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Cross Dressing
Checking his identical twin brother--a priest--into the hospital under his own name for the insurance coverage, unscrupulous salesman Dan Steele assumes his brother's identity as part of an escape plan and finds himself in the unexpectedly dangerous world of organized religion. Reprint.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Bill Fitzhugh
23 books110 followersBill Fitzhugh worked at several FM rock radio stations in the 1970s and 1980s. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, he prefers The Band, Little Feat, and Van Morrison to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Iron Butterfly. The author of numerous screenplays and five comic novels, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his record collection.
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December 13, 2025
__________________________
The lust for Gold is a rust upon the soul. — Pseudonymous d’Elder
Dan is a successful ad-executive who makes a salary most people would sell their ancient grandmothers for. Unfortunately, he obsessively spends most of that ill-begotten lucre on status symbols that flaunt his success—a beach house in an exclusive area, a top-of-the-line Jaguar, golden jewelry, diamond rings, Rolex watches, golden toilets. Despite his successes, he is deep in debt. He needs to make even more money.
When one of his agency clients demands a major new ad campaign, Dan sees his opportunity for a promotion and a much higher salary. Unfortunately, he can’t come up with a winning idea on his own, so he steals one from an underling and refuses to give poor guy any credit. His underling soon finds his job in jeopardy because he is seen as being unproductive.
Ambition is a wolf that howls at a pale saturnine moon. — Pseudonymous d’Elder
Now you may be thinking that this has all the makings of a Shakespearian tragedy. I think you are right. You are very smart. Consider the following quote from the Bard.
“With this there grows / In my most ill-composed affection such / A stanchless avarice that, were I king, / I should cut off the nobles for their lands, / Desire his jewels and this other’s house: / And my more-having would be as a sauce / To make me hunger for more; that I should forge / Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal, / Destroying them for wealth.” —Macbeth (4.3)
Dan has an identical twin brother. In contrast to Dan, Michael has become a Catholic priest, and unlike his “camel-through-the eye-of-a-needle” brother, he has taken a vow of poverty, has gone to Africa on a multi-year mission to feed the poor and tend to the sick and homeless; and to thus follow the teaching of Jesus. He finds himself in trouble not only with the local warlords that steal the food meant for the poor and starving but also with his superiors in the Church.
Michael, for reasons I shall not betray here, returns to the U.S. with no job and no money. In keeping with his vows, he seeks to join forces with Sister Peg, who has a similar vision of feeding and housing the poor and following the teachings of Christ. The Church has cut off the funds for her home for the homeless, but Sister Peg is a fighter, and not above a little blackmail to achieve her ends.
For the same reasons I refused to tell you above, this results in a case of twin misidentification that is worthy of the Bard’s A Comedy of Errors.
“Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell? / Sleeping or waking, mad or well-advised? / Known unto these and to myself disguised? / I’ll say as they say, and persevere so, / And in this mist at all adventures go.” —A Comedy of Errors, Act 2 Scene 2
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. I greatly enjoy Bill Fitzhugh comic novels, including this one. I think you will like it too, if you have a greedy relative or two.
“My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! — The Merchant of Venice.
The lust for Gold is a rust upon the soul. — Pseudonymous d’Elder
Dan is a successful ad-executive who makes a salary most people would sell their ancient grandmothers for. Unfortunately, he obsessively spends most of that ill-begotten lucre on status symbols that flaunt his success—a beach house in an exclusive area, a top-of-the-line Jaguar, golden jewelry, diamond rings, Rolex watches, golden toilets. Despite his successes, he is deep in debt. He needs to make even more money.
When one of his agency clients demands a major new ad campaign, Dan sees his opportunity for a promotion and a much higher salary. Unfortunately, he can’t come up with a winning idea on his own, so he steals one from an underling and refuses to give poor guy any credit. His underling soon finds his job in jeopardy because he is seen as being unproductive.
