El Flamingo
By: Nick Davies
Genre: Fiction
Number of Pages: 206
Published: March 15, 2023
Publisher: YBK Publishers
Dates Read: March 17, 2023 - March 20, 2023

Lou Galloway is a failed LA actor and he’s come to accept that – by drowning his sorrows in cheap mezcal down in Mexico. Here, at a small little tiki bar, a stranger leaves his fedora and Luo gets taken away to the mansion of internationally wanted crime lord, Diego Flores. They think he is a rogue assassin known as El Flamingo and Lou’s too far in to deny it now, especially after meeting Maria-Carla. Now, Luo is swept up into the dangerous world of espionage in Latin-America that will take him on a crazy journey from desert fiestas of Mexico to the jungle-clad salsa bars of Colombia. To make it out of this alive, Luo must partake in the biggest role of his life – El Flamingo.

This book was fun. A little cheesy here and there, but it worked with Lou’s whitty character and I enjoyed it. This isn’t something I usually find myself reading, but I’m trying to branch out more this year, and this was perfect.

At first, I was worried Lou Galloway was going to be a little much for me (a tad bit full of himself), but that quickly turned around for me as soon as he put on the fedora hat. I also can’t get the monologue scene out of my head he did at a checkpoint with some bad guys as he kind of fully, in my opinion anyway, took on the role of El Flamingo for the first time. I can’t stop laughing thinking about this failed LA actor just taking on this role with full reigns and giving it his all. I hung out with a lot of theater kids in high school, I remember how they can be and this book was just fantastic.

I can see so many readers enjoying this crazy, four day journey that Lou Galloway goes on. This book does have a little bit of everything for everyone: action, witty humor, plot twists. The characters are also well thought out and those that needed background were given it. You can also tell the research Nick Davies did for this about Latin-America and its culture – it comes across wonderfully on the pages and I could almost feel myself on the warm beaches or running for my life from rapid gun fire.

I highly recommend this book – I think readers will have fun with it and won’t be disappointed.

*Thanks to the author for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.