Review: The Fraud by Brad Parks

When a Nigerian immigrant is killed during a carjacking, few notice. Yet, a few weeks later, a wealthy banking executive suffers the same fate, the public take notice.  Investigative reporter Carter Ross is assigned the story.  Reluctant about writing a story about a rich white man, Carter opts to write a story about both of the victims. Tying the two victims together becomes remarkably simple when he discovers that they knew each other, sharing a round of golf at a local ritzy country club. As in true Carter Ross style, suddenly he finds himself mixed up in a dangerous world of deadly, psychotic car thieves. This time, however, it's not only his life in danger, but also that of his girlfriend, Tina, and their unborn child.

My, my Brad Parks! Your sensitive side is showing in this most recent volume in the Carter Ross series.  I have to say, I loved it.  A fan of Carter Ross from the beginning, his wise cracks a characteristic of his fine reporting skills. Carter has always had a sensitive side to him, covering stories about individuals that aren’t so prominent, yet deserving of a voice nonetheless.  Yet, in The Fraud, that sensitive side comes boiling out.  Sure, his wit and childish sense of humor are still quite evident, but this new side of Carter Ross really adds to the richness and dimension of this truly phenomenal character.

Parks uses a conversational writing style that instantly immerses readers in the story. You aren’t simply an observer, you are participant.  Additionally, Parks’ passion for writing news is evident.  Throughout the entire Carter Ross series, we watch as the newspaper industry goes from booming…to a bit of a bust. Carter is a one-man-band, forced to do the work of many. His passion for telling the story hasn’t wavered at all; he continues to put his everything into revealing the truth behind a story.

The city of Newark is it’s own character, as is the case in the previous books in this series.  Parks clearly shares it’s not the best place to visit at night (never, never stop at a traffic light after dark) yet it’s not difficult to see that he still has a passion for the city, despite all its flaws.  This, with Parks’ portrayal of the decline of the newspaper business, adds a grittiness…a human side to this truly captivating piece of crime fiction.

All of these characteristics make it easy to see why Parks has won some many awards for his work. He’s a genuinely talented man and, like his main character, wears his heart on his sleeve, passionate to get the story out for the world to read. Highly, highly recommended.