Wolf Point

By: Jamie Steinberg

They say you should write what you know, which is why one of the reasons that I feel that Dr. Ian K. Smith’s latest book Wolf Point falls flat. Smith has quite the pedigree as a well-known physician that is sought after for his weight loss and healthy eating advice. Thus, I was surprised to see a murder-mystery book in his name. In Wolf Point we follow private investigator Ashe Cayne as he is tasked with uncovering the true motives and means for the death of well-known politician Walter Griffin, as his passing was ruled (mysteriously) a homicide. Unfortunately, the downfall of this book lies with the pretentious main character who spends more time talking about golf, dwelling on his past/present love life and focusing on a local kid’s death to draw in the reader and keep them turning pages.

Well known Chicago politician Walter Griffin’s death was ruled a suicide, but his family disagrees with this finding. So does PI Ashe Cayne. When Griffin’s family enlist his aid in figuring out the truth behind his passing and the reasons behind it, Cayne is eager to lend a hand – danger be damned. Sadly, the story doesn’t pick up steam though until mid-book as Smith focuses far too much on Cayne’s golf game, makes one too many references to the origin of the character’s name (We get it, he was named after tennis legend Arthur Ashe), constantly has Cayne making overly intellectual remarks that the other characters wouldn’t/don’t understand (The guy can quote Shakespeare, but what’s the point in doing so to individuals who clearly won’t get the references?) and focusing on a woman he once loved and lost. Plus, there is a side story of a kid who was murdered on a train for not giving up his sneakers that makes an odd appearance in a not-needed addition to the tale.

When Cayne finally focuses on the murder he’s being tasked to investigate readers will become intrigued and find it hard to put their book down. Did Griffin’s death have something to do with a beautiful chanteuse that he was possibly having an affair with? Maybe it was because of his political or personal connections to the wrong people? There are just way too many twists, turns and potential culprits to figure it out on your own (some to the determinate of the story to the point you’re at “Uh, solve it already…” level of annoyance) You have to wait until the end of the book to find out, which is one of the sole standout reasons you’ll want to keep reading Wolf Point.

For those looking for a good who-done-it tale, you might enjoy Wolf Point. That is if you can get past the arrogance and distracted main character. Otherwise, seek out Dr. Smith’s other works on healthy eating or watch him on the “Rachael Ray Show” if you want to see where the author/physician truly shines.