Flight of the Tarantula Hawk Book Review
- Angel Ramon
- Nov 2, 2017
- 2 min read
Review By: Elaine Emmerick
1. Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carla Simon is a real estate agent. Lance Underphal is a photographer who has premonitions. Lacey Friends-Salmon is a reporter and Frank's wife. Frank Salmon is a detective in the Violent Crimes Bureau. Paul Hernandez is a loan officer. Jake Jacobs is a Private Investigator. Darlene Tacker is the HR Director at America One Bank. Jim Clayton is a real estate owner/investor. 2. Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carla Simon is returning to her job as a real estate agent after a leave of absence. She was seeing Dr. Manson and had electroconvulsive therapy. She doesn't feel like she's ready to go back to work but thinks it may help her. She has an appointment with a buyer in Paradise Valley. Lance Underphal is dreaming of a large jet black wasp with orange wings - a Tarantula Hawk and it's headed for him. He gets stung by the wasp and he's paralyzed. It was a nightmare of symbols. His dead wife Sonja talks to him, telling him that the police are going to need his help. Lacey calls Lance to meet her at a crime scene in Paradise Valley. Lance meets with Lacey and Detective Frank Salmon at a house that was foreclosed. A woman has been killed; Lance tells Lacey that the woman is still here, she's confused and doesn't know that she's dead. The woman is Carla Simon, poisoned by a lethal Botox injection. Lance continues to have premonitions of the Tarantula Hawk, getting her nest ready. There's a second victim but Lance can't tell who it is. Paul Hernandez is a loan officer and is seeing a psychiatrist too. Something has happened at work and he is on his way home. But he has a stop to make; a buyer interested in a foreclosed home. He arrives but no one is there. He feels two needles jab his back then a prick on his neck... Lance knows that the two victims were killed by the same person - it's a woman. But who could it be? 3. Writing Structure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Michael has a way of weaving the story into something amazing. His attention to detail is excellent; how he describes Lance's visions to how the characters interact with each other. The storyline grabs you and you can't let go! 4. Ending ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The ending is outstanding and unexpected! Lance continues to have visions and migraines. He knows there will be a third murder. He tells Frank and Jake but they don't get to the victim in time. In the meantime, Sonja is showing Lance that even though the body dies, the spirit is very much alive...just like her. Lance learns so much from Sonja; mainly about himself. As the story continues, you think you know who the killer is but in the end it's someone unexpected! I was totally blown away!! 5. Overall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is the second book in the Lance Underphal series. Michael's stories get better and better! I like how he wrote and included the subject of mental illness to his fictional story. I could not read this book fast enough! It's a 10 star read!! You've done it again, Michael!
