I discovered this book through the CA Center for the Book's Mysterious California Book-Club-in-a-Box program. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of the Mystery genre--but you don't need to be in order to enjoy Shell Games. The story is propelled not so much by "who done it" and the crimes involved as by the character of John Marquez, former DEA agent and current member of the CA Dept of Fish and Game. The DFG angle might sound gimmicky (at least before the recent real-life tragic events concerning Chris Dorner and the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife), but once you learn more about Marquez's backstory, his involvement with the DFG makes perfect sense. Even though Russell writes this book in third-person narration, his prose has a very first-person narrative feel. He has a real talent for capturing voices; not only Marquez's but many of the secondary characters--especially Davies and Bailey (informants), and Maria, his step-daughter. I enjoyed Russell's rich and insightful writing style so much that I'd love to read a novelized prequel of Marquez's backstory--even though the major points are interwoven (seamlessly) into this novel. The climactic confrontation between Marquez and the primary antagonist in this novel is refreshingly organic to the story and completely true to Marquez's character. Devoid of macho bravado, Marquez does something requiring so much guts and nerve that I felt my own stomach knotting up as I read the scene. Can't wait to read Night Game, the next book in the Marquez series.
The actual main storyline of Shell Games is quite good, and I really liked the character of Marquez. However, there is a lot of detail and extra scenes that not only don't add to the story but tend to bog it down. In addition, Marquez's personal life is made too complex: his first wife was brutally murdered in Africa, his second wife doesn't know if she can/wants to stay with him, her teenage daughter is developing anorexia. It was just too much, and the resolution is too pat at the end for the complexity. I may try another of the Marquez stories, as I did like the main case very much, and often the first in the series is a little rough.
What do You think about Shell Games (2003)?
Shell Game's John Marquez doesn't sit behind a desk with a bottle of scotch in the drawer and a dearth of clients until a long-legged curvaceous woman enters his tiny office and needs his help. But in Marquez, a former DEA man turned Fish and Wildlife agent who tracks abalone poachers with the same single-mindedness he once reserved for drug dealers, author Kirk Russell channels just the right amount of noir detective—Marquez is a big, tough guy who can deliver one-liners with authority, but with much more going on inside than he lets on. Agent Marquez is given plenty to cope with in Shell Games, as this is a dense and complex thriller without a wasted word. It's also a clever whodunnit—although there is the requisite evil nemesis (albeit with a relatable and tragic past) it's not clear whether he is responsible for the current drama. There are multiple suspects and clues to be solved. The action scenes are clean, clear and transportive; there is graphic violence, but it's never gratuitous and doesn't dominate, instead serving the larger plot. Softer moments are equally well-crafted: lovers and friends are convincingly drawn. Always glad to discover a new series—I'm off to buy the second book now. Altogether, brilliantly done.
—Kris Calvin
