Readers who enjoy suspense thrillers, you’re not going to want to miss out on Dan Flanigan’s page-turner – Mink Eyes. This is a book that will keep you not only coming back for more, but looking forward to what comes next.
Mink Eyes details the story of former Marine veteran, turned private detective – Peter O’Keefe. O’Keefe runs his own private investigator firm, but with the growth of his business, comes the typical drama with excessive employees.
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Some of the employees are good, some are “eh” and others are…on the verge of getting the boot because they simply can’t get their shit together. Pete is about to get a shake-up in his life though, and if he’s not careful…it will cost him everything.
Author Flanigan takes readers back in time to the 1980s and drops us in the middle of O’Keefe’s life as he takes on a case that should be pretty straightforward. Find a man who appears to have absconded with the money that was funding the mink farm business. Sounds pretty simple, right? O’Keefe seems to think so.
However, as he begins to dig into this particular case looking for answers, each person he crosses paths with, he realizes that they are all keeping secrets. Secrets that can kill.
When Mink Eyes begins it gives the false impression of being a novel about the day-to-day life of a P.I. There isn’t anything that immediately reaches out and grabs you. Yet, as the story progresses, the author carefully loops you into what is unfolding on the pages.
The introduction of two investors will have you wondering “Is one of them in deeper than they appear?” They claim to be looking for Mr. Lenny Parker, but are they really? What do you think?
The way that O’Keefe is written, and the overall storyline, this book could be ripped from the pages of a newspaper. The characters are realistic and you can easily believe that they are real. For those who don’t quite make it to the end – you can almost believe that at one point and time…they lived.
O’Keefe is an interestingly flawed character. He carries the scars of his past – the time he spent in ‘Nam, in his mind and on his body. While he is portrayed as a private detective who has survived war that doesn’t make him a fearless individual. Most individuals would expect that depiction of him, but it’s refreshing to see that he is not. Instead, we get to see situations and moments where fear rides him, and he even experiences flashbacks to the war.
Author Flanigan portrays O’Keefe and those closest to him as more than just characters on a page. You get the minute details of the characters which truly brings them to life. The story depicts not just the dangerous web that O’Keefe finds himself drawn into, but this book also details O’Keefe’s personal relationships as well.
Mink Eyes takes you to the mink farm not long after the beginning, and gives readers a glimpse into the business itself. This glimpse is not for the faint of heart. The story gradually unfolds as a variety of characters come…and go. This book is told from the third person, and shifts from one character to another before going back to O’Keefe.
The point of the varying shifts to and from different characters is to give readers a tiny glimpse into various scenes from another POV. These shifts in the story are typically at crucial moments before the author flits the story away back to O’Keefe leaving you to piece together the drama unfolding in the previous scene. Or to leave you wondering what is going to happen next? In some instances, you’ll wonder – what will O’Keefe come back to find?
This, of course, will ultimately drive you to dig deeper into the storyline to learn what happens next. With a few well-placed hints the author guides the reader’s imagination to what is about to happen. Unfortunately, not every character is going to get that same hint and tragedy ultimately strikes.
For readers who are looking for the title of the story to tie into the storyline, the author accomplishes this twice. The first time, you won’t really catch the meaning of what the author’s intent is. However, the second time that title ties to the story, that’s when it’s really going to hit you. You’re going to realize just how poignantly it all connects together.
Mink Eyes is a suspenseful novel packed with drama, thrills, hints of romance, and so much more. You get money laundering, drugs, and murder all mixed together. Who is the mysterious “Mr. Canada”? Where has Lenny Parker disappeared off to? What is the real story behind Mr. Parker’s wife, Tag Parker?
Mink Eyes is packed with questions. The primary questions? Who is “Mr. Canada” and “What is going to happen next?” O’Keefe is going to be ensnared in more ways than one. But one particular ensnarement will be the one that leads O’Keefe down a dangerous path. Author Flanigan will paint O’Keefe as having highs and lows throughout this book. There will be more lows than highs, but as you read the story you’ll understand exactly why.
The way that Mink Eyes is written it comes off as a realistic story. The various situations and the escalations. The breakdowns of certain characters as they devolve due to paranoia, drug usage or simply thinking that they know better. There will be the occasional situation where it plays out the way that you hope, but those will be few and far between. We take little to no issue with this because it further enhances the story.
As Mink Eyes draws to a close, don’t forget this one thing. This book? It’s just the beginning of Pete O’Keefe’s story. This book will draw to a bittersweet close. O’Keefe will probably struggle further with the things that he has been through, but at the end of the day – his story? It’s not over, and he’s been given a second chance at life.
Not everyone is going to like how O’Keefe is depicted as a flawed character. When he allows his fleshly lust to get in the way of a job, it puts everything at risk. Many will view it as a stupid rookie move – allowing yourself to become involved with someone whom you are supposed to be investigating. However, once you can get past this “dislike” you’ll be able to see how it all blends together toward the bigger picture.
Looking for a gripping suspense novel that will keep you coming back for more? Looking for a story that paints the pages with realistic characters? Want something that promises you a deeper storyline that goes beyond the first book? Then don’t miss out on reading Mink Eyes, book one in author Dan Flanigan’s Peter O’Keefe series.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Page-turner
- Realistic characters
- Twisted
- More to come
Cons:
- None of merit
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