Philanthropists Fred and July von Dusk have been killed in a car crash. Initial reports suggest it was an accident. Their son Charlie returns to the family estate in Overlook City for the funeral. Though on the surface everything looks above board, Charlie begins to have his suspicions. He is warned that Overlook is a “cesspool of crime and corruption” and that the Gianni crime syndicate have the city by the throat. And that maybe his parents’ death was no accident. Ably assisted by loyal family housekeeper Henry, Charlie takes the reigns of his parent’s company and seeks to investigate their deaths. He is soon thrust headlong into a battle with the criminals of Overlook City. Using robotics technology developed by his parent’s associates, Charlie dons a stealth suit to tackle crime. As an anonymous vigilante he is soon dubbed The Broker by the local newspaper. Though invigorated by his exploits on the streets of the city, Charlie is fighting his own demons. Can he find inner peace whilst battling the worst that Overlook City can throw at him?

The characterization and plotting of Blake Rasmussen’s debut novel, THE BROKER: Demon of Overlook, obviously owes a lot to comic books in general and, most specifically to Batman. The scion of a wealthy family whose parents have been killed? Check. The sprawling family mansion? Check. The avuncular loyal family guardian? Check. The anonymous vigilante in the high-tech suit? Check. There is nothing particularly original about Rasmussen’s story but then superhero fiction is often bound by familiar tropes and conventions. Though the prose is functional rather than stylish, the novel is competently written with a number of effective action sequences. Rasmussen does have a tendency for repetition and to overwrite scenes that stretch for pages longer than they need to. The end result is that what could have been a tight, entertaining thriller has ballooned out into a rather turgid, over extended “saga” that can often be a bit of a slog. With his character now developed and the world of Overlook City established, it can be hoped that, if the author continues with his hero’s journey, future outings will be more streamlined. At the moment The Broker’s punch is a little under powered.

Though there are moments of high-powered superhero action in Blake Rasmussen’s THE BROKER: Demon of Overlook, much of the story is in need of a tighter edit.

~Kent Lane for IndieReader