Ambition is a wolf that howls at a pale saturnine moon. — Pseudonymous d’Elder
Now you may be thinking that this has all the makings of a Shakespearian tragedy. I think you are right. You are very smart. Consider the following quote from the Bard.
“With this there grows / In my most ill-composed affection such / A stanchless avarice that, were I king, / I should cut off the nobles for their lands, / Desire his jewels and this other’s house: / And my more-having would be as a sauce / To make me hunger for more; that I should forge / Quarrels unjust against the good and loyal, / Destroying them for wealth.” —Macbeth (4.3)
Dan has an identical twin brother. In contrast to Dan, Michael has become a Catholic priest, and unlike his “camel-through-the eye-of-a-needle” brother, he has taken a vow of poverty, has gone to Africa on a multi-year mission to feed the poor and tend to the sick and homeless; and to thus follow the teaching of Jesus. He finds himself in trouble not only with the local warlords that steal the food meant for the poor and starving but also with his superiors in the Church.
Michael, for reasons I shall not betray here, returns to the U.S. with no job and no money. In keeping with his vows, he seeks to join forces with Sister Peg, who has a similar vision of feeding and housing the poor and following the teachings of Christ. The Church has cut off the funds for her home for the homeless, but Sister Peg is a fighter, and not above a little blackmail to achieve her ends.
For the same reasons I refused to tell you above, this results in a case of twin misidentification that is worthy of the Bard’s A Comedy of Errors.
“Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell? / Sleeping or waking, mad or well-advised? / Known unto these and to myself disguised? / I’ll say as they say, and persevere so, / And in this mist at all adventures go.” —A Comedy of Errors, Act 2 Scene 2
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars. I greatly enjoy Bill Fitzhugh comic novels, including this one. I think you will like it too, if you have a greedy relative or two.
“My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! — The Merchant of Venice.
January 18, 2009
This is the same book as Cross dressing, so don't get pulled into purchasing a duplicate! Would highly recommend it either way, though!
February 3, 2014
I didn't laugh once, and though I'm not Catholic, I was actually offended several times. Talk about sacrilegious. Want to read a funny book? Pick up Chris Moore's Lamb.
September 25, 2021
I have read and enjoyed several of Bill Fitzhugh’s books; I think this is the best so far. It is readable and amusing, but also carries some truly scathing satire.
The plot is based heavily in farce, of course. Dan Steele is a cynical, materialistic, uncaring advertising executive with little compassion or moral sense. By an...er...unusual sequence of events he ends up pretending to be a Catholic priest and working in a badly underfunded Care Centre run by an unconventional and very attractive nun. This being Bill Fitzhugh, he also has a number of people who are trying to track him down and kill him.
The story of an inhumane man discovering his humanity may sound hackneyed, but it’s very well done, very amusing and has a plot which becomes quite gripping. It is also brilliantly excoriating about the contrast between the many magnificently good people who do the Church’s work on the ground and the self-serving behaviour of some of its hierarchy. Fitzhugh’s approach is probably best summed up in a quote he uses from Lenny Bruce: “Every day people are drifting away from the church and going back to God.” He also takes some very well aimed potshots at the advertising industry, US materialism and so on.
Most of all, though, this is a really good read; I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’ve rounded 4.5 stars up to 5 for that reason. Warmly recommended.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
The plot is based heavily in farce, of course. Dan Steele is a cynical, materialistic, uncaring advertising executive with little compassion or moral sense. By an...er...unusual sequence of events he ends up pretending to be a Catholic priest and working in a badly underfunded Care Centre run by an unconventional and very attractive nun. This being Bill Fitzhugh, he also has a number of people who are trying to track him down and kill him.
The story of an inhumane man discovering his humanity may sound hackneyed, but it’s very well done, very amusing and has a plot which becomes quite gripping. It is also brilliantly excoriating about the contrast between the many magnificently good people who do the Church’s work on the ground and the self-serving behaviour of some of its hierarchy. Fitzhugh’s approach is probably best summed up in a quote he uses from Lenny Bruce: “Every day people are drifting away from the church and going back to God.” He also takes some very well aimed potshots at the advertising industry, US materialism and so on.
