The Flower Man's Daughter

by: Jack Sobel

Published by: Xlibris Corp.

Reviewed by Heather Durow

In The Flower Man’s Daughter, we are first introduced to Tony Gannon as he stands in his law offices with a message that takes him back to his youth, to a time where he was a different person.

You are then transported back thirty years, when Tony’s story begins at Yale. As a young man, Tony is exceptional at keeping secrets and getting out of jams. While he is not exactly proficient in school, he can hold his own. He is recruited by the CIA to become an intelligence officer–something he never dreamed of–but that provides him with an exciting future.

For then next several chapters, we follow Tony through the recruitment process, his training and his eventual placement in Chile, to do “service” calls. Here, Tony meets the flower man of the title, Mr. Carlos Gonzales. Tony forms an immediate likeness for Carlos.

Tony’s assignment continues in a seemingly “normal” fashion, as normal as working for the CIA can be. Unfortunately, this is not to last and chaos breaks out putting Tony and his new friend, Carlos and his wife, Diana, in mortal danger.

Tony risks his life to save the Chilean couple and puts his new job in jeopardy in the process.

Although very well written with intelligent narration, The Flower Man’s Daughter has a slow start. Tony’s training in the CIA could have been summarized a bit more. I did enjoy the story overall, especially since I have never been a huge fan of this genre.

I believe author Sobel put forward a strong effort in the novel, and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Armchair Interviews says: An interesting concept/story.