A UNIQUE SIN CITY: LYNN KOSTOFF'S THE LENGTH OF DAYS

Lynn Kostoff is a writer I have been meaning to read for years. Other writers praise him, but timing nd other books published at the time made him an elusive read. Luckily, Lynn got got in touch with me way ahead of time to alert me to his upcoming The Length of Days. I missed his pub date last week, but I finally got to experience his strong talent..

The book looks at a community, more than a central protagonist. Magnolia Beach, South Carolina, or at least its underbelly, becomes rocked by a house fire that kills a dozen prostitutes. The incident puts the houses' owner Johnny Doc Nowell, a Vietnamese immigrant working to be more legitimate, in a bad spot, as well as Sam Fulton, who witnessed a man pull one of the sex workers in right before the fire. A local reporter, Pam Greaves, becomes part of the story as her report on the incident goes viral. A shady patrolman, and Mexican-American cutting corners to get a used car lot, and others,also get pulled in often getting on the wrong side of The Bowen Brothers who run the shady aspects of Magnolia Beach.

Kostoff weaves these stories together as they interlock and at time unlock to give a look at the shadow world of a mid-size town. Each character takes you into their own pocket of Magnolia Beach. Their homes, the restaurants, bars, and massage parlors comes to vivid life. with just the right amount and right kind of detail. He gives the place a lived in vibe that makes the reader feel they can navigate the place.

His hard boiled microcosm allows him to explore different forms of corruption. He examines it systematically with the politics and businesses connected to the brothers. Media also gets touched on through Pam's eyes. He also follows personal corruption with each compromised character in the story. The book poses a chicken-egg question of which influences the other more. The systematic corruption doesn't as much end up defeated, but ends a cycle, leaving the people involved to try to survive with their souls (or at least a piece of it) intact.

The Length of Days works as an involving social crime story. Lynn Kostoff keeps the plot moving and connecting the dots with each engaging character. He portrays a community at rot that mirrors our country as well. Now I have to find time to read his other works.