Red Sky Lament by
Edward Wright
pbk out February 06
(Orion)
at £10.99
The bastion of democracy in a post-war world, 1950's America was, without doubt, a
scary place to be. The country was in the midst of being torn apart by lies that an allied
nation only a few years previously was hell-bent on ridding the world of everything true
Americans held dear. Edward Wright, in this his third novel, has captured those self same
feelings of persecution, fear and uncertainty, perfectly.
Setting Red Sky Lament against the backdrop of one of the most victimised industries, the
movie business, is a masterstroke that underlines the author's growing authority in the
genre.
A former B-movie star, John Ray Horn, is engaged to find the murderer of Owen
Brucker, a brilliantly talented screenwriter accused of being a Communist Party member by
the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Everybody wants Horn to drop the
hunt, including his friends and the FBI, which makes him all the more determined to find
whoever is responsible. John Ray's search leads him into confrontations with some of
Hollywood's most important people until, finally, his investigation takes a final deadly turn.
Thoroughly reasearched, Red Sky Lament is more than a crime novel, it's an utterly
compelling history lesson, with characters so vividly drawn that images of the non-fiction
people mentioned seem to pale into insignificance. The pace of the novel is relentless, despite
the laid back attitude of John Ray Horn, whereas the dialogue is crisp and snappy enough to
carry the sense of place and time ideally.
Alongside the ongoing success of George Clooney's movie, Goodnight And Good Luck,
Edward Wright's Red Sky Lament is as equally a fitting testament to its setting, as it brings to
life the very real anxieties of a nation in a state of panic, without ever letting them become
over-played parodies of a bygone age.
(
C. H
Chris High - Author Multi-media Promotion Service www.chrishigh.com)
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Red Sky Lament by
Edward Wright
