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Get Lost
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Sh*t My Dad Says, a fast-paced thriller about a young woman who reluctantly teams up with her deadbeat dad to find her missing mom—perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard.
When Lila Dixon gets a call that her mother has gone missing, she initially brushes it off—Mattie’s disappearances are a part of life, like earthquakes in their dusty California hometown. But this time the prime suspect is Lila’s larger-than-life the one-time baseball star, local hero, and fatal charmer John “Dix” Dixon.
Dix’s main accomplishment as a dad was finding new ways to disappoint his daughter, but even Lila knows he’s not behind this. And when they uncover a $250,000 deposit to Mattie’s bank account, and someone slips a threatening note under Lila’s motel door, they realize Mattie may be in real danger. Now they’re heading down a trail marked by unsavory Russian thugs, fat-cat farmers, and an unseen enemy who’s always a step ahead.
With crackling banter and characters that leap off the page, Get Lost is a thrilling and emotionally layered mystery. Justin Halpern tells a story that’s by turns hilarious and about fractured families, grudges that last a lifetime, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to the people we thought we’d lost for good.
When Lila Dixon gets a call that her mother has gone missing, she initially brushes it off—Mattie’s disappearances are a part of life, like earthquakes in their dusty California hometown. But this time the prime suspect is Lila’s larger-than-life the one-time baseball star, local hero, and fatal charmer John “Dix” Dixon.
Dix’s main accomplishment as a dad was finding new ways to disappoint his daughter, but even Lila knows he’s not behind this. And when they uncover a $250,000 deposit to Mattie’s bank account, and someone slips a threatening note under Lila’s motel door, they realize Mattie may be in real danger. Now they’re heading down a trail marked by unsavory Russian thugs, fat-cat farmers, and an unseen enemy who’s always a step ahead.
With crackling banter and characters that leap off the page, Get Lost is a thrilling and emotionally layered mystery. Justin Halpern tells a story that’s by turns hilarious and about fractured families, grudges that last a lifetime, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to the people we thought we’d lost for good.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2026
About the author
Justin Halpern
7 books947 followersJustin Halpern is a Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated Creator, Showrunner, Director, and Executive Producer through his and creative partner Patrick Schumacker’s company, Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, which is currently under an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. He is the Executive Producer and co-showrunner of the Emmy-winning hit series Abbott Elementary on ABC alongside Quinta Brunson and Patrick Schumacker. The series has been nominated for Best Comedy Series in both 2022 and 2024, among other honors. Justin is the author of New York Times bestselling book Sh*t My Dad Says and I Suck At Girls. Get Lost is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
July 8, 2026
Thanks to Grand Cental Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Comedy writer, Justin Halpbern, makes his fiction debut with his riotous thriller, Get Lost. Lila Dixon, a baseball talent scout, finds out that not only has her mother, Mattie, dissappeared, but her father has been accused of her possible murder. John "Dix" Dixon, Lila's father"s brief career in minor league baseball and time in jail prevented him from playing a role in her life. "Dix" convinces Lila of his innocence which convinces her to help him track down who's really responsible for her mother's disappearance. There is never a dull moment in Get Lost. There's big laughs thanks to Lila and "Dix's " bickering and wisecracks. There's action aplenty with car chases and father and daughter chasing down the bad guys which turns up the excitement factor. My favorite part of the story was how Lila and "Dix's" relationship helps them begin to mend fences with each other. Get Lost is guaranteed to keep you from doing your daily chores during the day and wide awake at night.
Comedy writer, Justin Halpbern, makes his fiction debut with his riotous thriller, Get Lost. Lila Dixon, a baseball talent scout, finds out that not only has her mother, Mattie, dissappeared, but her father has been accused of her possible murder. John "Dix" Dixon, Lila's father"s brief career in minor league baseball and time in jail prevented him from playing a role in her life. "Dix" convinces Lila of his innocence which convinces her to help him track down who's really responsible for her mother's disappearance. There is never a dull moment in Get Lost. There's big laughs thanks to Lila and "Dix's " bickering and wisecracks. There's action aplenty with car chases and father and daughter chasing down the bad guys which turns up the excitement factor. My favorite part of the story was how Lila and "Dix's" relationship helps them begin to mend fences with each other. Get Lost is guaranteed to keep you from doing your daily chores during the day and wide awake at night.
