Review: Jones Point
Publisher: BrickHouse Books; Baltimore, MD
Author: John Adam Wasowicz
Reviewer: Ralph Peluso, Literary Editor
Zebra Rating – 5 Stripes
ALEXANDRIA,VA- John Wasowicz dazzles again with his most recent work, Jones Point. His main character, the irascible Elmo Katz, is back, but the author has smoothly transformed him in several ways.
Elmo has matured as a person and his career has advanced. He is now the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The author has thrown in a few more nuggets of information about Elmo’s background, e.g., that “Mo” was born in Brooklyn of an interracial marriage. And Elmo’s relationship with Abbey Snowe has blossomed, although their relationship is not without road hazards.
But Elmo’s biggest change, perhaps, is his transformation from being a lone wolf to working well with others. He is sharper in his approach to sleuthing now, and he is surrounded by a loyal and very capable team. Their goal is to figure out how the pieces of a murder puzzle fit. Jones Point Park, located at the confluence of Hunting Creek and the Potomac River, was once part of the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia. Its (then) functioning lighthouse warned ships of hazards approaching the Navy Yard. Wasowicz uses this secluded section of Alexandria as the launch point for his new thriller, taking readers on a nostalgic chase across Alexandria and Northern Virginia. He weaves into the setting some of the most recognizable watering holes and hot spots—the ones usually reserved for locals.
John utilizes several other characters from his first work, Daingerfield Island. Sherry Stone re-emerges with an increased fervor for truth and justice. And, of course, the naïve Mai Lin and David Reese are now key assets for Team Mo.
“Inspiration comes from the likes of Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler,” John says about his work. “Along with writers like Sue Grafton, I have learned a lot from how each uses their characters. Of course, I draw plenty from personal experience.”
That experience was fifteen years of prosecutorial and criminal defense service. His writing is clean, simple, and fluid, which is essential to navigating the intricate DC-area plot. The plot’s twists and turns feel real. Without question, Elmo is destined for a third act.
John and his wife still reside in Wessynton, near Mount Vernon. They raised three sons and are enjoying life more than ever. Jones Point is a fast-paced page turner replete with surprises. A solid read for those waning days of summer. Rating 5 Zebra stripes.
