| Celebrity and law enforcement collide in crime dramaBy Dr Glenville Ashby[email protected]Follow me on Twitter @glenvilleashbyVincentian John Andrews’ Who shot the Sheriff takes place in the edgy enclaves of Kingston, Jamaica. It is boiler room drama that lacks the sophistication of a Tom Clancy novel. Harangued with some editorial hiccups, it is short on colour and atmosphere, but long on life’s timeless edicts. “Sheriff” is entertainingly impactful, but possibly better served oratorically, à la crime reporter, Dominick Dunne.Scenes appear with a sense of exigency, flowing with rapidity – unburdened with extraneous dialogue and circumstantial detail. The plot is pedestrian. Wesley Haynes, a young man from Mandeville is determined to succeed musically. His wary parents succumb to his wishes as he moves to Kingston, notable for churning out some of the island’s famous musical icons. Before this life altering decision, Haynes has already incurred the ire of Mandeville’s sheriff, John Brown – a man disdainful of this rising young star,Wholesale China Jerseys, and determined to derail his burgeoning career. A traffic encounter with Brown, and a night incarcerated, has fueled Haynes’ decision to move from the prosecutorial overreach of this crooked sheriff. A major setback in Kingston fails to stutter the meteoric success of Haynes, and international fame, fortune, adulation,wholesale jerseys, and, notoriety, follow – in tandem.Who Shot the Sheriff? explores humankind’s shortcomings: pride and prejudice; vice and greed; arrogance and entitlement; envy and duplicity; anger and violence. They all parade – determinedly alive – beckoning us to our demise.Haynes’ involvement in drug trafficking amid a storied musical career is an enigma that will bedevil readers. Why sabotage his accomplishments? Is the drug culture so overwhelming that the power of the individual (to choose) is rendered inconsequential? Is the music industry inextricably bound to drug use? Although the protagonist resurfaces, seemingly more adjusted – a family man with a rekindled career after years in prison,Wholesale Stitched NFL Jerseys, his conviction and harrowing experience with the law enforcement, viz., Sheriff John Brown, lingers,Cheap NFL Jerseys, tarnishing his character. The stage is set for a “who did it?” legal showdown when the sheriff and his deputy are murdered. Marked, and in the cross hairs of the Mandeville police department, all road leads to the reggae superstar.Readers are asked to mull the curious personality of Sheriff John Brown – a megalomaniac, crooked, and obsessed with “lynching” Haynes, years before his super stardom status. Is it a case of sheer envy, or some inexplicable entanglement, that has its origins in another lifetime? Is it the settlement of some karmic debt, as some might argue? When Haynes was only celebrated on the local circuit, ”Brown knew deep in his psyche that one day he was going to spike Wesley Haynes on the cross, thereby derailing his musical career.” Later, we read, ”Brown had no problem being the bad cop that would prey Wesley like a big hawk for any chance he could get to pounce. Brown was willing to bend the law, twist or tweak it, or break it in order to come up with the catch inside the net – Wesley Haynes.”Sheriff Brown is a revolting figure, his demise drawing little in the way of sympathy. But the battle lines are etched in the sand and,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, despite a paucity of convincing evidence, Haynes is hauled before a Miami judge. The trail, moved from the frenzied atmosphere in Jamaica for fear of prejudicing the case, is anticlimactic, and predictable, with some flashes of a Perry Mason-like drama. There are also snapshots of prison life. It can be a withering – a Darwinian experience where only the resolute can survive. For a man like Haynes – well heeled and used to celebrity, adjusting takes its toll. He must rely on faith.”Haynes’ quiet time is spent reading and writing – ”his small library included a Bible along with motivational literature. He reads a lot from Proverbs, “Ecclesiastes,” and “Revelation. The Book of James” he completely soaked up.” Haynes’ redemption is the existential high point of this interesting work. The author casts a wide moral net. He tells a compelling story, easily compensating for any shortcomings.As a motivational speaker who established Teen Success – an empowerment based organization, Andrews excels as an educator who addresses social issues that affect today’s youth. Clearly,Jerseys NFL Wholesale, this is a literary effort that lives up to his instructive and pedagogical leanings. It rings with karmic justice – a caveat, extolling virtue, faith, and an unswerving moral fiber. If only Andrews’ characters had lived up to such high ideals…….Dr Glenville Ashby, Literary critic, Caribbean Book ReviewWho Shot the Sheriff? By John A. AndrewsPublished by Books that Enhance Your Life, USA, 2012ISBN: 978-0-984980-3-9Available: Amazon.com/www.JohnAAndrews.comRating: GoodPic filed as who shot the sheriff in server sunday |
