No Easy Deeds is neither a time travel novel nor a rom-com, but it cleverly blends elements of both genres. Genuinely funny, nostalgic, and occasionally touching, it’s another gem of a story from the bestselling British author, Keith A Pearson.
Not that he's counting but, 409 days ago, life was rosy for Danny Monk. Today, the 3rd of September 1990, Danny's future seems almost as bleak as the British economy in the new decade - the glamour and glitz of the '80s replaced by a deep recession, crippling interest rates, and mass riots over the poll tax.
Then, by pure chance, Danny stumbles upon a new job opportunity. The prospect of becoming an estate agent holds little appeal but, as one of the two million unemployed, any job is better than no job. Danny accepts the role of trainee negotiator with Gibley Smith.
Little does he know it, but Danny's new job will result in the strangest of encounters, and an offer that seems almost too good to be true - complete a somewhat unorthodox challenge in exchange for the deeds of a detached house.
What Danny doesn't realise is that there's far more to both his challenge and reward than he could possibly imagine. For better or for worse, 1990 is destined to be the year that irrevocably changes Danny Monk's future.
I was going to give up at 9%, but curiosity, as always, got me and I kept reading a little more and a little more. This is most definitely a male Bridget Jones’s Diary. (As an aside, I had long ago renamed the genre 'dick-lit' in my shelving, in direct retribution for the description 'chick-lit'). It isn't incompetent for what is presumably a first novel, but is terribly, terribly slow, and the first 27% of the novel is setting the stage.
As is genre typical, the main character is an emotionally young 20-something human who is just trying to work out the whole job and relationship thing. Larger questions are left unpondered. We meet Danny and he and his girlfriend Zoe (excuse me, fiance) sign on the dotted line for a new flat in a new estate in the 1990s. Ruh-roh. We next encounter him as separated from Zoe, unemployed and steadily going into debt from an underwater mortgage. His new job is kind of crappy, but it offers a chance to change his circumstance without moving in with the parents and admitting how very dumb he was.
Told first-person from Danny's head voice, he's a rather trying, generally unobservant and without insight. Eventually, he meets someone and is tasked on a mission that seems relatively harmless. The reader, of course, knows the situation is More Than It Seems. Danny remains clueless until the end, however, where he shifts into disbelief and the story ends on a cliffhanger.
I most definitely did not read all the words and most definitely won't be reading the sequel. It's honestly far too much like a day in the life of a person who isn't particularly interesting. The plot moves too slowly, which too much detail on what must have been real-life exchanges and unessential details--too much about what he did for lunch every day and the micro-exchanges with the office receptionist. The 'time-traveling' part described in the blurb . In this, the blurb gets it right; it is neither a rom-com nor a time-traveling novel.
I’ve liked everything I’ve read by Keith Pearson, and No Easy Deeds is no exception. It’s an easy read with likable characters. I’m looking forward to continuing the series. 4.5 stars.
Have to own up that I am a big Keith A Pearson fan and have read all of his books so far. Having lived through the times he describes so vividly in his books I can relate to the events happening in his novels. This one is set in the 80's when a lot of people were struggling financially and there was a lot of hardship around. The main protagonist, Danny, has had a run of bad luck which has left him down on his uppers. I must admit that I thought this story started a bit slower than the other books I've read by this author, but once events started to be a bit puzzling for Danny, the pace changed and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Only downside for me is that I have to wait for the next in the series to find out what happens.....................................
An absolute belter of an introduction to a new series
As usual, Keith Pearson delivers another high quality book with believable characters (some of whom you'll recognise if you know any estate agents), humour (for me, hugely important in any book) and the story that whilst fiction, keeps you reading.
Whilst not the usual format for Keith Pearson, it still contains elements that you will find familiar and genuinely enjoy. Start reading.
And to finish with a couple of quotes to give you a flavour:
“Yes, and we’d like to submit an offer.” If Mr Edgar had asked me to join him and his wife for a threesome, I’d be slightly less shocked. “You want to submit an offer?” I clarify. “For this house?”
It can’t be a genuine offer, surely. But what if it is? No one gives away a house for a favour. Then again, I read that almost a million people walked into a record shop and voluntarily purchased a copy of Especially for You by Jason and Kylie. The truth, no matter how baffling it sometimes seems, is the truth.
Came across this one quite unexpected thanks to my trawling through Goodreads and chancing upon it on the shelf of a reviewer I follow. Just got to reading this one on a whim but was not disappointed. I think it is the writing style that kept me engrossed through what was mostly routine story with a hint of mystery. Don’t want to spoil anything by saying more but it is definitely worth a try and I am looking forward to further adventures of Danny Monk.
Another fantastic book from Keith A Pearson. Spot on description of life in an estate agents and a story full of totally likeable characters- the only disappointing thing is having to be patient and wait for book 2!! Cannot wait to see what happens next. Thoroughly enjoyed the story, the descriptions and throwbacks to the 90’s, and the slight mystery of the whole thing. Very much looking forward to the continuation and seeing what surprises are in store for Danny.
