In Joe Clifford’s
second book of the Jay Porter series, December Boys, we learn an important
facet of Porter…he’s a bit of an asshole. He is self destructive, angry, lashes
out at those that love him, and he has a
habit of painting others in his life as the problem and he never looks within
himself to discover if he is the issue. On the flip-side, Jay has an enormous
heart and he aches to be the father his son deserves and the husband his wife
deserves. Clifford is certainly proving that Porter is a character that has
depth and is a true flesh and bone man.
Porter is living
with the fallout from Clifford’s previous novel, some of it good and some of it
bad. He now lives with his son, having married his mother, but he still lives
with the weight of his brother and their shared past. As his inability to deal
with these pressures mount and he finds himself sabotaging any shot he has at
happiness, Porter finds himself involved with the potential fact a judge may be
selling young defendants to an institution that has more than their rehabilitation
in mind.
It seems that a
disproportionate number of juveniles are being sentenced to time at a privately
run institution for relatively minor offenses. As Porter looks deeper into this
issue, he learns that his old nemesis, The Lombardi Family, have deep
connections to the institution, and should it get more public funding, stand to
make a great deal of money from this scheme. With both a sense of justice and a
hatred for all things concerning the Lombardi family, Porter finds himself
looking for truth and answers, but he may have to sacrifice both a part of
himself and his family life to find them.
This book is a hell
of a read and a great addition to the Porter series. Clifford has fleshed out
Porter into a hell of a noir figure. As much as he may think he is looking for
happiness, Porter’s actions bring on nothing but despair to himself and all
those around him. He seems to make things worse and worse because he doesn’t
know when to get out of his own way. This is what makes him seem so real, as we
all have moments of being our own worst enemy.
Clifford has written
a book that will resonate with noir lovers, lovers of quality literature, and anyone
with a pulse.
Highly Recommended. Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski.
