Book Review: Flat Spin by David Freed

My Book Retreat

Cordell Logan is a flight instructor in Rancho Bonita, CA. His money is dwindling as he loses the only student he has. Then his ex-wife calls to tell him about her husband’s murder. She wants Logan to tell the police about his secret past with her husband, Arlo Echevarria, the very man who stole his wife from him years ago. He baulks at her request until her rich daddy provides a little more incentive. But the police laugh when he tells them about how he and Echevarria were part of a top-secret military operation, figuring he’s making up the story. So Logan gets pulled into figuring out who killed Echevarria himself.

Flat Spin by David Freed is a fun mystery from start to finish. I will admit when I first started reading it, I thought the overuse of metaphors and analogies would bother me. But then I got used to Cordell Logan’s voice, and I really started to like him. He’s not only struggling financially, but being thrust back into his ex-wife’s life has brought back old feelings and resentments over losing her to his ex-boss, Echevarria. Plus he’s trying very hard to be a good Buddhist, but he seems to have a long way to go!

Freed did a great job with the other characters as well. I loved his landlord, the 80-year old Mrs. Schmulowitz. The cops he meets with, his students, his wife, Savannah, and her father and his cohorts, are all unique, interesting characters. I really enjoyed Logan’s interactions with them, and hearing not only what he says to them but also what he’s thinking.

Overall, Flat Spin was a fun, engaging novel that provided a lot of mystery and intrigue, as well as plenty of humor along the way.

My Rating: 4/5

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This review was written based on a copy of Flat Spin that I received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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