Wild Thing

Starred review from December 19, 2011
Carl Hiaasen fans will relish Bazell’s frenetic sequel to 2009’s Beat the Reaper. Professor Marmoset, the guardian angel who got retired mob hit man Pietro Brnwa into the federal witness protection program, sends him to Portland, Ore., on a highly unusual mission. There a reclusive billionaire referred to only as “Rec Bill” asks Brnwa to represent him on a monster hunt in White Lake, Minn., reputed to be home to a ferocious beast unknown to science. Acting as the referee to determine whether the White Lake monster really exists will be “a very high ranking Member of the U.S. Federal Government.” Brnwa hopes to use the large fee he’ll be paid as a substitute for Rec Bill to figure out a way to get permanently clear of his former cohorts in crime, who have him in their sights. Bazell expertly blends action, farce, and political satire, and his wide-ranging imagination bodes well for the future of the series. Agent: Markus Hoffman.

January 15, 2012
In this second novel from medical resident Bazell, former hit man Dr. Pietro Brnwa (Beat the Reaper, 2009) is lured into the woods to get the skinny on the cryptid haunting a Minnesota lake. Bazell's latest takes his hero into seriously unexpected territory. Pietro is still hiding out from his Mafia overlords as "Dr. Lionel Azimuth," a physician on an exploitative cruise line. It's not a great gig for a killer with a terminal fear of the water. Neither is the grass greener, as a reclusive billionaire hires Pietro to escort paleontologist Violet Hurst on a million-dollar safari in Minnesota. Their job is to rendezvous with local guide Reggie Trager, who promises his exclusive clientele access to the White Lake Monster, a critter coveted by cryptozoologists (think Nessie, this one dubbed "Aquabigfoot" by Violet). Naturally, chaos ensues. There's the furtive county coroner who insists past victims were involved in "boating accidents." Others include a maternal meth dealer, a pair of ambitious Chinese brothers and a pop star who wants to defend the Monster's "animal rights." The book is composed in Bazell's propulsive, profanity-laden style, peppering startling violence with detailed footnotes that cover subjects like tooth reinsertions and human cryogenics. There's also an elevator speech as to why Brnwa is still in so much trouble. Things take a bit of a weird turn when that Sarah Palin shows up as the government's appointed referee for this evolutionary misadventure. Bazell is not unkind to the former Alaska Governor--she's more loud window dressing than anything else. The book may throw off fans of the author's debut, but props to Bazell for not cranking out an idle retread of Beat the Reaper. A funny, unexpected journey for our hero that sets up the next installment with finesse.

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February 1, 2012

It's hard to mistake Peter Brown. He has a hypodermic in one fist and a Colt Commander handgun in the other, and he can use them both. Introduced in 2009's Beat the Reaper, Peter's story (hit man-turned-physician) plus Bazell's frenetic, scattershot style left an indelible impression in a crowded crime fiction field. Here, Peter has been sent to White Lake, MN, in the company of a sexy paleontologist who has been working on the Poultroleum Project to convert chicken parts into oil. There have been four mysterious deaths in the area, and a local entrepreneur mounts what is billed as "the adventure of a lifetime," with entrance fees of $1 million and up, to investigate. Participation by a "high government official" is promised. Is there really a Bigfoot-type creature loose? Are the deaths the result of a local feud? Or are they an attempt to rejuvenate a flagging local economy? VERDICT Is this novel better than Bazell's debut? It's as good as and more. In addition to the mayhem and madness of the original, there's an element of ecoconsciousness and political satire (the long-delayed appearance of the government official is worth the purchase price) that will leave readers wanting still more. Bazell makes being smart sexy and footnotes fun. [See Prepub Alert, 11/28/11.]--Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO

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