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Allen Choice #2
Underkill
Edgy and as engrossing as Leonard Chang’s acclaimed debut crime novel Over the Shoulder , Underkill finds Korean American investigator Allen Choice on a case that becomes as much a personal journey as an exploration of murder and its harrowing consequences.
Two years have passed since Allen examined his late partner's death in San Francisco, which eventually exposed secrets about the death of Allen's immigrant father twenty years earlier, with the help of journalist and girlfriend Linda Maldonado. Now Allen follows Linda down to Los Angeles—and into the unfamiliar world of illegal raves and small-time drug dealers—to uncover the details of her brother's unexpected and suspicious death, hoping to repair their deteriorating relationship and aiding her as she once helped him.
Underkill is a dark and riveting look at the mysteries of families and relationships, and delves deeply into Allen’s complicated interior life. With Allen Choice in this new series, Chang is skillfully creating an unforgettable and unique character in the world of noir.
Two years have passed since Allen examined his late partner's death in San Francisco, which eventually exposed secrets about the death of Allen's immigrant father twenty years earlier, with the help of journalist and girlfriend Linda Maldonado. Now Allen follows Linda down to Los Angeles—and into the unfamiliar world of illegal raves and small-time drug dealers—to uncover the details of her brother's unexpected and suspicious death, hoping to repair their deteriorating relationship and aiding her as she once helped him.
Underkill is a dark and riveting look at the mysteries of families and relationships, and delves deeply into Allen’s complicated interior life. With Allen Choice in this new series, Chang is skillfully creating an unforgettable and unique character in the world of noir.
- GenresMystery
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2003
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30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 31, 2021
PROTAGONIST: Allen Choice, personal security expert
SETTING: Los Angeles
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Korean-American personal security expert Allen Choice and reporter Linda Maldonado have been in a relationship for 2 years, and it's beginning to fray, a possibility that haunts him endlessly. Linda ostensibly goes to visit her parents, but it's really a time to figure things out. Shortly after she arrives, her brother, Hector, is killed. She calls Allen to delve into the particulars of his death. He soon finds himself in a dark world involving drugs and danger. The plot moved along, and I found myself involved with the characters, although Choice whined way too much about his love life. The significant weakness of the book was the scenes of physical confrontation, several of which occurred toward the end of the book. Frankly, Choice seemed way too wimpy to me to be a fabulous fighter. He was pretty much obliterated and managed to escape and outrun the bad guys.
SETTING: Los Angeles
SERIES: #2
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Korean-American personal security expert Allen Choice and reporter Linda Maldonado have been in a relationship for 2 years, and it's beginning to fray, a possibility that haunts him endlessly. Linda ostensibly goes to visit her parents, but it's really a time to figure things out. Shortly after she arrives, her brother, Hector, is killed. She calls Allen to delve into the particulars of his death. He soon finds himself in a dark world involving drugs and danger. The plot moved along, and I found myself involved with the characters, although Choice whined way too much about his love life. The significant weakness of the book was the scenes of physical confrontation, several of which occurred toward the end of the book. Frankly, Choice seemed way too wimpy to me to be a fabulous fighter. He was pretty much obliterated and managed to escape and outrun the bad guys.
June 21, 2020
Allen goes south to LA to help his lover Linda investigate the suspicious death of her brother. His car went off the road in the Malibu hills. When they investigate they find themselves neck deep in drugs.
With assistance from Serena, no help from Linda's estranged father, Allen is beat up physically and emotionally.
With assistance from Serena, no help from Linda's estranged father, Allen is beat up physically and emotionally.
December 11, 2020
This is a series that continues to improve and reward the reader. Leonard Chang is writing some of the best current detective fiction now available in these books. And it doesn't hurt that he's also able to address issues of race and alienation at the same time. Underkill brings back reluctant investigator Allan Choice to look into the apparently accidental death of his girlfriend's younger brother. The investigation takes Choice into the underground rave scene and competition between ecstasy dealers, which may have had something to do with the death. At the same time, Allan's relationship with his girlfriend, Linda, seems to be unravelling and try as he might, he can't figure out how to prevent it. This is an excellent, fast-paced mystery that left me wanting more--Bring on Book #3!
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November 30, 2019Review written in 2005:
"Leonard Chang's mystery [...] was a nice surprise. It had flaws, mostly the all-too-common phenomenon of having some juiced up reason to not go to the cops for help and therefore ending up in a stupid situation, but I like the protagonist a fair bit and I like Mr. Chang's style of writing. The plot had enough twists to stay interesting, it's set in the San Francisco Bay area (it's fun to read books that happen in familiar locales), and there's enough self-reflection to make it more than a cheesy mystery."
"Leonard Chang's mystery [...] was a nice surprise. It had flaws, mostly the all-too-common phenomenon of having some juiced up reason to not go to the cops for help and therefore ending up in a stupid situation, but I like the protagonist a fair bit and I like Mr. Chang's style of writing. The plot had enough twists to stay interesting, it's set in the San Francisco Bay area (it's fun to read books that happen in familiar locales), and there's enough self-reflection to make it more than a cheesy mystery."
November 24, 2009
A matter of taste here, but I grew weary of the central character's obsessive focus on his not-very-interesting romantic relationship. For me it was reminiscent of being stuck at a party with a bore who goes on and on about something personal of interest only to him. My desire for the exit prevented me from finishing the book.
September 9, 2015
Sensing his relationship with Linda is all but over, Allen Choice nonetheless accompanies her to LA when her brother is killed in a single-car crash. This novel follows both the mystery of Hector's demise and the dissolution of the relationship between Allen and Linda, and it's all just so good. Leonard Chang is one of my favorites.
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November 22, 2007Antioch faculty (no stars): good mystery, nothing too special. Well written.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews