Review by Dusamae -- Pancake Money by Finn Bell

[Dusamae]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Pancake Money" by Finn Bell.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Pancake Money is about the brutal murders of retired Catholic priests. Detectives have no fingerprints, no witnesses, and no DNA. They have nothing, and they have nothing that connects the murders. They also must find Jones Maihi, he escaped after being let out of prison for his son’s funeral. Detective Pollo was the lead detective that sent him to prison now he must find him and send him back to prison.

Quote: “Dead priests and escaped gangster. You couldn’t make this sh*t up, “Pollo says.

I love phycological thrillers and this one kept me guessing until the end. Author, Finn Bell did a fabulous job in setting up the plot of the story. The priests are murder in such a cruel and vicious method that I cringe thinking about it. The friendship between Detectives Pollo Latu and Bobby Ress seems genuine and more than just partners, they are family. The reader experiences the job right by their side and can feel their frustrations at trying to solve a case with no apparent direction.

One of my favorite characters is Professor Ann Bowlby. She teaches Forensic Psychology and her questions had me attempting to decipher the answers. One question she asks is, “What makes us act?” She prompts her students, including Detective Bobby Ress, to come up with the correct answer. When a student gives the wrong answer, she teases them for trying to give the right answers but falling short. Then she gives them clues to guide them to the correct answer. I have an aversion to psychology, but I think I would enjoy this class.

I also like reading the section of the book where Pollo explains Pancake Money, he is drinking when he tells Bobby the story, and to me, it is sad but interesting. I don’t want to divulge more of the story because I don’t want to spoil that part of the story.

I would have like a little more detail on a few of the characters. They just seemed to be side notes compared to the main characters, but to I think they played interesting parts int the story. If only there had been more interaction with them to learn more about their personalities. For instance, Pollo’s family, Spyro, the boss, and a couple more.

My rating for Pancake Money is 4 out of 4 stars. The author states upfront that the book has been proofed and qualified by professionals for publication, however, I did find a few, but only one was a little distracting. I had to re-read the paragraph twice to make sure I didn’t miss something. I would recommend this book to people that love psychological thrillers. It would be inappropriate for children because there is a lot of violence.

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Pancake Money
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Like Dusamae's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Nma26]

When I saw the title of this book, it nearly made me laugh.All the same, I would like to find out what the 'pancake' had to do with the 'money' in this story.I want to read this book.Thanks for the nice review.

[jcoad]

This review makes me want to read this book much more than a different review I read. It had me confused as it bounced topics and I couldn't even tell what the story was about. I think I will add this one to my list. Thank you for the review.

[Dusamae]

When I saw the title of this book, it nearly made me laugh.All the same, I would like to find out what the 'pancake' had to do with the 'money' in this story.I want to read this book.Thanks for the nice review.

I was uncertain about reading this book, but I happy to say it was worth the read.

[Dusamae]

This review makes me want to read this book much more than a different review I read. It had me confused as it bounced topics and I couldn't even tell what the story was about. I think I will add this one to my list. Thank you for the review.

I really enjoyed the book, I hope you do.

[C-Extra22]

I'm trying to find the answer to that question: "What makes us act?". I think I might learn a thing or two from this book.Thanks for the review.

[Dusamae]

I'm trying to find the answer to that question: "What makes us act?". I think I might learn a thing or two from this book.Thanks for the review.

That portion of the book was very interesting.