Most of all, though, this is a really good read; I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’ve rounded 4.5 stars up to 5 for that reason. Warmly recommended.
(My thanks to Farrago for an ARC via NetGalley.)
September 2, 2013
Dan Steele wants the best life has to offer: the best beachfront property, the best car, the best stereo, the best clothes. Unfortunately, he is only a mediocre advertising executive. So to keep up with his own expensive tastes, he has to rack up a huge amount of debt. But Dan always has his eye out for a chance to get ahead and when one of his fellow ad-execs comes up with a winning campaign for a hundred million dollar account, Dan wastes no time stealing it and presenting it as his own work, and framing the guy as a drug user in the bargain. For one shining moment, things seem to finally be going the way Dan wants them to.
Then Dan’s twin brother Michael shows up. Michael is a Catholic priest who just returned from a rather harrowing mission trip to Africa. He is suffering from a poorly treated wound he received while in Africa and has nowhere to turn but his brother Dan. Naturally Dan doesn’t have any money to get his brother medical treatment, so he comes up with a scheme to have his brother pose as him so that they can use Dan’s health insurance. The plan works reasonably well, until Michael dies. So the upshot is that Michael is dead and Dan must now pretend to be Michael to avoid an insurance fraud lawsuit.
Now Dan must live the life of a priest, while the homicidal ad-exec that he cheated tries to kill him, insurance investigors hunt him, and bank examiners try to shut down Michael’s care center, now being run by Dan. Whew! Sounds a little like an episode of Friends.
Cross Dressing was kind of up and down for me. Early on in the story I was a bit put off by Dan’s amoral behavior, I mean seriously amoral, and Sister Peg really threw me for a loop. I mean, here’s nun who blackmails and steals to keep her care center going, and hires prostitutes in the bargain. I was close to giving up on this book altogether but I decided to stick with it a little bit longer. I understand that Bill Fitzhugh was poking fun at Christians and that’s okay; I can take a joke as well as anyone. So I kept listening and after a while I began to sense a certain pattern emerging.
After Dan’s brother, the priest, dies and Dan is sort of forced to take his place I began to have hope. Dan goes to work at Sister Peg’s shelter and it seems that a previously unknown side of Dan begins to emerge. He almost immediately connects with a little girl at the shelter named Alyssa, who is there because of an abusive father. Fitzhugh drops a few clues that Dan’s own troubled childhood helps him to relate to Alyssa. Then Dan actually begins working on the shelter: cooking, cleaning, even doing repair work around the place. The pattern I was beginning to see, and hope for, was one we’ve all seen before: the greedy old scrooge type gets a look at how the other half live and decides to change his ways. And for all I know, that may be where Fitzhugh was headed with this. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the end. There was a particular part of the story where Dan has come up with a brilliant idea to spark some funding for the shelter. It involved an ad campaign featuring Jesus hanging on the cross, bloody and broken, but then Jesus lifts his head, smiles and winks at the camera, and begins the sales pitch. That was too much for me, so I quit right there, about three-quarters of the way through the book.
Narrator Colby Elliott did a fine job as usual. At first I felt his pace was a little too fast, but once I became acclimated, it seemed okay. I think Elliott reads with a certain amount of enthusiasm that really adds something to the story.
Fitzhugh is a clever writer and can be downright funny at times, but Cross Dressing didn’t suit my own personal tastes. I think this is a book that a lot of people will enjoy, however.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
Then Dan’s twin brother Michael shows up. Michael is a Catholic priest who just returned from a rather harrowing mission trip to Africa. He is suffering from a poorly treated wound he received while in Africa and has nowhere to turn but his brother Dan. Naturally Dan doesn’t have any money to get his brother medical treatment, so he comes up with a scheme to have his brother pose as him so that they can use Dan’s health insurance. The plan works reasonably well, until Michael dies. So the upshot is that Michael is dead and Dan must now pretend to be Michael to avoid an insurance fraud lawsuit.
