Down Don’t Bother Me: A Slim in Little Egypt Mystery
Jason Miller. Harper/Bourbon Street, $14.99 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-0-06-236219-3
The discovery of the body of reporter Dwayne Mays, in a Southern Illinois coal mine, with a minirecorder wrapped around his neck and a notepad stuffed in his mouth, kicks off Miller’s uneven first novel. Mine owner Matthew Luster asks Slim, a miner who has a reputation for finding lost people, to locate Guy Allan Beckett, Dwayne’s photographer and Luster’s son-in-law, who’s gone missing. Lured by the promise of a guaranteed pension, permanent security for him and his 12-year-old daughter (for whom he’s the single parent), Slim takes on the assignment, despite misgivings. Slim must quickly determine whether Guy is a victim or the killer and, if so, what the motive was for Dwayne’s murder. The author does a good job evoking the bleakness of life in Illinois coal country, but the author’s heavy-handed attempts to make Slim quirky may annoy some readers. Agent: Anthony Mattero, Foundry Literary + Media. (Mar.)
Details
Reviewed on: 01/19/2015
Genre: Fiction
Compact Disc - 978-1-4815-3417-8
Compact Disc - 978-1-4815-3416-1
Downloadable Audio - 978-0-06-237386-1
Other - 288 pages - 978-0-06-236220-9
Paperback - 384 pages - 978-0-06-237020-4
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-4676-0004-0
