Rem's Chance


Fiction - Literary
250 Pages
Reviewed on 04/29/2024
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Author Biography

Dave J. Andrae was born on the Autumnal Equinox of 1979 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up. He has bounced around a bit and currently lives in Florida. Andrae is a novelist and multidisciplinary artist with a background in film and music. Both of his books to date, The Friends of Allan Renner and Rem’s Chance, are character-driven, blended-genre works with literary fiction elements. Andrae holds a BFA in film from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and some of the work he’s been in involved in has played at festivals. As a writer-director, his films and videos include The Plants Are Listening, Self-Important Empirical Film #3, with Voice-over, Robert on his Lunch Break, Fire in the Neighborhood, and Fugazi’s Last Stop in Wisconsin. Though once a card-carrying cineaste, with a big appetite for his chosen medium, in his forties he has been semiretired from cinema and tends to watch movies less. Starting in the mid-nineties, Andrae has played music, on and off, in various live bands and studio side projects. The most active of these in recent times has been his solo recording project Tired of Triangles, which released its second album, The Havanese, in 2023.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Bryone Peters for Readers' Favorite

In Rem’s Chance by Dave J. Andrae, Rem has a tough time with his lover, Dita, who becomes his ex-fiancee. He meets an old friend, Gene, when an unfortunate event brings them together after many years of not speaking to each other. It is the day that Gene discovers his father is dead. To escape the quarrelsome Dita, Rem finds refuge by sleeping in his car. He happens to be parked right outside the house of Gene’s deceased father. Later, Rem sees Gene’s sister and immediately, there is a romantic vibe between them. They soon become an item. In the background, another character has killed people he loathes and gets into trouble. Eventually, all the events draw these characters together.

Rem’s Chance by Dave J. Andrae is an enjoyable and leisurely read with the elements of murder, mystery, revenge, and a love story. It contains some adult romantic scenes suitable for mature readers only. Music lovers will enjoy this book as there is plenty of information and references to musical instruments such as rock music. Andrae reveals a prodigious amount of knowledge on movies that will be pleasurable to those who recognize them. The drama and action revolving around the antagonist will be satisfying as the antagonist portrays believable, real-life antisocial behavior. Rem has some long conversations with his new love interest and their dialogue helps to develop their relationship. Readers might enjoy the philosophical talks. The author has a good grasp of how to build suspense in this novel.