A young attorney digging in his law firm's past in order to free his father from prison, is warned to be careful, "some things are like sacred burial grounds, and are better left alone... out of respect." He charges ahead nevertheless, and confronts those he believes are responsible, but when a close colleague is found dead and the evidence points to him as the murderer, Elton Mozingo is faced with his greatest fear; ending up just like his father, an innocent man in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
Prisoner Prodigal Pawn, follows the adventures of the Mozingo family as they try to unravel a conspiracy that has led to one of their own, Elton Mozingo, to be set up for murder. The story is an insider’s tale, set in the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and revolves around a law firm, an Indian casino, tribal politics, and delves into questions of race and identity throughout. The Mozingo brothers, Elton and Charles, as well as their convicted-felon father, BP, are the eponymous prisoner, prodigal son, and pawn caught up in an elaborate embezzlement scheme that its perpetrators would kill to keep hidden.
Robert (Bob) Sparkman is the author of the debut novel, Prisoner Prodigal Pawn, an ethnic thriller set in Albuquerque, NM that takes an interesting and unique look at tribal politics and casino gambling on Indian lands.
An independent review from the WILDsound Festival stated:
…The casino-intrigue element of the story is interesting and unique, an inventive twist on a classic genre, and the balloon chase scene is unlike any other chase scene I’ve ever encountered. It’s riveting, original, and rendered well. Prisoner Prodigal Pawn is full of excitement, tension and unexpected twists that will keep the reader turning those pages.
The Festival named the balloon chase scene as the best scene from a novel, November 2014.
He is an insurance claims adjuster by day, and enjoys running, sports, classic R&B, and classic rock, and the blues. He currently lives in Los Angeles, with his family, and was born and raised in Georgetown, SC. He served in the U.S. Army, the U. S. Navy and the California National Guard.
This excerpt focuses on alliteration, a literary device where two or more words beginning with the same sound, are strung together, such as "weaken his whiskey when..." I use alliteration in my book's title, Prisoner Prodigal Pawn. My first experience with alliteration was during my freshman year in high school when my English Lit teacher had the class read Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "To Helen", wherein he writes the phrase..the weary way worn wanderer... I became hooked on this literary device ever since. My book is peppered with such phrases throughout. Perhaps there may be a tad too many. An independent reviewer said I should cut down on the modifiers, so I rather reluctantly relented and killed some of my darlings, Using alliteration makes writing fun for me. We writers know how tedious and frustrating writing can be at times. Whenever I need an alliterative fix, I'll listen to Warren Zevon's Werewolf of London, ....little old lady got mutilated late last night.....That one, along with Poe's are in my Alliteration Hall of Fame. Perhaps I need to be sent to Writers Rehab in Reno, or Alliteration Anonymous in Auckland, for help with this addictive alliterative affliction. But I don't have an alliteration problem, really, I don't. Happy reading.
Book Excerpt
Prisoner Prodigal Pawn
He stepped over to the bar, and poured a second glass of Scotch. The ice cubes danced around the bottom of the glass as he poured. He often used ice to weaken his whiskey when drinking alone. Drinking his liquor straight was one of several facades of sophistication and manliness he discarded when he didn’t have an audience.
Comment on this Bubble
Your comment and a link to this bubble will also appear in your Facebook feed.