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Sunday, October 18, 2009

Murder in the Magick Club by Byron A. Lorrier, Esq.

Publisher: Booksurge
Pages: 354

From the Publisher: “Pure porn!” the critics cry. “Throw it on the fire!” Murder in the Magick Club is an occult-themed murder mystery; perfect for your next banned-book bonfire. Murder in the Magick Club takes place in the exotic, faraway land of Tampa, Florida and offers an insider’s exposé of the “Salem of the South” . . . written straight from the spleen. Murder in the Magick Club is the first in a series wherein the victim needs killin’ and the murderer always gets away with it . . . maybe. All of the characters—moochy customers, cops, self-absorbed and wastrel staff, and the impotent, financially longsuffering owner of the Magick Club—are always ready with an easy bit of slander and perhaps an easy bit of murder. Murder in the Magick Club is a ripping good read to grab on the way to the beach, or to help set just-the-right-tone before the reader jumps off the Skyway Bridge. Perfect to curl up with a steaming hot cup of mugwort tea, a bottle or two of merlot, the beer bong &/or the hashish-stoked hookah.

Bryn Thomas is a down on his luck bar owner. The name of his club 'The Magick Club' (because real magic is spelled with a 'k') is meant to attract other of a similar nature. Those looking for a little magic in their lives. Unfortunately, those who seek magic for real are often those living on the fringe of society. The losers, the pimps, the people who are different from everyone else. The criminals and shysters work for Bryn, and once they get their hooks in him, he can't let them go.

Bryn is a little psychic, seeing his past lives, and his thieving employees tend to be a little as well. The whole story centers around the owner and the thugs he lives with (thugs being his employees and customers). It seems everyone who frequents this club is one step away from disaster. And the topping glory of it all is a death that takes place somewhere in the area of the club. Is it murder, an old drunk who has fallen and cracked his skull, or is there something else at work in the Magick Club?

Murder in the Magick Club by Bryon A. Lorrier, Esq. is a very long read. From the title one would believe that either the story is a mystery or urban fantasy with mystery elements. It is neither. I can't say there was exactly a hero or heroine in the story. Bryn's existence sucks, there's no other way to put it. He hates his life and everyone in it. He hates the cowans that exist in the world (for those of us not in the know a cowan is an unwelcome non-Pagan intruder. Non-craft person, an outsider. Term also used by freemasons to describe the same type of person. A person not of Wiccan beliefs. It is used to refer, as a derogatory term, for a 'fake' or 'gameplayer' Pagan; a FOOL who doesn't know what they are talking about - thanks Global Oneness - so I did learn something.) To make his life even more miserable that it was, he can remember everything about his past lives, knows how each existence was a failure and how he died over and over again without happiness, and this life will be no different. He's already seen his death. He gravitates to those with some psychic ability, not that he enjoys them or himself much. Heroine, none that I could discern. This is mostly a study of Bryn life and it's sadness.

Murder in the Magick Club is a book about the human condition, it full of character studies, all the underbelly elements of society are covered. So if you enjoy lengthy monologues and diatribes about the human condition, this is the book for you. If your looking for a mystery or urban fantasy, look elsewhere. There were a couple of moments that garnered a laugh or two. But I can say with certainty, this was not my cup of tea. I have read several very complimentary reviews of this book, so I know others really enjoyed this book and the characters found within, it may be that the problem is with me and what I was looking for and not finding within the pages. Many have called it a book of dark humor, seedy entertainment, and it is; and as I said there are humorous moments throughout the book. I will say it was an interesting read. I could not locate a website for this author, but the book is available at various locations. For more information try NewsWire.com. Blogger News and Maymays Memos have a very complimentary reviews.

I received this book for review from the author and all opinions expressed are my own.

14 comments:

Chris said...

Thanks for the review - this sounds like one that might have tempted me by title, but would've turned out to be not my thing, either.

Unknown said...

Hi Chris!

It was billed as a mystery and I thought that it would be an interesting fun read. The elements of paranormal are few and far between, and the mystery turns out to be not so mysterious. I thought the cover art was supposed to be a chest of some kind, with maybe treasures to be found within, but instead it's the dumpster!!! Totally true.

Dottie :)

Chris said...

Ok, that's weird, weird, weird about the cover art.

Oh, wanted to congratulate you about your win at Suburban Vampire. Lucky you!

Unknown said...

Hey Chris!

Thanks for letting me know! Woohoo! I love Blood Ties! I just spent Friday with the Syfy channel playing in the background because they were playing Moonlight all day. Now I can watch Blood Ties (I'll have season 1 and 2 now). I'm going to look for Moonlight on DVD. So love Mick!!

I've been mostly offline this weekend, trying to catch up on my reading. Too bad I didn't enjoy it more. And I want to try the NaNoWriMo in November, so I'll really be out of the loop trying to write 1600 words per day (I don't know what I was thinking!!)

Thanks again!!

Dottie :)

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Hey Dottie! Well, thank you for your honest review. Sorry it was not your cup of tea though.
I do agree with Chris though... The title is great... but I am not sure I would like it though.
A dumpster, WTH?! That is strange!
Well, I hope you had a great weekend!
Love ya honey!

Blodeuedd said...

Great and honest review Dottie.
I am not sure about the dark humour, dunno of that is me either

Lea said...

Yikes... Um, okay I don't think this one is my cuppa Dottie.

Thank you for your great and honest review.

Best
L

Byron A. Lorrier, Esq. said...

ty for your review & feedback, which is well-thought-out & helpful
i'm always curious what reviewers think, so again ty
here is a radio blog i just did: http://www.bloggernews.net/122552
i'm working on the sequel & then my third, vampire book, which will deviate, too
http://www.murderinthemagickclub.blogspot.com/
all the best-- b

Unknown said...

Hi Cecile!

No, this one was not for me, but it did have some funny parts that caused me to laugh out loud. I just couldn't like the characters, now I don't have to love the characters, but I definitely need to like them.

Hope you weekend was great too sweetie!

Dottie :)

Unknown said...

Hi B!

If you enjoy dark humor, then this is a book for you. If you've seen the movie The Cable Guy, slightly harsher than that. It did have some truly funny parts. Maybe it was a little too 'real' life for me, lol. People can be really nasty.

Dottie :)

Unknown said...

Hi Lea!

No romance, not a book for you. It does describe the desperation of this club owner's life though exactly, and that's what kept me reading. It is very dark humor, and you need to be able to see the humor through the trees. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

Dottie :)

Unknown said...

Hello Mr. Lorrier

I did enjoy parts of your book, and it wasn't a bad experience. It just wasn't what I was expecting. It took a bit for me to get the darkness of the humor, which you do very well. I'll take a peek at your vampire book when it comes out, I love dark brooding vampires. Actually, I can like almost any vampire.

Thanks again for sending your book.

Dottie :)

Teddyree said...

Appreciate your honesty Dottie and I trust your judgement, I think our tastes are similar so I might pass on this one for now!

Unknown said...

Hi Teddyree!

I don't think this would be your cup of tea. Not really a paranormal, although it did have paranormal aspects. Not really a mystery, though a murder did occur and was solved by the end of the book. More a study of humans and their existence in Bryn's life.

Dottie :)

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