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Francis Laurent
Birmingham, Alabama, is a bustling city on the move in the era of Prohibition. It's a time of corruption, a time where it is tough to be an honest man of the law. Bureau of Investigation officer Francis Laurent finds that out the hard way when his partner and best friend August Day is gunned down in cold blood by a corrupt BOI agent and his gang of thugs during a high-stakes heist on the highway. When Laurent's commanding officer pulls him off the case without a good reason, this man of the law begins to suspect a cover-up and decides to take action to exact justice on those responsible. Finding allies in unexpected places, his winding tale of revenge and redemption is told through the eyes of his estranged daughter Raina, as she nears the end of her time in a state medical institution. If anyone can understand Francis's desire to mete out justice and make the punishment fit the crime, it's Raina. She has more than a few of her own demons buried just beneath the surface when it comes to playing judge, jury...and executioner.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2021
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 23, 2021
I would not want to be on the wrong side of Francis Laurent…..the title of the book by Schuyler Randall is titled after the man Francis Laurent and seeing as it is his story, the title seems fitting. And the subtitle Murders, Cover ups, and Brutal Revenge gives the reader an idea of where Laurent is going to take the story…….
Francis Laurent is an officer of the Bureau of Investigations in Alabama. Laurent takes his job very seriously until the day his partner is gunned down at the scene of an armored car robbery. When his partner, August Day, dies, something in Laurent changes and he sets out to bring justice to his partner as well as the others who died that day on the side of the road. After Laurent is demanded off the case by his boss, Captain Warren, he finds out that things within the bureau are not what they are suppose to be. Laurent sets out to bring justice to his partner and the others and make those responsible pay for their actions……
Laurent’s story of his revenge is told to us by his daughter, Raina, who happens to be serving time in a mental institution. The story is told by her to her Aunt Jacqueline as they stroll the grounds of the facility. Readers are unsure of her background other than the little that she reveals during her storytelling but it would appear that she takes after her father in many ways. Readers will be as intrigued as Aunt Jacqueline is as Raina describes the gruesome details of the torture that Laurent inflicted on each of the people responsible for the armed robbery and murders. Readers will get to know Laurent’s aunt and cousins as well as they help Laurent find justice…..and Aunt Jenny is a hoot !!
Francis Laurent is an intense story that grabs the readers interest instantly. And no matter what scene you are reading about, you are helpless to stop. You will come to agree with Laurent and want whatever form of punishment he feels fitting to the people who killed his best friend and partner. I highly recomment giving Francis Laurent a read….just maybe keep a light on while you get lost in the tale.
Francis Laurent is an officer of the Bureau of Investigations in Alabama. Laurent takes his job very seriously until the day his partner is gunned down at the scene of an armored car robbery. When his partner, August Day, dies, something in Laurent changes and he sets out to bring justice to his partner as well as the others who died that day on the side of the road. After Laurent is demanded off the case by his boss, Captain Warren, he finds out that things within the bureau are not what they are suppose to be. Laurent sets out to bring justice to his partner and the others and make those responsible pay for their actions……
Laurent’s story of his revenge is told to us by his daughter, Raina, who happens to be serving time in a mental institution. The story is told by her to her Aunt Jacqueline as they stroll the grounds of the facility. Readers are unsure of her background other than the little that she reveals during her storytelling but it would appear that she takes after her father in many ways. Readers will be as intrigued as Aunt Jacqueline is as Raina describes the gruesome details of the torture that Laurent inflicted on each of the people responsible for the armed robbery and murders. Readers will get to know Laurent’s aunt and cousins as well as they help Laurent find justice…..and Aunt Jenny is a hoot !!
Francis Laurent is an intense story that grabs the readers interest instantly. And no matter what scene you are reading about, you are helpless to stop. You will come to agree with Laurent and want whatever form of punishment he feels fitting to the people who killed his best friend and partner. I highly recomment giving Francis Laurent a read….just maybe keep a light on while you get lost in the tale.
July 11, 2021
I received this book for an honest review. All expressed opinions, cynical or otherwise, are my own.
As a writer, I know the struggle over trying to create something “unique.” It is a pointless battle – supposedly there are only 8 truly original stories anyhow – and often in this pursuit, we lose something, and usually that is that we forget to author a delightful story. Francis Laurent, by Schuyler Randall, has a setup that you may have heard before, but much of what it does, it does well.
The story is told by Raina, the daughter of the titular character. This is an old-fashioned cop-drama, about an FBI agent seeking out the murderers of his partner, and enacting vengeance. No perpetrator is safe, and the corruption goes all the way to the top.
I don’t often pick up this genre, and I agreed to review the book out of a bit of nostalgia; the writer is from, and the story is set in Birmingham Alabama. I am quite happy that I gave it a chance. Mr. Randall weaves action and imagery together in a way that is atmospheric. His prose ranges from good, to excellent. Phrases like “…burning tires blazing through the symphony of car horns,” color scenes where needed, but are used sparingly, showing a deft hand. This is further bevvied by strong characters, paired with great, and believable dialogue. These two aspects rocket the book past the few speedbumps along the way.
And there are a couple. It’s the rare book that is perfect, and Francis Laurent is not an exception. Aside from the tropism, there are also a few hackneyed sayings that appear, such as “the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place,” or “pedal to the metal.” It is a bit of a pedantic slight by me, and realistically they have a place in this type of novel and setting. What works less are the sometimes overuse of “ly” verbs, and otherwise, which downgrades some of the prose to merely “good.” Also, there is at least one major scene that is not entirely believable.
