Review of Every City is Every Other City by John McFetridge

Every City Is Every Other City by John McFetridge

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is labeled as “A Gordon Stuart Mystery. #1” so I gave it a try, thinking, “Maybe this will be another Jack Reacher type series.” It certainly has the potential to be. Gordon Stuart is a likable character– a movie location scout who does some free lance investigative work on the side. He begins a relationship with a background actress in the movie he is working on, and together they begin working on a missing person’s case. At the same time, he is working for a security firm on a completely different investigation.

As much time as the author spends developing both plotlines, I kept thinking, “Well, surely they are connected somehow.” But with 30 minutes to go on the audiobook, I began to realize that either they won’t, or it won’t be satisfying. I won’t say which it was because I don’t want to spoil anything, but you’ve already seen I only gave it two stars, so I’m sure you can connect the dots.

There is a lot of insider language about the movie business and script tropes, which will either keep your interest if you like movies or turn you off if you don’t. I like movies, so I stayed with it even through a very mediocre story. Looking back on it, I notice now how often the characters talk about how real life isn’t like the movies– that there isn’t always closure, and not every story gets wrapped up with a pretty bow. That sometimes plot lines are left to dangle.

Perhaps the author was giving away the non-ending.



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