I’ve read quite a few novels by Keith A. Pearson, and generally like his easy going and easy to read style, written for the common man like myself, or indeed woman. That style is evident here in No Easy Deeds, although there were some aspects I have to be critical about, despite enjoying my Audible listen overall. The problem is Danny Monk, who tells the story as a first-person main character. Pearson has a tendency to go on a bit too much about the minutiae of Danny’s everyday life, which was probably more annoying when actually reading about it rather than listening to it, as I did, while doing something else. However, the worse thing about Monk is that he’s simply difficult to root for. At times, Pearson tries to make him a sympathetic character, but his words and actions often make him greedy and selfish, and a bit whiny. Maybe it's too long since I was that age! Even more annoying is that Danny’s logic and reasoning waffle about all over the place, often making no sense and determined to avoid getting to the point. It’s not a bad effort, and plenty of other people appear to like it, but I can’t give it more than 5/10. In its favour, I’ll probably read or listen to the sequel, partly because the ending has piqued my curiosity, so I’ll round my rating up to 3 stars.
Read this book by accident. My sister quoted the authors note on our family group chat, commenting on how refreshing it was. On reading it I too liked the vibe - so I googled the title and thought it wasn’t my usual type of read. I’ve not read a book in months and was looking for a book to break my reading stagnation. THIS BOOK WAS IT. I’m hooked. I started reading this book yesterday morning and only put it down to cook dinner. Flipped the last page this morning. I’d be devastated my read was over, but there’s another instalment….. downloaded and ready for me to snuggle into this afternoon. Bliss. The style of writing is probably the best I’ve ever read (and despite my hiatus, I am an avid reader). I’m now excited to read other titles by the talented Keith A Pearson. In this book you’ve taken me back to my teenage years (being born in the 70’s myself) and your style has left me wanting more. Congratulations on this ‘give me more’ title. You’ve gained another fan and I look forward to scrolling through your pages of creativity much more.
📚 Title: No Easy Deeds ✍️ Author: Keith A Pearson 🗂️ Genre: Romance, Time Travel ❤️ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
No Easy Deeds is the first book in the two book Echo Lane series and charts the adventures of the hero Danny Monk. It's fair to say Danny is having a tough time, its 1990, the UK is in recession and Danny's life has turn to shit. But a new job as a junior estate agent threatens to change all that.
The book is super nostalgic for anyone who remembers England in the 1990's. The details around the price of a pint or the cars people drove were really charming. I'd forgotten all about Lunn Poly and 20p games of pool.
I felt the pacing of the story was a little slow, although it did speed up at times. The level of detail around the process of being an estate agent was a little bit dull at times, perhaps this was useful to make the reader sympathise with Danny and the job he is forced to take.
I found myself warming to Danny and especially Gavin, his rather pathetic colleague.
There was a decent wrapping up to the story and an obvious setup for the second book in the series. I'd like to read it at some point to see where Danny ends up but not straight away.
…if you don’t mind remembering just how bad the early ‘90s were.
Okay, they weren’t nearly as rough in the States— the same mediocre music, but Americans didn’t have to live with Margaret Thatcher and all she did to Britain’s economy. [Reagan was far from perfect, but individual lives weren’t affected the same way, so far fewer people ended up on the dole and losing their homes.]
Danny Monk didn’t lose his home, although it was close. He was maybe one paycheck from foreclosure when the story starts, which was particularly worrisome since he didn’t have a job. Luckily he found one, as a junior negotiator with a real estate company (that’s a trainee real estate agent in American), at the same time he was offered a side job, and a strange one. An older woman he didn’t know wanted him to break up the relationship of a young woman named Kim before her boyfriend could propose.
The question is, how could this older woman know so much about not only Kim but Danny himself?
It’s a delightful read, and I shall immediately seek out its sequel.
You know what, Keith just writes great books. The time period becomes irrelevant when the characters are so good and thought through also the beats in the story and the way he makes you feel connected to the emotions and tribulations of the characters. Danny is a great lead but the surrounding team are superb as well Gav, Lee all seem to be pulled from reality even Candy (good subtle Highlander reference) and im sure Keith has never been an escort girl in the 80s but he captures her and all the people perfect.
Lokking forward to book two especially if we get a big guy book in-between hint hint
4.5 stars. I love Pearson's work and I loved this new novel, set in the 90s, covering most of his usual "formula": love (struggling), friendship, money (lack of), work (problems with), and TIME TRAVEL! About this last theme, in this book, we don't have anything resembling what we already appreciated in the past, but that works quite well too. The style is nice as usual with many intriguing and (almost) realistic dialogues and situations. And uh his forewords are the wittest I've read in a while. The missing half a star in my vote is only because I didn't know what ending I would face after this 90s jump - that made me disappointed, before realizing I should instead be glad about it.
