The Other Joseph by SKip Horack

Roy's brother Tommy disappeared in the first Gulf war, later his parents died tragically and he has a felony conviction hanging over his head.  Roy succumbed to his life as a loner working on oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana.  Shortly before his 30th birthday, Roy receives a letter from a girl claiming to be his niece, his brother's daughter.  With the hopes of reconnecting with family, and a link to his lost brother, Roy begins the journey across America visiting places from his childhood.  There he confronts his troubled past and even makes a stop in Nevada to seek answers to his brother's fate.  The ultimate destination is San Francisco, where a potential Russian bride and his long-lost niece await, and Roy may finally recover the Joseph line

While this seemed like a highly interesting story, it falls flat almost immediately.  I struggled throughout the novel to finish it.  Most of the writing is dry and tedious.  Straight from the beginning it is hard to allow myself to get drawn into the story and I am not sure why.  There is a lot of description that tends to take away from the story.  The characters were difficult to feel a connection to for some reason or another.  They didn't seem real enough.  When reading the description, it seemed more exciting to read.  I wish I could have gotten into it more.  Unfortunately I will be giving this book a 2 out of 5 rating.  As far as a recommendation, I honestly don't know.  I cannot even put my finger on why I find this novel entertaining.  I have read other reviews and recommendations that mentioned this feeling like a man's book, so I would suggest the same that maybe it would be more entertaining and relatable to a male reader.