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Michigan Roll
A former professor whose seven-year jail term has transformed him into a professional gambler risks the odds to help a woman targeted by sadistic killers
287 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1988
20 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Tom Kakonis
18 books5 followersTom Kakonis has been hailed by critics nationwide as the heir-apparent to Elmore Leonard… and for good reason. His stunning thrillers Treasure Coast, Michigan Roll, and Criss Cross, among others, blend dark humor with gritty storytelling for compelling, and innovative crime noir capers packed with unique, sharply drawn characters and shocking twists
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 25, 2015
I received a free copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for this review.)
A crime novel set in Michigan? A slightly shady hero? A woman roped into doing something against her better judgement? A lowlife with delusions of grandeur thinking he can steal a fortune in drugs and get away with it? A couple of thug characters, one of which likes to engaging in long rambling conversations that function as veiled threats as a way to intimidate people?
Seriously, how is this NOT an Elmore Leonard novel? It isn’t, but that’s the obvious comparison to this reprint published by the new Brash Books of Tom Kakonis’s 1988 novel.
Tim Waverly is an ex-con turned professional gambler who gets bored cleaning out suckers in Florida and takes a trip to revisit his old stomping grounds of Traverse City, Michigan. There he meets Holly Clemmons, a/k/a Midnight, who has come to town to help her dumb-ass half-brother who thought it’d be a brilliant idea to rip off a bunch of dope from the man he was working for. Now he has the chatty sex-crazed Shadow and his partner, the quiet Native American Gleep, after him. Although Waverly is a guy who knows all the odds and sees getting involved as a bad move, he’s so intrigued by Holly that he gets drawn into the shenanigans.
This is a solid crime novel with a colorful cast of characters that does a lot of shifting viewpoints to let you know how they all see one another and themselves along with some clever dialogue. Again, it sounds like Elmore Leonard, but Kakonis does enough to differentiate his own style. Waverly is a bit more introspective and philosophical than you’d usually see in an EL hero, and the bad guys have a bit more of nastiness to them.
The biggest problem I had with this is that it doesn’t really do much with the idea that Waverly is a professional gambler, which I thought was one of the more interesting aspects. Rather than come up with some kind of plot based around that, it’s just part of his background for the stolen drugs story which seems kind of run-of-the-mill these days. So while I liked the characters and the set-up, the story just didn’t do enough to lift it above average.
Also posted on Kemper's Book Blog.
A crime novel set in Michigan? A slightly shady hero? A woman roped into doing something against her better judgement? A lowlife with delusions of grandeur thinking he can steal a fortune in drugs and get away with it? A couple of thug characters, one of which likes to engaging in long rambling conversations that function as veiled threats as a way to intimidate people?
Seriously, how is this NOT an Elmore Leonard novel? It isn’t, but that’s the obvious comparison to this reprint published by the new Brash Books of Tom Kakonis’s 1988 novel.
Tim Waverly is an ex-con turned professional gambler who gets bored cleaning out suckers in Florida and takes a trip to revisit his old stomping grounds of Traverse City, Michigan. There he meets Holly Clemmons, a/k/a Midnight, who has come to town to help her dumb-ass half-brother who thought it’d be a brilliant idea to rip off a bunch of dope from the man he was working for. Now he has the chatty sex-crazed Shadow and his partner, the quiet Native American Gleep, after him. Although Waverly is a guy who knows all the odds and sees getting involved as a bad move, he’s so intrigued by Holly that he gets drawn into the shenanigans.
This is a solid crime novel with a colorful cast of characters that does a lot of shifting viewpoints to let you know how they all see one another and themselves along with some clever dialogue. Again, it sounds like Elmore Leonard, but Kakonis does enough to differentiate his own style. Waverly is a bit more introspective and philosophical than you’d usually see in an EL hero, and the bad guys have a bit more of nastiness to them.
