Synopsis:
For most of the last hundred years, Biloxi was known for its beaches, resorts, and seafood industry. But it had a darker side. It was also notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, and drugs to contract killings. The vice was controlled by small cabal of mobsters, many of them rumored to be members of the Dixie Mafia.
Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the sixties and were childhood friends, as well as Little League all-stars. But as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions. Keith’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to “clean up the Coast.” Hugh’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s criminal underground. Keith went to law school and followed in his father’s footsteps. Hugh preferred the nightlife and worked in his father’s clubs. The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom.
Life itself hangs in the balance in The Boys from Biloxi, a sweeping saga rich with history and with a large cast of unforgettable characters.
In Economics, there is a term called SUNK COST – a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. For example, you decide to rent a movie for $6. You get not even half way in the movie and realize it is horrible. Many people will continue watching the movie because you spent $6 on the movie. However, economists would think of the movie as a sunk cost. You can’t get your $6 back so it is better you use your time doing something you enjoy instead of sitting in a bad movie. You aren’t getting the $6 back so do something that brings you more satisfaction. This is how I feel about this book…
Now, before you get all mad about me not liking this book, let me explain. When John Grisham released The Firm, I was probably one of the first to buy. I then read The Chamber, The Rainmaker, and The Pelican Brief once they were released. However, preferences and tastes change. I honestly believe many will like this book, especially if you are from Mississippi (cough, cough…I’m from Mississippi). But for me…I just couldn’t get into this book. About half way in the book, I had to remind myself, as an Economics teacher, about the term sunk cost… I was not going to get my $14 back (Kindle edition) so just skim through the book and skip to the end so I will be ready to discuss something at book club. I am pretty sure those at the gym, seeing me skip through the pages, thought I was a prodigy in fast reading! LOL
Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t complete hate the book! I actually really enjoyed the beginning that talked a lot about the history of Biloxi. I didn’t know much about the Dixie Mafia until I read Mississippi Mud. The book gave a great overview into how all the corruption and the Dixie Mafia started. I have always known that the Mississippi Gulf Coast had a unique culture (and dialect). This book gave you some history into those differences.
Although John Grisham was not born in Mississippi, we (Mississippians) do call him one of our own. Although I did not like this book, I think many of you will. I am just a “psychological thriller”-type reader, especially right now during the school year (I have to have something to keep me thinking and going). So, don’t NOT read this book (sorry to all the grammar Nazis out there…I do know that is a double negative). This is just my opinion. Happy Reading!