Now Dan must live the life of a priest, while the homicidal ad-exec that he cheated tries to kill him, insurance investigors hunt him, and bank examiners try to shut down Michael’s care center, now being run by Dan. Whew! Sounds a little like an episode of Friends.
Cross Dressing was kind of up and down for me. Early on in the story I was a bit put off by Dan’s amoral behavior, I mean seriously amoral, and Sister Peg really threw me for a loop. I mean, here’s nun who blackmails and steals to keep her care center going, and hires prostitutes in the bargain. I was close to giving up on this book altogether but I decided to stick with it a little bit longer. I understand that Bill Fitzhugh was poking fun at Christians and that’s okay; I can take a joke as well as anyone. So I kept listening and after a while I began to sense a certain pattern emerging.
After Dan’s brother, the priest, dies and Dan is sort of forced to take his place I began to have hope. Dan goes to work at Sister Peg’s shelter and it seems that a previously unknown side of Dan begins to emerge. He almost immediately connects with a little girl at the shelter named Alyssa, who is there because of an abusive father. Fitzhugh drops a few clues that Dan’s own troubled childhood helps him to relate to Alyssa. Then Dan actually begins working on the shelter: cooking, cleaning, even doing repair work around the place. The pattern I was beginning to see, and hope for, was one we’ve all seen before: the greedy old scrooge type gets a look at how the other half live and decides to change his ways. And for all I know, that may be where Fitzhugh was headed with this. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the end. There was a particular part of the story where Dan has come up with a brilliant idea to spark some funding for the shelter. It involved an ad campaign featuring Jesus hanging on the cross, bloody and broken, but then Jesus lifts his head, smiles and winks at the camera, and begins the sales pitch. That was too much for me, so I quit right there, about three-quarters of the way through the book.
Narrator Colby Elliott did a fine job as usual. At first I felt his pace was a little too fast, but once I became acclimated, it seemed okay. I think Elliott reads with a certain amount of enthusiasm that really adds something to the story.
Fitzhugh is a clever writer and can be downright funny at times, but Cross Dressing didn’t suit my own personal tastes. I think this is a book that a lot of people will enjoy, however.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
June 8, 2007
An advertising exec (Dan) steals an ad campaign from an intern who then tries to kill him but can't kill him because he already died but he didn't actually die because it was his identical twin brother who died but then Dan has to assume his twin brother's identity because otherwise he will be convicted for insurance fraud but he might get convicted anyway because the fraud inspector saw him on tv when he was being interviewed about the nun in a coma who wasn't actually in a coma but had to pretend she was in order to save the homeless shelter.
There's one percent of this book.
This book sounds ridiculous because it is. Fitzhugh takes every unlikely event, every impossible circumstance, every "oh no our hero is screwed but wait he's saved in the nick of time" moment and he smooshes them together into a mess that is preposterous and unbelievable and wonderful and perfect. The good guys always win, the bad guys always get exactly what's coming to them, the plot has 9 gazillion things going on at once but every single one of them make perfect sense, and we walk away with a funny, well written story about how to live life well and about figuring out what's really important. For all of the lame, preachy, unfunny books (and movies, for that matter) with dumb jokes, slapstick comedy, and convoluted plots just for their own sake (effectively summing up Martin Lawrence's, Pauly Shore's, and the latter half of Eddie Murphy's careers), we occasionally get the Happy Gilmores and the Billy Madisons. This book is that. Fitzhugh is funny without trying too hard, he's moralizing without hitting you over the head with it, and he just plain tells a good story. Stop reading this review. Go read this book.
There's one percent of this book.
