Date of Review:

11/18/2007

Published Work:

HEAD GAMES

Reviewer:

Eddie Muller

Source:

San Francisco Chronicle

Review Excerpt:

Craig McDonald, a genuine expert on the history of crime fiction (with a wonderful book of author interviews, "Art in the Blood," to prove it), gives free rein to all his obsessions in a debut novel that's a berserk 1957-based caper running roughshod through the politics and pop culture of the latter half of the 20th century. His hero, Hec Lassiter, a pulp fiction writer, gets caught up in plot involving Ivy League skulduggery (yes, the Bush family appears), Mexican federales and revolutionaries and an assortment of real-life icons (Hemingway, Dietrich, Welles) - all whipped into a violent, frothing frenzy. McDonald stomps hard enough on the gas that there's no time to reflect on the preciousness of it all. Strap in, hold on, enjoy the ride.

Link to Full Review:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/18/RVIGT8T0K.DTL