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Manny Aguilar #1
Devil's Kitchen
Devil's Kitchen...Southwest noir - crime and romance in the Sonoran Desert... where the sacred feminine traditions conflict with the masculine logic of profit and environmental exploitation.
When a severed head shows up at a Tucson landfill, Pima County Sheriff's Detective Manny Aguilar gets the case. He handily tracks down the dead man's heroin-addicted friends, and Manny thinks he's identified the killers-until someone starts killing them. Suddenly Manny finds himself in the middle of a hellish conspiracy between a Mexican drug lord and an Arizona land developer. Aguilar's redheaded, butt-kicking girlfriend, Reina, along with his Yaqui grandmother help solve the mystery, but it's Johnny Oaks, a Cherokee PI, who rides with Manny to the showdown in Arizona's remote Skeleton Canyon.
When a severed head shows up at a Tucson landfill, Pima County Sheriff's Detective Manny Aguilar gets the case. He handily tracks down the dead man's heroin-addicted friends, and Manny thinks he's identified the killers-until someone starts killing them. Suddenly Manny finds himself in the middle of a hellish conspiracy between a Mexican drug lord and an Arizona land developer. Aguilar's redheaded, butt-kicking girlfriend, Reina, along with his Yaqui grandmother help solve the mystery, but it's Johnny Oaks, a Cherokee PI, who rides with Manny to the showdown in Arizona's remote Skeleton Canyon.
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2011
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47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 9, 2012
The title of this excellent debut novel comes from a section towards the last where the sniper is moving into position across some of the most lush description of the Arizona landscape I've ever read. Devil's Kitchen lies in Skeleton Canyon on the Arizona/New Mexico state border near the Old Mexico border. The language soars. The landscape is minutely observed. The writing is gorgeous.
The plot is dense and I found myself going back a page or two at times to make sure I was following the thread, but the occasional effort was worth it. The complexity makes a change from the last few novels I've read where the lines connecting the dots were so long the plot was transparent.
I was completely won by the characters, first of all Manny, the Sheriff's Detective/P.I. Hispanic protagonist. Manny's dead native grandmother attempts to reach into his life and show him an alternative reality. Manny scoffs, very much the hard-bitten realist even though he sees the walls in his girlfriend Reina's house change colors. Her feminist intelligence and spirit enclose Manny's life but she can’t protect him from himself, his own worst enemy.
The violence and land developer/politician, cop corruption are unflinching and real. Lohr knows how precious water is hidden, stolen and sold, and tells that story well. These bastard politicians. Why do we keep electing them?
Lohr actually knows some of these people well or else he is a diligent researcher. The characters good and bad are well drawn, realistic, and interesting. The story takes the reader down some very mean streets both in Tucson and Old Mexico. But always Manny returns to Reina's bedroom watched by his cat Grayboy. Manny likes cats. I like that in a man.
Reina, Manny's paralegal girlfriend, was so appealing I just wish I could move to Tucson and be friends with her.
I’m hanging onto this book because I know I’ll re-read it sometime. I look forward to Clark Lohr’s next one.
The plot is dense and I found myself going back a page or two at times to make sure I was following the thread, but the occasional effort was worth it. The complexity makes a change from the last few novels I've read where the lines connecting the dots were so long the plot was transparent.
I was completely won by the characters, first of all Manny, the Sheriff's Detective/P.I. Hispanic protagonist. Manny's dead native grandmother attempts to reach into his life and show him an alternative reality. Manny scoffs, very much the hard-bitten realist even though he sees the walls in his girlfriend Reina's house change colors. Her feminist intelligence and spirit enclose Manny's life but she can’t protect him from himself, his own worst enemy.
The violence and land developer/politician, cop corruption are unflinching and real. Lohr knows how precious water is hidden, stolen and sold, and tells that story well. These bastard politicians. Why do we keep electing them?
