Author: Jerome Charyn
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Date of Publication: Re-issue (April 10, 2012)
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.
I'm going to be honest from the start, I didn't finish this book. I am pretty open minded when it comes to books. Since I have been blogging reviews, I have expanded my reading horizons significantly. The synopsis for Blue Eyes looked very interesting, so I thought I would give it a shot. About 3 chapters in, I was so confused that I was struggling to keep up my interest in the book. I found myself searching the internet to read more about the synopsis to figure out what was going on. This is never a good sign for me. Blue Eyes was written in the early 70s and is the first in a series by Mr. Charyn. I will say that it is very well written and the slang seems very authentic for 1970s New York City. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of books filled with slang, especially when it seems the book is teeming with it.
Now, having said all that, I think you SHOULD give Blue Eyes a chance. Especially if you are a fan of gritty street crime novels. It has gotten rave reviews from most readers. It just wasn't for me. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been able to follow it better. The series is being re-issued as ebooks. That is the great thing about ebooks, we all get a chance to read and try out older novels that have been out of print for a while. Give this one a shot!
About the Author:
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.
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.
Jerome
Charyn's web site:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/
Jerome Charyn's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jerome.charyn
Jerome Charyn's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharyn
Issac Sidel's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/IsaacSidel
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186
Blue Eyes blog tour site:
http://blue-eyes-isaac-sidel.blogspot.com/
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/
Jerome Charyn's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jerome.charyn
Jerome Charyn's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharyn
Issac Sidel's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/IsaacSidel
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186
Blue Eyes blog tour site:
http://blue-eyes-isaac-sidel.blogspot.com/
eBook
Price: $9.99
Release: April 10, 2012
Price: $9.99
Release: April 10, 2012
Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007MFAUAG?tag=tributebooks-20
iBookstore buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fbook%252Fblue-eyes%252Fid512048547%253Fmt%253D11%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30
Google buy link
http://books.google.com/books/about/Blue_Eyes.html?id=uROC5BoeIxQC
2 comments:
Thanks for giving it a try. The Isaac sidel series had been compared to Pulp Fiction (even though the film came later), so if you're a fan of that film, I would recommend it.
The first chapter is free on Kindle and Nook, which is a perfect way to see if it's for you. Or you can get the TV movie, starring Ron Silver as Isaac, on Netflix. Or wait a few months - there's an animated adult TV series in the works.
Kari, thanks for taking the time to read and review Jerome's book.
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