Downward Facing Doug

by Don Winslow, Ed Harris (Narrator)

Don Winslow returns to the world of PI Boone Daniels and the Dawn Patrol. Doug is one of the Dawn Patrol regulars. He has a miserable job as an accountant for a payday loan company. He has an unsatisfying marriage to Carli, who looks down on him even though she's only five foot three. He is not exactly a joyful person. He doesn't exude happiness or enthusiasm. But while surfing, Doug is in a state approaching euphoria. He loves it. He's happy. Otherwise...not so much.

One September morning, Doug accidentally runs right into another surfer on the beach. There are rules about these things. The other guy should call Doug a jerk, Doug should say, "my bad", and they should both paddle back out and move on. Problem is, the other surfer doesn't want to move on. He wants to fight. And for once in his life, Doug wants to fight back.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Short Stories, Mystery, Novella, Detective

2 pages, Audiobook

Published July 11, 2024

About the author

Don Winslow is the author of twenty-one acclaimed, award-winning international bestsellers, including the New York Times bestsellers The Force and The Border, the #1 international bestseller The Cartel, The Power of the Dog, Savages, and The Winter of Frankie Machine. Savages was made into a feature film by three-time Oscar-winning writer-director Oliver Stone. The Power of the Dog, The Cartel and The Border sold to FX in a major multimillion-dollar deal to air as a weekly television series beginning in 2020.

A former investigator, antiterrorist trainer and trial consultant, Winslow lives in California and Rhode Island.


Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5~3
“God knows, Doug is used to apologising, practice making perfect.”

Doug is an accountant, a tall, unassuming fellow who surfs every morning with the Dawn Patrol, a group ranging from a professional surfer to local enthusiasts. They are genuinely fond of him and loyal to each other to a fault.

They all understand the code of surfing, one main feature being that you don’t cut in on someone else’s wave. You are supposed to look out, see where others are in the water, and give way to someone who caught the wave before you.

But Doug, dear Doug, who knows the code, says he has to watch his feet or he’ll fall off. This is true. They’ve seen it happen. Of course, this means he doesn’t see anyone else on the wave, and he’s caused a lot of mishaps.

This particular morning, he slams into the wrong guy, a guy who’s shorter than Doug but has impressive muscles and tatts. Doug tries to apologise. As it says above, he’s used to it.

“He apologises to his wife, to his boss, to other surfers. He has even apologised to branch managers he's caught skimming when they've come to the office to collect their severance checks.”

But this guy won’t stand for it, so the Dawn Patrol steps in. The guy is determined to get even – somehow, and what eventuates between him and the Dawn Patrol ‘family’ makes for an entertaining story with a perfect ending.

Ed Harris narrates this, as he has other Winslow stories, and while it’s perhaps not special, it left me smiling. What more could you want?

This is a free story for Audible members, and only a bit over an hour in length.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downward Facing Doug
By Doug Winslow
It's a story about a miserable guy who likes surfing but seems to hate the rest of his life. Even while surfing, he looks downward and not where he's going, which is dangerous for other surfers and beach goers. He gets in a fight with a guy at the beach for this very reason. What he does afterward is really weird.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy these short Winslow stories from Audible, narrated by the excellent Ed Harris.
They're fun, funny and take no time all.
Read on 2.4.25. Removing reading dates so as to not count this towards my yearly reading goal.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second tale I’ve listened to featuring members of the Dawn Patrol, a group of surfers whose turf (or should I say surf) is at Pacific Beach in San Diego, California. They gather there daily to enjoy the water and the group camaraderie. They’re fiercely protective of both the place and of each other. So, when one of their crew, a surfer who earned his nickname through a habit of always looking at his feet as he surfs, gets into a bit of trouble, they are quickly on the scene. He’d collided with a fellow surfer – an interloper, not part of the crew – and was about to suffer a beating courtesy of this brute. Serious trouble was avoided, but that wasn’t going to be the end of the matter.

These stories (freebies to Audible members) are amusing, well narrated, and also have added sound effects. At a little over an hour in length, they’re ideal for a dog walk or perhaps a run. I’ll be coming back for more – in fact I’ll probably try the source story next, a full-length offering

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return of the Dawn Patrol
Review of the Audible Original audiobook narrated by Ed Harris (July 11, 2024).

