Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ringer-Brian M Wiprud

Ringer
Brian M Wiprud
Minotaur, Jul 19 2011, $26.99
ISBN: 9780312601898

In La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico Father Gomez Entropica shows wealthy womanizer Morty Martinez the finger of his ancestor de Salvaterra who lost it in defense of the monastery; the finger and a ring on it were saved, but the jewelry was stolen. The Father, seeing a picture in Forbes magazine of the ring, asks a favor that he believes the former Brooklyn resident can achieve. He wants Morty to visit sexagenarian Robert Tyson Grant in New York City to ask the billionaire to return a holy gold ring he wears to its rightful owner an orphanage in La Paz.

In New York, Martinez learns a lesson that he already knew that no good deed goes unpunished for a Good Samaritan. He muses about how he is one night from execution in Mexico after being caught in the crosshairs of several wannabe killers wanting Grant dead.

This is a zany jocular thriller over the top of Picacho del Diablo as told by the antihero while he waits execution in a Mexican prison. The support cast is certifiably loco as nothing goes right with Morty’s quest. Part of the amusement is when Morty muses on irrelevant topics as his time counts down. This sequel to Feelers continues the misadventures of Morty the modern day Conquistador who is on the verge of losing more than a ring finger.

Harriet Klausner

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