Reviewed by Cels Jansink
When the body of a famous Hollywood director is found covered in an occult tattoo and embalmed in the cement floor of his own film set, N.T.A trainee Kannon Dupree is hired to return to 1939 to find out just who put him there. Unfortunately, this particular director had a habit of making enemies where ever he went and the list of suspects is long and Kannon’s time short. While on the set of “Gone with the Wind” and mixing with Hollywood’s elite, she stumbles across a disturbing mystery with its roots stretching all the way back to the Civil War. Among the bright lights and superstars, Kannon must decipher the truth before its too late, after all, time travel can be murder, as any time-travelling detective knows only too well.
“Hoodwink” is the second in the “Kannon Dupree- Timestalker” series and has certainly taken the drama to a whole new level. This series combines the best of the mystery genre with an added dash of sci-fi and the supernatural to constantly keep your heart racing and mind puzzling.
The plot is an absolute twisting and turning delight and the cast of characters so diverse and realistic, you’ll feel you’ve jumped the portal right along with Kannon. I found myself so deeply immersed in the action and unwinding mystery that I had a hard time putting it down. I could have quite happily climbed into the pages and given Kannon a helping hand myself; I was on tenterhooks the whole journey. Not only is this so vividly rich and high- octane level drama, there was just something so deeply compelling about the playground Roberts’ has created, I wanted in on grilling those suspects too.
Roberts’ has paid great attention to detail of not only the Civil War but Gone with the Wind as well. Even if you have no idea about that period or the story, details have been interwoven with such skill that you will emerge from the story feeling enlightened and impressed by the realism it adds to the plot.
Gone with the Wind is still such an iconic film and literary creation and the array of stars from the period such as Gable, Leigh and Lombard are still names that are recognised today. I was a little apprehensive that the central mystery would get a little lost behind all the glitz and glamour. I worried about absolutely nothing. Roberts’ has created not only a striking and strong “voiced” lead who grabs a hold of the reader’s attention and keeps you thick of the action right from the beginning, but she has woven the golden age of Hollywood into a stunning setting without overshadowing our quest one bit.
This truly is mystery at its finest and Kannon a fresh new breed of P.I. I would ideally recommended you read the first of Kannon’s adventures- “Gladiatrix” for Kannon’s full backstory and to understand our lead’s motives all the more, but at the same time they both stand on their own as independent reads.
Hoodwink is a definite 5/5 star read and I can’t wait to see where Kannon leads us next.
Hoodwink- Rhonda Roberts
Harper Voyager
ISBN:978-0-7322-8856-3
562 Pages
