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acknowledges,
as he scrambles to get a married Republican governor
re-elected before the press discovers the cutie he's
stashed away at the Celebrity Motel in Atlantic City.
Although none too subtle, Dezenhall's brash comic style
suits his unkind -- not to say nasty -- depiction of
Jersey politics as a lowdown contact sport. And there's
real wit in the technically straight scenes in which
Jonah preps his candidate for a press interview or puts
a focus group through its paces. Here's proof that politics
is funny when it isn't even trying.
•
• •
Philadelphia
Magazine
“Eric
Dezenhall is fast becoming one of the most hilarious
chroniclers of America's criminal underbelly. Great
beach reading.”
Eric
Dezenhall, author of last summer's Jackie Disaster,
is fast becoming one of the most hilarious chroniclers
of America's criminal underbelly. Here our hero is Jonah
Eastman, a pollster who knows the ins and outs of New
Jersey politics from his job as consultant for Governor
(and former hoops star) "Rebound Rothman."
But Jonah also has a dark past full of mob ties and
seediness. That's why he's so appealing -- he's digging
up dirt on political schemers and their bimbos and lackeys,
all while dealing with his own demons. I didn't buy
the gory violence at the end of the story (set in the
Pine Barrens and Margate) but was so caught up in the
character studies that I just plowed on. Great beach
reading.
— Kate McGrath
•
• •
Philadelphia
Inquirer
“A
well-observed thriller.”
•
• •
Kirkus
Reviews (starred)
(A
star is assigned to books of unusual merit, determined
by the editors of Kirkus Reviews.)
A
New Jersey election depends on which candidate put the
body in the pine barrens and the graft in his pocket.
The
latest client for Jonah Eastman, the wry, self-deprecating
pollster and grandson of Jewish gangster Mickey Price
(Jackie Disaster, 2003, etc.), is Governor "Rebound"
Rothman, running for the Senate and after staff interns,
especially luscious Simone Lava, the former Miss Little
Egg Harbor Township, now stashed in an Atlantic City
motel. Keeping the lid on the film someone's making
of the couple's kinky couplings isn't nearly as tough
for Eastman as explaining Rebound's endorsement of riverboat
gambling despite his shady commitments to shadier casino
owners. What's behind the policy shift? What other hidden
secrets are making Rebound worried about the election
despite his big lead in the polls? And how can Eastman
turn it all into anti-Swedish sentiment against Rothman's
snobbish opponent while blackmailers, strong-armed pig
farmers, and investigative reporter Barri Embry (a.k.a.
Barium Enema) are watching, prying, snooping, and conniving?
With the help of cockeyed-aphorism-spouting Chief Willie
Thundercloud and nonagenarian Irv the Curve, his grandfather's
"business" partner now resident in the Alter
Kocker Arms, Eastman eventually disinters Rebound's
dirty 30-year-old secrets, leaving the Senator-elect
at the mercy of the New Jersey electorate.
Dezenhall
is the most mordantly funny writer not named Westlake,
with an ear for the zinger, a lie detector that makes
mincemeat of politicians and spinmeisters, and the ability
to plot like Machiavelli.
•
• •
The
New Republic
"Move
over, Carl Hiaasen. Eric Dezenhall is the new king of
the funky crime novel."
Now,
with Shakedown Beach, due out in June, Dezenhall should
emerge as a leading pop novelist. The book revels in
the cheesy efforts of an unethical pollster to get a
corrupt New Jersey governor elected to the U. S. Senate.
There are incompetent mobsters, gullible journalists,
politico wannabes and kneeling interns galore, plus
a plot to make voters resent the sinister Swedish influence
on the Garden State. (You've noticed all those Ikeas
along the Jersey Turnpike, haven't you?) Dezenhall has
a sharp wit, an inventive mind for amusing low-life
characters, an insider's knowledge of how to manipulate
the media, and he does for South Jersey what Hiaasen
did for South Beach.
•
• •
Jewish
World Review
Shakedown
Beach reflects these political words, offering a textured
portrait of New Jersey and the political process. The
end-result is a literary triumph and a moral rulebook.
Thank you, Eric Dezenhall. New Jersey salutes you.
•
• •
Best
Reviews by Harriet Klausner
New
Jersey Governor "Rebound" Rothman runs for
the senate with plans to go for the White House next.
However, Rebound has three-decade-old skeletons in his
closet. He has hidden away one female intern, former
township beauty queen winner and All American bimbo
Simone Lava, in Atlantic City's Celebrity Motel, run
down since the first Johnson Administration. . However,
someone films Rebound's tryst proclivities.
Rebound
hires pollster Jonah Eastman to fix his senate run.
Jonah handed Rebound the governorship when he painted
the opponent as causing a hurricane the size of Asia
that destroyed rural South Jersey (do not laugh; there
really is a rural Jersey). Spinning the assignation
film is easy. Dealing with Rebound's support of riverboat
gambling in light of a credibility gap involving crooked
casino owners is complex because investigative reporter
Barri "Barium Enema" Embry needs political
exposés to connive his way to cross the Hudson.
