A Rock and a Hard Place - Hardcover

Wimberley, Darryl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 031220504X ISBN 13: 9780312205041

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1999

Synopsis

Detective Barrett Raines, the sole Black officer on a small northwest-Florida police force, investigates the murder of popular bar owner Ramona, his beloved mentor, and must face the possibility that his ne'er-do-well brother may be involved

About this title

About the Author:

Darryl Wimberley was born in St. Augustine, Florida. While still on active duty in the Air Force he completed graduate work at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas, and was awarded the degree of Master of Arts in English Literature. Following military service he completed a Doctorate of Philosophy from the Radio-Film-Television department at the University of Texas at Austin, and followed a career at the Times-Mirror Corporation. He returned to Austin to write.

From Publishers Weekly:

Barrett Raines, the only black detective on an all-white police force in Deacon Beach, Fla., is forced to choose between his duty to society and his loyalty to his family in this unpolished yet promising debut. Barrett's brother Delton has always been a thorn in his side. Despite Barrett's stellar record, Delton's reputation for womanizing and drinking has kept his sibling from getting the respect he's long deserved in his racist hometown. Yet when Delton is accused of murdering a beautiful, popular white restaurant owner in a fit of passion, the only person between him and a lynching is Barrett. The cop arrests his brotherAthe evidence against Delton is powerful, if circumstantialAand then sets out to unravel the truth, though his digging is complicated by his mistrust of his self-serving sibling. Barrett soon discovers that the killing may be tied to arms dealers based in Deacon Beach. Wimberly's prose is spare and his dialogue catchy. The novel contains excess exposition that often interrupts momentum, however. In addition, a subplot involving Barrett's wife and two sons drags on the narrative, and some of the switches in point of view can be confusing. In short, the book reads like a novel in search of a final draft. Wimberly's launch may not be for readers looking for sophisticated intrigue and complex plotting, but its successful depiction of small-town corruption should appeal to those with a fondness for the pulpy side of the tracks. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 031220504X
• ISBN 13: 9780312205041
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 260