Dry Heat by Len Joy

Intense, thought provoking, impactful story that I could not put down…totally engrossing from beginning to end!

What I liked:
* Joey: athlete, high school senior, intelligent, typical in many ways of young men his age, has a brilliant future ahead of him…until his world abruptly changes.
* Mallory: young girl in high school, difficult family situation, friend of Joey’s, likable, facing a difficult situation
* That Joey’s family seemed a cohesive loving supportive unit…though they were also human
* Lua: a good friend of Joey’s who stood with him through thick and thin
* The writing, era, setting, plot and character development
* That it made me think and feel while seeming all too believable
* The growth and changes in both Joey and Mallory
* That it wasn’t polished and pretty but rather nitty gritty and at times dark…but not too dark
* Thinking about whether or not there is really justice when people go to court
* That not everybody who was bad was entirely evil just as not everyone good was perfect
* Joey’s lists, his personal rules, and his solutions to situations toward the end of the book
* That there was hope at the end of the story…and thinking about what might happen to the characters after that last page of the book.

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that justice is not always meted out fairly and it may happen more often than we realize

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and BQB for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

First, I wish to thank Anna Sacca from FSB Associates for offering me the chance to read and review this crime novel. As always, I am happy to do so, here are my thoughts.

The story chronicles how an Arizona teenager’s life changed for ever after an innocent night of fun turned solemn. On his 18th birthday Joey Blade celebrated with his new girlfriend Wendy and TJ Grimes, a pot dealer, at a bonfire party, when it exploded sending embers into the crowd, the trio took off, speeding away by car. When a gun goes off in a police shootout and TJ did a disappearing act, Joey left behind is tossed in jail accused of shooting police officers. What was supposed to be a promising career was then dashed. Then the story revolved around Joey dealing with court proceedings, rekindling things with Mallory, his old girlfriend.

The second half of the book depicts Joey as an adult with unfinished business. All along the narrative Joey emerges as a character to root for. His freedom did not come easy he needed help from Chico Torres, a drug lord he met in jail. Was that a good choice?....

What a melodrama we read. It shows how in the blink of an eye someone’s life can change. This gritty story full of danger, betrayal, love and loss escalates after a leisurely opening into a fast-paced action. I couldn’t help but to turn pages nonstop, this dynamic story is so exciting. Mr. Joy seamlessly weaves complex relationship and relevant issues such as teenage pregnancy and young adult drama into a full tilt plot populated with unforgettable characters.

“Dry heat “, is a compelling drama I definitely recommend. ( )