The biggest problem I had with this is that it doesn’t really do much with the idea that Waverly is a professional gambler, which I thought was one of the more interesting aspects. Rather than come up with some kind of plot based around that, it’s just part of his background for the stolen drugs story which seems kind of run-of-the-mill these days. So while I liked the characters and the set-up, the story just didn’t do enough to lift it above average.
Also posted on Kemper's Book Blog.
February 27, 2015
Timothy Waverly's business card describes him as an "Applied Probabilities Analyst," which is Waverly's idea of a little joke. Timothy is an ex-con out of Michigan who now makes his living in south Florida as a professional gambler, trimming the doctors, dentists and others who search out a little high-stakes action while on their Florida vacations.
Waverly did a stretch for accidentally killing his ex-wife's lawyer. The ex-wife is now remarried and living in Traverse City, Michigan, with the young son that Waverly never had a chance to know. Restless, and anxious to get out of the hot Florida sun for a while, Waverly decides to take a little vacation to Traverse City, which is a small resort community. He has no well-formulated plans; maybe he'll attempt to see his son and maybe he won't.
Meanwhile, in Traverse City, an amazingly stupid college kid named Clay Clemmons, has attempted to screw over some major drug dealers by ripping off $500,000 worth of their cocaine. Not surprisingly, the drug dealers want it back, and Clemmons, who is quickly in over his head and who has all the backbone of a chocolate éclair, calls his sister in Chicago and pleads with her to come up and somehow bail him out of this mess.
The sister, Holly, is a stunner, and she should have sense enough to tell her brother to deal with his own messes. But she's been cleaning up after her little half-brother for so long now that it seems like second nature. So she pops into her Porsche and tools on up to Traverse City. By the time she gets there, however, things have gone from bad to worse. The drug kingpin has dispatched two particularly nasty creeps to deal with Clay, and he is now in hiding. Neither the creeps nor his sister can find him.
The creeps can't find Clay, but they do find Holly and attack her in a parking lot in an effort to make her give up her brother. Enter Timothy Waverly at exactly the opportune moment. He rescues Holly and in short order is caught up in the middle of this whole mess.
What follows is an entertaining story that will remind some readers of an Elmore Leonard novel. The characters are quirky and interesting; the plot moves along at just the right pace, and Timothy Waverly is a very engaging protagonist. The book should appeal to any reader who enjoys Elmore Leonard and is looking for something similar.
Waverly did a stretch for accidentally killing his ex-wife's lawyer. The ex-wife is now remarried and living in Traverse City, Michigan, with the young son that Waverly never had a chance to know. Restless, and anxious to get out of the hot Florida sun for a while, Waverly decides to take a little vacation to Traverse City, which is a small resort community. He has no well-formulated plans; maybe he'll attempt to see his son and maybe he won't.
Meanwhile, in Traverse City, an amazingly stupid college kid named Clay Clemmons, has attempted to screw over some major drug dealers by ripping off $500,000 worth of their cocaine. Not surprisingly, the drug dealers want it back, and Clemmons, who is quickly in over his head and who has all the backbone of a chocolate éclair, calls his sister in Chicago and pleads with her to come up and somehow bail him out of this mess.
The sister, Holly, is a stunner, and she should have sense enough to tell her brother to deal with his own messes. But she's been cleaning up after her little half-brother for so long now that it seems like second nature. So she pops into her Porsche and tools on up to Traverse City. By the time she gets there, however, things have gone from bad to worse. The drug kingpin has dispatched two particularly nasty creeps to deal with Clay, and he is now in hiding. Neither the creeps nor his sister can find him.
The creeps can't find Clay, but they do find Holly and attack her in a parking lot in an effort to make her give up her brother. Enter Timothy Waverly at exactly the opportune moment. He rescues Holly and in short order is caught up in the middle of this whole mess.
What follows is an entertaining story that will remind some readers of an Elmore Leonard novel. The characters are quirky and interesting; the plot moves along at just the right pace, and Timothy Waverly is a very engaging protagonist. The book should appeal to any reader who enjoys Elmore Leonard and is looking for something similar.
