Mighty, Mighty

August 24, 2015
A novel of redemption and revenge, the latest from Rudolph (Four Corners) is a fast-paced yarn that starts solid before severe violence and illogical character decisions hamstring its final act. At the narrative’s core are Amanda and Stephy, two sisters living in Chicago. A tattoo artist, Stephy financially supports Amanda—her younger, unemployed sister—and their ailing grandfather. Meanwhile, Amanda, still reeling from years of drug and physical abuse at the hands of a dangerous ex-boyfriend, Georgie, finds herself drawn to Chance, a drifter working at Stephy’s shop. One evening, while the sisters and Chance party at the local watering hole, Georgie tracks his ex and sexually assaults her in a women’s bathroom. Amanda narrowly escapes, and a furious Chance beats Georgie to a bloody pulp. When Georgie’s injuries prove fatal, however, his father, a retired, crooked police officer, takes it upon himself to hunt down his son’s assailant after the local authorities refuse to pursue the case. Rudolph has a knack for crafting characters striving for recovery—from drugs, violence, and poverty. There is much to admire in Rudolph’s prose, but as Amanda and company seek escape from their crazed hunter, the bodies pile up, and the novel loses steam under the weight of cheap shocks.