Tropism, with excellent story telling. Questionable phrases, with strong prose. In the end, I think the good far outweighs the bad. And while the problems keep Francis Laurent, by Schuyler Randall, from getting a top rating from me, this is still a great little book that will surely interest readers aged thirteen and up.
As a writer, I know the struggle over trying to create something “unique.” It is a pointless battle – supposedly there are only 8 truly original stories anyhow – and often in this pursuit, we lose something, and usually that is that we forget to author a delightful story. Francis Laurent, by Schuyler Randall, has a setup that you may have heard before, but much of what it does, it does well.
The story is told by Raina, the daughter of the titular character. This is an old-fashioned cop-drama, about an FBI agent seeking out the murderers of his partner, and enacting vengeance. No perpetrator is safe, and the corruption goes all the way to the top.
I don’t often pick up this genre, and I agreed to review the book out of a bit of nostalgia; the writer is from, and the story is set in Birmingham Alabama. I am quite happy that I gave it a chance. Mr. Randall weaves action and imagery together in a way that is atmospheric. His prose ranges from good, to excellent. Phrases like “…burning tires blazing through the symphony of car horns,” color scenes where needed, but are used sparingly, showing a deft hand. This is further bevvied by strong characters, paired with great, and believable dialogue. These two aspects rocket the book past the few speedbumps along the way.
And there are a couple. It’s the rare book that is perfect, and Francis Laurent is not an exception. Aside from the tropism, there are also a few hackneyed sayings that appear, such as “the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place,” or “pedal to the metal.” It is a bit of a pedantic slight by me, and realistically they have a place in this type of novel and setting. What works less are the sometimes overuse of “ly” verbs, and otherwise, which downgrades some of the prose to merely “good.” Also, there is at least one major scene that is not entirely believable.
Tropism, with excellent story telling. Questionable phrases, with strong prose. In the end, I think the good far outweighs the bad. And while the problems keep Francis Laurent, by Schuyler Randall, from getting a top rating from me, this is still a great little book that will surely interest readers aged thirteen and up.
June 30, 2021
I'll start by saying this is my first Fiction Noir book and I am hooked.
I picked up Francis Laurent because it's by a local Birmingham, Alabama author who I'd heard was very good. I wasn't disappointed. The story, about an upright federal agent who ends up having to take the law in his own hands, was tightly written and well edited. The action moves fast, but then slows at great points to really let you savor justice being served. I won't say anymore, except in some cases it's served piping hot.
My dad would call this a good, old fashioned bang-bang shoot 'em up, but with a deft touch that leaves the reader satisfied. Looking forward to reading more by Schuyler Randall.
Note: I subtracted a star because of an editing mistake - styrofoam cups weren't invented until 1949, a decade after this book took place. But that's quibbling.
I picked up Francis Laurent because it's by a local Birmingham, Alabama author who I'd heard was very good. I wasn't disappointed. The story, about an upright federal agent who ends up having to take the law in his own hands, was tightly written and well edited. The action moves fast, but then slows at great points to really let you savor justice being served. I won't say anymore, except in some cases it's served piping hot.
My dad would call this a good, old fashioned bang-bang shoot 'em up, but with a deft touch that leaves the reader satisfied. Looking forward to reading more by Schuyler Randall.
Note: I subtracted a star because of an editing mistake - styrofoam cups weren't invented until 1949, a decade after this book took place. But that's quibbling.
July 17, 2021
I quite enjoyed the story and don't mind the violence being described in detail, it was needed, to be more realistic and interesting.
I found the way the story was narrated - in the book not the audiobook narrator - quite clever and made a fresh change to the norm, and the audiobook narrator did a pretty good job with the scene and character building, when it was available within the book.
The reason I have only given 4 stars across the board is that, in between the action, the dialogue was bland, and I constantly found my mind wandering from the book. I think it just needed to show more vulnerability in the characters, and not just sit with stereotypes, particularly the male characters. Most of the characters came across as a little too two dimensional.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
I found the way the story was narrated - in the book not the audiobook narrator - quite clever and made a fresh change to the norm, and the audiobook narrator did a pretty good job with the scene and character building, when it was available within the book.
The reason I have only given 4 stars across the board is that, in between the action, the dialogue was bland, and I constantly found my mind wandering from the book. I think it just needed to show more vulnerability in the characters, and not just sit with stereotypes, particularly the male characters. Most of the characters came across as a little too two dimensional.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
August 13, 2022
This book isn’t something I would normally pick, but I liked it. It’s kind of a crime thriller.
The story switches back and forth between Francis Laurent’s story being told by his daughter to his daughter’s present day situation in a medical facility. Francis is a Bureau of Investigations officer. After his partner and friend August Day is killed in a heist, Francis takes it upon himself to hunt down every single person involved in the crime that led to Day’s murder…and make them pay.
The story gets pretty intense from the revenge perspective. In the end, it was a decent story. You may like it if you tend to enjoy crime thrillers.
The story switches back and forth between Francis Laurent’s story being told by his daughter to his daughter’s present day situation in a medical facility. Francis is a Bureau of Investigations officer. After his partner and friend August Day is killed in a heist, Francis takes it upon himself to hunt down every single person involved in the crime that led to Day’s murder…and make them pay.
The story gets pretty intense from the revenge perspective. In the end, it was a decent story. You may like it if you tend to enjoy crime thrillers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews