Death Canal

by Michael Hartnett

A Kardashian-like family and the early climate change movement are linked by a suspicious death 30 years ago.

Artie Flanagan leaves his job as scriptwriter for Peepin' on the Pisanos to investigate three tragic accidents connected to the reality show matriarch Suzie Pisano. Backed by a wealthy producer to create a sensational documentary, Flanagan homes in on uncovering secrets about the death of climate activist Jimmy Doherty, a senator rumored to have had a torrid affair with the married Suzie.

As disturbing discoveries mount, Flanagan finds himself not only followed, threatened, and beaten, but also romantically pursued by two of the Pisano daughters, who may well have ulterior motives. Flanagan balances these investigations with his fragmented basement-dwelling home-life, as he finds time for his tree-hugging teenage daughter and his climate scientist girlfriend.

Ultimately, Flanagan must rush to expose shocking truths about the murder and complete the documentary before larger forces bring him down.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2022

About the author

Michael Hartnett (Irish: Mícheál Ó hAirtnéide) was an Irish poet who wrote in both English and Irish. He was one of the most significant voices in late 20th-century Irish writing and has been called "Munster's de facto poet laureate".

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

I was hoping for a good snarky mystery, and unfortunately, that's not what I got.

This book follows Flanagan, a reality TV writer who decides to quit his job to investigate the deaths of the husbands and lover of the reality show star. Why? Don't know. Doesn't seem like Flanagan knows either. The characters do a whole lot of explaining things to each other in awkward ways, and yet no one seems to have a motive for anything they do, least of all the main character.

The characters just felt flat. Everyone was a stereotype, an overexaggerated caricature. It almost could have worked as satire but it was played too straight, with no real meaningful commentary until perhaps the very last paragraph.

The "mystery" of Doherty's death is solved by the character following hunches he has no reason to have, asking some people what happened, and obtaining convenient deathbed confessions. Was there foul play involved in Frankie's death or Dirk's accident? We never find out. I wasn't really invested enough to care.

Overall, this was not for me and I don't know that there is anyone I would recommend it to. I know this is an ARC and can excuse some of the typographical errors ("email" is not capitalized; it's TikTok, not TickTock; there were several others, but those were the most frequently repeated errors), assuming that there will be copy edits happening at some point. I think it would benefit from much more significant content editing to bring out the mystery, develop the characters, and de-clunkify the dialogue, and unfortunately based on the listed release date, I don't think that's going to happen. Will steer clear of this publisher in the future.

Thanks to LibraryThing for the ARC.

[Anna Mocikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, I'm more of a sci-fi girl but since discovering Michael Hartnett three years ago, I can't get enough of his books.
I thoroughly enjoyed his "El Buscador" books and even though I'd love the read the next installment about New York's most notorious tour guide, I was excited that with Death Canal the author is telling a new story.
This time he pulls us into the shallow (and dangerous) world of reality TV and a celebrity clan that may or may not be heavily inspired by the Kardashians ;)
Artie Flannagan is the (anti) hero of Death Canal. He's a washed-up reality TV producer who has been working on "Peeping on the Pisanos" for more than a decade and knows more about the family than he ever wanted to. At the beginning of the book, he had enough of it. He quits and decides to produce a documentary revolving around the family's darkest secrets which might even have to do with murder. Needless to say, the matriarch, Suzie, is everything but amused about the endeavor and soon Artie finds himself in a lot of trouble...
Like all his other books, Death Canal is full of wit and dry humor typical for the author. The story is character-driven and jumps from one quirky character and strange encounter to the next.
Besides Artie and the Kardashians... pardon me, Pisanos we also meet Artie's climate activist girlfriend, an investigative reporter, who likes to stage assaults on his life to make him appear more important than he is, and Artie's Indian film producer.
Although Death Canal is a comedy, it also tackles the serious topic of climate change, which seems to be very important to the author. Like all his other books, the story is set in New York, and the way Hartnett describes the Big Apple clearly shows how much he loves his home city.
For me personally, the funniest thing about the book was the description of the Pisano family, and all the ugliness of reality TV.
I'm looking forward to Michael Hartnett's next book and hope to see El Buscador again then.
I recommend Death Canal to fans of literary fiction and social satire.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Change in Time

Arthur Flanagan has had his fill of the Pisano family and their collective vanity that he has been a big part of as a script writer for their reality TV series. He decides to turn his efforts to a documentary, uncovering the mysterious death of a charismatic senator and the possibility that the Pisanos were involved. Author Michael Hartnett has written a funny and clever novel, spiced with lively dialogue and eccentric characters that will keep readers entertained from start to finish as they follow Flanagan in trying to get answers to numerous questions. Along the way Flanagan faces death threats, attempts to build a strong relationship with his teen-aged daughter, works at developing a meaningful life with a love interest, and seeks to find out if there is a connection between the senator's death and climate change. Hartnett is a skilled writer who pulls it off in a delightful and hilarious way.

[Glenn Ickler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the many delightful things about Michael Hartnett’s novels is that his stories introduce us to places that we would otherwise never see. In one of his earlier works, he took us behind the scenes at Disney World. In another, we saw what inhabits the putrid waters of New York City’s most polluted canal. Now, in Death Canal, he confirms our suspicions about the “reality” of television reality shows that involve keeping up with vapid celebrities.
This story begins with the resignation of Artie Flanagan as script writer for Peepin’ on the Pisanos, because his plan for the season finale has been rejected by Suzie Pisano, who is featured on the reality show, along with her three often scantily-clad daughters. Flanagan’s version would have enabled him to “incorporate some reality into the reality television series, even if he had to do much manufacturing and manipulating to achieve the desired effect.”
Freed of working for a family whose members “possess the ruthlessness of Ares,” Flanagan sets about investigating three tragic accidents involving men connected with Suzie. He connects with a wealthy producer to create a documentary film about the Pisanos. He concentrates on a search for the mysterious cause of the accident that killed U.S. Senator Jimmy Doherty, a climate change activist who’d had a torrid affair with Suzie while she was married to the late Frankie Pisano. Doherty died when his car accelerated uncontrollably from a parking place and plunged into the feculent depths of the Gowanus Canal.
Flanagan interviews people who suspect that someone sabotaged the senator’s car by tampering with the throttle. He decides that this sabotage could have been ordered either by Frankie Pisano, who had been cuckolded by Doherty, or by the American Henry Center, a fossil fuels lobbyist that opposes every congressional action to prevent climate change.
Flanagan receives threats in the form of a series of dead animals—a chipmunk, a squirrel and a chicken—attached to his front door, each accompanied by a note saying, “Don’t end up like the chipmunk,” etc. He is attacked and beaten by a mysterious stranger. However, he plunges on, with the aid of his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Deja, who works at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where climate change is a major issue, and the encouragement of his 15-year-old daughter, Michelle, who battles climate change by planting trees with a group of teenagers.
Flanagan’s dinner table dialogues with his daughter are some of the highlights of this beguiling combination of vanity, murder, sex, global warming, and family angst. For example, when Flanagan serves bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns for dinner, Michelle asks if he had turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing for breakfast. “Of course not,” Flanagan says. “I made a chicken avocado club with a side of macaroni salad and a pickle.”
Hartnett’s books are always fun to read, from start to finish, and Death Canal tops them all. I give it five stars and my strongest recommendation.

[Donan Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feints in basketball, like misdirection in mysteries, are premised on fake moves, yet they are different in purpose. A feint is to help a player score; a mystery misdirection is to keep the reader unaware until the villain’s final reveal.
Author Michael Hartnett utilizes both to impressive effect in Death Canal.
Protagonist Arthur (Artie) Flanagan, a scriptwriter for a reality TV series, has an outwardly professed goal to cash in on his self-created documentary after one of the TV personalities suffers a debilitating car crash. Flanagan sees a historical connection between the latest car crash and two prior deaths, one thirty years earlier. They are all are connected to the TV series “family” and the first claimed “accident” is of a high profile NBA basketball player seen to be a prime political candidate to be President of the United States.
That Author Hartnett writes the car crash happens at the Gowanus Canal is of no apparent significance other than it was a locale of his prior entertaining novel. Death Canal is more a genre mystery than his previous novels built on a quest for justice, although no reader of Death Canal can perceive any sense of justice when a murder is covered up by multiple forces, including political corruption, remains unsolved.
Yet, that’s what the reader initially encounters in Death Canal.
And by whom is the murder solved? Well, there are multiple clearly articulated suspects, but, sorry, no spoilers here. Let’s quote Author Hartnett’s snappy and poignant dialogue as given by one of many artfully drawn and interesting characters: “If you’re going to use logic in this discussion, we’re not going to get anywhere.”
Think about what was quoted. Yes, it’s revealing, but also intriguing as is the entire Death Canal story for what is on the page and what is not. To both read between the lines and enjoy the language Author Hartnett commands hypes the enjoyment. To digress from the mystery, enjoy the novel’s descriptive prose. Here’s an example: “Delmonico’s – with its facade that stuck out like a mighty proboscis sniffing the money from nearby Wall Street.”
Returning to the mystery, here’s one suspect: “Her body twisted like the crank on a bubblegum dispenser in a dugout full of little leaguers.”
Or hike up the imagination to visualize this with its one-of-a-kind encompassing image: “Man, those calves pumped like she could squeeze enough olives to fill an urn with extra virgin.”
If these two quotes suggest sex as a motive, well yes it’s there, but so is climate change, family jealousy and intrigue, public policy disputes, money, and well let’s just say human frailties blended into a potpourri of what is best summarized by this quote in the novel’s first third: “Isn’t it amazing where something can both be so artificial and so true.”
Death Canal will never be remembered as artificial, but oh so amazing.

[Steve Leshin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Tour de Force of a Novel". In what could be his most ambitious novel yet, Michael Hartnett's Death Canal is a murder mystery, a cultural analysis of reality TV celebrity, a commentary on global warming and show biz manipulation. But best of all, it is a fun read with eccentric characters you expect from Hartnett. The main protagonist is Arthur Flanagan, a 38-year-old scriptwriter for a reality TV show called Peepin’ on the Pisanos (think Kardashians). He has had enough with the Pisanos, who have dominated TV and social media and decides to leave the show. He wants to make a serious documentary, looking into the death of a politician who may have a connection with Suzi Pisano. The matriarch and main diva of the Pisanos, Suzie Pisano Wall, back in the late 80s, had a passionate and tumultuous affair with a ruggedly handsome U. S. Senator with a super libido, Jimmy Dougherty, once a basketball star for the Knicks, (Bill Bradly?) who was tragically killed in a freak car accident that sent his vehicle through a guard rail and plummeting into the polluted Gowanus Canal. Flanagan wants to find out if Frankie Pisano, Suzie’s late husband, might have had the senator killed in a jealous rage. He must deal with the amorous flirtations of two beautiful,and surgically enhanced Pisano daughters, Heather, and Tiffany while unknown and nefarious characters threaten Flanagan and do not want this documentary to ever be made. As his research continues, he finds out more secrets that could have a detrimental effect on his well being. All this while blundering his way through his off again on again relationship with the beautiful and brilliant Deja, and his charming 15 year old daughter, Michelle, both trying to steer him into saving the planet, and improving his diet.,

The cast of colorful characters include a former bodyguard of the late senator, who has the capacity of downing plenty of Guinness,and getting into fights at his favorite pub. There is humor and pathos as Flanagan gets closer with Heather and Tiffany Pisano, and both funny and serious interviews with characters involved in the Dougherty mystery. There are many funny and delightful scenes at different iconic restaurants where Flanagan has to buy lunch in order to interview participants in his documentary. Death Canal is an enjoyable and rich literary offering from Hartnett, who hits it out of the park once again..

[Casey Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Michael Hartnett, and Death Canal may be my favorite of his books. The background humor that enlivened The Blue Rat and Blue Gowanus is front and center in Death Canal. In one sense the novel is a spoof of reality TV, TV in general, and modern society with its emphasis on surface qualities of people and issues, and in another, it is a brilliant platter full of clever allusions, bon mots, and downright hilarious writing. On top of that, it gives serious attention to climate change, nuclear power as a positive factor in reducing global warming, and the underlying political and economic warfare that keeps society from addressing this pressing issue.
Hartnett’s humor ranges from the subtle to the blatantly ludicrous. The story itself features the Kardashian-like Pisano family of women, for whom Arthur Flanagan, the protagonist is a script writer. When mama Pisano’s latest husband is disabled in a car crash, making him the third boyfriend or husband dying or injured in the same way, Flanagan gets suspicious and quits his job as a script writer to write a documentary on the death of Suzie Pisano’s old boyfriend, a climate-crusading senator. Interspersed with the plot line are snippets of gossip columnist’s observations about the Pisano family that are funny enough to be the lines of a Saturday Night Live routine. Hartnett’s erudition as well as his irrepressible humor show through in each of them.
Flanagan himself is a self-deprecating, somewhat hapless, but extremely persistent character and his observations about himself are part of the great fun of the novel. His teenage daughter, who is wise beyond her years, and helps him in his investigations, and his girl-friend Deja, provide enough objective, if not cynical, assessment of Flanagan to let us know that he really is flawed, but probably no more than the rest of us. It’s really fun to follow him in an investigation that turns out to be a genuine mystery, adding suspense to the novel.
Death Canal is pure fun. It has the same quality of humorous mystery as Lawrence Sanders’ Archy McNally books, but in this case, the humor is both cleverer and more over-the-top. I guarantee that once a reader begins the book, they won’t be able to stop reading.

[Sam II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone Involved Is a Corrupt Performer.

Death Canal by Michael Hartnett, is the tale of Arthur Flanagan trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of a prominent US Senator. To tell you the truth, my head is still spinning from the unexpected revelations into the self-evident motives, the ulterior motives, the unexpected motives and the just plain darn ‘you tricked me’ motives proliferating throughout the story. In other words, Michael Hartnett has done it again.

This book has everything. Skin-deep beauty, subtle and not so subtle sexual overtones, intrigue, back-stabbing, puzzles, global warming, lying, misdirection, cheating and murder. Everything seems to be on Hartnett’s table expect stealing, and I may have missed that, but I don’t think so.
Some characters from his previous stories are mentioned which may bring some comfort to readers of Michael Hartnett’s other gems like ‘The Blue Rat’ and ‘Blue Gowanus’. I can’t reveal much about the story without revealing spoilers, but I will say that Hartnett’s proclivity to write flamboyant prose as he describes the lives of some of his characters is enjoyable. The usually unseen basement of Reality TV is revealed as the conniving Suzie Pisano orchestrates her show, her daughters and her husbands – yes, husbands plural.

The book will definitely leave you wondering who is really in control of Flanagan’s investigation and its revelations. And there are several possibilities.

I rate the book, Death Canal, as an overall 5 out of 5.

[Sean Coons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death Canal by Michael Hartnett is a great read that explores some of the modern challenges we face, both personal and global, through my favorite lens – humor.

The story follows Artie Flanagan, former screenwriter of Peepin' on the Pisanos, a Kardashian-type reality show focusing on matriarch Suzie Pisano and her beautiful (and they know it) daughters. Suzie has a habit of ending up with dead, or severely injured, husbands, and Flanagan thinks there’s a great exposé/documentary to be made from getting to the bottom of this wily, wildly successful woman.

Flanagan is like a “fly in the ointment” detective, getting his hands dirty in the lives of the people he is documenting—an especially dicey approach given Suzie’s history (and present).

Fame, scandal, and global warming provide the context for the story, which makes it relevant and thought-provoking, but Death Canal truly delivers because of the storytelling. Hartnett has a great sense of timing, both in the pacing of scenes as well as in the banter that takes place between Flanagan and his co-stars. He creates a cast of quirky characters, each shining in their own idiosyncrasies and operating with their own motives. And his wry commentary throughout is a perfect fit for the subject matter of an outrageous “reality” family.

If you like plot twists, sassy characters, and surprises at every turn, you’ll love Death Canal by Michael Hartnett.

[Alan Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flanagan has been the writer for the Reality TV Show, "Peepin' on the Pisanos" for a dozen years, and in that time the ratings have soared and the Pisanos, consisting of Suzie, the head of the clan, her three gorgeous daughters and her various husbands and lovers, have made untold millions of dollars. But Flanagan suddenly quits the show and sets out to make a documentary and unearth some secrets, such as how Jimmy Doherty, lover of Suzie, senator and nice guy, really died when his car crashed into the canal. Reality show aside, it's actually difficult to distinguish reality from pretense when interfacing with members of the family, and they are willing to do anything from stripping to having wild adventures (at least on TV) to boost their ratings. So Flanagan isn't really sure what Suzie and her daughters think of him as he puts together the documentary, amid anonymous threats. Then Heather, the oldest daughter, gets all scientific and says she knows how to fix global warming, and this isn't pretense. In addition, Flanagan has to reduce his standard of living after quitting the show and attempt to raise his teenage daughter who wants to reform him in various ways. It's a roller coaster ride, but an exciting one.

[Glen Ebisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hartnett's Death Canal is a story about Artie Flanagan, who works as a scriptwriter for the show "Pepin' on the Pisanos," the Pisanos being a Kardashian-like family of women living in an enclave on Long Island. Artie in a burst of freedom and self-disgust, gives up his job to undertake a documentary on the family, focusing on Suzie Pisano's relationship with a U.S. senator who died under suspicious circumstances thirty years before. Since this senator was an early advocate of taking action on climate change, whether the senator was murdered by oil interests or Suzie's violent husband is the starting point for Artie's research.
This book is written with verve and wit. Some passages are beautifully constructed, and others will make you laugh out loud. I have read a number of other books by Hartnett, but I think this may be my favorite because so many of the characters are only slightly exaggerated portraits of figures in popular culture today. The reader is left wondering at the end whether even the staunchest critics of the way things are today can avoid being co-opted by the system.

[Jacob Patchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Hartnett delivers again!

The satire, humor, and attention to what the reader wants drips from the seams of this glorious read. Personally, I think books, or writers rather, should follow Hartnett's lead when it comes to intertwining the hilarities of the human condition with the seriousness of the condition the world is currently in. He meshes and molds these two ideas like he's mixing together a your favorite dessert. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!

A murder mystery, a celebrity satire, and an eye-opening climate warning, Death Canal revolves around Arthur Flanagan who's a script writer for an over-the-top reality TV show. But he's over it and wants to write an investigative documentary about the death of a politician with links to the Pisano family (the same family his reality show is about). In his researh, harmful secrets reveal themselves, inflaming suspense and friction as he navigates the negative attention from those who don't want the film made. All while enduring the pull of his daughter and girlfriend who want him to save the world and himself by making better choices.

Great read. Fast and fun. Keeps your attention and a smile on your face.

[Rick Treon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed all of Michael Hartnett’s novels, and this one, as you’d expect, is his best yet. Part murder mystery (my wheelhouse), part cultural analysis of celebrity, part eye-opening climate fiction — and all of it full of Hartnett’s one-of-a-kind humor, perhaps even more than his previous works — Death Canal has everything I wanted and more.

In the novel, Artie Flanagan writes scripts for a reality TV series but has wants to cash in on his self-made documentary after one of the show’s actors is in a terrible car crash. The crash seems to be connected to two other deaths, including one thirty years ago. All three are related to the TV show, and the first alleged accident involves an NBA star who seemed destined to be President of the United States.

And it only gets funnier and wilder from there.

Death Canal felt more like a mystery than Hartnett’s other books, but it’s far from a procedural. But for someone who reads and writes crime fiction, it was still an excellent read!

[Simonsilverback · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly crafted and wry, sardonic look at life, death, and reality itself in the unreal reality of the Age of the Kardashians.

When Artie Flanagan, the scriptwriter for the sexy reality show Peepin’ on the Pisanos, decides to quit his job and instead work on a documentary that might implicate the Pisano family in one or more murders, he faces pushback, encouragement, and intrigue from many directions. Skillfully plotted and filled with richly drawn characters (Tony “The Elbow” Fratiani and Karl “The Sausage” Hoffman, to name just two), Death Canal is one part expose, one part whodunit, and all parts fun. Hartnett, a master at crackling-good dialogue, makes us feel more like witnesses than readers as he and his characters pull us along to the novel’s jaw-dropping conclusion. In the end, what we have is a brilliantly crafted and wry, sardonic look at life, death, and reality itself in the unreal reality of the Age of Kardashians. Highly recommended.

—Len Boswell, author, A Grave Misunderstanding

[G.L. Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am not one to follow the theatrics of reality tv or the current trendsetters on social media, this book was a great look into that world. Hartnett captures the pandering, self-serving atmosphere created by the tabloid seekers in a way that humanizes them and gives depth to their personas. Hartnett paints a verbal picture of New York City in a way only he can. He takes the reader on a journey through the city, moving the drama of this world from the champagne sippers to the beer guzzlers, all the while creating intrigue and suspense. Worth a read and a second read as well.

[JOE C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem from Michael Hartnett. May be his best yet. In Noir style, Art Flanagan is investigating the possible murder of a US Senator. The possible murder may be linked to the Pisano family, a Kardashian type family. This investigation involves Art being beat up and dead animals are left in front of his house. Author's witty lines and satire make this a most interesting whodunit. You won't be able to put this book down.

