The Hummingbird Wizard by Meredith Blevins

I really struggled to get into this book, in fact I never really felt like I ever entered the author's world and was always held at one remove by the book.  It just all tries so desperately hard to be different or original or quirky that it makes it almost impenetrable in the early chapters to really get to grips with the characters or the situation, let alone give a toss about any of it.  I persevered with the book though and it did improve about three quarters of the way through - whether this was because I had got used to the characters or the style of the writing I'm not sure.  I think it may have just been that the story itself improved significantly as there was less "writing to impress" going on.

Basically this is a thriller story that has been prettied up by adding a potentially supernatural element courtesy of Madame Mina and her powerful Gypsy Clan.  Throw in her mysterious son, the eponymous Hummingbird Wizard, a couple of outsiders married in to the family (one of whom may be a murder victim), a daughter who teaches Circus Arts and has a major alcohol problem.  Stir in complicated relationships, unknown about major wealth, a conspiracy to defraud, dodgy lawyers and an over the top funeral.  Season with vaguely corrupt city police officers, a dash of good 'ole boy policing and a stake out by the feds.  As you can see there is an awful lot going here, probably way too much to be honest.

Fortunately Annie seems to be as befuddled and confused as the reader as to what is going on here.  Jerry is dead, this much is clear to her.  Jerry was her best friend and it is her fault he is mixed up with the Szabo clan.  Now Annie is also sucked backed in (she was married to one of them but he died in a motorbike accident) and has to deal with her formidable former mother-in-law Mina.  If that isn't bad enough she had a disturbingly erotic dream whilst staying in Jerry's home and it is beginning to look like it was much more than just a dream.  Despite being the main focus of the book Annie is pretty much weak, ineffectual and overshadowed by every other character in the book.  She does get it together a bit after the funeral but it takes until almost the end before a backbone and a bit of intellect sparks in to being.

The dilemma I now face is that the book ended quite well and whether it was because I had simply given up and decided to go with the peculiar flow or whether the author had managed to pull it all together in the end I'm not quite sure.  The first half of the book is a maximum of a 2 Star read but it did improve exponentially so I am going to be generous and give it an overall 3 Stars. 

Do I buy the second in the series?  Possibly, if it is on sale I may give it a whirl but I wouldn't go out of my way to hunt it down.