This is a return to the group of surfers which were featured in Don Winslow's occasional series Boone Daniels and the Dawn Patrol (2008-2011). The series characters of private eye Boone Daniels, policeman Johnny Banzai, High Tide, Hang Twelve and Sunny are joined by Downward Facing Doug in their early morning surfs which are followed by breakfast at the Sundowner Diner before they head out to their workdays. Aside from Boone and Sunny, most of the names are their surfing monikers.

Living up to his nickname, Doug only looks at his feet when he is on the board, occasionally imperiling others in the water. The dawn patrol accepts his quirks, but an unfriendly encounter with another character brings a possible threat into Doug's life and Doug's marriage is also in trouble. Doug is taking classes in standup comedy in order to bolster his self-esteem. It all comes to a head when Doug premieres his standup act in front of his surfing buddies, his wife and his nemesis.

There is not actually very much crime involved in this story, aside from what is revealed in a twist ending. A 3 for the story, but bumped to 4 due to the added gravitas of having actor Ed Harris as the narrator.

Trivia and Links
Don Winslow has written several short stories for Audible Originals with Ed Harris as the narrator. In addition to this current story, these have been Free Billy (March 22, 2022), Deep Hole (May 26, 2022), Dietrich (March 28, 2024) and Oregon (May 23, 2024). Several of the stories deal with surfing culture.

Audible Originals are exclusive audio productions for Audible. The exclusivity may be time-limited. An author may agree to a (e.g.) six-month audio exclusive before they are free to publish the story in eBook or paper formats. To date none of the Don Winslow / Ed Harris short stories have appeared in print, but possibly there will be a future anthology collection. Because there is no print equivalent, the stories are a zero count add to your Goodreads page count for the year if you read (listen to) them.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The Boone Daniels world is my favorite that this author writes and it was great to see the gang together. Dave was a great character and the twist completely entertained me.

This is an Audible exclusive. Great narration

[Luke Christenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good quick listen while painting

[Nesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew the unassuming quiet guy in the back, the cuckolded surfer with his head always down, was actually plotting the most satisfying revenge arc of all time?

Downward Facing Doug is a brilliant, sharply written underdog tale that takes you on a journey from humiliation to hilarity to absolute triumph. Don Winslow masterfully subverts expectations with Doug—a seemingly meek, boring accountant who’s actually been embezzling money for years and waiting for the perfect moment to disappear into paradise.

And that moment? Oh, just after humiliating his cheating wife and her dimwitted white supremacist lover in an amateur comedy roast for the ages? Genius!

What makes the story really sing is its heart. The Dawn Patrol—Doug’s loyal crew of surfer friends—add warmth and wisdom, rooting for him long before he learns to root for himself. The final image of Doug sipping drinks in a tropical getaway, glowing with newfound confidence and a hot girlfriend by his side, had me grinning from ear to ear.

It’s a short story, yes, but it carries the emotional weight and satisfaction of a full-blown hero’s journey. A surprising and delightful read. 10/10…highly recommend for those looking for something short and sweet😎

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downward Facing Doug by Don Winslow
1h 9m narrated by Ed Harris

Genre: Literary Fiction, Short Stories

Featuring: Pacific Beach, San Diego, California; Surfing, Audible Originals, Accountant, Marital Issues, Beach Crew

Rating as a movie: R for adult content

My rating: ⭐️⭐️½🏄‍♂️

My thoughts: Don Winslow and Ed Harris's short stories on audio have been hit and miss for me, this one was a miss, overall, but it had its moments. All in all, it's worth a shot the punchline was decent, and the delivery left a lot to be desired.

Recommend to others?: Maybe, it's an hour, and you'll either like, dislike it, or fall somewhere in between.

[Frances Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downward Facing Doug is an entertaining short story in a series about the group of surfers at Pacific Beach who call themselves The Dawn Patrol, for their daily early morning runs on the waves.

I picked this Audible quickie at random, and am so glad I did. I’ll be in a great mood the rest of today! The always wonderful Ed Harris narrates, the story is entertaining, and the ending terrific. What more could you want?

