Fifty Grand: a novel of suspense by Adrian McKinty

This novel of suspense, Fifty Grand by authorAdrian McKinty is (in my humble opinion) a fabulous book! A "good read" most definitely!

Detective Mercado thinks this detective's life is worth a whole lot more than Fifty Grand! Mostly because the Cuban life in question here belonged to her father.

I assure you that you have not read anything quite like this novel--unless you have read other books by McKinty. He has a unique style in which he unwraps a plot page by page. I think he uses techniques he might have learned from studying F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tender is the Night) or Ernest Hemingway ("Fifty Grand" - a short story by Ernest H. -- interestingly enough).

The opening scene of Fifty Grand begins in cold and lonely Nowhere, Wyoming where a man will be silently slipped into a frozen lake. Then the action jumps back six months to Havana to set up the play of events. McKinty continues this "time jumping" throughout the book. It is not confusing. It is just plain interesting how the past in Castro's modern day Cuba influences future events in Wyoming.

McKinty's writing style is "fat free". What's described is just what you see in your mind. No more, no less.

I hope this is (probably) the beginning of a possible series. Mercado is a good character to choose to follow. I would love to see another mystery that is solved by this detective.

I would advise anyone who loves a good book with mystery, crime and suspense to add this novel to your fiction reading list!

(Image: Creative Commons/Flickr user: ah zut)