I’m used to doing reviews of non-fiction books, works in which the reviewer doesn’t have to worry about sharing too much information about the building, the unfolding and the conclusion of the plot.
But even the blub on the back cover of Charles Strickler’s R3STORATION shares this much:
“When Miles West discovers a mysterious treasure in an old car he acquires, he thinks his broken life is on the mend. But the 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster contains a secret that has remained hidden for almost ninety years, left there by the infamous bank robber ‘Lefty’ Webber.
Jewels, old gold pieces and a coded journal force Miles to dig into the past.
“With the assistance of the resourceful Bramley Ann Fairchild, West sets out on an adrenaline-fueled adventure. They must evade ruthless Mafia boss Carlo Bello, who seeks to acquire the car and the treasure for himself, no matter the cost.”
Personally, I think the blub sells Strickler’s book short. The novel is better than even those words would promise. It really is a page turner. It’s appeal to car enthusiasts should be obvious, but even if you don’t care about cars, the book will captivate your imagination.
While the title might have you thinking only about the restoration of the Stutz, the author winds together multiple stories of restoration, and has wound them into a can’t-put-it-down tale.
Oh, in case you’re wondering about that backward 3 in the book’s title, it comes from the coded journal they found hidden in a secret compartment when they started the Stutz’ restoration.
Reviewed
R3STORATIONS
By Charles Strickl3r
Koehlernooks, 2019
ISBN 9781633937796
Softcover, 223 pages
$16.95