This book sounds ridiculous because it is. Fitzhugh takes every unlikely event, every impossible circumstance, every "oh no our hero is screwed but wait he's saved in the nick of time" moment and he smooshes them together into a mess that is preposterous and unbelievable and wonderful and perfect. The good guys always win, the bad guys always get exactly what's coming to them, the plot has 9 gazillion things going on at once but every single one of them make perfect sense, and we walk away with a funny, well written story about how to live life well and about figuring out what's really important. For all of the lame, preachy, unfunny books (and movies, for that matter) with dumb jokes, slapstick comedy, and convoluted plots just for their own sake (effectively summing up Martin Lawrence's, Pauly Shore's, and the latter half of Eddie Murphy's careers), we occasionally get the Happy Gilmores and the Billy Madisons. This book is that. Fitzhugh is funny without trying too hard, he's moralizing without hitting you over the head with it, and he just plain tells a good story. Stop reading this review. Go read this book.
November 8, 2020
Still reading some easy release fiction, moving through a tbr pile from 2004 - Fitzhugh's Cross Dressings is next on the pile, a pun on religion and on clothing neither of which make the man or women but do make a good story, though trite. Fitzhugh reminds me of Christopher Moore without the woo woo.
July 12, 2014
I found it very funny and unexpected turns except for the ending when I pieced everything together myself. Light reading, good laugh.
October 8, 2022
This book is a riot, but with a serious side too.
Take two (obviously) twin brothers who have grown up to be poles apart - a Catholic priest and an advertising agent- and throw them back together. But only briefly, as Father Michael suddenly dies of a tropical disease. Whilst saddened, Dan sees the opportunity to leave his troubles behind (and he has plenty of them) by becoming his dead brother. Now this self-centred, ambitious individual who rubbed shoulders with thrusting over-achievers is having to cope with life's victims and their dedicated carers.
There's loads of humour but also plenty of very sharp social commentary. The cast of characters is wide and varied, with every one of them eccentric in some way and, as a result, they're all utterly fascinating. Settings, from plush offices to shabby social centres, are created for the reader in lively detail. The plot is clever and always entertaining.
Much to enjoy in this excellent novel.
Take two (obviously) twin brothers who have grown up to be poles apart - a Catholic priest and an advertising agent- and throw them back together. But only briefly, as Father Michael suddenly dies of a tropical disease. Whilst saddened, Dan sees the opportunity to leave his troubles behind (and he has plenty of them) by becoming his dead brother. Now this self-centred, ambitious individual who rubbed shoulders with thrusting over-achievers is having to cope with life's victims and their dedicated carers.
There's loads of humour but also plenty of very sharp social commentary. The cast of characters is wide and varied, with every one of them eccentric in some way and, as a result, they're all utterly fascinating. Settings, from plush offices to shabby social centres, are created for the reader in lively detail. The plot is clever and always entertaining.
Much to enjoy in this excellent novel.
October 12, 2021
Can a debt-ridden ad executive find true happiness assuming the identity of his dead twin brother? Especially if that means living as a priest? Bill Fitzhugh dares to find out in this book, and it's a wild ride as we try to answer that question. This book strikes the wonderful balance of being hilarious, with several laugh out loud moments, while carrying a plot I really cared about. It sounds like a recipe many authors try - mix together a madcap plot, mistaken identities, quirky characters and a little bit of sexual tension and see how it all comes out - well this one comes out perfect! This is my favorite of his books that I've read so far, and although that list is short, it's about to get longer as I set out to read all the others that I can.
Thanks to Farrago Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Farrago Books and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 15, 2021
Dan Steele is a materialistic ad executive who always seems to be in debt. He constantly struggles to pay for his mother’s care, while his twin brother, a priest, is involved with mission work in Africa. When his brother unexpectedly dies, Dan seizes the opportunity to take his brother’s place and escape his creditors as well as many of his other responsibilities.
