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The Hidden Assassinsby: Robert Wilson |
Scenes from the Blanketby Ted TorresTed Torres' Scenes from the Blanket isn't a murder mystery, and has no murders, but it definitely is a mystery. The focus is on sex, drugs, and the supernatural – in the form of voodoo. The Blanket is the night, and the mystery lies in the form of a voodoo curse. Mr. Torres' writing is so-so with some obvious questions left unanswered while he spends a good deal of his writing elaborating on the sex and drugs. If you're into the New Orleans (or any other) scene that encompasses that particular take on the young adult population, Scenes from the Blanket is probably for you. Otherwise, forget it.Scenes begins with the Reverend Wakefield attempting to convert the evildoers in the city of New Orleans. In the process, the Reverend falls in love with what turns out to be a prostitute – and after she spurns and also mistreats him, he abandons his religion and accepts another – voodoo. He also places a voodoo curse on the city, so that eventually all who dabble in its 'evil' ways would be taken into a half-world where they will exist only as shadows – screaming shadows. The Reverend evidently joins them at some point, but when and why are two of the questions left unanswered Blake Worthington, a godlike young man fresh from San Francisco, arrives in New Orleans to find his old love, Judith Blair. Judith has a regular job, although she welcomes Blake with open arms, hoping to rekindle an old flame. But Blake has embraced the night – what he has named the Blanket – including all the drugs and sex that have become a part of the hedonistic lifestyle. So Judith joins him, depriving herself of sleep as much as possible while still keeping her job. Blake meets an old guy called the Funnyman, who warns him about the curse. The Funnyman also knows all about Blake, having looked through Blake's eyes even as a child (another of the unanswered questions is why? Why Blake especially?) Blake remains unimpressed. Judith seems satisfied simply to accompany Blake while his popularity grows to the point that he gathers a select group of other Blanket-lovers around him including males as well as females. Homosexuality and heterosexuality evidently merge with the help of drugs… Gradually some of the 'in' crowd disappear. Then Blake himself is taken. It remains for Judith to rescue them all, even though you'd expect Blake himself to occupy that role. With the Funnyman's assistance Judith does extricate them just in the nick of time, and the curse is broken. Another of the answers to multiple questions left out of the book's content is why and how did the Funnyman come into possession of the three parchments – and why didn't he figure out the parchments' secret for himself instead of waiting for Judith to do it? Scenes from the Blanket will intrigue some people. It didn't do that for me. I tend to give recreational drugs a wide berth, although Mr. Torres may write from personal experience. If Scenes had concentrated more on the voodoo aspects instead of the sex and drugs, this volume might have had a chance. As it stands, only those aligning themselves with Ted Torres and his fans will enjoy this tale. Alan Paul Curtis |
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