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Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman
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Potboiler (edition 2012)

by Jesse Kellerman (Author)

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13927194,898 (2.9)8
Arthur Pfefferkorn, is a middle-aged college professor with long dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, successful thriller writer William de Vallee, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallee not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved. He struggles with his failed ambitions while reflecting on his late friend's successes and marriage. He decides to take the best-selling author's latest manuscript and publish it as his own. Although the novel brings him great success, his life soon spirals into a series of betrayals and double-crosses torn straight from the pages of his plagiarized work. His decision to reconnect with de Vallee's widow sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted, and nothing can be taken seriously.… (more)
Member:MHanover10
Title:Potboiler
Authors:Jesse Kellerman (Author)
Info:G.P. Putnam's Sons (2012), Edition: 1st, 336 pages
Collections:Your library, Currently reading, Wishlist, To read, Read but unowned, Favorites
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Tags:to-read

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Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman

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» See also 8 mentions

English (28)  French (1)  All languages (29)
Showing 1-5 of 28 (next | show all)
Completely surprised! Great book. Thoroughly entertaining. ( )
  btbell_lt | Aug 1, 2022 |
I can describe Potboiler in one word: couldn't. I couldn't figure out if I liked the story. I couldn't figure out if it was a mystery. For the first 100 pages, I couldn't figure out what it was about. Then, I couldn't figure out if the author was writing a farce or trying to write a serious thriller. I couldn't figure out if potentially humorous bits were supposed to be funny, or if the author thought he was being clever. The ending was downright weird, so that didn't help. Anyway, my thought now is that I've read three books by this guy (because I like the series his parents have written), and I've found them all "okay", but nothing to excite me, so I don't have to read any more by him.
  Brett-Woywood | Oct 27, 2020 |
Couldn't like any of the characters ( )
  DawnJanz | Aug 3, 2018 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Mostly I enjoyed this tongue in cheek spy thriller. Its over the top absurdity was quite funny. I wasn't happy with the strange ending because it went a bit, ok a lot, far fetched but overall an enjoyable read. ( )
  cswolff9 | Apr 1, 2014 |
I am not so much the cloak and dagger spy reader. Sort of a slow start, like a watched pot waiting for the rolling boil, but once the action started, the story took off in a crazy, unbelievable direction. I like Jesse Kellerman a lot, and this novel, while quite different, remains readable due mainly to the excellent pacing and good dialogue that are the hallmarks of the other Jesse Kellerman books. ( )
  blockbuster1994 | Oct 14, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 28 (next | show all)
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After one hundred twenty-one days, the search was called off.
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Arthur Pfefferkorn, is a middle-aged college professor with long dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, successful thriller writer William de Vallee, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallee not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved. He struggles with his failed ambitions while reflecting on his late friend's successes and marriage. He decides to take the best-selling author's latest manuscript and publish it as his own. Although the novel brings him great success, his life soon spirals into a series of betrayals and double-crosses torn straight from the pages of his plagiarized work. His decision to reconnect with de Vallee's widow sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted, and nothing can be taken seriously.

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