Download Bright Futures (Lew Fonesca) djvu

Kaminsky's "Bright Futures" is the sixth installment of the Lew Fonesca series, although the first I have read. It is a very fast read and the reader quickly grows comfortable with the characters. Make no mistake, fully fleshed character studies are the underlying strength of Kaminsky's novel. So many characters are introduced and reintroduced in "Bright Futures" that a reader's scorecard would be useful; however, they are usually so colorful and so out of the ordinary that following their progress is never difficult.

Lew lost his beloved wife four years ago in a hit and run auto accident in Chicago and grief-stricken, drove as far south as his car would handle, landing in Sarasota, Florida where he began a meager existence as a process server--a person who finds people, even criminals. In those four years of grief and depression, Lew has met and surrounded himself with some endearing support characters including Ames McKinney, a tough old bird who partners with Lew, Sally Porovsky, his emerging new love interest who cannot seem to penetrate his wall of grief, Darrell Caton, a 14 year-old tough talking black youth who is Lew's "little brother", and Victor Woo, the Chinese man who was the driver of the car that killed Lew's wife and is now doing penance by sleeping on Lew's office floor. Each of these characters has a full back story as well as intriguing relationships with Lew that gets them entwined in his cases.

In "Bright Futures", Lew is visited and hired by two high school age students who want him to prove that their friend, Ronnie Gerall, is not the killer of Philip Horvecki, an unsavory mover and shaker, even though Ronnie was found covered in blood standing over the body. Within days, Lew is hired by 2 other family members for the same cause--before being subjected to threats, intimidation, and violence to drop the investigation. Soon, the reader is unsure of who does want him to find the truth about Ronnie Gerall since he gets mixed signals from everyone, including his various employers.

Lew's investigation is given substance and charm by the seemingly never-ending characters he encounters along the way including Jeff Augustine, a likeable former bit-part actor now serving as hired muscle, D. Elliot Corkle, a hilarious former infomercial king who happens to be the grandfather of Lew's client, and Blue Berrigan, a former writer and performer of children's songs who may also be something else entirely. Indeed, in "Bright Futures", not everyone is who or what they purport to be which just deepens the mystery. There are some red herrings and a few surprises along the way as this engaging mystery plods towards its satisfying resolution.

The pacing is slow, methodical, and workmanlike but the read is quick enough that it isn't a noticeable problem. Judging by "Bright Futures", the Fonesca series is more about solving mysteries and developing characters than it is about building suspense and providing thrills--which is, I suppose, as it should be in a "mystery" series.

I have just finished reading all of the Lew Fonesca books back to back. They have been a nice series of books to read and I would recommend them to any mystery fan. I normally don't like to say 'but'..however, all the titles in this series have been in first person with the exception of the last title 'Always Say Goodbye' . Since I was reading them in sequence it was strange to go to third person but in the latest we are back to first person. At the beginning of 'Bright Futures' (page 50)Lew gets a cell phone as a housewarming present from a constant series regular, Adele. Then 57 pages later he talks about getting his cell phone as a birthday present from Flo Zink another series regular. Just a little thing I know but who is proof reading this ? Makes you pause and think did I read this wrong and then go back to look and realize, well, maybe, Lew is confused and forgot his cell phone was from Adele. He is depressed. Other than that, really, love reading about Lew Fonesca and all the wonderful characters who inhabit is world..both good and bad. Enjoy !

Don't miss Stuart Kaminsky's four worlds. The worlds of Rostnikov in Moscow,Lieberman in Chicago,Toby Peters in 1940's L.A. and Fonesca in Florida. How the man could immerse himself into these separate worlds and make me feel for the characters and think I understood the world is beyond me. I think Kaminsky is the most underrated of all the modern authors. In Fonesca you get a man in crisis that you believe can't possibly last long in this world but who just scrapes by each book and then slowly he develops a life and you think "maybe he is going to make it and if he can,maybe we all can". Sadly, Mr. Kaminsky is gone now,so by all means, start at the beginning of the Fonescas and end on this one which may have been his best.

Love the Lew Fonesca series. So sad Mr Kaminsky has passed, there won't be any more.

Book came as discribed

Lew Fonesca is entertaining, but he feels to me like a tired character, and I'll bet Mr. Kaminsky is tired of writing by now, after decades of writing and teaching at such a remarkable level. If he has grandchildren, I hope he is able to enjoy them.

I like Lew a lot, even though he annoys me sometimes. This is my favorite Kaminsky creation. You'll enjoy it.

Was just trying out Fonesca story line, cause I like Kaminsky
books, this one wasn't bad. Book was in excellent condition.