By Leslie Lindsay

  Excited to share a new-to-me author, Darryl Nynzyk (love those!) and his new novel, THE CONDOR SONG.  Think: Environmentalism meets Disney.  Toss in a little murder and mayhem and you’ve got the makings of a great crime.  This review, while not my own, is credited to my lovely bookish hubby, Jim Lindsay.  Hey–I’ve been crazy-busy on my own writing deadlines.  We writers can’t do it alone.  So take it away, Jim!

On the face of it, Darryl Nyznyk’s third book “The Condor Song” tells the age-old tale of redemption, both for the protagonist—Sean Michael Donovan, a down-on-his luck attorney—and the California Condor, a bird on the edge of extinction. Donovan’s struggle to repair his life begins at his roots, his mother on her 70^th birthday. He agrees to take the case of his childhood friend’s mother whose property is in jeopardy of being taken away from her through a rarely accepted legal maneuver. The case brings him face-to-face with his former law firm that began the cascade of Donovan’s bad luck. He also develops a love interest, the niece of a modern-day John Muir. The relationship connects him to a much larger case, that of the Sierra Club against a Disney-like family company that seeks to create a ski resort in a new-found Condor breeding ground. The company’s interests are represented by—yes, Donovan’s old firm (again).

The story then becomes David versus Goliath of his old firm. Like that other author of legal thrillers, Nyznyk draws on his own experiences as a lawyer to objectively present the issues related to a case like that Donovan faces. Multiple plots, multiple levels and good old-fashioned hope for the underdog make Nyznyk’s book an enthralling and suspenseful read. The unlikely turn that occurs towards the end of the book may prove a disappointment to many readers though. With that supernatural twist, the story places him just shy of that top tier of suspense writers. I’m definitely looking forward to Nyznyk’s next book.   

Isn’t he good?!  We certainly are a team when it comes to all things literary.  Thanks, hon! [image souce: amazon.com.  Retrieved 9.27.13]