Red Gold by Robert D. Kidera

 

First Line: I knelt by my wife's grave, as I had each day for more than a year.

 

Professor Gabriel McKenna is still grieving the death of his wife, so when he learns that his great-aunt has left him an inheritance, he looks forward to a change of scenery and heads to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

Once in his great aunt's house, Gabe finds himself up to his eyebrows in a mystery involving the legendary Lost Adams gold. His life is in danger. Old friends and new rally to his side.

 

People are willing to kill for this treasure, and Gabe's life depends on his ability to find it first... if it even exists.

 

 

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The best part of this first Gabe McKenna mystery is the pursuit of the Lost Adams gold. The author's description of being out on the trail in a remote area brought back memories of many pleasurable hours my husband and I spent doing the same thing in our Jeep. I also liked following along as McKenna did his research and began putting all the clues together. (I can't resist old maps and manuscripts.)

But I also had problems with Red Gold. I have very few hot buttons in my reading, but alcoholism is one of them. When McKenna's wife died, he fell face-first into a bottle, and I tired of his constant reaching for one. An example? "I felt overwhelmed. So I walked into a bar at the end of the block." He knows people are trying to kill him, but he makes sure he has a flask of booze at hand when he's heading out to a dangerous situation. I know we're supposed to feel compassion for this man, but I just rolled my eyes. However, when things really began heating up, he started forgetting to reach for the bottle, so there was hope.

It also felt as though the author was trying to make his main character all things to all people. He's an alcoholic. He's a college professor and published author. He won the 1977 Golden Gloves in boxing. He was an Army Ranger in Grenada. He has a Ph.D in Pre-Columbian history. And he's the lucky recipient of a sizable inheritance. I only wish that Golden Gloves of his had been more useful because Gabe spent entirely too much time getting the stuffing knocked out of him (which is something of a hot button, too.)

Although I did enjoy the search for treasure, Gabe McKenna just didn't do a thing for me. Your mileage may vary, and I hope that it does.

Red Gold by Robert D. Kidera

ASIN: B092TTXVFW

Suspense Publishing © 2015

eBook, 232 pages

 

Amateur Sleuth, #1 Gabe McKenna

Rating: B-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.