Museum: Black Knight Chronicles
Roger Hailey
(Reviewer - Rebecca Brown)
2004 iUniverse
ISBN: 0595662900

An inmate narrates the stories of the recently incarcerated. Shocking decisions in prison result in high tensions for a marriage on the rocks.

Roger Hailey, first son of master novelist Arthur Hailey (Airport, Hotel & others), has released his debut thriller -- Museum, set in some of South Florida's most spectacular & unknown locations.

Museum introduces Michael Donley, an inmate himself, who comes to the aid of the seriously disoriented “new fish” in their time of greatest need, befriends them, & chronicles their stories.

Enter wealthy Miami businessman, Johnny Rainco & his wife, Lisa, who has a lurid & abused past. Their marriage is on the rocks. Donley & Rainco's worlds are about to collide, after Rainco is arrested & jailed for domestic violence. With revenge on his mind, the “new fish” makes a terrible decision with the aid of a sinister criminal.

Museum: Black Knight Chronicle I, takes you into America's prison system, where you will learn about the characters who fill the cells & pages of Museum.

Rainco's release & reunion with Lisa starts a saga of revenge that roller coasters throughout South Florida. Quite a lot of violence, & someone does get away with murder, no matter how righteous it may seem to be.

Museum is not poorly written, so much as unpolished, & as you all know, my editor's hat is always perched beside my reading cap. With my eagle eyes, red pens & editorial impassivity, I could have whittled away much of the awkward grammar, idiosyncratic fonts, repetitions & flabby words.

All in all, Museum is a rip-snorter in which a thoughtful inmate tells the story of two devious spouses from damaged childhoods, with evil on their minds, greed in their hearts, operating with no holds barred. Lots of sex, violence & strong language.

& the Black Knight? He's the most interesting of all! Quite a complex lad is he.

The genes are there, Roger Hailey can certainly tell a story: if he'll submit to some coaching, he'll be a writer to look out for when he publishes his next Black Knight Chronicle.
(08/01/04)

Rebecca