This fast-paced, hard-hitting thriller first looks like a simple open-and-shut suicide case but quickly turns into an intricate plot of set-ups, cover-ups, and pre-meditated murder.
I think this novel may be best summed up in the author's own words, as spoken by one of the characters on p.356: 'I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little preachy.'
Some Christians, perhaps many, will enjoy The Lasko Interview. I believe it was written for them, but for me it was definitely too preachy and too trite. It was an avalanche of cliches from the cookie cutter villain named Flint (no one could fail to make the connection to pornography tycoon Larry Flint) to the saccharine sweet 'perfect people' who only have to speak and do something nice and outsiders see Jesus in them. I know that can and should happen, but in this book it was too easy, too convenient.
In fact, the whole plot seemed to serve as a vehicle for attempted proselytization. Even when things 'heated up, ' in the narrative, the author felt the need to take us to a Bible study and quote scriptures. Parts of the novel read like discipleship classes. All of which I agree with by the way. I'm a Christian. Theologically speaking, The Lasko Interview is solid, but it's supposed to be a novel.
I can't speak about the intentions of the author, but I felt a potentially good story was undercooked - it lacked tension, and diluted by excessive explicit Christianity. I became irritated at times while reading this novel and began skipping sections because I wanted the story, not a bible study.
The Lasko Interview is not terrible - solid theology and an interesting, intriguing plot (that was the only thing which kept me reading), but overall, it was very disappointing for me as a reader and a Christian.
Another good one by Clay Jacobsen! A great combo of developing a relationship with Jesus and a great Krimi, this time without the hero Mark Taylor, but just as good!