Trying to spark a resurgence of men’s fiction has been a lonely (and Quixotic) quest for the last 15 years. But the desired renaissance might be imminent, judging by the recent interest in the masculine genres of yesteryear. In fact, there’s a burgeoning community of literate men who not only enjoy reading it, but are now writing new men’s adventure fiction themselves.
Jake Widmer is part of that community, and has created an heir to the legendary characters like Mack Bolan and Nick Carter.
PLOT:
Chris Folly returns from overseas to his hometown of Pittsburgh, discovering that he and his erstwhile stomping grounds have traveled opposite trajectories. It is implied that he was a bit of a hellraiser as a kid, but has straightened out and calmed down considerably. Meanwhile, the old neighborhood has gone down the toilet.
There’s a new (?) drug on the streets that is turning everything worse as it makes the rounds. I don’t know if the drug is real or fictional, but is plausible enough for me.
The local police department is corrupt from top to bottom, locked in a sort of clandestine struggle against County Law Enforcement, which fortunately has some honest deputies. Even more fortunate is that an old platonic female friend of Chris Folly’s is one such deputy.
Not so fortunate is the fact that Folly’s single mother is in a relationship with the drug kingpin who owns the metro police and is turning the city into his own dirty, violent kingdom. This is a wrinkle I don’t believe I’ve come across before.
Folly’s old friend introduces him to an honest cop who runs the LEO for the sheriff and has considerable pull. Folly is unofficially offered to work off-the-books for the Sheriff’s Department and bust heads, if necessary, cleaning up the syndicate and the network of drug trafficking.
Perfect setup for a well-armed vigilante with a particular set of skills. What follows is fun and satisfying.
CHARACTERS:
I appreciate that the military background Widmer chose for Folly is off the beaten path. Also, the boss villain is not a stereotype at all. He is so understated as to seem harmless–whereas his amoral nephew is quite obviously dangerous.
Folly’s mother is another refreshing departure from the typical supporting cast. Not someone whose behavior will make you feel warm and fuzzy; but someone painfully real.
CRAFT:
Homecoming is a well-written book. Not mistake-free, but well worth your time and a nice launch of a character who may have plenty of literary mileage ahead of him.
