Fast Times, Big City
by
Shelly Frome
Crime fiction/ Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Paperback: 284 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8886330267 / Digital ASIN: B0C92RW97K
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SYNOPSIS:
Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day. Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever. But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless "Big Apple" was up for grabs, on the brink, at a dicey turning point.
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READ AN EXCERPT:The looming billboards were so massive, in contrast the Times Square sign jutting out of the lamppost was totally eclipsed. As if it might have been a relic from a long-ago era before everything had given way. Here, high above the rooftops to Bud’s right, was a massive Pepsi bottle doing its best to block out the sky, not to be outdone by an equally outsized bottle top on its side. Further ahead as the Square verged into a tip of a triangle, other billboards joined the fray, starting with a domineering Admiral Television and Appliances sign, topped by a Canadian Club whiskey sign, topped by a Chevrolet sign. All but eclipsed, a lesser billboard around the corner advertised the musical West Side Story—the very same black-and-white logo with the girl ecstatically racing by the tenements pulling her boyfriend along. Other logos and marquees took part by marking the street entrances to buildings so that the Statler Hotel sign didn’t stand a chance.
At the same time, fighting off the prospect of becoming overwhelmed, Bud couldn’t help wondering if Amy had been among the rushing pedestrians who had gotten off the buses and trains. Had they too gotten wind of small town dreams—that legendary call of the lady carnival barker promising never-ending opportunities?
REVIEW:
4 stars!
It's a real-world quest worthy of an epic fantasy.
Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome is a historical
suspense novel set in the late 1950s, whose action stretches the eastern
seaboard from Miami to Manhattan. With its congenial main character and a plot
worthy of an epic fantasy, all I had to do was kick back and allow myself to be
drawn into the story and transported back in time.
Bud Palmer is a very likable main character living life on
his own in Miami and working as a sportswriter for the local Miami paper. He's
a good guy and not anxious, at first, to get involved in helping his mom's
brother, Rick, out of a jam with a Chicago gambler with connections. However,
much like the book's readers will be, even Bud can't resist the story of the
runaway girlfriend and a missing briefcase.
While the plot is a pipe dream of locating a needle in a
haystack (an aspiring actress in NYC), I was absolutely sucked into the story,
rooting for Bud's success all the way. The narrative is full of vivid
descriptions of the city, and I was delighted by the mention of historical
figures, the pop culture of the era, and recognizable locations. The story is a
bit nostalgic on top of suspenseful and, ultimately, one entertaining evening's
read.
I recommend FAST TIMES, BIG CITY to mystery and suspense readers
who enjoy a historical time period and well-known setting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders, Miranda and the D-Day Caper and Shadow of the Gypsy. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting. Fast Times, Big City is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
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