Clayton calls Paul’s novel “sublime” and says “transcends its setting, lending a bleak austerity to its milieu while simultaneously infusing its main character with Steinbeckian humanity.” He thinks its protagonist is “a fascinating, troubled character” and concludes:
The author, who devoured Sherlock Holmes as a kid and Raymond Carver and Tim O’Brian as a younger man, has managed to craft a novel that lies somewhere between the two, a crime novel that encompasses the full range of human emotion. The novel is the first in a series that will follow Mike’s emotional development as he grows to be the man he’s meant to be. It’s a fascinating character study with much promise for the future.
Click here for more nice things about the book and Paul’s illuminating commentary on its hero.