Review of Doom at MLK Blvd

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Doom at MLK Blvd" by Gernot Hucek.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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In Doom at MLK Blvd by Gernot Hucek, Frank Moretti, the CID chief of the Baltimore City Police Department, was shot. Working with the DEA, Frank suspected his shooting might be related to the Mexican drug cartel. The press called it an accident, but Frank knew he was specifically targeted. His time recuperating at the hospital allowed him to think about his future with his beautiful girlfriend, Cheryl, and what his place in the department would be if he failed to recover fully. Detective Callahan, his deputy, was handling the investigation. Like Frank, he was determined to fish out those behind the attack. The leads they found led them primarily to dead ends. Callahan worked with Frank while in the hospital as they tried to unravel the mystery.

The book was rendered in a simple language, which made it an easy read. There was no dilly-dallying with this story, as the narration started with the crux of the matter. There was no background to the plot; the book commenced straight from the shooting of Chief Frank Moretti.

It appeared as though the title of the book was a bit exaggerated. The word 'doom' suggested some ominous occurrence that could mark the end for many people. However, the story seemed not to appropriately complement the title, as there was no devastating occurrence. On the same train of thought, the book failed to create an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue that one would expect from a crime thriller. Indeed, readers might harbor some mild curiosity about the supposed 'mystery' in the book. Unfortunately, there was no adrenaline-pumping drive to get to the root of the matter. There was no mystery with the discoveries made, no overly surprising plot twists to be found, and the story appeared much more straightforward than it should have been.

The characters in the book didn't fare well. From the main character, Frank Moretti, to Cherly, his girlfriend, they seemed like distant creations that readers might find challenging to relate to. They were bland, and even the brief background the author gave of them seemed like unnecessary plot fillers. Some other characters, like Thomas Brown, the IT genius, and Shaun, the bartender, lacked significance to the story.

One of the most significant elements of the book was its capture of the probable situation in the city of Baltimore. The city had been known to be a significant abode for drug dealers. The streets of the city were ridden with gang wars and a high rate of violent crimes. This book seemed to have factored this in. It also provided insight into the efforts of law enforcement agencies to curb the tide of crime, with many risks to themselves. Also, the book showed how easy it could be to misunderstand events when it came to the issue of race and altercations with the police.

Overall, this book came through almost as some tribute by the author to the city of Baltimore. The pictures in the book were like maps that showed readers the city of Baltimore, where the author himself had lived. Despite its shortcomings, the book made a good read, albeit one that should not be approached with high expectations. I'd recommend this book to readers who love crime and intelligence stories. Though I found a couple of errors, I'd say the book was professionally edited. All things considered, I’d rate Doom at MLK Blvd two out of four stars.

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Doom at MLK Blvd
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[Fearnia Laurel]

At first glance I thought that the plot seems interesting and could make a good crime-thriller story, but it seems that it was not executed well enough — with the suspense and mystery missing and characters lacking in depth. Thank you for the honest review.

[Austin Debby]

I love that you didn't sugarcoat the book's low impact. Your review was honest and constructive. Good job.