Cross Dressing is a dark-humored novel with quirky characters and implausible situations. Some of the players are hiding secrets, while others are simply wacky and irreverent. All in all, it’s a tale that takes aim at the church, materialism, and social mores. Many readers will find it delightful and may even identify with some of the characters. It is a quick read that will appeal to many.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
Cross Dressing is a dark-humored novel with quirky characters and implausible situations. Some of the players are hiding secrets, while others are simply wacky and irreverent. All in all, it’s a tale that takes aim at the church, materialism, and social mores. Many readers will find it delightful and may even identify with some of the characters. It is a quick read that will appeal to many.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
January 11, 2022
Heavy on the satire, Fitzhugh exposes some inadequacies & outright fraud among supposedly charitable enterprises...in this case, the Catholic Church takes 'front & center'. Insurance fraud is also at issue, & advertising agencies, elder care & care for the disabled, & homelessness also receive comment. A comedy of a course of action that introduces all the characters, & then flows them all to the climax at the end.....& makes valid points along the way! I enjoyed the humor, & the way he made a 'funny' out of a serious issue. It's a fun read that makes a statement. This author is good at that!
I received an e-copy of this book from Farrago Books via NetGalley for review purposes. After reading it, this is my own fair & honest review.
I received an e-copy of this book from Farrago Books via NetGalley for review purposes. After reading it, this is my own fair & honest review.
September 4, 2022
I'd have rated it higher but the ending seemed very rushed.
Other than that, I enjoyed the jabs at the Catholic church, the explanations of religious organizations workings, and the subversive tactics that the true heroes of those organizations must use to make a difference in the communities they want to help.
It's a rather silly book, that doesn't feature any actual cross dressing or gender nonconforming behavior, but it supplied a cathartic laugh and a few deep thoughts about the effect of the Catholic Church.
Other than that, I enjoyed the jabs at the Catholic church, the explanations of religious organizations workings, and the subversive tactics that the true heroes of those organizations must use to make a difference in the communities they want to help.
It's a rather silly book, that doesn't feature any actual cross dressing or gender nonconforming behavior, but it supplied a cathartic laugh and a few deep thoughts about the effect of the Catholic Church.
October 14, 2021
Absolutely the funniest book I've read in a long time. He takes on big advertising and the church and he shows no mercy to either.
The characters were fabulous. (In my mind's eye, I kept seeing Scott Emmans as the stapler guy in Office Space.)
The storyline flowed in and out through the entirety of the book and was very easy to follow.
All in all, Bill Fitzhugh just hits it out of the park with this one. I can only hope that someone makes this into a movie. It would be a shame not to.
The characters were fabulous. (In my mind's eye, I kept seeing Scott Emmans as the stapler guy in Office Space.)
The storyline flowed in and out through the entirety of the book and was very easy to follow.
All in all, Bill Fitzhugh just hits it out of the park with this one. I can only hope that someone makes this into a movie. It would be a shame not to.
October 24, 2021
Funny and full of dark humor, it made me laugh and kept me reading the farcical adventures of the characters.
I grew up Catholic and some of the characters are quite realistic even it may sound weird.
Full of dark humour it may not be everyone's cup of tea but it surely was mine.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I grew up Catholic and some of the characters are quite realistic even it may sound weird.
Full of dark humour it may not be everyone's cup of tea but it surely was mine.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
December 21, 2021
This guy just gets better with every book. This is his third. Dan Steele is at the top of his game - the ad game. His twin brother, the priest, is hitting some career snags himself. Yes, 'twin' is the operable word there. Fitzhugh is a pretty funny guy in word and plot.
September 16, 2017
Best one so far.
November 13, 2018
Clever, funny, a quick, but engaging read.
April 12, 2020
slow start. built momentum in the middle. wonderful ending. tied up all the loose ends in a compelling and entertaining finale.
July 6, 2022
Started slow and seemed like a Anti-Catholic rant-- BUT I was wrong. This is a wonderfully woven story with great characters. I enjoyed it very much
January 7, 2023
didn't finish. The crowbarred-in Steely Dan references got just too much for me.
March 5, 2008
A deft, funny, caper novel, incorporating gleefully savage attacks on the Church, the advertising industry, and the charity industry; occasionally heartfelt characters; and an inspired marketing gimmick.
