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Jude McManus has bad memories of his childhood. He was a teenager when his father and two of his fellow Chicago police officers were arrested for taking revenge on and stealing from drug dealers. His parents divorced, his sister left and Jude had to deal with the negative publicity of his father's actions. Jude's father later killed himself and Jude went into the bodyguard/protection business in order to provide a sense of worth. He is working for a hydrologist in El Salvador when Bill Malvasio, one of his father's friends, contacts him. Malvasio wants to clear up some of the misconceptions of the past as well as ask a favor. As Malvasio fled the country to escape charges, he is unable to return to the US. He would like Jude to find Bill Strock, the third police officer, and bring him back to El Salvador. Jude agrees to help even though the situation does not seem to be as Malvasio claims. El Salvador is a very corrupt country and its corruption has already affected his own life. The fact that Malvasio has incredibly close connections with very dangerous players means that Jude is at risk. Even though Jude is able to bring Strock into El Salvador, he is unable to walk away from the situation. In fact, Jude must put his own life at risk to protect his beliefs and his own life. In additional to threats to his physical well-being, Jude must also deal with the threats Strock and Malvasio present to his memories of his father and his own past. In addition to these two men, Jude must deal with Eileen. She is an American in El Salvador studying its remains. Eileen is also an activist working to bring democracy to El Salvador. These two tasks occasionally are counter-productive, yet Eileen is determined to do her best. When she learns of the disappearance of an old woman who complained about village conditions, she finds herself forced to deal with Jude and several dangerous criminals. While her place in his life is not secure, Jude feels obligated to assist her with her own struggles. BLOOD OF PARADISE is a very dark book. It is dark both in the sense that the characters have inner and outer demons as well as the location of the book. All of the characters have troubled pasts and find themselves frequently involved in cruelty, both mental and physical. None of the character who appear in this book are truly innocent bystanders in the violence that goes on around them. El Salvador is full of heartbreaking poverty, corrupt government officials and powerful criminals. Throughout the book are examples of the horrors El Salvadorans must face including forced prostitution, death and starvation. In general, books that are as dark as BLOOD OF PARADISE are not books that I enjoy. While I am still uncomfortable with the darkness and despair found within this story, this book was not without its redeeming features. Corbett is able to provide an extra dimension to a story that has the potential of seeming stereotypical or one-dimensional. His characters are all flawed so those wishing to overcome adversity must work harder than most. This struggle provides the depth needed to overcome some of the negativity of the book. While I would not recommend this book to fans of cozy, lighthearted mysteries, borderline readers as well as noir fans could enjoy it.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, February 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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