Published by Hard Case Crime, Are Snakes Necessary? is Brian DePalma’s first novel. It was co-written with journalist Susan Lehman. Like DePalma’s films, I think people are either going to love this book or hate it.
Okay, first things first. I am a big Brian DePalma fan. Ever since I first saw Sisters way back when. Accusations of Hitchcock imitating have haunted him throughout his career. Well, artists have always borrowed styles from other artists and in film, few are better to steal from than Alfred Hitchcock. Are Snakes Necessary? is a quick thrill ride: a political thriller wrapped in a noir like piece of pulp fiction that much like his films is stylized and at times disjointed. Not surprisingly, there is a cinematic flow and much of the book is dialogue driven. In the words of Elmore Leonard, they left out the boring stuff.
John Greco Author/Photographer 
Ha! Great review. I too am a De Palma fan. When he’s good, he’s great. When he’s bad, he’s a train wreak. That’s my take on him. I had no idea that he’d written a book. I’m not familiar with Susan Lehman, either.
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It’s a tough book to recommend. Thanks as always.
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Very nnice post
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