Well....I generally like this author's work well enough. In comparison with previous books, this one does a better job of pacing, although the set up is still too long compared to the overall length. While it was better written, and I like the premise, this is just half a story (which he's done before). I will probably read book #2, but you can't expect someone to give half a story (that doesn't even contain the most interesting part) five stars.
I'd be much more enthusiastic if this author could stop splitting up his stories into multiple books. However, I have to admit I was interested enough to read the whole thing in three days, which is kind of rare for me these days.
....Pulled me into a story that's all too relatable.
Danny is very down on his luck, the opposite of a hero, but then he gets an offer too good to be true, which could net him some valuable property and funds to boot. All he has to do is......nah, I won't spoil it, you'll have to read it yourself!
But it's a great read, set in the recent past (1990 if I recall) and with a great cast of characters.
Will he come out ahead with his mysterious quest? I'm rooting for you, Danny!
As always, I was thoroughly entertained by Pearson's book and found it different from most of what I've read from him. Sometimes it's been time travel, other times unusual timeless (or out of time) characters, but this time the story seems to revolve around the financial chaos surrounding Danny Monk and his struggles with a new, lowly job and his desperate challenge presented by the mysterious Mrs. Weller. Danny, and the people in his life are very ordinary. But we're left wondering at the end, 'are they all?'.
I’m a big fan of author Keith Pearson’s books, and this book - the first in a new series of novels - starts brilliantly.
Danny Monk is reeling from a split with his ex, drowning under debt in unemployment, and feeling angry, when an intriguing proposition comes his way from a strange older woman.
As with all of Pearson’s novels, this book is full of strong characters and a compelling storyline. I literally couldn’t wait to see how the story developed, and having finished it, I can barely wait for the next book in this series!
This book drew me in from the start and it’s not really my typical genre of fiction. However the characters and the timeline were well written and the storyline itself kept me interested. There are a few moments in the story that were laugh out loud funny and also some that built tension with a sprinkling of mystery thrown in. This is the first in a series (not sure of how many) and I’m very glad that I have read it now when the second book is already available and I’ve started that straight away. Really enjoyable read.
I'm not usually interested in romance stories but Keith always gives us a compelling read with a mysterious background. You always know that Mrs Weller isn't quite what Dan thinks but is driven by financial issues to carry out her wishes. Any ideas I developed about how the story would end were dashed by the last chapter- hence, the five star rating.....read on.
Excellent start to a series, main characters are believable and the story suspenseful. Highly recommended for those who lived through the era (early nineties) and also those who didn't and want an insight to what live was like 30 years ago in England - computers and mobile phones a novelty and you could buy a flat for £60k 😁
Can't wait to read the next book and find out more about the house and cufflinks (no spoilers)
Just picked this book at random, perhaps it was preordained, don't know if that's the way to write it. Characters are appealing and addictive the good and the bad well worth a read especially if you were of age in the 80s and 90s, just gave me a warm glow inside just at the time I needed it.looking forward to the next in the series. Well worth 5 stars
Keith Pearson must have, at some stage in his life, worked in a small office and possibly probably an estate agents. His descriptions of office banter are so true to life and are always amusing.To say that the book is a time travel book is not strictly true, there is a time travel element to it but it plays a small part in an excellent story. Keith Pearsons writing is easy to read without verbose over descriptions which can be a pain with some authors.
So sad this is finished, loved every word, the characters, storyline, Keith is 100% talented. I’ve read all his books over and over and so this won’t be the first time I devour no easy deeds. Goosebumps at the end. Well done Keith xx
Great story, interesting characters that you care about, the plot line is twisty and keeps you guessing where it’s going next. A time travel story with a complicated love life thrown in. The only downside is I read it in 3 days and now have to wait until December for the next book in the series!
I absolutely loved this book very entertaining, I once too was an estate agent so could completely understand the monotony of leaflet dropping, vending feedback etc, it had me laughing out loud, the story was amazing loved the characters I MOST definitely will be reading the follow up to this, please Keith hurry up & write the next one!
Having read all of Keith's other books I purchased No Easy Deeds as soon as it was available. My intention was to read it on holiday. However, it is so good that I've just finished it and we don't go away until three days time! I thoroughly recommend this book and can't wait for the next instalment.
I read this in one sitting. I have enjoyed everything written by Mr Pearson. The characters are believable. The references to the times bring back fond and not so fond memories. Humorous with a cliff hanger that had me looking for the next book in the series. And a bribe from the author at the end to make sure you leave a review!
Nostalgia is one thing but it was a difficult time for everyone. Life continued and reading 'No Easy Deeds', flags up many highs & lows that I faced during this time. I'm hooked and will be reading the other planned books. I'm still a bit of a romantic, would I want to know what the future holds and would I want to change it- maybe ????
I always enjoy Keith A. Pearson's books. They are warm, funny and nostalgic: this one doesn't disappoint. It's also easy to read, which is a plus if, like myself, you have a crap attention span and a penchant for reading in public places.