Thoughts on California Girl

I finished this book over the previous weekend. It turned out to be a good cop story with some twists and turns.

Initially, with its initial feud between two sets of brothers, it reminds me a bit of the OK corral feud between the Earps and the Clantons. The brothers-against-brothers theme faded as the story progressed. Actually, it was a sister that came to the center of the story. Also, the story ultimately followed three brothers from one family. One became a cop, one a reporter, and one a preacher. A fourth brother died in the early years of the conflict in Vietnam. It was the interplay between these brothers through the decades, and their relationship to the sister of the other family (who was gruesomely murdered) that comprised the story. It spanned the 60s to roughly the present.

This book reminded me a bit of Kem Nunn's books in its portrayal of the darker, inland side of California. It also contained an interesting portrayal of the John Birch Society and conservative Nixon California. (Nixon was actually a minor character in the book.) It was actually a rather neutral portrayal I've not seen before. Also, of course, it portrayed the cultural turbulence of the 60s. Timothy Leary had an interesting bit part, as did Charlie Manson.

One hesitatant criticism I have of the book is its style. Written mostly in fragmentary sentences. Never read a book composed almost entirely of sentence fragments. "Went to the store." "Thought of his grandmother." Pretty terse. A bit annoying at times, but not a deal-breaker.

I'd recommend the book to mystery/crime lovers. I will likely hunt down more of this author's books.