Sometimes, even the best-kept secrets in life are spilled in death. Mark, a struggling novelist in the rural Mid-West, learns this to be true after his wife Katrina unexpectedly dies, victim to a gruesome hit-and-run accident. As the protagonist of Jack Eadon's mystery novel, "'Gigolo' on the Row," Mark's grieving is interrupted by a trickle of disconcerting questions that arise after his late wife's death, painting her to be a much different person than the woman he thought he knew. "'Gigolo' on the Row" quickly evolves into a fast-paced mystery, with Mark thrust somewhat unwillingly into the role of detective.

Eloquence Press (2004)
ISBN 9780975330005
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/07)


Within the first five pages of the book, I found myself completely involved in Jack Eadon’s “‘Gigolo’ on the Row.”  I wanted to step in and referee to help Mark and Katrina resolve the escalating tension in their marriage relationship.

Mark, a novelist, is engrossed in his writing career.  Katrina owns and operates a restaurant. The story is set in a new housing development in rural mid-America.

Mark, in an effort to reconcile a misunderstanding, takes Katrina to a favorite restaurant for dinner.  While taking a cell phone call outside in the parking lot of the diner, Katrina becomes the victim of a hit and run accident.

Her sudden tragic death causes Mark to suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A series of events, including the discovery that Katrina was pregnant at the time of her death, prompts Mark to reflect on Katrina’s past, and their declining intimacy of their marriage.

In this fast-paced plot, Mark falls in love with a neighbor, becomes involved in counseling another woman, and finds himself involved in a complex, perverse, neighborhood deception.  Instinct and circumstances convince Mark that Katrina’s death was a murder and not an accident.  As the suspense builds, I began to anticipate the direction the story was taking when a sudden twist in the plot swiftly moved to a completely unexpected climactic ending.

Eadon’s dramatic dialog is an effective tool for conveying helpful information, adding a dimension to the narrative. Basic issues of the grief process, an understanding of PTSD and abusive relationships are presented in a non-text-book, helpful manner. Eadon gives insight into the plight of visiting families in the correction institutions and prisons.

Eadon has a unique way of involving the reader in the action of his story and characters. I found myself empathizing with his characters in their power struggles, their relationships, conflictive motives, and their need for moral support.  Jack has a knack for reducing the psychic distance between his hero and the reader. By making his protagonist, Mark, somewhat naïve, simple, and honest, he became genuine, making it easy for the reader to be sympathetic with his role, in a sense “rooting” for his success.

This is another in the Jack Eadon’s “American Drama Series.” Eadon’s writing is strong. “‘Gigolo’ on the Row” is destined to become another best seller. Dramatic. Fast-Paced. Entertainment.