October 19, 2015
This is an earlier Kakonis thriller and it's objectively inferior to his later standalones, but is still very much recognizably his work. There is that dialogue precision of dropped propositions, rough and tumble characters, love stories that never quite work out, although this book features distinctly less white trash, a distinctly classier main protagonist and a distinctly more straight forward plot. The latter is noticeable and somewhat regrettable and Kakonis certainly improved as a narrator in his subsequent work plot complexity wise. It's still an enjoyable read, though, and Waverly is an interesting character, a teacher turned convict turned professional gambler. Apparently interesting enough to feature in additional books. This one is from the late 80s, it doesn't read particularly dated except for the somewhat staggering racial slurs. Then again, Kakonis' gang aren't exactly a PC bunch. Not author's best, but a fun read, solid crime thriller with very good writing. Good enough to make it to The New York Times list of the top 10 crime novels when it came out, so there.
February 9, 2016
Tim Waverly, ex-con and current gamblin' man, leaves sunny Florida for the autumnal chill of northern Michigan's tourist coast. His plan is to spy on his ex-wife, maybe try to reconnect or steal away his now-teenage son. But those plans don't really come to fruition as he's sucked into the troubles of one young Chicago debutante nicknamed Midnight. She's up here to find her estranged brother who tried to double-cross the mob, before he's found and chopped up by the two local hatchetmen---a psychopathic killer going by Shadow, and Gleep, Native American muscle. (Kakonis has a knack of strange nicknames, doesn't he? Well, there's a reason behind most of those.)
The closest comparison I can make is that this reads like Elmore Leonard---the lean, mean early Leonard, all clipped prose and crisp dialogue and savage brutality. A little darker and gorier than I remember Leonard being, but a similar type of stylish thriller. There's a good depth to the characters---even Gleep and Shadow are fun to follow, despite Shadow's predilection towards rape and torture, thanks to Kakonis' witty, adept prose. It's not a novel for the faint-hearted, that's for sure; there's a boatload of obscenities and slurs and a gory sequence when a character is mutilated about a hundred pages in. But doesn't that follow the trend in modern thrillers, to out-shock and out-thrill the competition?
As Kakonis' 1988 debut, Michigan Roll is stunning, a first-rate thriller of the ultra-hardboiled variety. (I may be biased in the book's favor, having lived or visited most of the Michigan locations mentioned.) The dialogue is electric and the characters first-rate, though Midnight is a bit under-developed and remained a bratty rich kid. I'd recommend it to those who want an intelligent, if unforgiving, thriller.
Full review found here.
The closest comparison I can make is that this reads like Elmore Leonard---the lean, mean early Leonard, all clipped prose and crisp dialogue and savage brutality. A little darker and gorier than I remember Leonard being, but a similar type of stylish thriller. There's a good depth to the characters---even Gleep and Shadow are fun to follow, despite Shadow's predilection towards rape and torture, thanks to Kakonis' witty, adept prose. It's not a novel for the faint-hearted, that's for sure; there's a boatload of obscenities and slurs and a gory sequence when a character is mutilated about a hundred pages in. But doesn't that follow the trend in modern thrillers, to out-shock and out-thrill the competition?
As Kakonis' 1988 debut, Michigan Roll is stunning, a first-rate thriller of the ultra-hardboiled variety. (I may be biased in the book's favor, having lived or visited most of the Michigan locations mentioned.) The dialogue is electric and the characters first-rate, though Midnight is a bit under-developed and remained a bratty rich kid. I'd recommend it to those who want an intelligent, if unforgiving, thriller.
Full review found here.
April 23, 2020
This is a violent, deep, and darkly amusing crime thriller featuring Waverly, a wizard with cards and an ex-jailbird and an ex-ex-academic, who gets caught in a life and death struggle with some very nasty characters, just because he stopped to help out a damsel in distress. The plot of Michigan Roll is quite straightforward, but Kakonis has filled it with some rich characters, especially those of Waverly and the nasties, Shadow and Gleep. That is not to say the remaining characters are not well turned out. With graphic descriptions of violence and crisp, cracking dialogues, the well-paced narrative is engrossing. Included in the mix is some high philosophy, to be expected with the intellectual protagonist, which made my attention wander at times. The ending has something left hanging, a promise of further adventures. I liked this hard-hitting thriller and will get to the other ones in this line sometime soon.
October 24, 2020
.
This won't be a review, really. Just wanted to say I finished it in a day and a half and, page turner city, loved it. Never read a book in this genre (crime / mystery / noir) in my life (which puts me probably in a very small set). Waverly and Midnight are the principal players but, trust me, there are many others, mostly thugs of the very highest caliber.
The language is drop dead nasty. The tension is high, especially of course in the end. Several people die (of course) and we never are told where her stupid brother ends up (but suspect the worst).
Author Tom Kakonis died in 2018. This book came out in '88. He's written several others. Check him out!
This won't be a review, really. Just wanted to say I finished it in a day and a half and, page turner city, loved it. Never read a book in this genre (crime / mystery / noir) in my life (which puts me probably in a very small set). Waverly and Midnight are the principal players but, trust me, there are many others, mostly thugs of the very highest caliber.
The language is drop dead nasty. The tension is high, especially of course in the end. Several people die (of course) and we never are told where her stupid brother ends up (but suspect the worst).
Author Tom Kakonis died in 2018. This book came out in '88. He's written several others. Check him out!
April 11, 2015
A “Michigan Roll” is a roll of bills with low bills on the inside and a few high bills showing, intended to fool gambling opponents about the size of your stash. In this 1988 novel by Tom Kikonis, Timothy Waverly is a professional cardsharp in south Florida whose boss—-the man who stakes him—-is Bennie Epstein, a fat Jewish philosopher with an upbeat attitude and a deep affection for his best cardsharp. Waverly’s business card lists him as an “Applied Probability Analyst,” but in fact he has an MA in Anglo-Saxon literature, a degree he doesn’t use because he has found a more profitable way to live than teaching dead languages.
After a nonstop 36-hour card game, at which Waverly fleeces a table of doctors who remain rested by rotating in and out, he walks out into the dripping Florida August heat and decides he needs a vacation in someplace cool: Traverse City, Michigan, will do just fine. Bennie is not happy about the departure of the best player in his stable, but what’s a sharp’s manager gonna do?
Unknown to Waverly, things are popping in Traverse City. Gaylon Ledbetter, a drug dealer working for the volatile Mr. Dietz, has "lost" a shipment to Clay Clemmons, a transient lowlife prettyboy. Ledbetter has put two goons, Shadow and Gleep, on Clemmons’ trail. Clemmons knows he is a target and does what any death-fearing man would do—-he calls his sister Holly long distance and tells her he needs help. Apparently, Clay is a high-maintenance brother, by half.
All parties converge on the Traverse City Casino. Holly arrives there to track Clay down, and Shadow and Gleep have tracked Holly hoping she’ll lead them to Clay. Waverly is there for the entertainmant. The goons accost Holly in the casino parking lot just as Waverly is thrown out for card counting. Waverly sees the fracas and beats the crap out of both goons, making one attractive friend and two ugly enemies. Holly goes off with Waverly and, being the very attractive woman she is, we suspect that the needle on Waverly’s moral compass will waver.
So begins a fast-moving tale of a gambler who wins against all odds, of crooks who lose against all odds, of a drug theft turned sour, and of a cast of very entertaining characters. This is a marvelous book. The dialogue is very mobbish, and it is filled with raw humor—-the exchanges between Shadow and Gleep are among the best in the literature.
Five stars. And thanks, James Thane, for the Goodreads recommendation.
After a nonstop 36-hour card game, at which Waverly fleeces a table of doctors who remain rested by rotating in and out, he walks out into the dripping Florida August heat and decides he needs a vacation in someplace cool: Traverse City, Michigan, will do just fine. Bennie is not happy about the departure of the best player in his stable, but what’s a sharp’s manager gonna do?
Unknown to Waverly, things are popping in Traverse City. Gaylon Ledbetter, a drug dealer working for the volatile Mr. Dietz, has "lost" a shipment to Clay Clemmons, a transient lowlife prettyboy. Ledbetter has put two goons, Shadow and Gleep, on Clemmons’ trail. Clemmons knows he is a target and does what any death-fearing man would do—-he calls his sister Holly long distance and tells her he needs help. Apparently, Clay is a high-maintenance brother, by half.
All parties converge on the Traverse City Casino. Holly arrives there to track Clay down, and Shadow and Gleep have tracked Holly hoping she’ll lead them to Clay. Waverly is there for the entertainmant. The goons accost Holly in the casino parking lot just as Waverly is thrown out for card counting. Waverly sees the fracas and beats the crap out of both goons, making one attractive friend and two ugly enemies. Holly goes off with Waverly and, being the very attractive woman she is, we suspect that the needle on Waverly’s moral compass will waver.
So begins a fast-moving tale of a gambler who wins against all odds, of crooks who lose against all odds, of a drug theft turned sour, and of a cast of very entertaining characters. This is a marvelous book. The dialogue is very mobbish, and it is filled with raw humor—-the exchanges between Shadow and Gleep are among the best in the literature.
Five stars. And thanks, James Thane, for the Goodreads recommendation.
July 22, 2010
Found this 1988 book at a used bookstore up north. Kakonis is a retired english professor from Calvin College. This story takes place outside of Traverse City. Its a great mystery story with many sub-plots. Once you start it, you don`t want to put it down.
November 21, 2013
If you enjoy James Swain novels, here's your grand prize.
October 4, 2014
So so
Had the promise of being a good action thriller, but never quite got there. Ending was disappointing, didn't really bring things to resolution. Lots better out there.
Had the promise of being a good action thriller, but never quite got there. Ending was disappointing, didn't really bring things to resolution. Lots better out there.
August 19, 2022
Michigan Roll: A Waverly Thriller by Tom Kakonis
9781941298336
304 Pages
Publisher: Brash Books
Release Date: September 14, 2014
Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thrillers, Poker, Action, Adventure, Violence
Timothy Waverly is a professional poker player in Florida. Tired of the sweltering August Florida weather, he wants to go somewhere cold and chooses Traverse City, Michigan. Timothy was just minding his own business playing when he meets Midnight, a damsel in distress. Her brother has taken something that doesn’t belong to him. Shadow and Gleep are looking for him and the bag.
This is the first book in the Waverly Thriller series. It is action packed and has a steady pace. The characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I enjoyed the characters and how Timothy interacts. I look forward to reading more by this author.
9781941298336
304 Pages
Publisher: Brash Books
Release Date: September 14, 2014
Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thrillers, Poker, Action, Adventure, Violence
Timothy Waverly is a professional poker player in Florida. Tired of the sweltering August Florida weather, he wants to go somewhere cold and chooses Traverse City, Michigan. Timothy was just minding his own business playing when he meets Midnight, a damsel in distress. Her brother has taken something that doesn’t belong to him. Shadow and Gleep are looking for him and the bag.
This is the first book in the Waverly Thriller series. It is action packed and has a steady pace. The characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. I enjoyed the characters and how Timothy interacts. I look forward to reading more by this author.
February 28, 2023
gritty
First let me say that this was a very high octane story. However, there was a bit much graphic violence here for me. I also had issues with some of the dialogue and somewhat staccato style story telling. But, that’s just how I process information and is no reflection on the author or the story. For those who love action and suspense (and I usually do) this is a terrific story.
What brought me to read it is that it took place in Traverse City, and also real landmarks were used. It’s my hometown and I would’ve been in high school during this time period. Even though I only gave it 3 stars, I would recommend it to anyone loving a lot of suspense and action (and not bothered by the violence)
First let me say that this was a very high octane story. However, there was a bit much graphic violence here for me. I also had issues with some of the dialogue and somewhat staccato style story telling. But, that’s just how I process information and is no reflection on the author or the story. For those who love action and suspense (and I usually do) this is a terrific story.
What brought me to read it is that it took place in Traverse City, and also real landmarks were used. It’s my hometown and I would’ve been in high school during this time period. Even though I only gave it 3 stars, I would recommend it to anyone loving a lot of suspense and action (and not bothered by the violence)
December 3, 2020
The more I read his stories, the more I want to read them
Tom Kakonis brings an unique insight into the human condition: the conflict between our morality and our biological reality. Few authors can express this conflict as accurately, and as compulsively as Kakonis can. Perhaps Charles Dickens gets close, but is nowhere near as stark as Kakonis’ story line is. My only regret is that he was not as prolific as Dickens was.
Tom Kakonis brings an unique insight into the human condition: the conflict between our morality and our biological reality. Few authors can express this conflict as accurately, and as compulsively as Kakonis can. Perhaps Charles Dickens gets close, but is nowhere near as stark as Kakonis’ story line is. My only regret is that he was not as prolific as Dickens was.
May 30, 2017
Michigan Roll
Although it was a good mystery, I found myself bored with to much background. Most of it could have been cut, and not affected the story at all. I will definitely think twice before reading another one of his books.
Although it was a good mystery, I found myself bored with to much background. Most of it could have been cut, and not affected the story at all. I will definitely think twice before reading another one of his books.
January 19, 2020
With all the comparison's to Elmore Leonard, that I found. Mr. Kakonis deserves the praise, and was in his early 50's when he introduced card counting Tim Waverly . Hard-boiled, with lowlife characters, terrific debut.
November 1, 2024
2 1/2
December 16, 2023
I'm not sure how I never heard of Tom Kakonis until recently but discovering his "Michigan Roll" was like hitting the jackpot. The character Waverly is in the mold of Donald Westlake's character Parker and Matt Scudder from Lawrence Block but the cool language and pacing put him at the head of that crew. Like Rick Demarinis, another great genre writer who didn't achieve A level recognition, Kakonis spent time teaching English at several small Midwest colleges. Fortunately he wrote two more Waverly novels and a few other thrillers. I can't wait to read all of them.
February 14, 2017
Several weeks ago I read a review of this book that likened it somewhat to the works of Elmore Leonard. Since I like Leonard’s works, was actually reading an Elmore Leonard book at the time, and was intrigued by the review, I checked the book out from the library as it is not currently available as an e-book.
Oh, what a mistake that was!
There truly are similarities to Leonard’s works, particularly in the way Kakonis does not hesitate to use racially denigrating remarks, sexually degrading terms and really inventive profanity. And like Elmore Leonard, Kakonis’ main villains are psychopaths, drug kingpins and mobsters. And again like Leonard, the protagonists are seriously flawed.
However, unlike Leonard, Kakonis does not give the reader a break in either the vocabulary or the psychosis. There is no humor here at all, no lightness, not even a momentary smile to break the viciousness that is in the minds, the speech and the actions of these characters, villains and protagonists alike.
Even though I often read psychological thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries, I only made it to page 43 in this one before I had to call it quits. In this book, there are two particularly nasty bad guys, Shadow and Gleep, who have been dispatched by a drug kingpin to recover some product stolen by our female protagonist’s brother.
I made it through their aggressive sexual observations at the beach; I made it through the expressive verbal threats they made to an apartment manager. I made it through the threats of sexual torture and Shadow’s use of his knife on a female friend of the brother. Then Shadow and Gleep beat the brother’s roommate senseless, trying to get information on the brother. I got through that. But, after getting the information, Shadow forces the roommate’s hand into the garbage disposal and turns it on. When Kakonis described the bone chips and the blood spraying up into the sink, I couldn’t take anymore. I lost it – my patience, my open-mindedness and my dinner. I slammed the book shut and read not another word. Frankly, if this was where we were on page 43, I just couldn’t imagine the depth of the depravity I would have to read through before reaching the end on page 288.
I read for enjoyment, not to be made violently ill or emotionally distraught. And when I say that this book is not for the feint of heart, I know whereof I speak. Apparently, today, my heart was feint.
Oh, what a mistake that was!
There truly are similarities to Leonard’s works, particularly in the way Kakonis does not hesitate to use racially denigrating remarks, sexually degrading terms and really inventive profanity. And like Elmore Leonard, Kakonis’ main villains are psychopaths, drug kingpins and mobsters. And again like Leonard, the protagonists are seriously flawed.
However, unlike Leonard, Kakonis does not give the reader a break in either the vocabulary or the psychosis. There is no humor here at all, no lightness, not even a momentary smile to break the viciousness that is in the minds, the speech and the actions of these characters, villains and protagonists alike.
Even though I often read psychological thrillers and hard-boiled mysteries, I only made it to page 43 in this one before I had to call it quits. In this book, there are two particularly nasty bad guys, Shadow and Gleep, who have been dispatched by a drug kingpin to recover some product stolen by our female protagonist’s brother.
I made it through their aggressive sexual observations at the beach; I made it through the expressive verbal threats they made to an apartment manager. I made it through the threats of sexual torture and Shadow’s use of his knife on a female friend of the brother. Then Shadow and Gleep beat the brother’s roommate senseless, trying to get information on the brother. I got through that. But, after getting the information, Shadow forces the roommate’s hand into the garbage disposal and turns it on. When Kakonis described the bone chips and the blood spraying up into the sink, I couldn’t take anymore. I lost it – my patience, my open-mindedness and my dinner. I slammed the book shut and read not another word. Frankly, if this was where we were on page 43, I just couldn’t imagine the depth of the depravity I would have to read through before reaching the end on page 288.
I read for enjoyment, not to be made violently ill or emotionally distraught. And when I say that this book is not for the feint of heart, I know whereof I speak. Apparently, today, my heart was feint.
July 17, 2014
There was too much violence and foul language, especially when the author was a retired professor from Calvin College.I quit reading at page 35.
Okay, so I got past the foul language. I understood better when I realized that the characters were ex-cons. That makes the language more understandable.
I was amused by the crude language mixed with sophisticated language of the narrative. ok
The plot is quite incredible, but somethings in life are very surprising. It seems the author was trying to tell the story of how a boy from the right side of the tracks, becomes embroiled in trouble; big trouble. His weakness was his anger over the betrayal by (his best?)friend and his consummate rebellion when he faces disagreements with authority.
He survives SPSM and MBP (where I worked for 10 yrs.) which is no small feat for a white CRC kid.
After all of this, he still has the heart of a caring person and can't walk away from a pretty young woman in trouble. It's surprising that his prison stint didn't beat this out of him. He was on a mission to get in touch with his son and just maybe to check on how his wife and ex-friend made out.
The book ends a bit abruptly, but at least we know that he survived and there is the possibility his relationship with the 'lady in distress," may continue.
Okay, so I got past the foul language. I understood better when I realized that the characters were ex-cons. That makes the language more understandable.
I was amused by the crude language mixed with sophisticated language of the narrative. ok
The plot is quite incredible, but somethings in life are very surprising. It seems the author was trying to tell the story of how a boy from the right side of the tracks, becomes embroiled in trouble; big trouble. His weakness was his anger over the betrayal by (his best?)friend and his consummate rebellion when he faces disagreements with authority.
He survives SPSM and MBP (where I worked for 10 yrs.) which is no small feat for a white CRC kid.
After all of this, he still has the heart of a caring person and can't walk away from a pretty young woman in trouble. It's surprising that his prison stint didn't beat this out of him. He was on a mission to get in touch with his son and just maybe to check on how his wife and ex-friend made out.
The book ends a bit abruptly, but at least we know that he survived and there is the possibility his relationship with the 'lady in distress," may continue.