July 18, 2026
Hijinks ensue in Get Lost, a snarky mystery where brains before brawn (though she swings a mean bat, and machine gun for that matter) Lila Dixon and her brawns before brains father John ‘Dix’ Dixon as they try and figure out where Lila’s mother and Dix’s ex Mattie, who has neither brains or brawn, has disappeared to.
One of their biggest problems is the fact that this isn’t the first time Mattie has disappeared. In fact, it’s a disturbingly common occurrence. The other problem is that if Lila doesn’t actually hate her father, she probably feels the next closest thing to it.
But after years of neglect and abandonment by both her parents, Lila has absolutely no filter and therefore gets along with next to no one, making her garrulous and easygoing and semi-famous father a necessity in learning what happened to her mother.
Lila and Dix are an interesting combination, and Lila will probably be unlikable for a lot of readers because she’s blunt to the point of rudeness. There were points where it wore on me, but there were also points where the book would have been a lot less funny without her personality.
For me, Dix was almost more of a challenge because everyone around seemed to love him, but the reader has insight to how his laissez faire approach to life and his obsession with baseball had a very detrimental effect on why Lila grew up the way she did. It breaks your heart a little bit to see the constant ways he let her down.
The book feels a bit madcap, with the pair running around Dix’s hometown of Los Armarios chasing down various leads. It’s fun, but seems to dash from one possibility to the other without truly playing the previous one out.
I can’t say I was terribly surprised by the ending, although the explanation for it felt flimsy to me. This one is probably suited more for a reader that enjoys a lot of clever banter between characters than a well-plotted mystery or strong character development.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
One of their biggest problems is the fact that this isn’t the first time Mattie has disappeared. In fact, it’s a disturbingly common occurrence. The other problem is that if Lila doesn’t actually hate her father, she probably feels the next closest thing to it.
But after years of neglect and abandonment by both her parents, Lila has absolutely no filter and therefore gets along with next to no one, making her garrulous and easygoing and semi-famous father a necessity in learning what happened to her mother.
Lila and Dix are an interesting combination, and Lila will probably be unlikable for a lot of readers because she’s blunt to the point of rudeness. There were points where it wore on me, but there were also points where the book would have been a lot less funny without her personality.
For me, Dix was almost more of a challenge because everyone around seemed to love him, but the reader has insight to how his laissez faire approach to life and his obsession with baseball had a very detrimental effect on why Lila grew up the way she did. It breaks your heart a little bit to see the constant ways he let her down.
The book feels a bit madcap, with the pair running around Dix’s hometown of Los Armarios chasing down various leads. It’s fun, but seems to dash from one possibility to the other without truly playing the previous one out.
I can’t say I was terribly surprised by the ending, although the explanation for it felt flimsy to me. This one is probably suited more for a reader that enjoys a lot of clever banter between characters than a well-plotted mystery or strong character development.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 13, 2026
This is a quick moving missing person mystery with some baseball thrown in. Read it in one day and I really liked it.
Get Lost- Justin Halpern
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Published 7/7/26
While this is primarily a missing person mystery, it’s also a book that explores the consequences of being raised in an unstable family environment. The female main character Lila quickly learns that the only person she can depend on is herself.
Synopsis-
Lila Dixon’s mom Mattie has a history of disappearing occasionally, but this time it feels different. Someone deposited 250K in her bank account and quickly withdrew it days before she went missing. Lila’s dad, John “Dix” Dixon, a washed up baseball player, has been accused of being involved. So Lila reluctantly heads back to her hometown to help find her mother and confront old grudges, namely her relationship with her father.
This isn’t Justin Halpern’s first book, but it’s his first novel. He is heavily involved in the television industry (Abbott Elementary). I could easily see this book being made into a TV movie.
Thank you tandem collective global for this finished copy.
Get Lost- Justin Halpern
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Published 7/7/26
While this is primarily a missing person mystery, it’s also a book that explores the consequences of being raised in an unstable family environment. The female main character Lila quickly learns that the only person she can depend on is herself.
