Mercy, Mercy, David Rosenfelt's DEAD CENTER has been requested by Martha to be placed in her rotating pile of books to read.....Let's see if it makes it through Martha's very strict rule: Make the Case in 50 Pages or You're Trash!
I started reading the David Resenfelt books when his latest was recommended on a sports radio show. It only took me reading through four of his books before I found anything sports related.
The main character and his cast of friends appear in all the books. Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who is very self effacting. He loves to watch sports but only if he bets small wagers on the games. Somewhere in one of the books is the best explanation of the point spread that bookies use to encourage betting.
Back to Dead Center. Andy Carpenter travels to Finlay, Wisconsin to help defend an innocent young man accused of two murders. The murdered girls are from a community called Center City. I am guessing that Center City is a community of 10,000. The entire city worships The Centurian Religion.....and here is where the sarcism of Rosenfelt's previous books moves beyond sarcasm and into satire.
The Centurian religion revolves around decisions that are made by spinning a giant wheel on which there are symbols. The Keeper of the Wheel is the person who interprets what these symbols mean when the wheel is spun. The Keeper serves for life. Every decision of every person is dependent on the decisions of this wheel. Yet, the town is oddly content, even happy and peaceful.
Rosenfeld writes, "...the townspeople have achieved a serenity and bizarre freedom of choice in their choosing to give up that freedom (to the wheel). What I can't grasp....is the level of devotion that these people seem to have."
I think if I were a hip college or high school teacher I would assign this book and start a dialog.
If there weren't so many book nazi's in book clubs, maybe they too could enjoy discussion about books less lofty than many that they choose.
I have one more David Rosenfelt book to read. It has the ridiculous title, BURY THE LEAD. I'm certain I'll enjoy it too.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathy Albers
