Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Fight Card: King of the Outback - Jack Tunney (David James Foster)




The great Fight Card series goes international with KING OF THE OUTBACK, which is set in Australia. Another difference is that for the first time the narrator isn't a boxer but rather the trainer for a traveling tent show of fighters. Yack, as he's known, is an American who stayed in Australia after recovering there from wounds he received fighting in the South Pacific during World War II. The star of the traveling troupe is an aborigine named Tommy King, the so-called King of the Ring.

Not surprisingly, there's a dangerous rivalry between the show Yack works for and another troupe of boxers that's backed by the local crime syndicate. That rivalry escalates into open warfare. Throw in a boxing kangaroo, a whole tribe of aborigines, arson, a crooked referee, and it all builds to a very satisfying climax that has a nice epic feel to it.

The author behind the Jack Tunney house-name this time around is David James Foster, and while I'm not familiar with his work, he does a fine job of mixing local color, good characters, humor, and plenty of pugilistic action.  Fight Card is one of the most consistently entertaining e-book series out there, and KING OF THE OUTBACK is a worthy entry indeed.  Recommended.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thank you for the kind words, James. King of the Outback is my first novel/novella, and I very much appreciate your support.

All the best.
David