Synopsis-
Lila Dixon’s mom Mattie has a history of disappearing occasionally, but this time it feels different. Someone deposited 250K in her bank account and quickly withdrew it days before she went missing. Lila’s dad, John “Dix” Dixon, a washed up baseball player, has been accused of being involved. So Lila reluctantly heads back to her hometown to help find her mother and confront old grudges, namely her relationship with her father.
This isn’t Justin Halpern’s first book, but it’s his first novel. He is heavily involved in the television industry (Abbott Elementary). I could easily see this book being made into a TV movie.
Thank you tandem collective global for this finished copy.
July 18, 2026
Back in 2010 and 2013 respectively, I read Sht My Dad Says* and More Sht My Dad Says*, inspired by Justin Halpern’s viral Twitter feed, and both had me laughing out loud. So when I spotted Get Lost, his first fiction novel, I was hoping it would deliver the same sharp humour.
Thankfully, Halpern doesn’t disappoint. The banter between Lila Dixon and her estranged father, John ‘Dix’ Dixon, flows effortlessly as they search for Lila’s missing mother, regularly raising a chuckle. Lila is a cynical malcontent, though not without good reason, while Dix, a former minor league baseball player, is an incorrigible charmer whose history of letting people down makes him equal parts exasperating and endearing.
The mystery is well constructed, with several red herrings, plenty of tension, and more than a little action. It’s not especially complex, but there’s rarely a dull moment as Lila and Dix find themselves battling each other, the local sheriff, a disgruntled customer, money-laundering Russians, and corrupt almond farmers.
Despite all the mischief and mayhem, there’s a surprising emotional depth to the story. Lila’s relationship with her father is deeply fractured, with every conversation coloured by years of disappointment and parental failures. Her feelings towards her absent mother are equally complicated, making the resolution to the mystery all the more bittersweet.
Equal parts road trip, family drama, and crime caper, Get Lost is fast-paced, funny, and full of heart.
Thankfully, Halpern doesn’t disappoint. The banter between Lila Dixon and her estranged father, John ‘Dix’ Dixon, flows effortlessly as they search for Lila’s missing mother, regularly raising a chuckle. Lila is a cynical malcontent, though not without good reason, while Dix, a former minor league baseball player, is an incorrigible charmer whose history of letting people down makes him equal parts exasperating and endearing.
The mystery is well constructed, with several red herrings, plenty of tension, and more than a little action. It’s not especially complex, but there’s rarely a dull moment as Lila and Dix find themselves battling each other, the local sheriff, a disgruntled customer, money-laundering Russians, and corrupt almond farmers.
Despite all the mischief and mayhem, there’s a surprising emotional depth to the story. Lila’s relationship with her father is deeply fractured, with every conversation coloured by years of disappointment and parental failures. Her feelings towards her absent mother are equally complicated, making the resolution to the mystery all the more bittersweet.
Equal parts road trip, family drama, and crime caper, Get Lost is fast-paced, funny, and full of heart.
June 30, 2026
Thank you @cardinalpublishing #partner for the gifted
copy of this book!
Get Lost follows a young woman who has spent her life navigating an unconventional and heartbreaking family dynamic. She is raised in foster care with a mother who constantly disappears and reappears and a father who has never really been there. Sad right? That’s why she isn’t immediately alarmed when her mom goes missing again. But this time she realizes something is different. She reluctantly ends up teaming up with her estranged father to uncover what really happened. And it was a wild ride!
This ended up being such an adventurous and wildly fast paced read for me. If I’m being honest, it wasn’t what I expected at all. I don’t mean that as a bad thing! I went in anticipating a more mellow kind of story and instead got hit with these larger than life action movie style moments. I just think this book was more energetic and cinematic than I had originally expected. It made it fun!
I really enjoyed following the main character. She is carrying around so much emotional baggage thanks to her childhood shaped by foster care and because of that she was this gritty, street smart, daring character. I liked her a lot.
The pacing doesn’t really ever slow down so I flew this one in a jiffy. There were lots of pulse pounding moments but I appreciated that the story also had humor. It was a great mix and balanced the story out.
