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Guesswork
Joe Odin is the world's greatest guesser, a carnival legend who can tell you your weight, your profession, or your favorite brand of whiskey with nothing but a glance and a grubby dollar. He uses his flamboyant style of deduction to peer into small-town secrets and unravel his favorite puzzles of all... murders. Primrose Whistler is just seventeen years old, a trailer park firecracker with green hair and a talent for trouble. After she witnesses a brutal attack and is almost killed at the county fair, she and Odin forge an unlikely partnership of razor-sharp wits and masterful deduction to stop a killer before he silences Prim for good.
- GenresMystery
196 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Scott Lininger
9 books4 followersScott Lininger is a writer, entrepreneur, and mystery enthusiast who lives near Boulder, Colorado. His fiction has appeared in Roar and Thunder, The Battered Suitcase, Flash Fiction Online, Everyday Weirdness, Powderburn, Resident Aliens, Day Terrors Anthology, Wretched Moments Anthology, Mystericale, Daily Science Fiction, the Flash Fiction Offensive, and Short Story Me. Scott is an Associate Member of the SFWA and SCBWI.
Scott's first novel, Guesswork, was a quarter finalist in the 2011 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award and a semifinalist in the 2011 Southwest Writers Contest. He's currently seeking a publisher for his second book, Xenopaths, and working on his third.
Scott's first novel, Guesswork, was a quarter finalist in the 2011 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award and a semifinalist in the 2011 Southwest Writers Contest. He's currently seeking a publisher for his second book, Xenopaths, and working on his third.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 30, 2014
Seventeen-year-old Primrose Whistler road trips from her home in Florida to visit Aunt Vern in Colorado, whom she has not seen for many years. Upon arriving she finds her Aunt still mourning the mysterious death of a dear neighbor. Well, mysterious to Aunt Vern anyway, everyone else called it a simple case of drunk driving but Vern knows better. Prim, having something of an inquisitive mind and a nose for mysteries, can’t help but be intrigued by the suspicious circumstances of the accident.
It’s only a matter of time before Prim makes the acquaintance of Odin, the guesser at the traveling carnival in town. Now Odin is not only a guesser, he is the world’s BEST guesser. For a mere dollar Odin can guess your weight, where you’re from, what kind of car you drive, or just about anything else. Some people might call it a trick, but Odin simply observes his surroundings, not missing a single detail, and then creates a completed picture based on the puzzle pieces. Prim and Odin must work quickly in order to stop a crazed killer before he can strike again.
I have to say that I really liked the character of Primrose Whistler, known to friends and family simply as Prim. So much of today’s fiction is full of teenage girls who are depressed or anti-social or suicidal or passive-aggressive because of the “raw deal” life has given them. They become tough and smart-mouthed and lash out at anything that moves. Now, Prim is smart-mouthed to be sure, but her head is screwed on quite securely, even in the wake of her mother’s untimely death. She’s good-natured and good-hearted and good-humored and only gives someone a tongue lashing when they really deserve it. Oh, and she’s brainy too. Prim is a refreshing change of pace from the gloomy halls of teen-angst-ridden young-adultdom. And speaking of which, I’m not entirely sure Guesswork should even be classified as young adult. Prim has a maturity and wisdom beyond her years and I often found myself forgetting that she’s just a kid. I think many adults will find this a worthwhile read.
Scott Lininger is a fine writer. In Guesswork he has crafted a well-built mystery that will have you second-guessing yourself right up to the surprising conclusion. His sense of timing is very good as he drops in the clues one by one in a manner that feels very natural. I always hate books where the good guys win by sheer luck or the complete incompetence of the bad guys, but that is not the case here. Prim and her new friend Odin win by pure cunning and good old-fashioned deductive reasoning. Sherlock Holmes eat your heart out. On top of all this, Lininger’s characters are believable and down-to-earth; I especially like Prim’s Aunt Vern, who is a very no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is country woman.
I’ve listened to quite a few Colby Elliott narrations now and I’ve always found him to be a capable reader. In fact, my only complaint has been that Colby tends to read a little faster than is perfectly comfortable to my ears. I’m happy to say, however, that Elliott seems to have overcome that one small flaw, at least for Guesswork. I thought that Elliott did a fine job as usual and his pacing was much more natural. As always I look forward to hearing more from him.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
It’s only a matter of time before Prim makes the acquaintance of Odin, the guesser at the traveling carnival in town. Now Odin is not only a guesser, he is the world’s BEST guesser. For a mere dollar Odin can guess your weight, where you’re from, what kind of car you drive, or just about anything else. Some people might call it a trick, but Odin simply observes his surroundings, not missing a single detail, and then creates a completed picture based on the puzzle pieces. Prim and Odin must work quickly in order to stop a crazed killer before he can strike again.
