Robert Fate

My recent crime spree has taken me from Laos to Sweden and landed me in Texas, the setting for Robert Fate’s novel Baby Shark. Kristin Van Dijk is only seventeen when her father is murdered before her very eyes. She is left for dead after being sexually assaulted and beaten.

Although he lost his own son to the murderous biker gang, Henry Chin, owner of the pool hall where the crime went down, comes to Kristin’s rescue, pulling her out of the burning building and saving her life. Together, Kristin and Henry are determined to go after the men responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and for hurting Kristin. The police do not seem to care and someone has to pay the price of justice.

Baby Shark is set in Texas during the early 1950’s, a time before DNA testing, cell phones and computers. Women and minorities had their place in society and rarely stepped outside of that. Kristin broke the mold when she picked up the pool cue, following in her father’s footsteps, and trained to be a killer. She had been victimized once and instead of turning inward, she decided to face her fear and act out against it.

Kristin is both intelligent and quick on her feet. She has a hard outer shell, having built up her defenses to protect herself as best as she can. She can kill without remorse. And yet, she still holds onto her humanity. One of my favorite moments in the book is when she asks about the welfare of the dogs, knowing the owner will not be able to see to them anymore.

Robert Fate brings together an unlikely cast of characters. There is Henry Chin, the cabinet maker, who takes Kristin in and helps guide her down her new life path; Sarge, a World War II veteran, who teaches both Kristin and Henry how to fight; Albert, the one legged Korean War veteran who has a weakness for booze and whose knowledge in guns comes in handy; Harlan, a con man and pool hustler who mentors Kristin in the game of pool, shaping her into Baby Shark, a force to be reckoned with at the pool table; and Otis Millett, the former police officer now private investigator, who Henry hires to find the men behind the attack at the pool hall on that fateful night. Each of these men plays an important part in Kristin’s life as she transitions over from child to woman.

The novel is even more salient, coming from Kristin’s point of view. Robert Fate’s writing style is straight forward, and the story he has created is captivating. There was a split second near the beginning of the novel when I wondered if Baby Shark was for me, but that thought died a quick death the more I read. Baby Shark is one of those stories that grips hold of the reader and plays on the emotions. It is easy to understand why Kristin and Henry seek a justice of their own variety—and I cheered for them all along the way.… (more)

Fast-paced action where the victim is also the heroine. Kristin overcomes odds that were so balanced against her as to bury most of us. She watches her father's murder, she is assaulted and left for dead, then the bikers that created the carnage attempt to burn the pool hall down to the bodies and evidence.

Henry Chin, the Chinese owner of the pool hall, who's son Will was also murdered wants revenge. Since in the 50's a non-white had no power, he begins to train Kristin to take his revenge.

I don't know how a 70 year old male writer has been able to so accurately get into the mind of a seventeen year old girl. But the character he has created so skillfully, is true to the period and to her age and sex.

From the moment you begin this book you won't want to put it down. You will be in Baby's corner all the way. The twists and turns may surprise and horrify you but you will read to the end. And, then want to know what happens next. Enjoy!.… (more)

The 2nd in the Baby Shark series. Still, great characters but this did not grab me the same as the first in the series.

The story deals with her becoming a private eye in partnership with Otis Millet,.Otis helped locate the bikers who murdered her father. This tale expands her relationship with Otis, but I felt some flavor was lost without seeing Henry Chin, Sarge, and Sun Man.

Though I was a little disappointed, it seems a necessary step to let her grow into Kristin Dijk, private eye.… (more)

It is June 1961 as this sixth book in the series opens. Kristin Van Dijk, known to one and all as “Baby Shark,” has always pushed things to the edge. While never fully expressed, no matter the situation, she carries herself with an attitude that she does not care whether she lives or dies. Working with Fort Worth Private Investigator Otis Millett has not polished her rough edges though he and others have tried. Working for him has increased her skill set while also making violent situations ultimately involving the police a little smoother than they would have been otherwise. But, that may be about to change as this latest incident involving Baby Shark might be too much for all involved to ignore. Going solo has consequences.

While the gates of hell just received two more very worthy inductees, in the land of the living Baby Shark has a problem. Five years of working with Otis is not going to make this go away. Even with her background there are limits and she has really done it this time. Otis isn’t the only one who thinks she needs a vacation to clear her head and get her mind straight. He is the only one around who could enforce her taking a break and he definitely wants her out of town for a bit.

Baby Shark hits the road intending to see some old friends and get back to what she used to do to make money--play pool. Her moniker is legendary and those who don’t know of her in smoky pool rooms and dives across the state of Texas are about to get a crash course in reality. The only problem with her plan is that she might find more trouble out on the road than if she had stayed home and worked cases.

The series that started with the powerful debut novel Baby Shark (reviewed here) just keeps getting better and better. Plenty of action, complicated characters, and powerful imagery fuel this high octane series in reads that don’t stop until the final words. Baby Shark’s Grass Widow Legacy is another very good read in an excellent series featuring a character forged in fire and blood determined to dispense justice as she sees fit. In her world some folks need help and a lot of folks need killing and she intends to do both while running the table.

Baby Shark’s Grass Widow Legacy
Robert Fate
http://www.robertfate.com
Self-Published
October 2013
ASIN: B00GCYQHMS
266 Pages
$3.99

Material was purchased last month to read/review thanks to a small credit in my Amazon Associates account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014… (more)