REVIEW: 96 Rocks by Ron Hummer*

One of the gifts that come from authors of fiction is their ability to be able to take what are real-life situations and making them easier to discuss and in some cases expose through their craft. In 96 Rocks we see a perfect example of this. The author Ron Hummer is able to tackle a subject he is very passionate about--- non-compete agreements---and wrap it into a story that includes believable characters,real-life situations and a mystery that will keep your attention to the end.

The premise and backdrop of the story---a radio station---had my attention right away because of my own years as a radio host. WKRX 96 Rocks is not just any radio station, or is it? There we meet Herman Pearson, General Manager of the station who is not about anything but his own position and the good of the station. This is where the theme of non-compete agreements shows us. The employees are basically locked into a play full of harassment, verbal abuse and the threat of losing everything if they don't tow the line.

As we have seen around the country this is too much for everyone to bear and the result is a dead Herman Pearson and the search not just for his killer but a way to deal with the issues that shackle employees of 96 Rocks and others in Anywhere, USA. We are introduced to Private Detective Ozzie Rivera. He becomes the voice of reason for readers as he works to discover what happened to Pearson and how the work conditions at the station may have not only led to this murder but could actually be putting others in jeopardy as well.

There is an obvious motive for the writing of 96 Rocks, but as a reader who knew very little about the restraints of non-compete agreements and how they tie your hands in pursuing other opportunities, I saw this as a way to not only learn something but enjoy a well-written story as well.

If Ron Hummer's motive is to raise awareness and please readers along the way, he accomplished both in my opinion. 96 Rocks does just that: rocks! And I think by the end we will begin looking at things a little bit differently when offered opportunities that look too good to be true.

* Review written by Cyrus Webb. 96 Rocks is available for download for only .99 on Amazon.com. Listen to Webb talk with the author on Conversations LIVE here: http://tinyurl.com/ronhummerinterview