Monkey Man

Bubba Mabry #8

by Steve Brewer

Having coffee with a new client, things seem to be going well until the monkey with the gun shows up. Now Bubba's facing an uncooperative police force, a barrel full of suspects, and an intern who drives everyone bananas. And he's got to figure out which of the animals at the Albuquerque zoo really belong behind bars--before another one winds up in the morgue.


From "Booklist:" "This series offers a nice mix of low-rent comedy, solid action, and general amiability."


From the Chicago Sun-Times: "Like Elmore Leonard, the writer whose work his most resembles, Brewer writes with a light and deft touch, bringing style and wit to the crime genre."

Genres: Mystery

ebook

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

STEVE BREWER is the author of more than 30 books, including the recent crime novels UPSHOT and COLD CUTS.

His first novel, LONELY STREET, was made into a 2009 independent Hollywood comedy starring Robert Patrick, Jay Mohr and Joe Mantegna.

Under his pen name Max Austin, Brewer wrote three hard-boiled crime stories set in Albuquerque, NM. The first, DUKE CITY SPLIT, was published by Alibi/Random House in April 2014. DUKE CITY HIT followed in December 2014. DUKE CITY DESPERADO came out in June 2015.

Brewer's short fiction has appeared in the several anthologies, and he's published articles in magazines such as Mystery Scene, Crimespree and Mystery Readers' Journal.

Brewer has taught at the University of New Mexico, the Midwest Writers Workshop and the Tony Hillerman Writers Seminar. He regularly speaks at mystery conventions, and was toastmaster at Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, NM, in 2011.

He served two years on the national board of Mystery Writers of America, and twice served as an Edgar Awards judge. He's also a member of International Thriller Writers and SouthWest Writers.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Brewer worked as a daily journalist for 22 years, then wrote a syndicated weekly column for another decade. The column, called The Home Front, produced the raw material for his humor book TROPHY HUSBAND.

Married and the father of two adult sons, Brewer lives in Albuquerque, NM.

More at www.stevebrewer.blogspot.com.

BOOKS BY STEVE BREWER
"Lonely Street," 1994, Pocket Books
"Baby Face," 1995, Pocket Books
"Witchy Woman," 1996, St. Martin's Press
"Shaky Ground," 1997, St. Martin's Press
"Dirty Pool," 1999, St. Martin's Press
"End Run," 2000, Intrigue Press
"Crazy Love," 2001, Intrigue Press
"Cheap Shot," 2002, Intrigue Press
"Trophy Husband," 2003, University of New Mexico Press
"Bullets," 2003, Intrigue Press
"Fool's Paradise," 2003, UNM Press
"Boost," 2004, Speck Press
"Sanity Clause," a novella, in "The Last Noel," 2004, Worldwide
"Bank Job," 2005, Intrigue Press
"Whipsaw," 2006, Intrigue Press
"Monkey Man," 2006, Intrigue Press
"Payoff," a short story in the anthology "Damn Near Dead," 2006, Busted Flush
"Cutthroat," 2007, Bleak House
"Limbo," a short story in the Mystery Writers of America anthology "Crimes by Moonlight," 2010, Berkley
"Firepower," 2010, Amazon/Smashwords
"1500 Rules for Successful Living," 2011, Amazon/Smashwords
"Calabama," 2011, Amazon/Smashwords
"The Big Wink," 2011, Amazon/Smashwords
"Lost Vegas," 2011, Amazon/Smashwords
"Party Doll," 2012, Amazon/Smashwords
"A Box of Pandoras," 2012, Amazon/Smashwords
"Showdown," a short story, 2012, Amazon/Smashwords
"Found Money," a short story, 2012, Amazon/Smashwords
"Yvonne's Gone," a short story, 2012, Amazon/Smashwords
"Cemetery Plot," a short story, 2013, Amazon
"Duke City Split," writing as Max Austin, Alibi, 2014
"Duke City Hit," writing as Max Austin, Alibi, 2014
"Duke City Desperado," writing as Max Austin, Alibi, 2015
"Shotgun Boogie," 2016, Amazon
"Homesick Blues," 2016, Amazon
"Side Eye," 2017, Amazon
"Cold Cuts," 2018, Amazon
"Upshot," 2020, Amazon

Reviews

[Dylan Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic Bubba Mabry adventure in a zoo in New Mexico

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your fictional detective to be serious with a sharp sense of humor, Bubba Mabry is the ticket. When Bubba's prospective client is shot and killed by a killer dressed in an ape suit, Mabry begins his pursuit of the murderer, most of which takes place at the zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bubba is by no means perfect - he makes mistakes, draws the wrong conclusions, irritates the police, is not a trained sniper or martial arts expert, and loses his temper. But he recognizes his failings and is not afraid to lean on others when he needs help. The book is told from Bubba's perspective, which I like, and there are a reasonable number of secondary characters and suspects. The narration is mostly action oriented - not much about clothing or food or architecture or irrelevant stuff like that, so the book is just the right length. The plot proceeds in a linear fashion - no flashbacks - and moves quickly to the resolution. The support cast is excellent, all with distinct voices and personalities. Although the story is serious, there are plenty of light-hearted moments and clever banter. The one drawback (common to all of Brewer's book) is that the resolution of the case was rather pedestrian. Nevertheless, the journey is thoroughly enjoyable and the book is recommended.

