Another Goofball Hit

I love Dave Barry. He doesn't take himself, or his readers, too seriously, and the result is a fun ride. This book was no exception. I find in his books, good guys win, bad guys lose, and there's a lot of silliness along the way, with enough grit to keep things real-ish. In his latest, there's Jesse, a new mom, stuck in the Everglades with her hot but useless boyfriend and his leering friend. While they're trying to make it big with videos of her baby-daddy's body, she stumbles on something unexpected, and sets into action a dangerous chain of events. A great escape read.

Kept Me Reading, But . . .

This book opens with morgue scene, and a wife identifying the body of her husband. From that point on, the chapters are from the perspectives of the different characters in the story. Still, the protagonist is the woman, Sophie, who is the hub connecting the three men and various women in her life. From that first chapter, when I was sympathetic toward her, I gradually but completely came to abhor her. While I was interested to know the outcome of the mystery, I really didn't like Sophie at all. I'm probably not supposed to, but if I don't like the main character, it's hard for me to invest in the book.

Funny Reflections

Author Alec Wilkinson needed a temporary job, and got one with the Wellfleet Police

Department on Cape Cod. Apparently in the 1970s one didn't need any kind of special training, a police academy certificate, gun knowledge, etc. to be issued a squad car and a gun. Frightening, really, but luckily Alec was a peace-lover and most of his encounters were more slapstick than hazardous. He does a good job with his remembrances, and you can feel the loneliness, boredom, and uniqueness of working that night shift in a small town.