Under the Eye of God, Jerome Charyn (4 stars)

Under the Eye of God Book Summary

After decades of madness in the Bronx, Isaac Sidel visits the craziest state in the country.

Isaac Sidel is too popular to be America’s vice president. Once the New York Police Department commissioner, he became the most beloved mayor in the city’s history—famous for his refusal to surrender his Glock, and for his habit of disappearing for months at a time to fight crime at street level. So when baseball czar J. Michael Storm asks Sidel to join him on the election’s Democratic ticket, the two wild men romp to an unprecedented landslide. But as the president-elect’s mandate goes off the rails—threatened by corruption, sex, and God knows what else—he tires of being overshadowed by Sidel, and dispatches him to a place from which tough politicians seldom return: Texas.

In the Lone Star state, Sidel confronts rogue astrologers, accusations of pedophilia, and a dimwitted assassin who doesn’t know when to take an easy shot. If this Bronx bomber doesn’t watch his step, he risks making vice-presidential history by getting killed on the job.

Review

Isaac Sidel never pretends to be perfect, nothing even close to it. But he also does not back down from a fight, or from anything he believes in. When he finds himself the most likeable part of the Presidential ticket, his life quickly becomes complicated. Not only is he accused of liking young girls, he has become the target of a man who will stop at nothing to destroy him.

Few authors do gritty and edgy like Jerome Charyn. From characters to setting, there's something very dark and authentic about Under the Eye of God. Isaac Sidel is front and center in this novel, finding his way from one mess to another. No matter how high the stakes become, he rarely seems to flinch. 

Earlier this year, I read Jerome Charyn's Blue Eyes and commented...

Although this is the first Isaac Sidel mystery, Isaac is not a main character. Yet, he manages to be the force behind much of the story. Just enough of his character is revealed to entice the reader to want to know more about him, especially since his sphere of influence is so large.

So I was thrilled for further insight into Isaac, a well-developed and interesting "good" guy who has no problem blurring the lines of a traditional hero. I loved this unconventional approach to a memorable main character. He will stick with you as much for his mistakes as his achievements.

From page one, the intricate story never lets up. Although it's confusing at times and keeping up with the long cast of characters can be daunting, the story never manages to let up. Interesting characters pull you from page to page, wondering what could possibly happen next.

This story doesn't simply follow the stereotypical good guy beats bad guy; instead it exposes the realistic, and rarely pretty, underbelly of society. If you are a reader who appreciates the unexpected, I highly recommend this book. Jerome Charyn plays by his own rules, and he's a strong enough writer to turn those rules into good reading.

Rating: 4 stars

Book Trailer

Jerome Charyn's Bio

Jerome Charyn (b. 1937) is the critically acclaimed author of nearly fifty books. Born in the Bronx, he attended Columbia College, where he fell in love with the works of William Faulkner and James Joyce. After graduating, he took a job as a playground director and wrote in his spare time, producing his first novel, a Lower East Side fairytale called Once Upon a Droshky, in 1964.

In 1974 Charyn published Blue Eyes, his first Isaac Sidel mystery. Begun as a distraction while trying to finish a different book, this first in a series of Sidel novels introduced the eccentric, near-mythic detective and his bizarre cast of sidekicks. Charyn followed the character through Citizen Sidel (1999), which ends with his antihero making a run at the White House. Charyn, who divides his time between New York and Paris, is also accomplished at table tennis, and once ranked amongst France’s top 10 percent of ping-pong players.

 

For more information on the author, please visit his website, his Facebook page, and on Twitter.

 

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This is a blog tour, please visit the Under the Eye of God blog tour site for more stops.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from Tribute Books for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the views expressed are my own.

For more information on Tribute Books, please visit their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter. 

*****

 

I have had the privilege of reviewing two other Jerome Charyn books, so I wanted to share them here:

Back to Bataan Review

Blue Eyes Review

Back to Bataan, Jerome Charyn (4 stars)

Back to Bataan Summary

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

 

For more information on the book, please visit the book's website, GoodReads page, and #BacktoBataan on Twitter.

 

Review

 

Eleven is such a young age to be so grown up, but that's exactly what Jack Dalton is. He's wise beyond his years, fiercely loyal, and determined to figure it all out. Jack's the product of too much loss in a short time, starting with the death of his father. His mother, desperate to give her son every chance, isn't around like she would like.

