Back to Blood by Tom WolfeThis is a slice of life in Miami – the deep underbelly of Miami, not necessarily the glitzy side we see in the media. Mainly, the story is about Nestor Camacho, a Cuban-American cop, who always tries to do the right thing, but always manages to really, really, really annoy one cultural group or another. Many neighborhoods are represented, all seem to be stereotypical representations in the novel, but it gives an idea of how varied the population of the greater Miami area is.
LISTEN to this book. It’s edgy, weird and sometimes disturbing, but always entertaining. Lou Diamond Phillips is an amazing reader. He pulled off Cuban, American, Haitian and Russian accents with ease. The varied accents and tones really make the book come to life. The music even changes depending on where in Miami the story is going to move next. Be forewarned, it’s long: 19 discs. I have to admit, if I wasn’t listening I probably would have given up on the story a hundred or so pages in since the point of the plot takes a long while to show itself and it read more on the surface – you didn’t get to the meat of the characters at all. Light fare, like pop tabloids, but again entertaining on audiobook.
