Under the Eye of God: 11 (The Isaac Sidel Novels)

Heralded as one of the best thrillers in 2013 in a German weekly newspaper, I was looking forward to read the original version already published 10 years ago. Under the Eyes of God is one of a whole series of Isaac Sidel stories and much to my disappointment this one rather reads like an unrealistic, rather fantastic overwrought play. Isaac Sidel is the popular gun-carrying mayor of New York, with good connections to the underworld.The Democrats have nominated him for the vice president ticket together with Michael J. Storm as president. They win or rather Sidel wins, as Storm is not really up for the job.Sidel has his headquarter at the Ansonia a New York landmark frequented in the past by opera stars, Hollywood film stars and naturally famous underworld bosses and the Maf. During the action, Sidel learns that one of his longtime friends – David Pearl, the de facto heir to Arnold Rothstein - has been secretly buying up the Bronx to build a huge military base there. He also learns that the incredible luck of being nominated and then elected vice president and even New York mayor is only due to large scale lobbying and maneuvering of the infamous David Pearl. Moreover, Pearl has been plotting his Bronx renovation plans together with the Pentagon, the FBI and a whole bunch of Texan billionaires. Sidel as a true American hero has to make up his mind either to serve the economic- military-complex or the less privileged city dwellers in the rundown neighborhoods of the American inner cities. Guess how he decides.

My first review and it's a bad one. After an intriguing several pages of intro, this sad little novel receded into a mockery of old time mystery suspense writing. With obtuse story telling, confusing useless characters, and tired, cliched metaphor, the book droned on to an underwhelming...I guess..'conclusion'.If it's the beginning of a series, I decline the next installment.