[john · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of of Boone Daniels and the Dawn Patrol for years. So, no shock that I thoroughly enjoyed this short story Audiobook. With narration by Ed Harris, it was killer.
This was a short and entertaining story that stays true to the Dawn Patrol's past history. Ready for the next full size book, if that's possible. If you haven't read the previous books, do so, especially if you happen to enjoy surfing. Don Winslow just nails the vibe of the So-Cal surf culture and the feel of the waves. Hang Ten!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novella. Will read more Winslow

[Jafry M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a 4.5 but we don’t have that option.

[Yvette · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ Short novella about a man going through it.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great performance by Ed Harris on these Don Winslow Audible Originals. This story works on every level, managing a truly satisfying ending where the downtrodden hero gets what's coming to him.

[Sue Miers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winslow never disappoints with an entertaining story, in few words he composes characters beautifully, and a twist ending that makes you smile.

[Ericka · Rating 5 out of 5]

GO DOUG!!!
Nice short story, fast pace, a known theme about betrayal and a very clever and ecstatic payback. I ended up applauding Doug!

Doug seemed, to most that knewn him, a very nul, unambitious, cowardly and very boring man. no one noticed him at work, even though he was efficient. His wife, belittled him every chance she got; his only friends were the pack of surfers that adopted him, took care of him, and let him ride the waves with them.

One day, he got into trouble, he crashed into another surfer, a really nasty piece of work, and that's when everything changed.

Wonderful narrative from Mr. Harris, I love hearing his voice, brings the characters to life!

[Rudrashree Makwana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the narration.

[Dubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of Don Winslow's short stories from the Plus catalog, all of them narrated by the actor Ed Harris. In this one, a lesser member of the gang of Pacific Beach surfers who call themselves the Dawn Patrol (and have a couple of their own excellent full length novels) is so bad at surfing that he often has to apologize to other surfers he runs into.

When one such surfer wants to fight rather than accept Doug's apology, a series of events ensue that is highlighted by the shy Doug taking down his combatant and his wife in an unexpected stand-up comedy routine. He then disappears only to re-emerge in an unexpected locale with an even more unexpected personality change.

The best thing one can say about a short story is that you wish it was a full length novel. Such is the case with Doug. I would have loved to see more of his surfing misadventures, more of his comedy classes, more scenes with his wife, and more of his work life as it leads up to the ultimate denouement.

My only qualm is that the story is a very close echo of The Stork. Varying details but basically the same story with a similar outcome. No matter, both stories are excellent.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the story. It's a quick and fun. It's a short one, but the basics are Doug accidentally collides with a jerk while surfing, and the jerk being a jerk escalates the situation. That's basically it. Yeah, there's more to it, but that's the nut.

Ed Harris' performance is outstanding. But honestly, would you expect any less?

The problem with this audiobook comes with the added sound effects. They take you right out of it. Listen, I don't mind sound effects, if they are consistent. Like Stephen King's classic audiobook, THE MIST. Using sound design the entire time can really elevate a listen. But here, it's not all the time. For example, there's a scene that takes place in a bar, and you hear the noise of a bar for a few seconds, then nothing for a while. Then later, in another scene, you might hear some glasses tinkle. It's annoying because it comes out of nowhere, then goes away just as fast. Either go all in or don't.

All that said, it's definitely worth a listen. Be prepared for the distraction of misused sound design, though.

[Nathaniel]

I really love that Ed Harris narrates the Don Winslow stories on Audible. And I'm not normally a big fan of shorter fiction on Audible, especially since they're often full-price, but I do love Don Winslow's short fiction. This isn't my favorite of all his stories, but so far they're all good and this is no exception.

One word of caution, although this story introduced me to the characters in his ongoing series that begins with The Dawn Patrol, it's actually really far along in that timeline and, in fact, wraps up one of the longest-running storylines from that series. So if you don't want a kind of a major spoiler for that series, skip this short story and just start with The Dawn Patrol.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a delight to reunite with the Dawn Patrol and Boone Daniels in Don Winslow’s short story, ‘Downward Facing Doug.’ Winslow also penned two books, ‘The Dawn Patrol’ and ‘The Gentleman’s Hour,’ featuring a surfer protagonist named Boone Daniels.

Set in the sun-bleached world of San Diego’s surfing community, ‘Downward Facing Doug’ follows Doug, an accountant trapped in a soul-crushing job at a payday loan office. Married to his belittling wife, Carli, Doug finds solace in catching waves at dawn. However, a minor wipeout collision with another surfer ignites a brawl that Doug never anticipated. For the first time, the mild-mannered surfer yearns to throw down, unraveling a tale of midlife rebellion, fragile egos, and the raw thrill of standing one’s ground.

