The Best of Chuck Klein: My review

The Best of Chuck Klein: Author Chuck Klein

Chuck Klein’s compilation of humorous, interesting and uniquely crafted stories has something for everyone. The versatile collection of fiction stories focusing on many different such as The Detective, The Hero and The Last Knight will keep readers riveted to the printed page and wanting more. Themes that run through the stories are related to high school dances, demonstrations, police procedures, and demonstrations. Author Chuck Klein includes stories, essays and columns bringing his real life experiences as a Private Investigator and writer come to life. Bringing to life an era where red Corvettes were the rage, fast cars, hot rods, racing and burning rubber, this collection of stories is really quire different from any other.

Listen carefully to the radio as the songs and artists of that era fill the airwaves within your home. Listen to the Four Tops or many other groups bringing back the favorite sounds of that time period. High-octane fuel smelled like burning rubber and his writing brings back a time filled with great memories. Did you ever remember coming with a date and sitting in the bleachers. Sharing his expertise and experience as a police officer he brings it to life in stories such as The Detective, another dealing with a police officer getting shot hoping for an arrest and not quite succeeding. How about the story related to building racecars, fixing them and kids that take chances while fast tracking it on the road.

Get into your own Thunderbird, Corvette or Hot Rod and join Chuck Klein and take the ride along with him back into the fifties, fast forward to the present and race on one wheel or two as you carefully, safely and at times dangerously enter a world filled with excitement, intrigue and suspense. Every story is different some related to his career as a writer, PI and some related to his career as a firearms instructor. The stories are short, crisp, hardcore, filled with dialogue, action related to how the author things America should be run, Guns, Hot Rods, Police Procedures, Morals, Ethics and even truck drivers. My favorite story is The Detective and the other is The Hero.

The selection of fiction stories is highlighted by a special remembrance told by the grandfather of a young boy as he relates a story about a close group of friends and a special bottle of whiskey. Building racecars to impress girls, racing, listening to Fats Domino and Buddy Holly brings back memories for those that grew up in the 50’s. But, the special reason behind the whiskey bottle and who this 96-year-old man received it you will have to read for yourself on page 34 in order to learn why.

Dares are something that young kids fall prey to and sometimes young guys in order to save face in front of their friends will do things they might not think will jeopardize their lives. The story “ Train Run,” tells about two young men who decide to race one more time proving who can out race or out wit a moving train. Read this story and you decide what you would have done if you were Tommy.

Moving to the second section titled True Escapes and Experiences the author shares his experiences as a police officer, deputy sheriff in a true story titled Early Police Experiences where he relates his first experiences working and volunteering for his local police department. Reading this story you will get the inside scoop on police work, what happens when cops break the rules and one man who refused to bend them? Police Reasoning explains the many reasons why cops get tough and use physical force at times on someone they are trying to bring in or have arrested. “ The Creed,” is enlightening and explains the three terms the officers live by: Integrity, Courage and Allegiance. The definitions are within pages 162- 164. Sharing his expertise as a firefighter and ability to use guns, the third section focuses on Firearms, Survival and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. One article that is quite informative is title: Carrying Concealed Firearms, which relates the Basic Rules for having a concealed weapon and his personal decision regarding it. The fifth section is title: Essays, Editorials, and Other such Stuff followed by Concepts, Ideas and Finally Short Takes. As an educator I could not resist reading: American Education System and as someone interested in the Judicial System:  A Dirty Little Judicial Secret. I really love the short article Red Light: Interesting observation about red lights and what is missing from Red Traffic Control Lights and how people’s lives might be saved if this particular technology was added. Read 317 to learn more. The final section short takes has poems, tributes to Back History Month, Psalm 23, America the Beautiful: the ways and his feelings about each stanza and line and finally God Bless America and a special Tribute to Those Who Served. Each story well crafted, interesting and definitely a collection of stories, articles, poems, essays and much more that you will want to read over and over again and share with friends. The Best of Chuck Klein: Let’s give this title: Five Red Corvettes.

Fran Lewis: Reviewer