Book Review: 'Evoluting Sherman' another Michael Shane masterpiece

Title: Evoluting Sherman

Author: Michael Shane

Reviewer: Siobhan Morrison

Evoluting Sherman is the second novel from suspense writer Michael Shane. His first novel, The Gingerbread Man, was released to rave reviews. He has quickly become one of the genre's rising stars.

Evoluting Sherman is about the - you guessed it - evolution of the protagonist, Chris Sherman, from mild-mannered sap 'Chrisy', as he's called in the beginning, to the hard-edged Sherman at the end. Shane's creative take on the term 'evolution' in the book's title speaks to the continuous metamorphosis of his protagonist even beyond the final pages. What drives this book, in my opinion, is the novel's plot, or rather, what Shane does with it, his characters and his style.

The story begins when Chris is sent to investigate the theft of $150 million in cash and jewels in the lush tropical paradise of the Cayman Islands, not because he's a good investigator but because 'he's from the islands'. He soon becomes the prime suspect in a murder and his focus shifts from the stolen goods to proving his innocence. As the bodies begin to pile up, Chris struggles to stay ahead in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that could very well cost him his life. His only allies are local detective Dalbert Hannah and fellow insurance investigator and native Rebecca Starr.

The characters

As the plot develops, so too do the characters. Shane goes to great lengths to create characters who are three-dimensional. His main characters are a mass of flaws and vulnerabilities, with just enough crazy thrown in to spice things up. Even his minor characters are made to stand out, strengthening the psychological intensity of the story.

The protagonist is not the archetypal hero, the alpha-male with equal amount of brain and brawn who outwits his enemies and sets off into the sunset. He is an ordinary guy, coping with a dead-end job, a pending divorce and trying to do right by his son. He maintains a passive-aggressive attitude for most of the book, wrapped up in a cloud of misery, weed and raw sex before finally developing the guts to fight back. It is this anti-hero persona that will both annoy readers and make them cheer him on.

Acting as a foil for Chris is detective Hannah. A 'true islander', the hard-nosed officer hails from Jamaica, a fact that seems to make him an expert on criminal elements. That he's London-trained is just a bonus. Rebecca Starr, Chris' main love interest and ally (we think) is another expatriate among the menagerie of characters in the novel. And while she oozes sex and sophistication like Jessica Rabbit, her mass of insecurities and drug use make for a very tragic character.

As for the villains, there isn't a shortage of those in Evoluting Sherman. At the top of the list, however, are Ava Courie and her son Karl, talented con-artists and thieves, cold-blooded killers and psychos. The character of Ava Courie is reminiscent of Blanche Dubois (A Street Car Named Desire). The Oedipal relationship between her and her son are just one of the elements that add to the tension in the story.

simple, direct style

Structurally, Shane maintains a simple and direct style. There is a natural delineation of the plot and characters. The action in the novel is kept moving by the short paragraphs and chapters. The dialogue is witty and cleverly wielded, with a few creole phrases thrown in - followed by translation or explanation - to keep to the island vibe. There is also no shortage of expletives. One must also note the contrast between the idyllic and seemingly laid-back setting versus the violence that permeates the story, again creating tension.

There were a few areas that proved troubling, like how Shane establishes a sexual relationship between Sherman and the two main female characters. Also, the way Shane seems to link the different islands almost as if they were interchangeable. This is ironic, as it was that same assumption that got his protagonist in trouble.

Overall, Evoluting Sherman is a thrilling piece of fiction from the creative mind of Michael Shane and is definitely worth checking out.

The protagonist is not the archetypal hero ... He maintains a passive-aggressive attitude for most of the book, wrapped up in a cloud of misery, weed and raw sex before finally developing the guts to fight back.