Jonah brings in the troops, damage control expert Chief
Willie Thundercloud and nonagenarian former mob enforcer
Irv the Curve to spin a tale that Machiavelli would
appreciate.
As
with JACKIE DISASTER, SHAKEDOWN BEACH is a terrific
look at modern day image making that our leaders spend
fortunes on to include painting the opponent in a bad
light. Truth is meaningless as Jonah and his associates
know that for Rebound to win they must provide an Atlantic
Ocean size lie or two about their client and his opponent.
Witty,
humorous, but in many ways frightening, the story line
will shake readers as they realize Madison Avenue not
oil runs the country. Eric Dezenhall makes New Jersey
the spin capital of the world with a tale well worth
reading especially with the election coming soon.
•
• •
Asbury
Park Press
Shakedown Beach is a smart, suspenseful and ingeniously
funny ride through the back alleys of political campaigning;
bringing to life a fictional tale that could be ripped
from today's headlines.
•
• •
Clues
Unlimited
Jersey
political strategist Jonah Eastman returns to save a
governor who is a liar and a lecher. I read this series
because it is clever and funny, but with a horrified
fascination because it shows how a savvy media strategist
can turn a mean-tempered chimpanzee into a warm-hearted
statesman.
•
• •
nj.com
South
Jersey native Eric Dezenhall's "Shakedown Beach"
($24.95, Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur) hits the shelves
next month. The final installment of Dezenhall's South
Jersey trilogy, "Shakedown" features a sleazy
governor with a closet full of secrets, gangland-style
intimidation and plenty of sex.
It
all makes for a dangerously interesting re-election
campaign.
•
• •
Bestwriters.com
June 01, 2004
Where
the Neon Still Shines: A Book Review of Eric Dezenhall's
Shakedown Beach
by Mike Adams
There
is something beautifully nostalgic about Eric Dezenhall's
latest novel, "Shakedown Beach," a story that
evokes the best (and worst, depending on whom you ask)
features of American politics: the imagery, bombast,
weaknesses, promises, threats and scandals - accented
throughout by Mafioso tough talk - that make that national
institution, the American political campaign, such an
entertaining pastime. And for Dezenhall, a communications
consultant and seasoned political operative, his new
novel is merely a retelling - an exciting and imaginative
narrative, to be sure - of a contest that repeatedly
confronts the electorate -- Throw the bums out! Include
an Ivy League wunderkind, a street smart boxer and a
morally challenged governor, and Dezenhall's admonition
is clear, that political combat is just as bloody as
war and just as emotional as love.
The
other "character" in this story deserves prominent
billing: New Jersey, that most densely populated state
(sandwiched between New York and Philadelphia, with
music by Springsteen, Sinatra and more) . . . it is,
it always will be the Garden State! Dezenhall glamorizes
New Jersey, describing its rural heritage, suburban
dominance, high stakes fun and political intrigue. Indeed,
the jacket cover of "Shakedown Beach" features
a photograph of Atlantic City, the most worthy metaphor
of American politics.
Why
Atlantic City? Because few other places maintain a balance
- a precarious balance, yes - between glitz and criminal
suspicion. The scent, the mere suggestion of illicit
activity is Atlantic City's advantage over Las Vegas,
a city since tamed by all-night buffets, senior citizens
and travel discounts. Atlantic City, on the other hand,
retains the suspense of Vegas, albeit more discretely.
The boardwalk and its casinos, the slot machines and
neon signs, a gambler's lucky streak and the loser's
lament, riches abound and a big luxurious Cadillac --
Welcome to Atlantic City!
In
fact, Dezenhall uses the namesake of his previous novel
(Jackie Disaster) to further highlight - to physically
embody - Atlantic City's mixture of gangsterism and
corporate power. (Author's note: "Jackie Disaster"
foretold a lot of the scandals and criminal mischief
that, though slightly more refined and expertly attired
among its real life corollary, perfectly captured the
modern travails of Martha Stewart.) Disaster's supporting
role in "Shakedown Beach" is a welcome homage
to the kind of genuinely gritty political behavior that
makes elections a source of mystery and conspiracy,
a combination that manufactures headlines, investigations,
bribes and protests.
Eric
Dezenhall is perhaps the last writer to accurately record
the lost voices of New Jersey, while including his own
brand of creative license. His reportorial zeal is evident
throughout, providing an insider's account of the mechanics
- the dirty tricks, secret favors, hidden stories and
assorted vendettas - that define urban politics. The
book's featured politician ("Rebound" Rothman)
is a hilarious satire of numerous elected officials,
channeling Clintonian love affairs and Kennedyesque
charm. And his media handlers are equally ruthless and
flamboyant. The book thus delivers on its promise: that
the reader will enjoy a wonderful yarn about the human
condition, with a decidedly political flavor. Dezenhall
delivers on all fronts -- a superb work of storytelling!
•
• •
© Copyright 2006 Eric Dezenhall. All Rights Reserved.
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