I will say don’t expect a happy little neat bow at the end though...shew it’s kind of sad :( The ending felt more bittersweet but it fit the emotional journey the characters had been on.
I really liked this one. It was exciting, emotionally messy and surprisingly funny in places! This was my first book by Justin and after finishing it, I’d absolutely pick up another one of his books.
copy of this book!
Get Lost follows a young woman who has spent her life navigating an unconventional and heartbreaking family dynamic. She is raised in foster care with a mother who constantly disappears and reappears and a father who has never really been there. Sad right? That’s why she isn’t immediately alarmed when her mom goes missing again. But this time she realizes something is different. She reluctantly ends up teaming up with her estranged father to uncover what really happened. And it was a wild ride!
This ended up being such an adventurous and wildly fast paced read for me. If I’m being honest, it wasn’t what I expected at all. I don’t mean that as a bad thing! I went in anticipating a more mellow kind of story and instead got hit with these larger than life action movie style moments. I just think this book was more energetic and cinematic than I had originally expected. It made it fun!
I really enjoyed following the main character. She is carrying around so much emotional baggage thanks to her childhood shaped by foster care and because of that she was this gritty, street smart, daring character. I liked her a lot.
The pacing doesn’t really ever slow down so I flew this one in a jiffy. There were lots of pulse pounding moments but I appreciated that the story also had humor. It was a great mix and balanced the story out.
I will say don’t expect a happy little neat bow at the end though...shew it’s kind of sad :( The ending felt more bittersweet but it fit the emotional journey the characters had been on.
I really liked this one. It was exciting, emotionally messy and surprisingly funny in places! This was my first book by Justin and after finishing it, I’d absolutely pick up another one of his books.
July 4, 2026
The dialogue is amazing!
June 20, 2026
I got this book for free at an event for one of my local bookstores and it was an advanced copy. I picked it out of a box in such a hurry I didn't really know what it was about. I think I liked the cover and read something on the back about baseball and decided to give it a read. What I got was a thrilling mystery and a deeply saddening story of a girl and her parents. I'm not going to lie, it was slow in the beginning and I considered putting it down and not picking it back up again. But I wanted to know what happened to Lila's mom so I kept reading.
At first I didn't understand why Lila hated Dix. The book kind of takes you on this journey that Lila probably went through where you think Dix is this goody but charming guy. You know he did something to make Lila hate him but you don't know what so you only see him as this charismatic person. But as the book unfolds you see more and more cracks in the charming personality and realize just how much of it is bullshit. I can relate to putting your faith in someone over and over and over again only for them to prove you wrong every time. Listening to excuses, making excuses for them in your head but ultimately understanding they will never change. By the last few chapters of the book I wanted to hate Dix, for all his bullshit and lying but he still genuinely seemed to care for Lila the whole time. Even if he hurt her over and over he still loves her and he's probably just so clueless he never even knew he was hurting her. Anyways, I think the book did an excellent job of putting a character in front of you who seems, on face level, to be kind and charismatic and then tearing down that persona with each chapter.
I thought Mattie was an interesting character too, especially in the last few chapters as she explains why she always comes back after disappearing. It was hard for me to get a real grasp of who she was because our time in her world is very short. But she said she always came back to Los Armarios, even though she hated living there, because she thought it was what she deserved. I think a lot of people feel that way. "This is the way my life is because I deserve that", when in reality they deserve so much more. This is why when it comes to Lilas character I wanted to reach through the book and slap her and yell at her not to become like Mattie. Lila has a hard time trusting people, maybe simply because she doesn't want to have to trust anyone. She doesn't want to be talked about, good or bad. I think I started to really empathize with her when we find out about her time on the high school softball team. I do think she overreacted, and there where plenty of other ways to handle that situation, but I understand in her 14 year old brain why it might've made sense. Anyhow, I think she works a job she hates and lives in a place she doesn't very well like for the same reason Mattie did. She thinks it's what she deserves. I'd imagine with as rough of an upbringing as she had it would be hard not to feel that way. I was happy she quit her job in the end and I hope she loved her camping trip.
