Shooting Straight in the Dark

Rick Blechta has a way of involving me with the characters such that I wonder,"what are they doing now, after the story?". They become almost real and I almost forget they are not real and that must say something about the authors story telling ability. I'm genrally on a pragmatic plane. My friends who don't genrally read anything but technical stuff also love Rick's books. He is a really great story teller!

I purchased this book mainly because my old guitar teacher, Linc Chamberland, is mentioned in it. What surprised me (after reading the back cover) is that I really enjoyed it -- and I don't read mysteries. Blechta, being a musician, naturally has all the musical facets down pat, but he also tells a darn good story. Within a chapter, I was caught up in the fate of the main character. When I had to put the book down to teach a few lessons, I was extremely put out! This is a terrific thriller, telling the story of a blind guitarist and her friends as they try to solve a murder. They also don't know that the murderer is now after them and the parts of the story he tells are suitably creepy. I stayed up past 3 a.m. (much to the annoyance of my wife) to finish the book as it drove to a satisfying climax, and the only thing negative I have to say about the book is that I finished it. I hope that Blechta is planning a sequel. I like these characters!

I don't usually read books cover-to-cover in one sitting, but Shooting Straight in the Dark had me up until 4 a.m. recently. Even though it's supposed to be a mystery, there is a lot more depth to the characters (especially the main character, Kit) than you normally find in genre fiction. The author has done a very good job making it all very real.The plot, too, is quite good, involving a murder (naturally) but it's set against a backdrop of music, something I found very interesting and informative. Blechta has also given his protagonist another wrinkle: she's blind. He pulls off this aspect particularly well. He made me really feel what it might be like to be without sight.All in all, I quite enjoyed this book. The writing is refreshingly good (often quite funny, too), the characters compelling and the plot rockets along to a very satisfying conclusion.Can we hear more about Kit and her friends really soon?

I am delighted to find that Rick Blechta has now succesfully consolidated his own unique writing style with this latest crime thriller. He creates a well rounded and intriguing plot that succesfully blends suspense, tension and humour. With 'Shooting Straight' Blechta has forcefully elbowed his way into a crowded room of crime writers and has made himself heard above the din! Well done.