While often compared to Hiassen, Fitzhugh is fast creating his own dark and funny category. In this third outing, amoral adman Dan Steele, up to his neck in debt and smug consumerism, is fish-out-of-watered when he steals the best idea of his career ("More is more") from an unstable copywriter, just as Dan's twin brother Michael, an excommunicated do-gooder priest, returns from Africa, ill. Registered at the hospital as Dan for insurance coverage, Michael succumbs to tetanus, and, on the run from legal problems, insurance investigators and his now homicidal ex-colleague, Dan dons Michael's collar. As Father Michael, Dan goes to work at Sister Peg's Care Center, where he falls for Peg (fortunately, no more a nun than he is a priest). Predictably, Dan finds redemption caring for others, and he'll obviously save the financially teetering facility with his advertising savvy. Fitzhugh commits sins of inclusion, as well: There are two hookers with hearts of gold; no less than four gunmen converging for the climax; not content to harpoon his satirical targets, Fitzhugh levels them with assault weapons and then jumps up and down on their heads. There's always a bit too much of everything, but the author's having so much fun that we do, too. To top it off, he claims a product placement deal--the first ever for a novel--with Seagram's, and you can hear him chortling through the ad-speak whenever Dan is glowingly described sipping scotch.
Smart, fast and funny. Fitzhugh is a dangerous man.
While often compared to Hiassen, Fitzhugh is fast creating his own dark and funny category. In this third outing, amoral adman Dan Steele, up to his neck in debt and smug consumerism, is fish-out-of-watered when he steals the best idea of his career ("More is more") from an unstable copywriter, just as Dan's twin brother Michael, an excommunicated do-gooder priest, returns from Africa, ill. Registered at the hospital as Dan for insurance coverage, Michael succumbs to tetanus, and, on the run from legal problems, insurance investigators and his now homicidal ex-colleague, Dan dons Michael's collar. As Father Michael, Dan goes to work at Sister Peg's Care Center, where he falls for Peg (fortunately, no more a nun than he is a priest). Predictably, Dan finds redemption caring for others, and he'll obviously save the financially teetering facility with his advertising savvy. Fitzhugh commits sins of inclusion, as well: There are two hookers with hearts of gold; no less than four gunmen converging for the climax; not content to harpoon his satirical targets, Fitzhugh levels them with assault weapons and then jumps up and down on their heads. There's always a bit too much of everything, but the author's having so much fun that we do, too. To top it off, he claims a product placement deal--the first ever for a novel--with Seagram's, and you can hear him chortling through the ad-speak whenever Dan is glowingly described sipping scotch.
Smart, fast and funny. Fitzhugh is a dangerous man.
June 25, 2016
Lover of satire that I am, I’m starting to get hooked on Bill Fitzhugh. Like another of my favorites, Christopher Buckley, Fitzhugh is a contemporary practitioner of the art although Fitzhugh’s humor tends to be a bit darker and his plots have more of a mystery=thriller angle. Nevertheless, “Cross Dressing” is a hoot, and plays especially well as a listen-as-you-exercise audio.