[Ronn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love reading mysteries, and I love New Mexico, and I especially love mysteries set in New Mexico. So why am I so blah about this book, a mystery set in New Mexico? Perhaps because there is only one character in the whole book who qualifies as sympathetic [and I'm sure she would have become much less so had her character been fleshed out more] while all the others range from obnoxious to evil? Or could it be that the murderer was easy enough to figure out by the middle of the book? Seriously, the only reason I had to read further was to see how the characters figured it out.
This might be a good book to find in the pocket of the seat in front of you on a plane taking off for a long flight, to be read, and then returned to the pocket. But other than that, this can be set aside entirely.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Bubba Mabry, PI
SETTING: Albuquerque, New Mexico
SERIES: #7 of 7
RATING: 3.5

Fans of Bubba Mabry have been disconsolate for years, as our favorite incompetent PI seemed to have been put to pasture by his author. When Steve Brewer announced at Left Coast Crime 2006 that he had finished the seventh Bubba book, a cheer arose from the crowd. In spite of our love of the accomplished investigators we see on TV, our hearts are truly with a man with flaws, and Bubba fits that bill perfectly.

Bubba is sitting in a coffee shop with a new client, Jeff Simmons, who wants Bubba's help in investigating a number of suspicious animal deaths at the local zoo. Well, one of those animals must have a vendetta because a huge monkey with a gun swoops into the café and kills Simmons. Obviously, it's a human in a monkey suit, someone who wants to make sure that the whistle isn't blown on whatever funny business is going on at the zoo.

The most likely suspect would seem to be one of the zoo employees who has something to hide. When he is hired by Simmons' fiancée, Mabry goes into full investigative motive. In spite of the fact that he is perceived of as being a bit below par in the brains department, he notices things that the police don't see.

Bubba may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but MONKEY MAN is not a spoof or caper kind of book. It does have one uproariously funny scene, where someone puts Bubba in the gorilla enclosure and they have their way with him. It's hard to imagine someone like Spenser covered with monkey poo, but not a stretch at all when it comes to Bubba. Each of the characters serves a purpose, with only a few of them drawn more deeply. Bubba's wife, Felicia, is a newspaper reporter and has an intern assistant who is particularly annoying. Death by monkey gunfire might have been a blessing. Felicia has always been a difficult woman, but in this book, she came across to me as more shrill than I remember her. Bubba mostly seemed afraid of her, although she did help when called for.

Bubba may be marginally older and wiser, but he still manages to get himself in a boatload of trouble. It was great to spend time with him again. In spite of the fondness I've always had for this character, I find that I prefer some of the standalone books that Brewer has created in the hiatus between the sixth and seventh books in this series. In particular, BULLETS and FOOL'S PARADISE were terrific books. Bubba will always have a place in my heart, but now he has company.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.I. Bubba Mabry is chatting with potential client, Jeff Simmons, in a café when a gorilla walks in, pulls a gun out of the purple valise it’s carrying, and shoots Jeff to death. You’ve got to love an opening like that.

Jeff had wanted Bubba to find out why so many animals were dying at the zoo where Jeff worked. Certain that Jeff was murdered because of illegal activities at the zoo, his fiancée, also a zoo employee, hires Bubba to pursue the investigation.

Steve Brewer’s mystery, Monkey Man, is a delightful read. The zoo setting intrigued me, and given Bubba’s monkey phobia (you’ll have to read the book to learn how the phobia started) and loathing of snakes, the zoo scenes are funny. Add to the mix, his no-nonsense reporter wife, Felicia, her perky and annoying intern, Julie, weird zoo people, and the infinitely patient Lieutenant Steve Romero, and you’ve got a truly entertaining whodunit. I’m not sure I’ll ever look at zoos quite the same way. Oh, and no animals were harmed in this novel, so relax and enjoy.

[Mirrani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book for a reading challenge in 2016, where I had to read a book about monkeys each month for the Year of the Monkey. While I do enjoy a mystery, I don't typically gravitate to the mystery section to find something new. I'm glad I needed this book because I never would have found this series otherwise and I intend to pick them all up at some point or another.

I enjoyed the writing style very much, especially since this private investigator is a flawed character, which you either don't see enough or have way too much of, depending on what you are reading and how totally out of the ballpark some of the settings are. I found book fun and enjoyable from all sides.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private investigator Bubba Mabry is meeting with a prospective client, when a person in an ape suit shoots the client dead. Bubba knows he's not supposed to mess around in murder cases, but the client's fiancee really needs his help (and, hey!--she's rich), so what's a guy to do? Bubba's wife has an irritating journalism intern who never stops talking, and to get a little piece for herself, she sics the student on Bubba.

[Tani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Engaging writing style and fast-paced action. I liked it.

[Jo Jo DeRodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Bubba Mabry Private Investigator story...

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed the story - but did have some bad language in it