Author to Watch: LANCE HAWVERMALE
I just finished the mystery, The Tongue Merchant by Lance Hawvermale. Lance’s bio on the internet is a little hard to interpret Okiewise, but I think he is from Cherokee, Oklahoma, or at least went to High School there. I may have found that information on his MySpace page. The cover of this novel was a little offputting for me, I thought it might be techno thriller, with those many pages of what the inside of a submarine looks like or intense descriptions of ballistic weapondry. Fortunately for me that was not the case.
If this novel had been written by a more established author in the mystery genre, the reviewers would have been all abuzz. So I take exception to Harriet Klausner’s review that seems lackluster, on Genre Go Round Reviews. Set in the Caribbean, with a hurricane bearing down to intensifiy the action, Coast Guard Lieutenant Marcella Paraizo investigates the murder of her friend, ‘Bella’. There are many twists and turns to the novel, no bogging down of plot in the middle (as so often happens in mysteries). And Lance can really write the female protagonist character.
There are many characters to follow and sort out as the investigation intensifies. I had to keep reminding myself who was who, but it doesn’t deter from a well established plot, plenty of action, a sympathetic main character and supporting male roles. What does the fact that Bella’s tongue was cut out during her murder, have to do with her death? What about the Adelbert stamp found in her shoe? Is Leo a good guy or a bad one? And Kyle….
From Hawvermale’s website, it appears he has written two other books under the name, Erin O’Rourke. And thanks for putting a link to “Libraries that own your titles” linking to WorldCat. It’s good to find authors who don’t think of us (librarians) as the people keeping others from ‘buying’ your books but as promoters and suppliers.
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Kitty,
Thanks for the great review. Feel free to holler at me anytime if you’d like to shoot the breeze about books, female pen names, and the week I was ordered to perform community service in my local library.
Peace,
Lance