Pelikan

by David Lozell Martin

Acclaimed author David Lozell Martin returns to the forefront of the crime field with his strongest novel since Cul-de-Sac. Here, he gives us the wonderfully bizarre PELIKAN, a mixture of humor and vice that is also a literary feast of eccentric characterization and a twining of illicit events that's bound to delight the reader and hold his attention to the final outlandish scene.

Thirty-something Charlie Curtis is summoned to his estranged father's deathbed and sent on one final "assignment" for his brazen old man: track down Charlie's uncle James Joseph, better known in New Orleans's French Quarter as Pelikan. Pelikan is a savvy hustler infamous for his outrageous schemes, philosophies, felonious activities, and his even more unusual troupe of street-folk followers. He is beloved by most but reviled by a few of the nastier denizens of the Quarter. Charlie, who during his teen years was raised by Pelikan amidst the bars, whores, and misdeeds of New Orleans, hasn't visited his uncle or the city since Pelikan stole the love of Charlie's life, Amanda, over a decade ago. Despite the time that's gone by, Charlie still harbors pain and resentment, but follows out his dying father's wishes.

Charlie has barely arrived in New Orleans when he witnesses the murder of one of Pelikan's cronies, Three Jacks on the Floor, committed by a naked woman who disappears beneath the waters of a dyed-green pool. Knowing he'll immediately be suspected, Charlie flees and tries to bury himself among the mayhem of the French Quarter, but it takes no time at all before former friend and police detective, Mean Gene Renfrone, shows up. Gene may or may not be working with Pelikan's nemesis Gallier, a one time accomplice who is now at odds with Pelikan over an upcoming heist that involves an ancient religious relic. Somebody has set Charlie up, but is it the roguish Pelikan who is about to betray his own blood, or the high-mannered Gallier who seeks to reclaim his lost inheritance of treasured paintings?

Written in alternating chapters, from Charlie's first-person account and an omniscient point of view, David Lozell Martin takes the reader on a journey that no single narrative voice could completely convey. In the character of Pelikan, Martin has skillfully captured the intensity and vast contradictions of a city known for its beauty, history, corruption, and depraved excesses. Pelikan is the living embodiment of a culture founded on piracy, refinement, and dishonorable family tradition.

Martin makes the microcosm of the French Quarter come to life while skirting all the clichéd pitfalls a place like New Orleans offers. You'll find no Cajun lingo, crawfish, or Anne Rice vampire wannabes here, but you will discover a unique mixture of uncommonly off-center characters, including nuns with guns, heartbroken clowns, a swamp dweller known as "Papa Gator" who makes peculiar use of snapping turtles, and plenty of thieves of every stripe.

Only the proficient David Lozell Martin could convincingly make use of the urban myth of a traveling salesman whose kidney is removed and harvested in a hotel room -- and utilize the heinous legend to benefit the unusual story line. The street grittiness of prostitution and street hustle crime is balanced with so much tenderness, poignant family bonding, and outrageous humor that the reader will be touched by flashes of whimsy even while horrified by the slow unveiling of grotesque circumstances. Pelikan is a rare and thrilling experience as intoxicating and breathtaking as the French Quarter itself.

--Tom Piccirilli

320 pages, Unknown Binding

First published November 12, 1999

About the author

David Martin is the author of ten novels that range from the international bestselling thriller Lie To Me to the acclaimed love story, The Crying Heart Tattoo.

Reviews

[Paul McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining book, though the story isn’t much, the writing is enjoyable.

[Leti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often times one can pick up the vibes, tones and direction of a book. I don't mean it's predictable, but I thought I had a sense of what I was in for. Fortunately I was wrong.

I've never been to New Orleans, but Martin certainly illustrated it though the eyes of the countless characters. With the various personas--which I'm astonished at the many he introduced and could involved actively throughout--I found it to be a bubble-like, fairytale setting, where anything can happen. Well, I guess in this plot, anything did. Considering the choice of person (being 1st person) I was thoroughly impressed with his ability to switch POVs, deliver an equal amount of internal dialogue during the changes of character focus, and still keep clear in mind that Charlie is the protagonist. The POV allowed Martin to switch between characters smoothly, yet also maintain the vagueness and distance between the character and reader. I found this to have added character to pessimistic Charlie.

I do agree with some of the reviews that the plot development was slow. Towards the end I realised there wasn't much to the narrative arc itself. However, I would rather categorise (if I may) this book to be one that revolves around characters. If you can appreciate diversity in character (not as a literary term, but as in personas, characters, personalities), you'll love the quirkiness and uniqueness delivered in them. I definitely did.

Furthermore, his proses incredible. The way he can mention something so absurd but let it slide as mediocre and vauge (but hinted enough) allows a reader to guess closely. Then later rewarding our imagintion with written affirmation one way or another.

Overall, it's a sweet treat. Incredibly engaging with gruesome details, but some also pausible for laughter. It was also simultaneously in depth with internal logic and characterisation. It's astonishing how I found myself emotionally connected to so many characters towards the end.

[Carol Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I'm now a member of the The John Updike Society and Kurt Vonnegut Letters, it appears I'm reading seriously and not straight pleasure at age sixty-six, which is fine, as we are to continually improve with our lives. I was already a fan of the beautiful/what? "Crying Heart Tattoo," yet read a D.L. Martin book several years ago that didn't go well with my milk and muffin, yet it may have been a literary gem. As I read "Pelikan," he remained resourceful and consistent with his unforgettable characters. I'm now a disciple. Mystery is not my genre, but author Julie Smith presented an excellent angle of this unique city several years ago with "New Orleans Mourning," (Skip Langdon Series) and I read that for a college literature class. Following books, not so strong, but merely an opinion. Martin adds themes that are gifts to the reader, to know the city we visit, yet, do not know unless we live or were born in the near vicinity. Now I feel, send in the clowns! Insofar as it is an area that has endless stories worth igniting on paper, this was not with a Suthin' writers overtone.

Did I laugh? No. Did I smile once or twice, yes. Did I want the protagonist to finally, finally quit being a Connecticut yuppie and maybe apologize or thank his uncle for something? I'll leave my answer blank so it's not a spoiler. An author has a vision and they are cognizant of knowing they must switch emotion on at least one character by the end of the book, and this, with the clue-cluttered puzzle, he delivered a glacial stasis of action.

I've sent "Pelikan," to some Goodreads friends, suggesting they jump into the imagery and word alignment. Thank you David Lozell Martin for your work and strategizing the emotion needed to bring nuns, clowns, and a cast of snapshots into our thoughts and sometimes . . . our cheering-them-on heart. Deserving.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Curtis accepts his father's deathbed request to visit his uncle in New Orleans' French Quarter. The uncle, James Joseph Pelikan, is a promoter who associates with various Bourbon Street denizens and is planning a big art theft caper.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sophomoric - off color. Plot develops too slowly. Multitude of characters can tend to confuse the narrative.