Review of VIDEO COWBOYS by Yolanda Joe (see her website)

A GEORGIA BARNETT MYSTERY

Simon & Schuster, May 2005

Television reporter Georgia Barnett just wants to go to the bank to pick up some cash, but a man with a bomb takes everyone hostage including her and her cameraman. He's obviously upset, possibly insane, and definitely dangerous. But all he wants is to see his daughter safe. Yolanda persuades the gunman to release her to get his message out--and finds herself in trouble with a hot-shot cop who wants to gun his way in no matter what the cost. A clever escape lands Georgia in legal trouble, but a crew of aging but still high-flying 'video cowboys' comes to the rescue. Together, they find the secrets of the daughter's life--and the trouble she's in.

Author Yolanda Joe (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Joe) mixes action, slang and attitude from the African American community, and a heroine who won't stop--both when it comes to getting a story and when it comes to doing right--to deliver an enjoyable adventure. The gunman's demands come with a timeline--adding a ticking clock to the action as Georgia flies through the streets of Chicago looking for the truth.

Things are a bit too well connected, the video cowboys are a bit too smart and macho, and Georgia is a bit too perfect, but let yourself suspend disbelief a bit--and enjoy the show.

Three Stars

Reviewed 9/25/05

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