Khalika and Violet are twins who are on the verge of adulthood barely surviving a life that threatened to break them before they can escape a horrific childhood from their step-parents, Bianca and Dick. Will they escape and finally be safe?
So as far as the book itself I was looking for the mystery and it was lacking. But the book overall did take you for a crazy ride. I feel as if the book dragged in some places so it was kind of hard to get through but I eventually did.

This is inconsistent overall. The main plot and setting are interesting but it could do with some trimming up. There’s no mystery here but it is a nice ride if you don’t mind some bumps.

Most people associate Times Square with the annual New Year’s Eve gala, where thousands gather to usher in the new year on television. But long-time New York residents remember the area less fondly. Until the 1990s, Times Square and its surroundings were a 24-hour den of porn and other iniquities. That location would seem to be an unlikely backdrop for a coming-of-age story. However, Janet Porter’s “Free Rider” is a most unlikely coming-of-age story. The protagonists are Violet and Khalika, teenage twins who fit right in with the tawdriness. At its best, the book is a fascinating story of sleaze and crime. Unfortunately, the novel needs substantial editing to get past some long-winded musings that went nowhere.

“Free Rider” takes place mostly between 1984 and 1985. The twins Violet and Khalika come from an upper-middle-class background in the New York City suburbs. After their father dies, their new stepfather, Dick, proves to be a sleazeball who manages a downtown strip club. Dick comes to an awful end after crossing some of his business associates, and Violet winds up working as a stripper at the club. Although Violet is the more level-headed twin, Khalika keeps getting her sister involved in various tawdry activities. I realize this synopsis is sketchy, but to go into greater detail would spoil the book’s more shocking developments.

Most of “Free Rider” is written in the first person from Violet’s perspective. That device allows readers to experience Violet’s reactions to the various crimes in the book. Along with Violet’s responses to the events around her and her give-and-take relationship with her sister, readers also get to hear Violet ramble on at a confusing length about various topics. While these musings establish Violet’s character somewhat, the author could have done so just as effectively by cutting those passages in half. There is also a big plot twist in “Free Rider,” but it’s one that most genre fans will see coming well in advance. Still, the author throws in one wrinkle that surprised me.

Give the author credit for handling the book’s multiple point-of-view shifts well. Besides Violet’s narrative, some parts of “Free Rider” are narrated by Khalika, and still others are supposed excerpts from the investigating police reports. These are more detailed since one of the investigating detectives becomes Violet’s lover. Despite all these shifts, readers can follow the action well.

I had a difficult time assigning a rating to “Free Rider.” The story is interesting, and the setting and period detail are fascinating. But it also drags considerably at times with observations and discourse from some characters that don’t seem to be what the character could actually be thinking. Part of this problem may stem from the fact that “Free Rider” is the first novel by the author and a case of overly ambitious storytelling. Despite the book’s flaws, I liked it and believe that others who enjoy this story will also like it. So, I’m giving it a three-star rating. “Free Rider” is a wild but often bumpy ride for readers.

Three and one-half stars

Review of eBook

As they stand on the verge of adulthood, identical twins Khalika and Violet DeLoache have already shared a horrific childhood. But now, on the verge of escaping the depravity of their step-parents, Dick and Bianca, will they finally be safe?

A series of brutal murders occur, the victims all the lowest from the underbelly of the city. Considering the depravity of their upbringing, could the twins possibly be involved in the murders?

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Set in New York in the 1970s and 1980s, well-drawn characters and the strong sense of place are strengths in the telling of this tale. Although the twins seem to have a complicated relationship, it is clear that they are close; this coming-of-age tale details the horrific physical and mental abuse they suffered as they grew up, their lives privileged but tormented.

Filled with angst, melancholy, and philosophical musings, the unfolding narrative is raw, extremely dark, and malevolent as it exposes the foibles of society. Using both poetic and musical references, the atmospheric narrative firmly anchors itself in the 1970s and 1980s.

From the outset, the “unexpected” twist that comes late in the telling of this macabre tale of depravity is glaringly obvious. However, this does not detract from the telling of a tale that promises to keep readers wondering what lies ahead for the twins.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Meryl Moss Media Group, TKO Studios, LLC and NetGalley
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