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A review by book_concierge
Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan
4.0
Jackson Navarre III (a/k/a “Tres” Nevarre) has returned to San Antonio after 10 years in California. He had left in the wake of his father’s murder, and now he wants answers, but mostly gets trouble.
Riordan’s book is populated with colorful characters. In addition to Tres, there’s Lillian Cambridge, a talented photographer and Tres’s high-school love. Ralph Arguello made his fortune with a series of pawn shops and is completely loyal to Tres. Beau Karnau is a fading artist who has been Lillian’s mentor and business partner in a small gallery. Guy White is a reputed mob boss, who insists he is just a businessman and philanthropist. Jay Rivas is a cop with secrets to protect and a seeming vendetta against Navarre. Dan Sheff is the scion of an old family, heir to their construction business, and was recently engaged to Lillian (until she gave the ring back and then phoned Tres and asked him to come back from California). Garrett – Tres’s half-brother – is a paraplegic who is a computer whiz and drives a van decorated with plastic fruit and paintings of Carmen Miranda on its sides. And let’s not forget Robert Johnson, Tres’s enchilada-eating coffee-drinking cat.
The plot is appropriately intricate, involving old vendettas, past loves, unfaithful spouses, greedy politicians, and crooked cops. But Tres has a stubborn desire to get to the truth, and his old friends (and his father’s) are still willing to help him.
Riordan’s writing gives just the right flavor of San Antonio (and made me hungry for GOOD Mexican food). In all, entertaining and engaging. I’ll read more.
Riordan’s book is populated with colorful characters. In addition to Tres, there’s Lillian Cambridge, a talented photographer and Tres’s high-school love. Ralph Arguello made his fortune with a series of pawn shops and is completely loyal to Tres. Beau Karnau is a fading artist who has been Lillian’s mentor and business partner in a small gallery. Guy White is a reputed mob boss, who insists he is just a businessman and philanthropist. Jay Rivas is a cop with secrets to protect and a seeming vendetta against Navarre. Dan Sheff is the scion of an old family, heir to their construction business, and was recently engaged to Lillian (until she gave the ring back and then phoned Tres and asked him to come back from California). Garrett – Tres’s half-brother – is a paraplegic who is a computer whiz and drives a van decorated with plastic fruit and paintings of Carmen Miranda on its sides. And let’s not forget Robert Johnson, Tres’s enchilada-eating coffee-drinking cat.
The plot is appropriately intricate, involving old vendettas, past loves, unfaithful spouses, greedy politicians, and crooked cops. But Tres has a stubborn desire to get to the truth, and his old friends (and his father’s) are still willing to help him.
Riordan’s writing gives just the right flavor of San Antonio (and made me hungry for GOOD Mexican food). In all, entertaining and engaging. I’ll read more.