Sam
Acquillo, cabinetmaker, part-time private investigator, and
full-time resident of Eastern Long Island, used to be part
of the one percent and still has some friends who are. Burton
Lewis was a houseguest of Joshua and Rosie Edelston. Another
guest, Elton Darby, a fundraiser for the charity Volunteering
with Love, aka the Loventeers, has been found dead with Burton's
watch in his hand. What begins as an investigation to clear
his friend, grows to a case involving the FBI, a trip to post-Hurricane
Maria Puerto Rico, and a journey back to Long Island to unmask
a killer.
Knopf provides an excellent short history of Sam which segues
nicely into his current relationship with Amanda Anselma and
Sam's trusty dog, Eddie Van Halen. Sam's background is what
makes him such an interesting, well-rounded character. He
is fully capable of taking care of himself in a dangerous
situation but is just as inclined to toss in the appropriate
Latin phrase, and introspection—"You've heard it
noted that time is a river, though what is overlooked is all
the sediment the river leaves behind, diverting the path,
obscuring recollection. Experience emboldens when it's not
taxing resolve, eroding vitality." Having been part of
both sides of the socio-economic spectrum has given him an
understanding not found in everyone. He can even be forgiven,
perhaps, for one point where he could be perceived as a bit
of an idiot about his relationship with Amanda, but that's
up to one's own opinion.
Sam's trip to Puerto Rico is a turning point in the plot and
presents a hard view, and real understanding, of the conditions
there today. It also takes the plot into a deeper, very serious
and relevant issue. What's nice is that Knopf offsets the
serious with occasional well-done, well-placed humor, such
as his description of air travel—"…park in
a long-term lot about one hundred miles away, ride a tram
with nervous, unhappy people, get stripped nearly naked by
the TSA, find a bar near your gate, drink too much, but still
get on the flight with more nervous, unhappy people…"
and it goes on in perfect form. One of Sam's other attributes
is the way in which he applies engineering and design to problem
solving.
"Deep
Dive" has great characters and a good amount of tension.
It is a very well-done book, particularly the final chapter.
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