Richard W. Wise

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I wasn’t sure about this book at first but it ended up being a really nice read. Set in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston in the early 1970’s era, the banks are redlining the houses causing the market to crash, and many people loosing all they have. Along with many others,, Jedediah and Alex teams together to try and figure out what is going on, but when they found a body in the rumbles of a burned building, they knew someone meant business.

Redline by Richard W. Wise had me biting my nails quite a few times throughout this book. Wise created amazing characters that played there parts well, some better than other of course. It’s had to choose the best ones but I think for me it is Alex and Jedediah, I enjoyed following these two as they tried to find the culprit. There were lots of twists and turns in this story. One I thought I knew whodunit another twist shot up just that threw me back in the game again. It was a fun journey though. I enjoyed it when I finally learned who it was. If you love a good suspense thriller, this is a good book for you to try.

Along with the amazing story, this is my first time listening to a book narrated by Bobby Gaglini. I have to say he did a fantastic job with this story. At first I had to really listen to see if it was him or a lady narrating as well. Gaglini’s voice is pleasant to listen to and his expressions make the story so much more interesting and fun. I look forward to listening to more book where Gaglini is the Narrator. Redlined by Richard W. Wise is Five Stars for me.



A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.… (mere)

Dedicated community organizer Jedediah Flynt is the complex character at the center of this suspenseful and socially relevant novel. When one of his co-workers dies in a deliberately set fire, Flynt feels responsible for having assigned her to watch the decrepit building. Flynt organizes the residents of this ‘redlined’ neighborhood work to defend themselves against heartless banking practices, ruthless developers, and crooked politicians, the reader is drawn into their individual stories. Deftly drawn, relatable characters, strong, atmospheric realism and high stakes combine to make this an excellent and worthwhile read.… (mere)

Redlined: A Novel of Boston is set in 1974 and focuses on the Jamaica Plain section of town. This area has been redlined by banks, due to the housing market's crash, which sets the stage for racial steering and blockbusting, prompting the transition from a healthy neighborhood to a slum. Abandoned buildings proliferate as crime rises.

When a building is burned and the body of a community activist is uncovered, fellow community organizer and Marine combat veteran Jedidiah Flynt and assistant Alexis Jordan become determined to stop the destruction of the neighborhood. They assume the role of amateur investigators who probe the arson and death with a focus and determination reflective of their abilities.

All too soon, however, adversity strikes even closer to home. Jedediah and Alexis face their own prejudices, pasts, and the initial discomfort of a forthright, sexual woman confronting a former Marine already uncomfortable with the power women have assumed in society and the workplace. These experiences capture the first phase in the blossoming women's movement that was to change many of these roles.

This interpersonal interplay of emotions sets the stage for a dual confrontation as the unlikely team forays into unfamiliar territory both personally and politically.

At first, Redlined reads with the setup and motivation of a murder mystery. Readers are in for a bigger treat, however, because Richard W. Wise incorporates real, contemporary social issues and tensions into this story, along with a special dynamic between the investigators, which elevates his read beyond a typical whodunit.

From Jedediah's ability to face Alex's charge that he is a "consummate opportunist' whose worldview affects his life choices and taints his perspective to their shared zeal and campaign, the politics which plays dirty tricks behind the scenes in Boston affairs, and gang members (a coalition of actors; real estate agents, developers, crime syndicate, who make money from the destruction of an urban neighborhood) who play a key part in community choices and makeup, Richard W. Wise tailors the kind of story that is steeped as much in Boston's unique cultural and social makeup as it is in community struggles to change it.

While investigative mystery readers will be the likely audience of Redlined, the story will especially appeal to women who like their characters strong and purposeful. Another audience will be readers familiar with Boston's cultural milieu, who will find Redlined an absorbing series of conundrums that lead ever deeper into the heart of a community's manipulations, politics, and social interactions. Highly recommended.
--D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review… (mere)