Mink Eyes
Adult; Mystery/Thriller; (Market)
The year is 1986—the tarnished heart of the decade of greed.
Private detective Peter O’Keefe, a physically scarred and emotionally battered Vietnam vet, is hired by childhood friend and attorney Mike Harrigan to investigate what appears to be a petty mink farm Ponzi scheme in the Ozarks. But quickly O’Keefe finds himself snared in a vicious web of money laundering, cocaine smuggling, and murder—all at the behest of a mysterious mobster only referred to as Mr. Canada. Also caught up in Mr. Canada’s illicit network is the exquisite Tag Parker, who seems to dance between roles as the woman of O’Keefe’s dreams—and his nightmares.
From start to finish Mink Eyes delivers classic noir crime fiction at its finest. In a category filled with formulaic and predictable characters and plot lines, reviewers are calling Mink Eyes absolutely “unique and unexpected.”
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Mink Eyes is a lively and consuming story of greed and corruption, though the opening, which examines the relationship between O'Keefe and his daughter, unfolds at a leisurely pace compared to the rest of the novel.
Prose: Flanigan's prose is sharp, and he skillfully balances the failings of his main character against the story's need for a hero, of sorts, to resolve the central conflicts.
Originality: True to its genre, Mink Eyes takes on the morally compromised side of human nature but still manages to highlight authentic, give-and-take relationships in the process.
Character/Execution: Flanigan stands out when it comes to characterization. O'Keefe is a gritty protagonist who, despite his many faults, sticks to his guns when it comes to tracking down "the bad guys." His daughter, Kelly, shows reasoning and pensive analysis far beyond her 10 years of age.
Date Submitted: July 17, 2023
