HALL
WAYS REVIEW: From the beginning of the Bonnie and Clyde
series, the hook for me has been “what if”? What if the notorious outlaws hadn’t
died in a rain of bullets? What if they were whisked away and forced to use
their unique skills to work for the US government, fighting for the good of the
working class? And of course, the question persists about whether people who do so much bad can be redeemed.
Through the first two books
in the series, Resurrection
Road and Dam
Nation, readers are taken into the speculative world of Bonnie and
Clyde as government agents righting wrongs and saving the day. Readers, as well
as Bonnie and Clyde, don’t know for whom, exactly, the couple is working, and
that’s just one of the mysteries to be solved in book three, Radioactive.
“Trust
is for fools and corpses.”
Radioactive
resumes
the story of Bonnie and Clyde (Brenda and Clarence Prentiss) ten years after
the conclusion of Dam Nation. The
couple is on assignment keeping watch and tracking the bad guys and gals –
American, Russian, and German – who are attempting to interfere with the United
States’s creation of the atomic bomb via the Manhattan Project. As Bonnie and Clyde carefully narrow their
field of suspects of who may be feeding secrets to the enemy, things only get
more complicated, and it seems all characters have secrets and subplots of
their own. Radioactive unfolds in alternating time periods, one in the '40s and the other in the '80s, both steaming ahead to different, satisfying climaxes and resolutions. Hays and McFall write a
complex story, but they masterfully weave together a plethora of plot points to
deliver a gangbuster tale.
“Stealing
is one thing, but don’t get handsy
in the house of the Lord.”
One of the many facets that
has endeared me to these books is the complicated personalities of Bonnie and
Clyde. In Radioactive, the juxtaposition
of the two sides of the main characters is further explored. I find it interesting to see where they draw the line for their behaviors. They are criminals
at heart, but their hearts grow as they are exposed to a bigger world of greed
and corruption than even they enjoyed in their outlaw heydays. There is a
dichotomy in each of them; they show kindness and benevolence, have a strong
sense of right and wrong, and demonstrate an intense patriotism. However, they
aren’t above cheating and stealing and hurting their fellow man – or woman – if it doesn’t do much harm. I
emphasize woman because the couple is all about equality in all things regardless
of race, sex, or circumstance. (Oh except for the dirty communists. Rotten,
all.)
Speaking of equality, it is Bonnie
who is the brains of the duo, and her sharp brain and wit is used as a vehicle
for some pretty serious social commentary ranging from racial inequality to gay
rights to the 1%. Clyde is no dummy, but it is through Bonnie’s explanations to
him that readers get both thinly veiled and blatant digs on our current administration
and state of the world. Clyde has some
insightful observations himself, and the result is some short but sweet zingers
that create levity when situations are tense or dismal.
“You
two go at it like river otters in heat.”
The couple is fiercely
protective of and attracted to each other, and their sexual chemistry remains a
focus in Radioactive, as in the other
books. Their interludes provide another source of levity and distraction from
the heavier themes. It borders on risqué, but the details of their escapades aren’t
shared on the page. The couple’s ability to compartmentalize their lives and go
from shoot-ups, hold-ups, or dire world situations to rolling in the sheets is
impressive.
This was the first
uncorrected proof I have read in the series but based on the final copies of
the other two books, I feel confident that the final version will be finely
proofread and cleanly edited. I will find out though; I intend to purchase my
own final, print copy. This series is real eye-candy, outside and in. Imaginative,
thought provoking, and just plain fun to read, Hays and McFall’s Bonnie and Clyde
series is a must-read. I highly recommend it (and recommend it be read in sequence
for maximum enjoyment). NOTE: the authors have indicated this is the last in the series, but the book ends in a way that leaves it open for more installments. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Thank you to the authors and
Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me a print ARC in exchange for my honest
opinion – the only kind I give.
