Joe Coffin is a story filled with contradictions. The cover and title both scream out vampire, while the synopsis speaks more of a violent crime/mob story. We have a character named Coffin, but he’s not a vampire. We have vampires, but they are not really sexy, and they certainly don’t sparkle. There is an ex-convict who’s the good guy. Ken Preston pulled all of this off with a gory, refined flair.
First off, I have to say that I loved the character of Joe Coffin. You could say that he was larger than life, and you would be spot on. Joe Coffin is an in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is badass. He doesn’t take any crap from anyone, and he looks out for his friends like they are family. Joe Coffin is a near perfect protagonist. If the reader thinks of him as a friend, they will follow him anywhere. His larger than life presence brings the perfect balance of humor to a violent, explicit story.
But Joe Coffin isn’t just a one trick pony. It has the story to back it up too. I’ve read too many books over four hundred pages where there are, what I call, “filler” sections. You all know them, the author goes off on some kind of tangent that is mildly relevant, or a prolonged description of the flower arrangement on the Louis the XIV table. Ken Preston did not use or need these devices. His story has an impeccable pace that kept me involved in Joe’s life from beginning to end.
Joe Coffin is a fantastic tale that will grab your attention, shock and awe you, and make you wish that Joe Coffin was your best friend too, because you certainly wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.
*4.5 Stars
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2 Book Lovers Reviews