Review of The Man In the cafe

[Ngozi Onyibor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Man In the cafe" by Michael J Pilkington.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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When Richard Byrne got an opportunity to meet the Man in the Cafe, he thought his life was about to change for the better. The meeting was an opportunity for him to start playing in the big leagues and take his business to the next level. However, after the meeting, he got ahead of himself and made mistakes with far-reaching consequences, both for himself and other people, including the Man in the Cafe.

The Man in the Cafe by Michael J. Pilkington is a crime thriller with elements of murder and mystery. Crime thrillers, when crafted well, are among my favorite genres. Hence, when I read the book's description, I got excited about the prospect of getting reeled into the world of high-profile criminals. Sadly, the excitement dwindled a few pages into the novel. The story is told, not shown, and it's not well told. The promising premise is the only reason I bumped my rating to 2 out of 5 stars.

The first shortfall I noticed is the discrepancy between who the characters are meant to be, according to the author's description of their role, and who they are. One of them is supposed to be an extremely mysterious personality, whose existence is doubted by many. However, this character is constantly in public places and introduces himself and his deeds, in a boastful manner, to everyone he meets. Another character is meant to be pulling the strings from behind the scenes. But she is always visible and her role is well-known to everyone who knows the person she is supposed to be using as a front for her operations. Behind-the-scene characters should be felt, not seen or heard. For characters who are supposed to be smart and discreet, these so-called criminal masterminds are overly talkative. This made me question how they survived in the crime world for so long.

The author's glaring lack of attention to detail is also a narrative weakness. There was no attempt to tie the events in this novel into a coherent thread. For instance, an undercover police officer infiltrates a gang to bring its members, especially their leader, to justice. However, I can't explain the absurd way the operation was handled without spoilers.

Additionally, two characters from different backgrounds and with different backstories are said to be siblings, yet, throughout my reading, I never learned how they are related. While I understand the need to suspend disbelief when reading fiction, at a certain point, I felt as though the author expected the reader to accept whatever he said, regardless of whether the details made sense or not, which is insulting to the reader's intelligence.

Another aspect of the novel that I didn't appreciate is the lack of distinctiveness in the characters. From the highly educated lawyer and banker to the low-ranking characters, everyone seems to like the same things, use the same phrases, and act as if the most clichéd platitudes are life-changing pearls of wisdom.

The novel's premise holds immense potential, but the execution lacks the narrative sophistication necessary to actualize its potential. Also, the book contains explicit depictions of violence, erotic content, including nude images, and profanities. Lastly, the story would benefit from the expertise of a seasoned editor, as I noticed multiple errors while reading.

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The Man In the cafe
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[Saliha Hussain]

"It's great to see your detailed insights on 'The Man in the Cafe' by Michael J. Pilkington! It sounds like you had high hopes for the crime thriller genre, but unfortunately, the execution fell short for you. Your review provides valuable feedback on character development and narrative coherence. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!"