Steve Eubanks’ HOT LAPS is being billed as a stock-car thriller. I guess NASCAR would have serious issues with this book, but what little knowledge I have of stock cars could not even fill a thimble, since most of my exposure would be from SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. But crime is crime: something I thrive on.
The novel’s main protagonist is Robert Redding, a former driver turned prosecuting attorney. Nicknamed Redball for an accident he had in his driving career, his current world is given a wake-up call on the day that Troy Slackherd – stepbrother of one of the biggest racers, Junior Senior Jr. – is busted for hijacking a truck full of those die-cast cars you see being sold on shopping networks. (I’m not making this up.)
Since Redding has a background in racing, the law figures he would be the best man to handle the affair, until Troy wants to cut his own deal without his lawyer’s knowledge. It seems that the hijack might involve the premier crime family of the South, so of course, Troy turns up dead, thus raising a lot more questions needed to be answered.
Eubanks does a very passable job on the mystery side of things, although you’re pretty much told early on who’s behind the scheme. When it comes to the racing portions, he really hits his mark, with well-placed digs on the NASCAR scene and having certain characters being based on some real-life drivers. Even non-race fans can figure it out; I mean, changing the name by a few letters is not going to fool anyone, i.e. Jett Jordan.
With HOT LAPS – great title, that – Eubanks is trying to establish a Elmore Leonard-like world in a racing setting. The problem is his book is more geared toward that side than the crime side, as I was pretty bored by the discussions of track life and other minutiae. However, race fans will eat this up without a doubt. –Bruce Grossman
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