I wasn't sure about this book at the beginning because Morris was so depressingly depressed. But things begin to move when he checks out his recently deceased mother's safety deposit box and the story gets a bit wilder from there. There were some great characters (Vampire Steve) and they and the plot kept me reading when I should have left for work. ( )

Good read! I love a good mystery with thriller vibes swirled in. I will admit it took me a few chapters to get into it. But once I did? I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to check out more works by this author. ( )

I reviewed this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer, this is my objective review. I mean, what can I say? I came for the Snood connection but stayed for the great writing! Our main character is Morris, who was recently and very unhappily downsized from his tenured job as an anthropology professor at a small private college. He's a single dad, who's now forced to take odd jobs to make ends meet and pay child support. His teenage daughter Mindy (who is intelligent and *much* cooler than him), lives with her mother in another state, and he feels the separation keenly. Morris is currently living in his mother's home, which he inherited after her death. He makes new friends in his hometown (I love his one and only rideshare client, Steve), while re-connecting with old friends (Annie, current lawyer and long-ago fellow marching band member and old friend). Much to his surprise, Morris's dead mother was involved in some mysterious dealings concerning a gun she found in the woods, which leads to a lot of dangerous complications for Morris and his inner circle.

There is a nice amount of tension as things escalate and Morris tries to understand what his mother was involved in while simultaneously keeping himself and those around him safe. Lots of twists and turns, more than enough to keep even the most casual reader interested. I really appreciated the gradual entry into the weirdness. The first part of the book has a lot of necessary exposition and back story, and the slow build gives us a chance to know and connect with the main characters before the action starts. Once things get going, they escalate pretty quickly and it's a ride to the end.

The author's writing style has a lot going on (in a good way), the vast majority of it designed to be extremely amusing. Morris has a fun amount of wry inner dialogue, which I really enjoyed. He's definitely got an endearing everyman vibe as he bumbles his way (sometimes successfully) through the dangers thrust upon him. And I loved his close relationship with Mindy, they have a great dynamic. I truly enjoyed this book, and it was a nice change of pace from my usual material. New-to-me author, I'll definitely be reading more books from him. His writing style is full of intelligence and everything layered together well in a way that wasn't too hard to follow. The characters were complex and engaging, and they were also easy to root for (or hate). Great read with a satisfying ending! ( )

Morris recently lost his job as a professor and is living at his late mother's house - dealing with her estate. BUM BUM BUM! if you're a mystery fan this is a great book for you! i loved the twists and turns, getting to know the characters and the ending held up. a lot of times with mystery and/or thrillers the endings are not as good as the book, but this ending was great. this story has you from the beginning and the pacing is perfect. really the best part of this book, besides the story, is that the characters don’t make awful choices just to advance the plot. the plot advances naturally. in so many mysteries/thrillers i find myself yelling at the main character, but i never wanted to yell at Morris. he's just a normal guy and i like that! great read overall and i'm very happy that i was chosen to receive this book! ( )

As a reader and reviewer, I am in a bit of a quandary. This is a better-than-average book. In other circumstances, I would have given a four-star review. However, the book has a great deal of profanity and other kinds of vulgar language. As a reader, I have limited tolerance for such words. That means I must take into account the author's choice to use offensive language. For that reason, the book is rated three stars by this reviewer.

However, for a reader not troubled by excessive profane language, go for it. This book would be worth your time and you might enjoy it very much. ( )