Book review: Undercard

The “middle muddle” is something all authors and readers fear: that after a dynamite opening, the action falls into hibernation until it wakes up again in Act III. Some readers even skip the middle of books to get to the finale. Moviegoers step away an hour in for a bathroom break. Students read the beginning and end of a chapter or book while cramming for a test.

Do not skip the middle here!

David Albertyn’s Undercard vanquishes that dreaded, paralyzing wasteland where too many manuscripts go to die. A quite unexpected twist right in the middle of this novel propels the high-stakes drama and intimate reflection of the second half.

Undercard also has a seductive, noirish atmosphere in and outside the ring in Vegas (and on the cover). I agree with fellow reviewer Wilder Bellamy who called this a Scorsese story.

Looking forward to seeing how Albertyn’s career progresses.