5.0 out of 5 stars Locke is the master of the art of paraprodoskian writing
Just today a friend sent me an email that had a word I didn't know. Paraprosdokian, It is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising and unexpected in a way that causes the reader to reinterpret the first part. It is done for humorous of dramatic effect; sometimes producing an anticlimax. John Locke is a master at paraprosdokian. In chapter after chapter, he takes you one direction and then slams you with something totally un-related or expected; but fun.
Locke, as Donovan Creed, has a PHD in the art of putting these chapters together about wonderful characters the rest of us couldn't make up if we tried. A paraplegic midget and his midget buddy, Hugo, playing games about killing people, like in the movie, Trading places. They call the ones to die Rumplestilskin Loan Candidates(sorry, that's how they spelled it). It's chock full of other murderers, gang rapers, Homeland Security and an uneasy alliance with Callie, a cold blooded killer. Added to this,his best friend looks like an elephant man. Creed's life is a maze of who he killed last, who he is going to kill next and can he trust anybody? Why live like that? And, was it the right thing to do?. His characters and his ruminating on the path of life he has chosen come to life as his action events park with tension.
Even surrounded by psychotics, he is in love with Kathleen who hopes to adopt a burn victim Addie. He also loves his daughter, Kimberley, who is in love with Charlie, a man who drugs and gang rapes girls for fun. He's gotta go, for sure. Feeling his life spinning out of control, he has a heart attack. Not actually a heart attack, though. The second one was a doozy.
After a paraprosdokian twist, Creed is faced with what to do about Kathleen, who is engaged to another man. He finds Kimberley, who continues to be a surprise and joy throughout the book. Then, Callie of all people, for whom he has a soft spot, gives him a push. Who knows what will happen next?