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Product Description
Review
An exceptionally well-crafted novel, populated by a cast of characters that are relaistically drawn and appealing (Civilian Reader.com )
Book Description
A grieving widower gets caught up in the politics of his Texas hometown when he returns to make peace with his father.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Beck Hardin, high flying lawyer in Chicago is struggling with the recent death of his wife Annie. He tries to be all things, but his work suffers, and he isn't making it for his two children Meggie and Luke. So eventually he decides to go home to Texas.
He's welcomed with open arms by his father JB, and very quickly his children are absorbed into the life on a ranch. There are many surprises in store for Beck - surprises form the past and from the grave. From the past he discovers that the daughter of his friend Aubrey was found dead four years previously - dumped outside the town, and she was just sixteen. The five year statute of limitations is set to expire on New Year Eve and Aubrey asks Beck to investigate - he has five months and twenty six days to find and bring the killer to justice.
Although, we know how Heidi Fay died, her killer remains a mystery, and whilst the investigation by Beck is absorbing in itself, the strength of the book, lies in the story of a man recovering from the death of his beloved wife, his rediscovery of his family, and his re-entry into the town he turned his back on when he left for Chicago more than twenty years earlier. In essence by doing what he thinks is right for his children, for his friend, and for the town he finds his way through his grief.
Highly recommended.
Lizzie Hayes
He's welcomed with open arms by his father JB, and very quickly his children are absorbed into the life on a ranch. There are many surprises in store for Beck - surprises form the past and from the grave. From the past he discovers that the daughter of his friend Aubrey was found dead four years previously - dumped outside the town, and she was just sixteen. The five year statute of limitations is set to expire on New Year Eve and Aubrey asks Beck to investigate - he has five months and twenty six days to find and bring the killer to justice.
Although, we know how Heidi Fay died, her killer remains a mystery, and whilst the investigation by Beck is absorbing in itself, the strength of the book, lies in the story of a man recovering from the death of his beloved wife, his rediscovery of his family, and his re-entry into the town he turned his back on when he left for Chicago more than twenty years earlier. In essence by doing what he thinks is right for his children, for his friend, and for the town he finds his way through his grief.
Highly recommended.
Lizzie Hayes
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mark Gimenez grew up in Galveston County, Texas and was a partner in a Dallas law firm, before giving it up to start his own practice and to write. He still lives in Texas with his wife and two sons.
I read the author's first book The Colour of Law and thought it a terrific read. His second book, Abduction left the law courts behind and was an excellent suspense thriller in its own right. The difficulty with writing successful books is that it can become more and more difficult to to continue to write books of a high standard, but so far Mark Giminez is managing to do that without any problems.
In The Perk, the law is brought back to prominence by Mark Giminez. When lawyer Beck Hardin closes the door on his career following the death of his wife and moves back home to Texas with his kids he little realises that soon he is going to be cajoled into becoming the town judge, by an old friend, who is desperate to see the murderer of his 16-year-old daughter, a crime as yet unsolved, brought to justice.
Friedericksburg is a small town, but Beck soon finds out that there is a savage undercurrent of crime and some of the rich white landowners are flaunting the law for all its worth . . .
I read the author's first book The Colour of Law and thought it a terrific read. His second book, Abduction left the law courts behind and was an excellent suspense thriller in its own right. The difficulty with writing successful books is that it can become more and more difficult to to continue to write books of a high standard, but so far Mark Giminez is managing to do that without any problems.
In The Perk, the law is brought back to prominence by Mark Giminez. When lawyer Beck Hardin closes the door on his career following the death of his wife and moves back home to Texas with his kids he little realises that soon he is going to be cajoled into becoming the town judge, by an old friend, who is desperate to see the murderer of his 16-year-old daughter, a crime as yet unsolved, brought to justice.
Friedericksburg is a small town, but Beck soon finds out that there is a savage undercurrent of crime and some of the rich white landowners are flaunting the law for all its worth . . .
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mark Gimenez returns to the field of law in this, his third novel. It's a stand-alone thriller, so you don't need to have read either The Color of Law or The Abduction first - you can dive straight in.
In some ways it's deceptively paced. After a breathless start, the story is slowed right down. The locations and characters are described in minute detail and one suspects a little self-indulgence on the author's part as he revisits his roots. However, it's absorbing enough to continue to hold the attention until the serious investigation of the crime in the prologue begins.
The cover of the book dubs Gimenez as the next John Grisham. That's open to debate, but he deserves to be considered as an author in his own right. There is no doubt that Gimenez is an excellent story-teller. Rounded characters, very good prose and enough twists to keep you guessing - this all adds up to a pretty good thriller which deserves to be recommended.
In some ways it's deceptively paced. After a breathless start, the story is slowed right down. The locations and characters are described in minute detail and one suspects a little self-indulgence on the author's part as he revisits his roots. However, it's absorbing enough to continue to hold the attention until the serious investigation of the crime in the prologue begins.
The cover of the book dubs Gimenez as the next John Grisham. That's open to debate, but he deserves to be considered as an author in his own right. There is no doubt that Gimenez is an excellent story-teller. Rounded characters, very good prose and enough twists to keep you guessing - this all adds up to a pretty good thriller which deserves to be recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Perk and the Brain
Every book that features a lawyer is going to have to run the inevitable gauntlet of John Grisham comparisons. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sam
A good book to spend a weekend in!
As a Texan, I was immediately thrilled to pick up a book, not only written by a fellow Texan, but also set in Texas. Read more
Published 21 months ago by N. Barbosa
Poignant
Loss, love, a new life, justice, the struggle between white families of German origin and incoming (legal or illegal) Mexicans. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mrs. Audrey Williams
Grisham with added humour
For fans of John Grisham, and especially his earlier (dare I say his best....?) works, Mark Gimenez will be an easy transition to make; well structured plots, interesting... Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by James A. Camwell
Brilliant Piece
Another brilliant work by Mark Gimenez. I have read every single one of his book and the Perk is really good.
Published on 15 Mar 2010
a sad book
There is no doubt that Mark Gimenez is an excellent writer but this book has a sad theme throughout - of a father and his young children trying to cope with the death of his wife... Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2009 by dixie dean
Nice piece !
Enjoyable to read and I tried to do so as slowly as possible since I dont want to reach the end too quickly. It displays a mix of sentiment and humour. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2009 by Hildamei
One of the best reads ever!!!
I have just discovered this author and I have now read every single one of his books back to back and they are ALL brilliant. This, I have to say, is my absolute favourite. Read more
Published on 26 May 2009 by Mrs. B. A. Jones
One of the best reads of the last few years!
The Perk now ranks as one of my best reads of the year - of the last two years - alongwith Stieg Larsson's two books. Read more
Published on 22 May 2009 by Ashok Banker
Made me look for his other titles
I read a lot and widely and I guess like many readers you know whether a book is well constructed. The storyline is different, particularly how he gets an insight into his wifes... Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2009 by Mr. S. L. Ellson
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