Lohr actually knows some of these people well or else he is a diligent researcher. The characters good and bad are well drawn, realistic, and interesting. The story takes the reader down some very mean streets both in Tucson and Old Mexico. But always Manny returns to Reina's bedroom watched by his cat Grayboy. Manny likes cats. I like that in a man.
Reina, Manny's paralegal girlfriend, was so appealing I just wish I could move to Tucson and be friends with her.
I’m hanging onto this book because I know I’ll re-read it sometime. I look forward to Clark Lohr’s next one.
July 27, 2011
The debut novel, Devil's Kitchen, by Clark Lohr is an incredibly well-written and captivating crime novel. The novel opens with the discovery of a severed head and with Pima County Sheriffs Department's Detective Manuel (Manny) Aguilar being assigned to the case. A rash of shootings and dead bodies soon result in Manny's being fired and beginning a new career as a private detective. Tucson's proximity to the Mexican border allows for Mexican drug lords to have quite a bit of influence over the area thus crime abounds. Lohr also touches on the affects of rampant out of control real estate development in Arizona which is destroying the fragile ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert. Mix these two ingredients and you have a recipe for death and devastation.
What I love about this novel is that I really feel like I'm part of the action. I am really perceiving a sense of place in that without ever having been to Tuscon, I know what it feels like to be there. And I love that Manny loves cats! Manny has a realistic relationship with his girlfriend, friends and his family. He seems to really understand his girlfriend and is thoughtful about his reactions around her....she has some interesting thoughts on hallucinations, etc. And he has a very interesting relationship with his grandmother.
The final showdown is at Devil's Kitchen in Skeleton Canyon on the Arizona / New Mexico border near the Mexican border. The author did not leave any loose ends hanging and the conclusion was satisfying.
Highly, highly recommend this fabulous crime, mystery novel! I'm looking forward to the next book Clark!
What I love about this novel is that I really feel like I'm part of the action. I am really perceiving a sense of place in that without ever having been to Tuscon, I know what it feels like to be there. And I love that Manny loves cats! Manny has a realistic relationship with his girlfriend, friends and his family. He seems to really understand his girlfriend and is thoughtful about his reactions around her....she has some interesting thoughts on hallucinations, etc. And he has a very interesting relationship with his grandmother.
The final showdown is at Devil's Kitchen in Skeleton Canyon on the Arizona / New Mexico border near the Mexican border. The author did not leave any loose ends hanging and the conclusion was satisfying.
Highly, highly recommend this fabulous crime, mystery novel! I'm looking forward to the next book Clark!
November 7, 2011
“Devil’s Kitchen” is gritty, honest, grounded. Clark Lohr did his research. There’s no gloss, no fluff. Detective Manuel Aguilar is leading the charge—locating witnesses, checking paperwork, listening for lies. The case starts with a head (no body) in a landfill. The trail starts with faint clues. Most of the time we are with Manny and we see how he engages others to help with the investigation. “Devil’s Kitchen” is well populated. At the core of all the relationships is the one between Manny and his girlfriend Reina. Their trust and connection is just as palpable as the rest of the story. Reina is sharp, knowledgeable and maybe a step or two ahead of Manny, helping him see a bigger landscape about how Arizona and its history of being exploited. She’s his spirit guide—“she’s the light, this woman”— and it works. The writing is sharp but not flashy. Lohr slips in little gift images here and there. A Rotweiler is “friendly, quivering meatloaf of a dog.” But most of the energy goes to the story and its forward motion. Lohr keeps events moving, but there’s never a headlong rush, either. Early on, Manny makes a few mistakes. He’s in the middle of a few too many “officer-involved” shootings. He’s soon without badge but the investigation doesn’t stop and soon Manny is making his way across and around the border country, which is run by its own rules. There is a trap, rattlesnakes and a shootout. The developers and their “shady dealings” are exposed the well-drawn streets of Tucson are completely alive and we are glad real people like Manny Aguilar are there to clean them up.