Dan Steele is an ethically-challenged ad exec who tries to help his twin brother Michael, a priest who apparently picked up a bad disease while trying to good work in Africa. Unfortunately, Michael dies in the hospital (this is not a spoiler, it’s part of the setup). More unfortunately, he dies with Dan’s identity (and insurance) since the brothers did a name switch; Michael had no insurance and they had no idea his health issues were major, much less fatal. So suddenly, Dan can’t be Dan and must be Michael. Now, as readers, we’re ready to take on the ad industry, the church, street gangs, insurance fraud investigators, and a homicidal ex ad guy turned electronics salesman. It’s a fun ride, and it’s pretty much impossible to anticipate what’s coming. And by the way, make sure you read the Epilogue, but don’t peek ahead. Really. :-)
Dan Steele is an ethically-challenged ad exec who tries to help his twin brother Michael, a priest who apparently picked up a bad disease while trying to good work in Africa. Unfortunately, Michael dies in the hospital (this is not a spoiler, it’s part of the setup). More unfortunately, he dies with Dan’s identity (and insurance) since the brothers did a name switch; Michael had no insurance and they had no idea his health issues were major, much less fatal. So suddenly, Dan can’t be Dan and must be Michael. Now, as readers, we’re ready to take on the ad industry, the church, street gangs, insurance fraud investigators, and a homicidal ex ad guy turned electronics salesman. It’s a fun ride, and it’s pretty much impossible to anticipate what’s coming. And by the way, make sure you read the Epilogue, but don’t peek ahead. Really. :-)
August 29, 2020
After reading Pest Control, I picked up Organ Grinders and hated it. This book was a triumphant return to the style of writing and humor that made Pest Control such a great book. The character development is excellent. At the beginning of the novel, Dan Steele, the main character is a prototypical yuppie executive whose thirst for material possessions exceeds all other desires in his life. By the end, he cares about his fellow man and not as much about how many toys he can amass. The aspect of the novel that really shines, though, is how Fitzhugh portrays the residents of the Care Center. While most authors might stereotype the elderly as cranky old codgers, Fitzhugh portrays them as the people who society forgot and who are desperately trying to cling to the Care Center, the last meaningful thing in their lives. While the ending seems kind of rushed, it is satisfying. This novel is a return to the style of Pest Control, and is all the better for it.
June 1, 2015
Well-written and funny, the author clearly cares about the issues discussed in the book. While it's almost as fashionable today to bash the Church as it was in 2000 when the book was originally published, the gentle rebukes of certain portions of Catholic doctrine are all the more powerful because he concedes that the Church is full of driven, motivated people seeking to make the world a better place and that the institution is a global force for good and most individuals that are members (or pretend to be members) of the clergy are good people trying to do good things. Honestly, it's a refreshing take that you rarely see on TV shows, movies, or in the news. I'd recommend it to Catholic friends looking for a funny book to read.
March 19, 2011
Absolutely loved it. This book hit all the marks ... the most improbable characters were utterly believable (a reformed hooker masquerading as a nun and an ad-man with hellhounds on his trail taking cover in a collar?) , AND managed to illuminate an un-heavenly host of contemporary problems on every level from neighborhood to national to international AND do it with equal measures of empathy, hilarity, insight and indignation. Bill Fitzhugh is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors.
June 9, 2014
They don't come any more bitter and cynical than this book! The advertising business and the Catholic church collide, and the explosion is devastating.
I love Fitzhugh's turn of phrase. Favorites in this book: "His most prominent feature (was) a look of sweaty disappointment" and, speaking of the residents of an old age home, "living vicariously better lives through television." The latter would be a great slogan for something...perhaps our culture in general?
I love Fitzhugh's turn of phrase. Favorites in this book: "His most prominent feature (was) a look of sweaty disappointment" and, speaking of the residents of an old age home, "living vicariously better lives through television." The latter would be a great slogan for something...perhaps our culture in general?
November 9, 2011
While I liked this book, I did feel a bit hit over the head by the author from time to time. I get it! The Catholic church is bad! Consumerism is bad! Poverty could be fixed if only people weren't so selfish!! Sheesh!
On a side note, this author wrote a very enjoyable book many years ago called "Pest Control." The sequel to that is coming out soon, and I'm very excited!
On a side note, this author wrote a very enjoyable book many years ago called "Pest Control." The sequel to that is coming out soon, and I'm very excited!
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March 15, 2014Definitely different than the Louise Penney books I was reading.
It seemed to take a while to get interesting to me, but eventually
I got towards the end of the book and really wanted to see what happened.
I don't know if I want to read more Bill Fitzhugh or not.
It seemed to take a while to get interesting to me, but eventually
I got towards the end of the book and really wanted to see what happened.
I don't know if I want to read more Bill Fitzhugh or not.
May 22, 2015
Bill Fitzhugh delivers a well-tied knot of a book, reminiscent of Christopher Moore. You have to flex your suspension of disbelief, but the ride is worth it. This isn't his best book, but the LA setting and the Catholic backdrop makes it worth the time.
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