Review of Caretaker
Posted: 09 Jun 2021, 14:44
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Caretaker" by George Farrell.]
Fictional pieces inspired by the recent COVID-19 pandemic have become relatively commonplace, but I admit that the concept of this particular narrative impressed me. Caretaker by George Farrell presented a disease as something very like a man and then set it before a group of ordinary people to handle. A blend of allegory and good old-fashioned thriller, Caretaker felt refreshing and original.
Harry Joyner is an understandably frustrated detective in the Bronx, New York. Middle age is catching up with him, his wife is dangerously ill with sickle cell anemia, and his children are becoming increasingly distant from him. Amidst his downward-spiraling circumstances, Harry must face a new challenge: the entrance of one Dr. Oddvar Bodkin. Dr. Bodkin supposedly can heal patients of their illnesses with transfusions of his blood, and when he offers to heal Harry's wife, sparks of dissension fly. In the meantime, a series of mysterious and gruesome murders are peppering the Bronx, and Harry is convinced that the culprit is none other than this suspicious doctor. However, proving Dr. Bodkin's guilt is a difficulty of extreme proportions.
The unique nature of this book made it worth savoring, and I didn't mind that the guilty party was revealed right away. Typically, it grinds against my preferences when I can immediately tell who committed the crime, but in Caretaker, it was to the reader's benefit to see what was happening at each crime scene. I also typically balk at explicit and unnecessary gore; however, the amount of violence and carnage in this book is undeniably appropriate for the subject matter.
While I enjoyed the story as a whole, Caretaker is far from polished. I came across ten grammatical errors on the first twelve pages, and there were hundreds more to follow. My chief complaint is in regards to character development and style. The story explores at least five different perspectives, and I had a hard time differentiating between them. The diction, slang, and speech patterns are consistent between all of them, so they each seemed to have the same voice.
Overall, this is a good story, but it desperately needs an editor. Due to the aforementioned points, I am giving Caretaker a score of 2 out of 4 stars. With some intense revision, this could be an excellent book. Lovers of detective novels and thrillers should give it a try, but sensitive readers should be aware that there is an exceptional amount of profanity, sexuality, and violence.
******
Caretaker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Fictional pieces inspired by the recent COVID-19 pandemic have become relatively commonplace, but I admit that the concept of this particular narrative impressed me. Caretaker by George Farrell presented a disease as something very like a man and then set it before a group of ordinary people to handle. A blend of allegory and good old-fashioned thriller, Caretaker felt refreshing and original.
Harry Joyner is an understandably frustrated detective in the Bronx, New York. Middle age is catching up with him, his wife is dangerously ill with sickle cell anemia, and his children are becoming increasingly distant from him. Amidst his downward-spiraling circumstances, Harry must face a new challenge: the entrance of one Dr. Oddvar Bodkin. Dr. Bodkin supposedly can heal patients of their illnesses with transfusions of his blood, and when he offers to heal Harry's wife, sparks of dissension fly. In the meantime, a series of mysterious and gruesome murders are peppering the Bronx, and Harry is convinced that the culprit is none other than this suspicious doctor. However, proving Dr. Bodkin's guilt is a difficulty of extreme proportions.
The unique nature of this book made it worth savoring, and I didn't mind that the guilty party was revealed right away. Typically, it grinds against my preferences when I can immediately tell who committed the crime, but in Caretaker, it was to the reader's benefit to see what was happening at each crime scene. I also typically balk at explicit and unnecessary gore; however, the amount of violence and carnage in this book is undeniably appropriate for the subject matter.
While I enjoyed the story as a whole, Caretaker is far from polished. I came across ten grammatical errors on the first twelve pages, and there were hundreds more to follow. My chief complaint is in regards to character development and style. The story explores at least five different perspectives, and I had a hard time differentiating between them. The diction, slang, and speech patterns are consistent between all of them, so they each seemed to have the same voice.
Overall, this is a good story, but it desperately needs an editor. Due to the aforementioned points, I am giving Caretaker a score of 2 out of 4 stars. With some intense revision, this could be an excellent book. Lovers of detective novels and thrillers should give it a try, but sensitive readers should be aware that there is an exceptional amount of profanity, sexuality, and violence.
******
Caretaker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