November 1, 2015
Michigan Roll by Tom Kakonis
Graphically brutal crime thriller is an appropriate description for this book. Kakonis has the ability to create deeply flawed characters that never-the-less propel an action stuffed adventure.
Waverly has issues and his soul searching leads him in a journey to his past that embroils him in some Midnight problems. A missing package of drugs appropriated by a minor delusional miscreant puts an assortment of escalating bad guys on Waverly's field of play. A plethora of unnecessary roughness calls would characterize this book with some of the violence stomach wrenching.
Surprising camaraderie plays a part in Waverly's survival. Waverly's mentor in survival skills plays a cameo of sadness. Midnight may play a future role in Waverly's life as short as it may be.
This was a good mystery and action adventure.
Web site: http://www.brash-books.com/author/tom...
Graphically brutal crime thriller is an appropriate description for this book. Kakonis has the ability to create deeply flawed characters that never-the-less propel an action stuffed adventure.
Waverly has issues and his soul searching leads him in a journey to his past that embroils him in some Midnight problems. A missing package of drugs appropriated by a minor delusional miscreant puts an assortment of escalating bad guys on Waverly's field of play. A plethora of unnecessary roughness calls would characterize this book with some of the violence stomach wrenching.
Surprising camaraderie plays a part in Waverly's survival. Waverly's mentor in survival skills plays a cameo of sadness. Midnight may play a future role in Waverly's life as short as it may be.
This was a good mystery and action adventure.
Web site: http://www.brash-books.com/author/tom...
September 6, 2010
This actually a pretty good crime novel. The professional gambler/ex-con/ ex-professor of literature/hero, Timothy Waverly, is pretty believable and likeable. Pretty deep too. That being said, I'm not too sure about some of characters he comes up against. Perhaps the author was trying to add some humor to the sadistic gangsters and trying to make you like them more too but it makes you wonder who would hire them as hit men.
I must say this would make a pretty good film noir. The beautiful woman that gets Waverly involved in this capper, Waverly's old buddy from his prison days, the bumbling criminals and the real thing are memorable characters. The fact that the story takes place inTraverse City, Michigan may not add to the noir mood but I could picture the scenes perfectly. Tom Kakonis lives in Grand Rapids.
I must say this would make a pretty good film noir. The beautiful woman that gets Waverly involved in this capper, Waverly's old buddy from his prison days, the bumbling criminals and the real thing are memorable characters. The fact that the story takes place inTraverse City, Michigan may not add to the noir mood but I could picture the scenes perfectly. Tom Kakonis lives in Grand Rapids.
September 30, 2015
Just great reading. As books written and published in earlier times this novel lacks the techno jargon so familiar in many more modern reads. Though some terms not familiar to me it is as easy to glaze over those words as it is a foreign language phrase. Action on top of more action with characters as colorful as any I’ve met between pages. Warning to future readers there are terms amongst the pages that would be considered racist, bigoted, or not politically correct in today’s world. But all things considered that is how it was and probably still is in certain circles. In the world of convicts, ex–convicts and criminals the language fits. Add to that the rural like setting and it is easy to fall into step with the characters and the action. A most enjoyable read.
February 11, 2015
This is a very entertaining and interesting book. It is light on description and heavy on action. The characters were drawn from a Damon Runyan playbook, and had remarkable strengths and weaknesses. The evil ones were truly evil, and the good ones were questionable. The book follows Waverly, a professional gambler as he examines his life and steps out of his world. As a lost soul he travels to a place of his youth and the home of his lost son. He makes a number of connections along the way, none of them good. I won't give away the ending when he returns to his gambling life, but it was the reason I rated four stars instead of five. Still well worth a read.
December 15, 2015
Unusual cast of characters and plenty of action make for good escapist reading if you don’t mind the graphic violence and language.
Thank you to Brash Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to Brash Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
April 6, 2015
Uneven thriller about a professional card counter who takes a time off to return to Michigan. Dated language, and at times predictable plot and pacing. Very 70s style thriller that is best not analyzed too closel
March 4, 2015
This was just an okay read. I was just glad to be finished with it.
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