A. L. Haskett

Ugh. This was supposed to be humorous, but apparently Haskett confused humor with absurdity. Duncan Delaney is another of those "protagonists" who glide blissfully through, but don't actually participate in their own lives. It is left to others to clean up the messes and pick up the pieces. Left to his own devices, he manages to get drunk and beaten up a lot. Those around him are constantly forced to save him time after time, yet he shows not one redeeming quality that would inspire such show more loyalty. show less

I picked up this book because of the comparison to Carl Hiassen and Christopher Moore. While I see the similarities, I didn't find this to be nearly as funny or satisfying as either of the other two authors.
I knew I wanted something easy and humorous after several heavy reads. Certainly the characters are remarkably eccentric. The plot is light and zany. My biggest problem was with the amount of sadness. I didn't want "comitragic"; I was looking for laugh-out-loud comedy.
I would still show more recommend it if the reader is in the mood for and easy, entertaining read. Just know that there will be markedly less comedy than a Chris Moore book. show less

The ending feels rushed, which puts a slight damper on what is otherwise a wonderfully fun satire with some great characters.

I loved this book! I am a fan of C. Moore and C. Hiaasen books, but found this book to be smarter while just as eccentric. It is my understanding that this is the only book by Haskett.