline can be a little dull at times while the author tries to lay the groundwork for future events. The difficulty can be hanging on until things pick up as the pieces fall into place. It is definitely worth the wait.
I noticed a few errors throughout the book, but nothing that would take away from the storyline. I enjoyed the gangster slang that was incorporated in the book. While it was a little hard to follow at times, it allowed for a more realistic view of the characters from different cultures. Overall, I believe the book was professionally edited and a joy to read. I would rate this book a four out of four stars .
The book will appeal more to a mature audience who can appreciate the nuances of the “Poe” references. Further, the more violent storylines and graphic language would be more suited to an older audience. Multiple profanity and sexual content would not be suitable for a younger audience.
******
The Poe Consequence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The Poe Consequence by Keith Steinbaum is a suspenseful thriller that takes place in modern-day Los Angeles where a drive-by murder by rival gangs stirs a wild path of mysterious deaths and unlikely friendships.
The story begins with a foreshadowing by a tarot card reading in New Orleans by a spiritual ready. The mysterious Madame Sibilia informs Warren Palmer of a disturbing future involving death and tragedy. Following the fateful evening, Warren, his twin brother Kevin, and son Seth Palmer attend a Dodgers baseball game, not knowing that their lives will all be changed within the next few hours. On their way home, Seth and Warren stop at a local grocery store, at the advice of Uncle Kevin, to obtain painkillers. Within minutes, they are attacked and terrorized by a local gang, the North Rampart Lobos (“Lobos”). As they are being terrorized, a rival gang, the Alvarado Street Diablos (“Diablos”) initiates a drive-by on the Lobos as revenge for the death of one of their members. The night spirals into the death of Warren and the orphanage of Seth.
Following the death of his brother by rival gangs, Uncle Kevin takes over the care of Seth, his twelve-year-old nephew where the pair are forced to confront the numerous obstacles that stem from the loss of a loved one. Kevin is forced to face the new realities of having a child in his life while trying to control his growing difficulties with alcoholism. Seth is forced to face a world in which his father has died protecting him from a Latino gang and the resulting anger towards anyone of that nationality.
In a companion reality, both the Lobos and Diablos are having to face the grim reality of the members of both rival gangs dying to mysterious heart attacks. The local cops are able to determine that once a member from one gang murders another, that member mysteriously dies at 4:00 a.m. the next morning of a frozen heart.
The author does a fantastic job of taking characters that appear to have nothing in common other than their existence, and slowly incorporating each character more into the storyline and each other’s lives through well-timed flashbacks. In the beginning, I was concerned about the numerous characters and their apparent lack of importance to the storyline. With some patience, this was creatively resolved for each character and made for the best part of the story.
I also enjoyed the small references to Edgar Allen Poe’s more famous works of art. It was a fun way to incorporate Poe’s death-related genre into a mysterious serial killer’s mind. The author used some well-placed, well-known quotes to add to the suspense.
The storyline can be a little dull at times while the author tries to lay the groundwork for future events. The difficulty can be hanging on until things pick up as the pieces fall into place. It is definitely worth the wait.
I noticed a few errors throughout the book, but nothing that would take away from the storyline. I enjoyed the gangster slang that was incorporated in the book. While it was a little hard to follow at times, it allowed for a more realistic view of the characters from different cultures. Overall, I believe the book was professionally edited and a joy to read. I would rate this book a four out of four stars .
The book will appeal more to a mature audience who can appreciate the nuances of the “Poe” references. Further, the more violent storylines and graphic language would be more suited to an older audience. Multiple profanity and sexual content would not be suitable for a younger audience.
******
The Poe Consequence
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords