Review of Mike Henry and William Henry’s novel, The Ride Along
By Christine Maynard
The Ride Along, co-authored by Mike and William Henry, is fresh fiction. You’ll find one of a kind characters and brisk action from beginning to end. The story unfolds in labyrinths of the Vieux Carre and takes the reader on a romp from OPP, the Orleans Parish Prison, to crypt like chapels with voodou as well as arcane, apothecary accoutrements.
Jake Banks pursues and is pursued by the darkest element imaginable, murderers imbued with occult powers, reinforced by ritual, divination and spells. The Santeria lineage holder, Sorcerer Torres, a.k.a. Brujo, is determined to oust “The Other” from landed gentry all around good guy, Jake Banks, from Sunshine, Mississippi.
Jake is well educated, well trained and connected, yet against Brujo his only amulet seems to be his basic goodness. A secret ally, the head of Domestic Operations Group, as deus ex machina, does comes in handy. He appears in the nick of time, repeatedly, assisting Jake and his father.
Jake is quickly provided in the opening chapter with the opportunity to test his training. He learns to rely on himself and his instincts in this suspense filled thriller. His physical prowess and mental conditioning are put to the test, repeatedly. The narrative lens is sharply focused. The writers are well versed in legal hierarchies, political histories, gang activity and cults. The reader is invited to peer behind the scenes into the often clandestine inner workings of the judicial system. (Mike Henry was a prosecutor and District Attorney, and William Henry has experience in law enforcement specializing in gang activity.)
This well-crafted novel places likeable Jake in jeopardy and peril at every turn. The unpredictability of the situations in which he finds himself, just when it appears the coast is clear, bonds the reader to Jake causing us to root for him time and again. Jake has integrity. He is moral without being didactic. And his wry sense of humor in the face of near annihilation gives him an Indiana Jones allure.
The anti hero, Brujo, possesses deadly confidence and super human skills which convince his followers to do his bidding. They believe he holds the secrets of Santaria and the power of Santa Muerte. Brujo the Sorcerer is Darkness personified. Jake’s “steeped in tradition and morals” upbringing, youth and fitness make him shine with vitality . His presence informs us that good will prevail. And then, it nearly doesn’t.
A favorite character, introduced in an earlier Willie Mitchell Banks novel, is the weight challenged Jimmy Gray, a loyal family friend and banker, who is a bit OCD when it comes to his oyster ritual at Felix’s in the Quarter. He is a gem and another juxtaposition; as the novel turns on its axis, Gray’s hunger for physical sustenance mirrors characteristics of Brujo’s right hand man, Big Demon. He has an insatiable hunger for spiritual sustenance, albeit evil.
Brujo also feeds a hunger; he craves his trance states more and more, and drinks “tea” from a wine skein down by the Mississippi. Even Willie Mitchell floats at time in a void, “an empty black hole. I am no more,” when he suffers petit mal seizures.
Existentialism, the underbelly of society, and French Quarter impenetrable mysteries are presented from vantage points grounded in context and normalcy. Eerie scenes punctuate pages of the The Ride Along even though the familiarity of exact locations of intersection and places of business provides a false sense of security about that which seems routine.
Moma Cobas, Brujo’s grandmother who raised him from infancy, is expertly trained in herbs, spells and potions, which she learned in her earlier life in Cuba. Jake’s mother is the quintessential Southern Belle, who teaches his FBI girlfriend, Kitty, how to place the silver for a formal setting. Kitty’s mother and Brujo’s real mother are only alluded to as they are driven to insanity before the story takes place. (Brujo’s mother is named Luna.)
There is the fleshy banker with a voracious appetite and the flesh eating Brujo, who rips a hole with his incisors in a prisoner’s chest to loose The Other, an evil spirit he felt must be exorcised. He recognizes this same spirit in Jake. Willie Banks is unable to protect his son, and the outcome is irrevocable. Brujo and Big Demon kidnap Jake as Willie Mitchell Banks lies on the floor, impotent, having a seizure.
“We must first exorcise the Other.” Brujo later informs a bound and tortured Jake. Jake’s wry response is “ Tell me who he is and I’ll get rid of him myself.”
The Ride Along is witty and incisive, with characters I hope to meet again.
Jake chooses to quench his thirst while a captive, w/ the only thing “wet,” a brew of psychoactive tea, which creates the additional burden of hallucinating transparent white alligators with emerald pulsating centers while fighting for his life. The jaguar headdress and red codpiece outfitting his opponent are real, as are the obsidian swords.
The Ride Along is tantalizing, and a great read. Expect the unexpected in every arena. And keep looking over your shoulder! The only thing not surprising is that in the end, true love prevails.
THE RIDE ALONG may be purchased in trade paperback or e-book format at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other distributors. Check out www.henryandhenrybooks.com and click on the covers for links to their novels’ distributors.