Parts Unknown

Kevin Brennan

I am a little more than half-way through a book titled "Parts Unknown" by Kevin Brennan. This title received five stars on Amazon and a very good review in the New York Times book review. I started the book and my first thoughts were, that this wasn't for me. For some reason I stuck with it and have been more than rewarded for doing so. Brennan tells his story from the various views points of all of his characters. I always tend to get a little "edgy" when a male writer attempts to enter the female mind ( don't know why as female authors go there with the men all the time) but Brennan does this with wonderful results. His women are somewhat gritty and hard around the edges but they are truly memorable. His men are tough but he is able to incorporate enough soul into their character to make them less than despicable. The story is set in Northern California ranching country. It is easy to associate the great state of California with Hollywood, Los Angles and the fast paced life style it has come to be known by, Brennan reminds us of the the "other" California. Ranchers, farmers and the rough scramble living of the open range. The premise of the story is one man's return to what he fled from thirty years prior to the beginning of the book. This is not a "girly" book and I don't think I could recommend this to most of my book groups. If I were still hand selling books I'd target the reader that isn't looking for any sugar coating. I'm enjoying this about as much as Spragg and Vanderhaege. Glad I didn't DB so fast this time :>)))