Threshold is a gritty little novel, definitely an in your face piece of writing, and a work that I greatly enjoyed. A mystery amidst the misery of skid row. What I was particularly impressed with was the amazingly accurate portrayal of life on the streets, the mental health issues that go untreated, the grime, and the ever present drugs. Although the setting in Threshold is Los Angeles this type of situation exists in every large city.
Having spent six years of my life working with an inner city homeless population, I have seen the real backdrop for Threshold with my own eyes. Even the way Bonnie Kozek describes the drug dealing is accurate, buyers, sellers, runners, lookouts. And drug users, so desperate for a hit they will steal, prostitute themselves, basically do anything for that 10 minute high.
On with the plot!
Our anti-heroine is Honey McGuinness, age unknown, but likely in her late twenties, a lady with more skeletons in the closet than clothes. Though not actually homeless herself, she finds solace in the anonymity that Skid Row affords. To pay the rent for the nameless space she lives in, part of a defunct factory, she helps out at the local Salvation Army soup kitchen. She is addicted to the concept of addictions, and this life suits her well. Her addictions are however short lived, a 1/5th of cheap liquor a day for a couple of months, three packs a day of cigarettes for a few weeks, drugs a plenty. But nothing sticks. Honey is a lady trying to escape her past.
The street does provide a kind of safety net for Honey. Working in the Salvation Army kitchen she gets to meet many of the regulars, one in particular catches her eye, Billy, maybe under different circumstances they could even have become lovers. Billy is not your run of the mill guy, often talking in riddles, or even just endlessly repeating seemingly disconnected words and phrases, he is none the less a person that Honey can relate to.
Hearing what can only be gunshots Honey discovers Billy crumpled on the ground, with horror she discovers blood, lots of it. Talking what is thought to be gibberish he dies in Honey’s arms. She makes an interesting discovery, Billy has a tape recorder strapped to his waist, clearly one that was meant for concealment. One that law enforcement might use, but why would Billy be wired? Billy was hardly stuff that could make for an undercover agent. Who could possibly have wanted to kill this harmless street person and where did the recording device come from, what was its intended purpose?
Should Honey share this information with the police, or should she keep the recorder? Do the police even care that a homeless man has been killed?
To share more of the plot would spoil the story, you will have to read this one for yourself, but I will say this, if you don’t read this book, you are missing out on a wild adventure. As rocker Lou Reed says, ‘Walk on the wild side’.
Threshold makes for a riveting read, I suspect that author Bonnie Kozek has a great and fruitful career ahead of her as a mystery/crime writer. She has done a masterful job on character development with Honey McGuinness, and as I understand it Honey will be returning in the next book.
The most surprising aspect about Bonnie Kozek is her previous endeavors in the literary world, she does have two other books in print, but they are not fiction. Falling In and Out of Love . . . with Words, and Mania, a poetry book published in 2003. It seems a strange background, but I really think Bonnie Kozek has found her niche in Threshold. Threshold is an anything goes, a freewheeling adventure into a very murky world. This is an author to watch out for, she is here to stay!
You can get your copy from Amazon, and she also has a web site that is worth a visit.
Simon Barrett
2 users commented in " Book Review: Threshold by Bonnie Kozek "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI read Threshold about a month ago and I’ve been recommending it to anyone who will listen to me. So, I was absolutely thrilled to find your review of the book. Like yourself, I think Kozek is a masterful writer of the genre. She expertly utilizes and manipulates the unique monosyllabic language of the noir crime thriller, and manages to stand the stereotypical treatment of “women” usually found in books of this genre (Chandler, Thompson, Willeford, etc.) on its head. Plus I found the writing unexpectedly lyrical and literary in part. I literally picked the book up and didn’t put it down until I was finished! I’m a prolific reader, and believe me, this doesn’t happen very often. So, I can’t wait for the next book — which, according to the author’s website, will be published this year.
Your review of Threshold is right-on. You really captured the unhinged and vulnerable character of the protagonist, the grittiness of setting, and a bit of the plot … without giving away too much. Thanks for giving Kozek the attention she deserves.
I equally like to see good reviews of http://www.bonniekozek.com/index.html work because she’s just so freaking talented. If you were enthralled with Threshold you’ve got to pick up Just Before the Dawn. This is where the story of Honey McGuinness continues to unfold. It’s just as dramatic, gritty and punchy as the first.
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