[Michael Veletsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A critical look at our society

On the surface, this book is a suspenseful thriller, and it takes the reader through the investigation of the death that occurred thirty years ago.
Chapter after chapter, the author introduces you to a gallery of people the protagonist meets in the course of his investigation when the reader is allowed an inside look at the ugly underbelly of a reality tv show, as well as our society full of fake idols.

[beets4borshenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won a digital copy of this book from the Early Reviewers giveaway over at Library Thing.

This book felt like a chore to get though and was a waste of my time. It would appear that the author focused more on delivering a cheap political message over developing interesting characters and plot. Wouldn't recommend.

[David Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book that combines our fascination with celebrity to the climate crisis and the murder of a ambitious senator who had ties to the matriarch of the Pisano clan of good-looking women and the not so good luck of the men who came in contact with them.

[Thomas DeConna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thrilling Ride Through The World of Glamor, Mystery, and Murder.

Michael Hartnett’s wonderful novel, Death Canal, offers the reader a blend of contemporary issues, taunt intrigue, and strong style. Arthur Flanagan, the main character, quits his job as a script writer for a successful reality show, Peepin’ on the Pisanos, and decides to write a documentary that will investigate the Pisano family’s dark history; in particular, the shady demise of Jimmy Doherty, a senator who died in a car crash more than thirty years ago.
As Flanagan moves ahead with his investigation, it becomes clear that Doherty’s death was no accident but rather a calculated murder. Suzie Pisano, the reality show matriarch who had an affair with the senator, emerges as a prime suspect. Although she is now a mature woman, with the help of plastic surgery, she has more than maintained her alluring looks. Along with her sensual nature, she possesses a self-assured, controlling personality. Suzie has built a powerful, decadent lifestyle, and she has no intention of relinquishing it—least of all to Arthur Flanagan’s potentially damaging investigation.
As Flanagan must cope with Suzie Pisano, he also must deal with Suzie’s scheming and sexy daughters, Tiffany and Heather. Both daughters take a sudden interest in Arthur, and he must see through their false faces to find the hidden truth. Added to the mix of this colorful cast are two imprisoned hit man with throw-back names: Tony the Elbow and Karl the Sausage, who leave cryptic clues for Flanagan to unravel as he homes in on the person—or persons—responsible for Doherty’s death.
Hartnett masterfully adds another layer to his story. While Flanagan faces a number of obstacles to completing his documentary, he also seeks to strengthen his relationship with his girlfriend Deja, a climate scientist, and his daughter Michelle, who has an ardent concern about global warming. Ingeniously, this layer ties to the possible motives for the senator’s death decades ago. Flanagan balances all the pieces with wry humor and steadfast determination. Hartnett pulls the reader along a fantastic ride with twists and turns up until the last page that delivers one final slap to the senses.
What elevates Peepin’ on the Pisanos is Michael Hartnett’s writing style. When needed, the narration can be hard-boiled, prosaic, or poetic. It’s a blend of Chandler, Mencken, and Wordsworth. The characters and storyline, like a haunting noir film, stay with the reader and will not let him go.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book revolves around a deadly canal that is a metaphor for more than just being a senator's place of death.

Death Canal puts a nice spin on the detective genre by following a reality show producer - Arthur Flanagan - who grows curious to dig a little deeper into a mysterious death that could possibly involve the Pisano family (the focus of his reality show). Flanagan is the perfect amateur sleuth — someone who has grown to become weary of his job and wants something more than just being a reality show writer/producer. This quote from gossip columnist Stuart Cooper says it all: 'Honey you've been the lead writer for the past decade for Peepin' on the Pisanos, and you're worried about ruining your reputation?'

Near the start of this novel, we discover that senator Jimmy Doherty died when his car crashed into the polluted Gowanus Canal under suspicious circumstances. This scene becomes Arthur's starting point to uncover more information surrounding the incident.

Throughout the book, we meet with several interesting characters. From reality stars with more plastic surgery than a barbie doll to a shady car dealer going into disarray to fellow senators who know more than they care to let on. Each character helps Death Canal tie together several societal and environmental topics that point to bigger issues lurking behind Jimmy's death. We know there's something big to be uncovered when our protagonists keeps receiving dead animals with notes that say, 'You don't want to end up like this,' at their front door.

All in all, Death Canal is a fun take on some very serious topics. If you're into social commentaries and enjoy a comedic spin on such, I would suggest this book, and the Blue Rat as well for that matter.