OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Monarchs and Mendicants" by Dan Groat.]

There are countless books about war, conquering foreign lands, exploring outer space and performing heroic deeds throughout history, but how many books about the homeless have you read? That's what first drew my attention to Dan Groat's Monarchs and Mendicants. Despite the fancy title, the book takes place in present day and is the fictional tale of a Navy SEAL who returns from Afghanistan.

The book takes place months after becoming homeless, deep in winter in St. Louis. The plot gets heavy fast when Gifford (the main character) discovers Raphael dead, his body hacked up viciously. Raphael was a fellow homeless man, one who was always kind to others and taught them how to survive on the streets. Gifford adopts Raphael's dog Tobias and as he speaks with others he discovers that someone called the Homeless Hacker is murdering homeless around the area and this is the fourth time it's happened.

Gifford and Tobias end up settling down in an area called Benoit and Gifford really starts to build a home in a tool shed. Despite his antisocial attitude he even ends up befriending fellow homeless, characters who really make the book fantastic. However, as Gifford opens up and settles into a livable life, all sorts of issues arise that threaten not only their stability and homes but even their lives. Gifford never hesitates to stand up and fight, but even he may not be enough for the peril that befalls them.

Gifford begins the book as a bit of a jerk due to his initial attitude of keeping everyone away. He cares so little about anything but surviving, and now about caring for his new dog Tobias, that he abrasively rejects every attempt at friendly words from others. As such, the other characters and even Tobias are what make the book interesting at first. He ends up "befriending" three fellow homeless folks, and they're all really unique: Edward is a former actor whose typical method of speech is through a blend Shakespearean quotes and his own words mixed together; Johnny, Edwards second, stutters around those he isn't totally comfortable with; Stephen, the "psychiatrist" speaks with Gifford (who they call Frog as he refuses to give his real name; the nickname refers to his Navy SEAL past) and gets him to open up. As the book goes on, Gifford ends up really growing and becoming a fantastic character in his own right!

While the book has a good amount of action and suspense mixed with a bit of mystery, what really makes it great are the characters (as mentioned above) and being immersed in homeless living. It's amazing to see just how they get by; they're very ingenuitive and I cheered for them as things worked out. I never expected to be happy for a character making five cents per brick they cleaned or saving money to buy a cheap, small mattress but I sure was!

The plot itself is complex and a bit twisty as well. The brick work all the homeless partake in is run by a shifty character named Movay, but worst of all is a man named Kong. Kong loves to throw his weight around Benoit, and Gifford is warned repeatedly about him before their first meeting. Good ol' Gifford, though, still doesn't hesitate to stand right up to the guy, pushing back so hard that there have to be repercussions down the line. Without spoiling anything, the plot definitely stays interesting all the way to the end, getting even more suspenseful as it goes.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed my time with Merchants and Mendicants. As a good reviewer of any sort can always find a negative, I guess mine would be that the author uses run-on sentences about as often as I do. This didn't bother me in the least, but for those who cringe at the sight of them, you've been warned. It certainly won't stop me from giving the book 4 out of 4 stars though! There's no sex and I don't recall any foul language (if there was any, it was incredibly minimal), but there were a few violent scenes. Anyone who's okay with those should grab the book, particularly those who are intrigued by seeing behind the scenes of the homeless or those who enjoy a good suspenseful novel that doesn't get really freaky or gross. Although the book has a solid ending and isn't left with unresolved issues, the book is mentioned to be "Gifford Ulrich Book 1". I'm definitely pumped about reading what else will happen with him!

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Monarchs and Mendicants
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The Genre is not my typical, but your description of the characters grabbed my attention, definitely going on to my to read list. Thanks for the great review. I don't think I would have ever noticed this book without it.

Great review! I like a well-written suspenseful novel, especially one with great characters, so this will likely get added to my list.

Sounds like a unique story! Wonderfully written review!

That it is about a homeless man, already makes it unique and makes me curious, since, as you also wrote, there are not too many books in this topic. That is an additional good, that it mixes more genres, those, which I quite like, mystery and suspense. The book sounds definitely worth to read! Anyway in the end of your review you said, it was mentioned as "Gifford Ulrich Book 1". Then it will be the first book of a series? Also, your review was great!

Sounds like a very interesting and enjoyable book. I think I will also like the mixture of fascinating characters. I hope I get the chance to read it. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Dan Groat on such an obviously well written book.