Reviewer: Michael Smith
Title: The Ronnie Gene
Author: Jon Mills
Publisher: Gale/Five Star
ISBN-13: 978-1432825164
Release Date: November 2011
Genre/Sub-genre: Suspense
Year/Setting: Present day/Chicago
Overall Rating: 3.25
Sexual Content Rating: Sensual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Moderate
Jon's Website/Blog: www.jonmillsauthor.com
The story begins with the murder of Pete (Tilden). Who committed the crime? What were they searching for? What was the goal?
Then the reader is introduced to Stanley and his best friend, Dave Mosit. They formed Jamos & Mosit Inc, a Private Investigator business, a means for medical insurance. This is necessary since both of them have medical conditions. Stanley deals with Parkinson’s while Dave is affected by Alzheimer’s disease. One of the side effects of Stanley’s medication is that it seems that everyone is spying on them. A usual comment they hear when others learn they are PI’s is to trust no one. These sentiments are words to live by.
The story revolves around four former college fraternity buddies (Pete, Nick, Dave & Stanley) over a two week period. Everyone but Nick worked for Stanley’s father company, Jamos & Company. When the company failed; Stanley, Dave and Pete were counting on a Jamos asset called Homebase to raise them out of debt. Out of the blue, Ronnie Dumat, an old girlfriend of Stanley, appears. She hires Stanley and Dave to investigate and find Pete’s business notes to aid in the selling of Homebase. This leads Stanley on a confusing search in which much of his personal relationships are dragged up and re-examined. Some of the revelations about Ronnie’s past were surprising. Also how his friends treated him with Ronnie was surprising. I have never been associated with a fraternity, but Jon Mills’ description makes me glad of that.
The police add another complication for Stanley and Dave as they investigate to find the responsible party in Pete’s death. It seemed that everything that could go wrong for Stanley did. I found myself pulling for him and Dave, but every revelation (Ronnie, embezzlement, insurance fraud, money laundering) was like another nail in the coffin for Stanley. The last few chapters provide a surprising revelation of a betrayal of friends and lovers. Though at the last there is a hope of unrequited love for Stanley. This is a first novel from Jon Mills, but he created characters that you root for. Stanley redeems himself & Dave as detectives, the overall theme of The Ronnie Gene is "Don’t trust anyone!"” I will gladly read future mysteries for Stanley to unravel in Chicago.
Michael
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