Review: Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett

Tapping into a classic noir vibe with a good dose of contemporary flair, Involuntary Flashback by Dave Garrett is a fast-talking, razor-sharp Big Apple mystery.

An old-school private investigator “on the top of the endangered list,” Rod Weyhengrubber is a reckless and charming protagonist with a soft spot for the vulnerable and easily manipulated. A town full of promise and desperation keeps him plenty busy, particularly the recent rash of disappearances of hopeful starlets and young dreamers. When a young ingenue named Lilly seeks sanctuary with Rod and his partner, Ida, it becomes a race to crack the case before her wannabe kidnappers find out where she’s been tucked away. Her connection to Rod goes beyond crime-solving, and leads to a long-desired and unexpected family reunion.

The dangerous criminal ring that threatened her safety still has their dirty hands pulling strings in the film industry, and Rod soon discovers that the conspiracy is much larger than he first thought, with extortion, espionage, and geopolitical consequences hanging in the balance. The threat becomes all too real when tragedy strikes his newly forged family, sending the investigator into a tireless hunt for the perpetrators, no matter where his search leads. Abductions, ransoms, and hardscrabble sleuthing collide in a smashingly good read by a gifted storyteller.

With its opening setting in May of 2020, the book’s narrator feels immediately contemporary, dragging readers to a context that we all still remember too well. This immediate plunge into Covid protocols and surgical masks is short-lived and somewhat out of place, as the rest of the story consists of Weyhengrubber’s recounting of his early life and times as a Special Agent in the FBI, as well as his subsequent dismissal from his NYC post back in the late 1970s for being a suspected communist. Readers are given an exceptional amount of character development in these early chapters without it feeling like a dump of exposition; nearly every line of dialogue is charged with personality and import, pushing the plot relentlessly along.

The Cold War threat looms large, particularly early in the novel, with Russian gangsters and covert meetings with ominous men in limousines, which feels more familiar than the rest of the novel, but Garrett seems to enjoy playing with clichés, rather than falling into them. The author is also wickedly sharp with a turn of phrase, and readers will find themselves smirking and nodding in recognition on nearly every page. That said, there are instances where the prose feels overworked, or unnecessarily wordy and circuitous, which can occasionally get exhausting, as it feels like the author is trying to impress the reader rather than service the story. Additionally, leaning on punny wordplay with italicized accents can elicit eye rolls more often than laughter.

While the author must learn to fully trust his readers during these moments, the language is carefully chosen and crafty throughout most of the book. Overall, this is a well-crafted read in terms of both plot and character, which requires some degree of diligent attention, as events are densely packed and can be quickly passed over, but this is what makes the novel such an exciting, page-turning read with a truly satisfying payoff.