Winslow’s exceptional character development makes Doug endearing, even sympathetic. He’s a kind-hearted individual lacking confidence and generally quiet, who unfortunately becomes the target of exploitation, particularly by antagonists and his wife. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud, especially during the stand-up comedy scene.

‘Downward Facing Doug’ is an entertaining short story, beautifully narrated by Ed Harris, and professionally produced as an Audible Original.

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doug is very tall and miserable. He is married to very short and equally miserable Carli. Doug has one big passion in his life and that is surfing.

One day he cuts off another surfer and instead of a sorry and move n, they both stand their ground. The other surfer is an angry guy who decides to get even with Doug.

He manages to find out who Doug is married to and then has a brief affair with her. Since she refuses to tell Doug it caused Doug no suffering at all. Then the nasty dude finds out that Doug is taking a comedy class and, in order to graduate, will be doing a night of stand up. When that night rolls around, everyone learns just how much Doug knows. Although the audience is delighted and laughing quite a bit, no smiles are seen on Carli’s face or the nasty guy’s face. Doug finally gets revenge!

I love this short story and I see more of these are available. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did.

[Vermillion · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been called ‘Face Down, Ass Up Beta Male Boot Campp’.

“Toxic Masculinity” in conjunction with Retarded Femininity resulted in the outcome of female boxing during the Summer Olympics of 2024.

I have to wonder if the people who make up stories about women being able to physically dominate men who are physically superior in terms of strength and muscle mass, felt a twinge of guilt to witness women step into the boxing ring in the summer Olympics of 2024, only to get their asses beat by a dude pretending to be a female.

Do you feel even a little bit of remorse in encouraging the women who were still stupid enough to keep stepping up to fight the dudes?

I didn’t even get halfway through this tripe.

[Per Erik Løff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Doug Winslow because of the novel the film The power of the dog were based on. (Never saw the movie, and I think I will be disappointed after I read the book). The story was way out of my ordinary choices (a modern western setting), but it was free and kinda known so gave it a chance. I did like it pretty good (avg 4 I think), but it led to I found several short stories he wrote including this which was also included in the plus catalog.

The author write well, in a "downplayed" way and Ed Harris' voice amplifies it very well. A good and "cosy" story with a punchline! 🤡

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a decent short story/novella in ages...decades, probably. You know what I mean? you sit down with an acquaintance and an adult beverage and he tells you a story which keeps you interested for half an hour, an hour. The storyteller isn't interested in wordsmithing so much as keeping you interested. Don Winslow has accomplished that task with Downward Facing Doug. Great characters and a fun plot...you won't be disappointed.

[(Grace) Kentucky Bohemian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a Quick Story
If you're into short stories or just don't have much time to listen, pick up this read. It's quick (just over an hour) and it's good fun. Ed Harris does a great job with the narration, capturing the different personalities of the Dawn Patrol, a group of like-minded surfers. Don Winslow, of course, has crafted a brilliantly witty story with great heart. I knew it was going to be fun when I saw the title, and I was not disappointed.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: I downloaded this novella because it was FREE on Audible.
Confession: I listened to it while I was picking up my house, not expecting much. I needed something to listen to because my husband was napping on the couch and I did not want to disturb him.
Confession: I expected to turn the story off as soon the hubs woke up.
Confession: I didn't turn the story off.
Confession: LOVED it. A delightful, funny, engaging, quick witted tale.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Winslow's Downward Facing Doug stretches reality like a yoga mat in a heatwave. Doug's midlife crisis meets downward dog in a wild, twisty ride of self-discovery, accidental enlightenment, and a few too many kale smoothies. It’s part noir, part namaste, and all kinds of nutty. Think Raymond Chandler in Lululemon.

Is it profound? Maybe. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely.
Doug may be facing downward, but this book’s entertainment level is definitely up dog.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Winslow does it again and this one was unforseable twist.

Doug is a genius and when you realize it it make you laugh cause you did not see the genius right in front of you!!!!

And as always Ed Harris voice is perfect for the characters and the developmen for the story.

(I wish Ed Harris would read all of Don Winslows books!!!)