January 2, 2012
As we highly educated deconstructionists like to say: this book was great. Just the right amount of telling detail made the book perfectly paced for this reader (who's kind of squirmy, and prone to lose interest). And I love the descriptions, which included a 'negligee the color of late summer.' Where I come from, that's a good thing.
May 18, 2012
Devil's Kitchen is a feast for fans of noir, hardboiled yet real characters, an unforgiving Southwestern setting, and surprisingly soulful prose. Lohr masterfully ratchets the tension, relentlessly driving his tight, whipsmart plot forward, while still taking the time to include deep insights and grander mysteries.
July 27, 2012
Manny is not thrilled when the call comes in that a head-just a head-has been found at the local dump. At first look, this case seems destined for the cold case files. Something about the circumstances surrounding the appearance of the head sticks with Manny, prods him to keep looking for answers. Three gun fights later, Manny is fired from his job as a detective for the sheriff's department, but the desire to solve the case has only become more consuming. He is pulled toward Devil's Kitchen, but the hope of surviving this case dwindles with every step he takes.
It's not often you find a procedural crime drama that also has some elements of the supernatural. Some may think the two would not work together. When the idea is first introduced in this book, I wasn't sure how it would go. Surprisingly, it was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Lohr did a great job of giving a good background and reason for the inclusion of the supernatural elements with Manny's Yaqui grandmother and Reina's spiritual beliefs, that it felt rather natural to discuss walls changing colors and the appearance of his dead grandmother. It probably helped, for me at least, that I've grown up in the Southwest where the mystical is a part of every day life for many, but I think even those unfamiliar with the idea will be able to connect with this story.
The details of the criminal investigation was another fascinating part of this book. After Manny's first gun battle, I turned the page thinking he was perfectly justified in shooting through the door after being shot at from the street. Lohr was quick to correct me, with Manny's superior pointing out that if done "by the book" Manny should have acted differently. I appreciated the realism Lohr's research into criminal procedure gave to this book. It was a nice balance to the supernatural.
The mystery itself was also interesting. There were no holes that I found, and I stayed interested throughout. Having said that, while Lohr was able to trick me in a few areas-Rico especially-I felt that other aspects of the mystery and clues given were not as subtle as they could have been. I correctly guessed who the inside man was the first time I met the character. The way Manny survives the rattlesnake bites was no surprise to me because the "fix" was introduced too blatantly earlier in the book. So, for me it was a balance of good twists and not-so-subtle clues, but I did still enjoy following Manny through the investigation.
The last aspect of this book I want to comment on relates to the writing. In general, the writing was strong. There was good dialog between the characters, and was generally error free in grammar and punctuation. What I had a problem with was the constant switching between points of view. In all the writing classes I have ever taken, switching POV without a scene break is a big no-no. Lohr did this constantly. I know this has become more acceptable in historical fiction lately, and in general strict rules like this are falling by the wayside in writing, but it can't detract from the story. I felt like the constant POV switching was very distracting. I was jumping between character's head by the paragraph in some areas of the book and I would have to stop and reread to realize Lohr has switched characters. I found it extremely distracting and annoying. I think the story would have flowed much more smoothly if Lohr had stuck to Manny's POV only.
Overall, this was an interesting mystery. For the most part I enjoyed the characters. Reina wasn't my favorite because she seemed rather opinionated and pushy at times, but Manny and Johnny, and even the sleazy lawyer were strong characters. The blend of crime drama and supernatural was a nice change from only having one or the other. Lohr created a story that pulled in a lot of real life situations that helped bring it to life.
Would I recommend this book? I would recommend this as an enjoyable casual mystery, but it's not going to be for everyone. Personally, I liked the mixed genre, but not everyone will.
