At first this planned scenario seems a good one, though he anticipates some rough patches. To begin with he has no parenting skills beyond the love he has for his young son. Of far greater consequence is the fact that the Russian mafia from whom they stole the money are on his trail. Though Manny doesn’t really owe Rosario anything, he feels compelled to defend him from their mutual enemies. Of course, because of the way in which they acquired their wealth, they cannot ask for the support of the law, and, with their previous track record they probably wouldn’t get help, even if their claim were legitimate.

Not having any specific destination in mind, Manny and son Nicky, are befriended by an elderly gentleman when they experience car problems. He steers them to a qualified mechanic and provides a place for them to stay while their car is repaired. For the first time in his life, Manny has a connection to others and they seem to have similar feeling toward him and Nicky. Life could be good if the Russians don’t find him. Will his shadowy past threaten his new found tranquility?

Way Past Legal has a cast of characters who have the potential to engage most readers’ attention. Manny has not had the best start in life. He was found abandoned in the garbage in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, and basically grew up in foster homes. Though no one ever had shown any love or compassion for the young man, at age twenty eight, with a young son who is the product of a brief relationship with a drug addict, he is basically a good, caring individual. The townspeople he encounters in Maine demonstrate many of the same qualities.

What he is not is believable. The story is told in the first person, from Manny’s point of view. He is described as a young man with no formal education, yet he expresses himself in a most erudite manner. If Mr. Green wants his audience to believe Manny is a real person, he needs to give him a logical reason for him to be able to express himself as an educated man. He is smart, but his vocabulary had to come from somewhere other than the street. He has the appropriate street lingo, but he has another voice as well.

Mr. Green is very conscientious in trying to reproduce in words the speech patterns of his characters who are lifelong Maine residents. I know few people from Maine and am not familiar with the dialect so I cannot speak to the accuracy of his portrayal. However, his main protagonist, Manny is a New York native, and the author makes no attempt to duplicate his accent. The author is inconsistent in Manny’s language use as well. Sometimes he sounds barely literate, “Ain’t these things supposed to be gone by this time of year?” (Comment about mosquitoes), or “Here, asshole, here’s how it’s gonna play, and what are you gonna do about it?” Then the same Manny says, ”No, shh. Nobody’s going to jail. That guy over there just lost his temper.”

Way Past Legal is not a mystery story or even a crime novel. The only aspect of the book that involves illegal acts is the circumstances through which Manny got his seed money to begin his adventure. Manny’s pursuit by the Russians, abetted by Rosario’s betrayal of Manny, add a little high color, but this novel is, in reality, a coming of age novel about a young man with a rough start in life. Some of Mr. Green’s prose is well rendered, but there are many uneven spots throughout the book.

--Andy Plonka