 

When Jack loses his girlfriend, who he calls his fiancee, he gives into the pain and loss and lets his emotions rule. Then, in fear of the repercussions, he hides out with some unsavory fellows. Their leader, called The Leader, becomes an odd sort of influence in Jack's life. This man, someone others see as a dangerous criminal, ends up being an important part of Jack becoming his own man.

 

The most memorable books to me are the ones that have characters you can't shake. Jack Dalton is definitely one of those, but so are two of the men that influence who he becomes: The Leader and Mr. Fink. My favorite, Mr. Fink. Not only was he perceptive, he was determined to make sure Jack didn't drown in the sadness and misfortune surrounding him. I also loved the characters of Coco, Jack's girlfriend, because she brought out Jack's softer side, and Jack's mother, because she was willing to do anything for him.

 

When you finish reading Back to Bataan, you have hope. Hope for Jack, and for others like him. Hope for love, and its power. Hope for what's right, even if what's wrong seems to rule the day for awhile.

 

If you are looking for a memorable read with characters that start to feel like home, pick up Back to Bataan. It takes you on a journey. Although it's Jack's journey, you'll find yourself affected as well. It's powerful in a subtle way, one that might take you days to digest.

 

Note: Since the book is considered young adult, I am concerned that younger readers won't appreciate it like adults. The timeframe and history might not be as appealing to that age group. However, I do think it would be an excellent book to be used in schools.

 

Rating: 4 stars

 

Jerome Charyn's Bio
 

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

 

For more information on the author, please visit his website, Facebook page, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

 

Buy Back to Bataan

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This is a blog tour, please visit the Back to Bataan blog tour site for more stops.

Note: I received a complimentary copy from Tribute Books for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the views expressed are my own.

For more information on Tribute Books, please visit their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Blue Eyes, Jerome Charyn (3.5 stars)

Blue Eyes Book Summary

A cop and his disgraced mentor attempt to bust a white slavery ring.

Before Isaac Sidel adopts him, Manfred Coen is a mutt. A kid from the Bronx, he joins the police academy after his father’s suicide leaves him directionless, and is trudging along like any other cadet when first deputy Sidel, the commissioner’s right hand man, comes looking for a young cop with blue eyes to infiltrate a ring of Polish smugglers. He chooses Coen, and asks the cadet to join his department after he finishes the academy. Working under Sidel means fast promotions, plush assignments, and, when a corruption scandal topples his mentor, the resentment of every rank-and-file detective on the force.

Now just an ordinary cop, Coen hears word that his old mentor has a line on a human trafficking operation. When Sidel’s attempt at infiltration fails, he sends in Coen. For Coen, it’s a shot to prove himself and redeem his mentor, but it could cost the blue-eyed cop his life.

Review
Blue Eyes reads like a gritty exposé of New York City in the 1970s. Corruption, greed, family ties, and questionable loyalties abound. Manfred Coen is loyal to his mentor, Isaac Sidel, and weakened by the town whore, Odile. But where others' loyalties lie is constantly evolving.

Coen, through a series of twist and turns and changing family allegiances, is thrust into the dirty world of ping-pong hustling and human trafficking. Young girls are being sold, but even that storyline isn't as black and white as it sounds.

Although this is the first Isaac Sidel mystery, Isaac is not a main character. Yet, he manages to be the force behind much of the story. Just enough of his character is revealed to entice the reader to want to know more about him, especially since his sphere of influence is so large.

So much was going on with this story and so many characters introduced, I was often confused. If I had time, I'd definitely want to re-read and catch the nuances of the many characters and sub-plots. Each character was ultimately crucial to the story, but similar sounding names (Chino, Coen, Cesar, Chinaman) and changing references (sometimes Manfred, sometimes Coen, Freddy?) left me overwhelmed.

About halfway through, I finally had enough background to really connect with the story. Once I did, it was a fast and engaging ride. Don't give up early on.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy crime and mystery novels that are no-holds-barred. You'll be mesmerized by Charyn's well-crafted world and story.

Rating: 3.5 stars

(It will be rated a 4 on GoodReads and Amazon, since it's closer to a 4 than a 3 and only full stars are allowed.)

Blue Eyes Book Trailer

About Jerome Charyn
Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.

In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

For more information

Jerome Charyn's website

Jerome Charyn's Facebook

Jerome Charyn on Twitter

Isaac Sidel on Twitter

Blue Eyes Blog Tour site

Buy Blue Eyes

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Note: I received a complimentary copy from Tribute Books for review purposes. No other compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed or asked for; the views expressed are my own.

For more information on Tribute Books, please visit their website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.