Who would I recommend this book to? There's a strong element of procedural crime drama, so it will definitely draw in fans of that genre. The paranormal aspect may or may not detract from the crime. I think it just depends on how hard-core of a crime reader a person is. Readers interested in the Southwest will get a heavy dose of Southwest culture and politics in this book. Those looking for a crime/romance novel will probably be disappointed. This book was advertised "crime and romance in the Sonoran Desert" but I didn't think the romance angle was very strong. Manny is in a relationship when the book starts, and not much changes during the book. They have a few small tiffs about Manny not believing in the supernatural, but otherwise their relationship stayed pretty static.
Check out my other reviews at The Edible Bookshelf
It's not often you find a procedural crime drama that also has some elements of the supernatural. Some may think the two would not work together. When the idea is first introduced in this book, I wasn't sure how it would go. Surprisingly, it was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Lohr did a great job of giving a good background and reason for the inclusion of the supernatural elements with Manny's Yaqui grandmother and Reina's spiritual beliefs, that it felt rather natural to discuss walls changing colors and the appearance of his dead grandmother. It probably helped, for me at least, that I've grown up in the Southwest where the mystical is a part of every day life for many, but I think even those unfamiliar with the idea will be able to connect with this story.
The details of the criminal investigation was another fascinating part of this book. After Manny's first gun battle, I turned the page thinking he was perfectly justified in shooting through the door after being shot at from the street. Lohr was quick to correct me, with Manny's superior pointing out that if done "by the book" Manny should have acted differently. I appreciated the realism Lohr's research into criminal procedure gave to this book. It was a nice balance to the supernatural.
The mystery itself was also interesting. There were no holes that I found, and I stayed interested throughout. Having said that, while Lohr was able to trick me in a few areas-Rico especially-I felt that other aspects of the mystery and clues given were not as subtle as they could have been. I correctly guessed who the inside man was the first time I met the character. The way Manny survives the rattlesnake bites was no surprise to me because the "fix" was introduced too blatantly earlier in the book. So, for me it was a balance of good twists and not-so-subtle clues, but I did still enjoy following Manny through the investigation.
The last aspect of this book I want to comment on relates to the writing. In general, the writing was strong. There was good dialog between the characters, and was generally error free in grammar and punctuation. What I had a problem with was the constant switching between points of view. In all the writing classes I have ever taken, switching POV without a scene break is a big no-no. Lohr did this constantly. I know this has become more acceptable in historical fiction lately, and in general strict rules like this are falling by the wayside in writing, but it can't detract from the story. I felt like the constant POV switching was very distracting. I was jumping between character's head by the paragraph in some areas of the book and I would have to stop and reread to realize Lohr has switched characters. I found it extremely distracting and annoying. I think the story would have flowed much more smoothly if Lohr had stuck to Manny's POV only.
Overall, this was an interesting mystery. For the most part I enjoyed the characters. Reina wasn't my favorite because she seemed rather opinionated and pushy at times, but Manny and Johnny, and even the sleazy lawyer were strong characters. The blend of crime drama and supernatural was a nice change from only having one or the other. Lohr created a story that pulled in a lot of real life situations that helped bring it to life.
Would I recommend this book? I would recommend this as an enjoyable casual mystery, but it's not going to be for everyone. Personally, I liked the mixed genre, but not everyone will.
Who would I recommend this book to? There's a strong element of procedural crime drama, so it will definitely draw in fans of that genre. The paranormal aspect may or may not detract from the crime. I think it just depends on how hard-core of a crime reader a person is. Readers interested in the Southwest will get a heavy dose of Southwest culture and politics in this book. Those looking for a crime/romance novel will probably be disappointed. This book was advertised "crime and romance in the Sonoran Desert" but I didn't think the romance angle was very strong. Manny is in a relationship when the book starts, and not much changes during the book. They have a few small tiffs about Manny not believing in the supernatural, but otherwise their relationship stayed pretty static.
Check out my other reviews at The Edible Bookshelf
August 3, 2013
An excellent first book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews