Book Review: The Imitation of Patsy Burke

Title: The Imitation of Patsy Burke
Author: John J. Gaynard


Awhile ago, I came across a site called Book Rooster, a website that allows authors to share free Kindle editions of their books in exchange for reviews. It is an excellent way to discover new books and author, and to help others do the same by sharing your opinion.


Now, I'm a pretty avid reader, but my to-read pile has reached mountainous heights. However, I have read two of the review copies of books from this program and today finally got around to posting the reviews on amazon. I figured that meant it was time to also share my review and opinions of the books here.


The Imitation of Patsy Burke was the second book from Book Rooster that I read, but the first I reviewed.  The book starts off with Irish born sculptor Patsy Burke, waking up in his cheap Paris motel room, bloodied, with a broken arm and no memory of the night before.


We quickly meet Patsy's "friends," his inner voices, alter egos, or other personalities and join them as they assist Patsy in piecing together the events of the previous night. The journey through the bars of Paris also takes us through the memorable events of Patsy's past, mainly involving women, booze, and fights.


As we travel deeper into Patsy's mind and memories, we also come face to face with our own inner voices and urges. The book draws us into the darker side of human nature as is not for the easily offended, especially for those with sensitivities toward religion, language, and sex.


The bottom line:

This book quickly drew me in within the first few pages and kept me engrossed until the ending plot twists. It is not often that a book actually surprises me, but this one did. It is a dark and depressing story of one man's descent into madness and violence, but an engaging read.