I have to say that I really liked the character of Primrose Whistler, known to friends and family simply as Prim. So much of today’s fiction is full of teenage girls who are depressed or anti-social or suicidal or passive-aggressive because of the “raw deal” life has given them. They become tough and smart-mouthed and lash out at anything that moves. Now, Prim is smart-mouthed to be sure, but her head is screwed on quite securely, even in the wake of her mother’s untimely death. She’s good-natured and good-hearted and good-humored and only gives someone a tongue lashing when they really deserve it. Oh, and she’s brainy too. Prim is a refreshing change of pace from the gloomy halls of teen-angst-ridden young-adultdom. And speaking of which, I’m not entirely sure Guesswork should even be classified as young adult. Prim has a maturity and wisdom beyond her years and I often found myself forgetting that she’s just a kid. I think many adults will find this a worthwhile read.
Scott Lininger is a fine writer. In Guesswork he has crafted a well-built mystery that will have you second-guessing yourself right up to the surprising conclusion. His sense of timing is very good as he drops in the clues one by one in a manner that feels very natural. I always hate books where the good guys win by sheer luck or the complete incompetence of the bad guys, but that is not the case here. Prim and her new friend Odin win by pure cunning and good old-fashioned deductive reasoning. Sherlock Holmes eat your heart out. On top of all this, Lininger’s characters are believable and down-to-earth; I especially like Prim’s Aunt Vern, who is a very no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is country woman.
I’ve listened to quite a few Colby Elliott narrations now and I’ve always found him to be a capable reader. In fact, my only complaint has been that Colby tends to read a little faster than is perfectly comfortable to my ears. I’m happy to say, however, that Elliott seems to have overcome that one small flaw, at least for Guesswork. I thought that Elliott did a fine job as usual and his pacing was much more natural. As always I look forward to hearing more from him.
Steven Brandt @ Audiobook-Heaven
April 3, 2016
This was a very good book. I enjoyed getting to know Prim and her aunt Vern. I would have liked this book to be longer, but the end left everything open enough for a sequel. I loved how the author kept me guessing. I definitely hope there will be more adventures for Prim in the future.
The narrator was excellent. My only minor complaint was the way he said "ugg" I am not sure if the author wrote it that way, or if he wrote "ugh" and the narrator said it wrong. But really I cannot complain too much. He still did an excellent job with the voices, even though Prim is clearly a young woman.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.
The narrator was excellent. My only minor complaint was the way he said "ugg" I am not sure if the author wrote it that way, or if he wrote "ugh" and the narrator said it wrong. But really I cannot complain too much. He still did an excellent job with the voices, even though Prim is clearly a young woman.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.
March 28, 2016
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
Prim comes to Hygiene Colorado to visit her Aunt Vern,. So begins mystery and murder for her and the worlds best guesser, Odin to solve. There are enough twists and turns to keep the listener guessing. I hope there will be more Prim and Odin adventures in the future.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
Prim comes to Hygiene Colorado to visit her Aunt Vern,. So begins mystery and murder for her and the worlds best guesser, Odin to solve. There are enough twists and turns to keep the listener guessing. I hope there will be more Prim and Odin adventures in the future.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
March 25, 2013
The first 50 or so pages were to set up everything and it was... meh.
But when Odin was FINALLY introduced, everything sped up (thank god).
Loved the ending, but no conclusion on the little spark between P and B tho.
SIDE NOTE: Too many chracters that have names that start with B; BARTON, BONARD and BRAD. Please, STOP.
But when Odin was FINALLY introduced, everything sped up (thank god).
Loved the ending, but no conclusion on the little spark between P and B tho.
SIDE NOTE: Too many chracters that have names that start with B; BARTON, BONARD and BRAD. Please, STOP.
July 8, 2013
A quick little read. Very enjoyable characters - I really want to know more about them. Some of the plot points were a bit predictable, but some of them twisted in an unexpected direction. All in all, enjoyable, and I hope to read more about Joe Odin - his past or his future.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews