Book Review: Painless

Fiction/Action Adventure

Painless

Bill Poje

Xlibris

2008

978-1-4363-7048-6

In Bill Poje's novel, Painless, there actually exists quite a bit of pain. Beginning with a robbery and multiple deaths as a result, the book is a constantly moving train of activity with a full cast of characters carting loads of emotional baggage.

When Augustus Valentine, president of Trove Import-Export in South Florida, is attacked and robbed, he thinks the only booty the thieves made off with was a stash of precious jewels he has smuggled into the United States with a legitimate shipment. This is the jump start of Augustus' entry deep into the world of organized crime in which his uncle, Mark Kledas, is a significant player.

As Augustus learns about all of the items stolen in the heist, he embarks on a search of the goods, discovers who the thieves are, and works towards getting himself a bigger piece of the deal.

Painless is rife with violence and back story. Initially, the author's approach to presenting the history of his characters is confusing. Poje drops the reader in the middle of a past event that is already in progress. This technique demands that the reader quickly catch-up. Fortunately, the author is able to tie the history and current events together, all while moving the action along at a 100 mph.

Augustus is driven by the tragic deaths of his parents and his adored wife. As he chases after the bad guys, old scars are peeled away and he is enlightened about parts of his past that he never knew existed.

Poje has a knack for handling multiple characters and plots. His habit of excessive detail often threatens the pace of the story, but he manages to retain a firm grasp of the readers' attention.

Painless is a super-charged crime novel that action addicts will love.

Melissa Levine

for

Independent Professional Book Reviewers