Mr. Confidence- A Book Review

About a month ago I was contacted by Laura from Prodigy Gold Books, and I was asked to write a review for a new book they have coming out, Mr. Confidence by Rahiem Brooks. Of course I said yes, so I was sent the book (which is only available by download since it has not come out yet). I finished it last night, and I immediately wanted to sit down and write out my thoughts on it.

It is not the genre of books I reach for when in a library or a bookstore, but I enjoyed reading something a little different. It still had an air of mystery, as well as the crime aspect that I enjoy, but it does not fall under a mystery category. So for me, it was a good change of pace.

I don’t want to give too much away, and being that this is the first real book review I have been asked to do, I don’t know what or if there is a correct way to do this, so forgive me if I give too few or too many details. I don’t want to ruin the book’s plot for any potential readers out there!

Don Juan is the main character, he’s just gotten out of jail, and he has a lot of drama. Drama is the best word to describe the book, as well as the character. He is thrown back into the middle of the world that landed him in jail in the first place: the mother of his child, a mistress, and a world full of drugs and lust.

Don Juan is determined to not end up back in jail, and he will do (and does do) anything to keep that from happening. His main priority is his daughter, and the picture of the relationship Mr. Brooks draws for us between Don Juan and his daughter, Trinity, is one of a gentle dad who always goes the extra mile for her. He is also a thief, a con artist, and a ladies’ man that has no regard for the feelings of other people, except for his daughter. Mr. Brooks takes us on a short journey where a lot of life altering events occur for Don Juan. Just when we think our main character is at the end of his road, Mr. Brooks throws in another curve and changes everything.

The only complaint I have of the book, and it’s a small one, are the different view points the book goes through. Most of the book is told from the point of view of either Don Juan or his friend/business partner Lex. Several other instances in the book though, the story felt like it was being switched to the viewpoint of several background characters. The story still made sense, but a couple different times I had to look back and see why we were being told the story from that character’s point of view. Other people may enjoy the different view points of each character, no matter the significance, but it just didn’t feel as natural to me. Again, a very small detail in the scheme of things and likely just personal preference.

Mr. Brooks does a good job of capturing the dialog and the mannerisms of the area and the culture. It was an easy read, and one I enjoyed each night after work. It had it all: betrayal, love, crime, and greed. I would not recommend this book to young adults, as there is some explicit content, but it is a great read for a more mature audience.

I will be reading another book by Mr. Brooks, A Butler Christmas, that is already available to the public. I will make sure to update on that one as well!