The Little Sleep
A
Mark Genevich Mystery
Paul Tremblay
Henry Holt (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-8050-8849-0 (0805088490)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8849-6 (9780805088496)
Publication Date: March 2009
List Price: $14.00
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Mark Genevich is a South Boston
P.I. with a little problem: he’s narcoleptic, and he suffers from
the most severe symptoms, including hypnogogic hallucinations. These
waking dreams wreak havoc for a guy who depends on real-life clues to
make his living.
Clients haven’t exactly been beating down the door when Mark
meets Jennifer Times -- daughter of the powerful local D.A. and a
contestant on American Star -- who walks into his office with an
outlandish story about a man who stole her fingers. He awakes from his
latest hallucination alone, but on his desk is a manila envelope
containing risqué photos of Jennifer. Are the pictures real, and
if so, is Mark hunting a blackmailer, or worse?
Review: Paul Tremblay introduces Boston private investigator Mark Genevich, a man who suffers from an extreme form of narcolepsy, in The Little Sleep, a hard-boiled mystery written in a noir-ish style.
Genevich's latest client is the daughter of the Boston District Attorney, and also a finalist on the hit reality series American Star.
At least he thinks she is. His client, that is. He knows she's been on
television as he's seen the show. He has suggestive pictures of his
client that may be part of a blackmail scheme or worse. Or so he
believes. Coming to the conclusion that he's not quite sure who his
client is or how he got the photos or even what the photos mean,
Genevich pursues his investigation not knowing how it will end, or even
knowing how it began.
The plot of The Little Sleep
is more than a little bit derivative, but the author handles it well,
constructing a nicely paced narrative that offers plenty of clues
leading to a denouement that is rewarding, if not exactly surprising.
This, in and of itself, would have been sufficient to recommend the
book if not for two major problems.
The first is The Little Sleep
is written in the present tense, seldom an appropriate choice for a
mystery. And it really doesn't work here. Genevich narrates the story,
but drifts between his conscious and unconscious states, leaving the
reader unclear whether what's happening is real or imagined. No doubt
this is intended to add an element of suspense to his tale, but it has
an overly contrived feel to it.
The second is the character of Mark Genevich. He has a disability, as
is made clear in the opening chapters, and feels sorry for himself.
Rarely an endearing quality to readers. But it also isn't necessary to
remind the reader in every subsequent chapter what narcolepsy is, what
its symptoms are, how it manifests itself, how Genevich suffers from
it, the consequences of its occurrence, and so on. At a pivotal point
in the story when it does come into play, the impact is considerably
lessened because the reader is simply numbed by the repetitiveness of
its reference.
The Little Sleep is, in the end, rather disappointing. A well-crafted story overwhelmed by character and voice.
Special thanks to Henry Holt for providing a copy of The Little Sleep for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Have you read The Little Sleep? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
The Little Sleep
Henry Holt (Hardcover), March 2009
ISBN-10: 0-8050-8849-0 (0805088490)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-8849-6 (9780805088496)
Omnimystery keywords for The Little Sleep ...
Location(s) referenced: Boston, Massachusetts.