By the end of the book I was glad I read it. It was interesting and depressing but also thrilling and in the last few chapters I couldn't put it down. I'd recommend this if you like mysteries with a lot of emotional baggage.
At first I didn't understand why Lila hated Dix. The book kind of takes you on this journey that Lila probably went through where you think Dix is this goody but charming guy. You know he did something to make Lila hate him but you don't know what so you only see him as this charismatic person. But as the book unfolds you see more and more cracks in the charming personality and realize just how much of it is bullshit. I can relate to putting your faith in someone over and over and over again only for them to prove you wrong every time. Listening to excuses, making excuses for them in your head but ultimately understanding they will never change. By the last few chapters of the book I wanted to hate Dix, for all his bullshit and lying but he still genuinely seemed to care for Lila the whole time. Even if he hurt her over and over he still loves her and he's probably just so clueless he never even knew he was hurting her. Anyways, I think the book did an excellent job of putting a character in front of you who seems, on face level, to be kind and charismatic and then tearing down that persona with each chapter.
I thought Mattie was an interesting character too, especially in the last few chapters as she explains why she always comes back after disappearing. It was hard for me to get a real grasp of who she was because our time in her world is very short. But she said she always came back to Los Armarios, even though she hated living there, because she thought it was what she deserved. I think a lot of people feel that way. "This is the way my life is because I deserve that", when in reality they deserve so much more. This is why when it comes to Lilas character I wanted to reach through the book and slap her and yell at her not to become like Mattie. Lila has a hard time trusting people, maybe simply because she doesn't want to have to trust anyone. She doesn't want to be talked about, good or bad. I think I started to really empathize with her when we find out about her time on the high school softball team. I do think she overreacted, and there where plenty of other ways to handle that situation, but I understand in her 14 year old brain why it might've made sense. Anyhow, I think she works a job she hates and lives in a place she doesn't very well like for the same reason Mattie did. She thinks it's what she deserves. I'd imagine with as rough of an upbringing as she had it would be hard not to feel that way. I was happy she quit her job in the end and I hope she loved her camping trip.
By the end of the book I was glad I read it. It was interesting and depressing but also thrilling and in the last few chapters I couldn't put it down. I'd recommend this if you like mysteries with a lot of emotional baggage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2026
What a fun, fast paced read! The banter between the MMC and FMC was rapid-fire and quick-witted. The MMC is lively, clever, and good-natured. The FMC is an absolute a-hole with a sharp tongue who was far from warm and fuzzy like the MMC. While the MMC teased and was almost always unserious, the FMC was downright malicious and rude at times (to everyone). But this back-and-forth rhythm between them resulted in some truly laugh out loud moments. Throw in some baseball references and a missing person to boot, and you've got a story that grabs your attention immediately and keeps you invested until the end.
There were so many fun characters (the Russians, Barbo, Mrs. Orozsco, Clamato) all contributing to the adventure. I really just enjoyed this. So if you want a mystery to lighten the mood, this is definitely it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️✨️✨️ (3.75 stars rounded up)
There were so many fun characters (the Russians, Barbo, Mrs. Orozsco, Clamato) all contributing to the adventure. I really just enjoyed this. So if you want a mystery to lighten the mood, this is definitely it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️✨️✨️ (3.75 stars rounded up)
July 15, 2026
Decent crime caper- a nice loving tribute to Elmore Leonard, but with way more Korn references.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THIS IS AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY:
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
General Adult Fiction
Justin Halpern is one of the most sardonic, dry humored writers I’ve had the privilege and pleasure reading recently, He has a clever, cunning and witty style of building his characters and giving them such dynamic and engaging characteristics and personalities that it is only natural when reading the invested amount of time and immersive storytelling he is innately and exceptionally skilled in creating these particular characters that I became fully invested and wholly engaged in their lives and the world in which the author has skillfully and deeply influenced their lives in the story to reach out and form a bonded and intimate relationship with the reader.
I was so impressed with the cleverness and witty quips that were sprinkled throughout the book often finding myself belly laughing at the one liners and the distinct expressions certain characters retained throughout the novel.
I was particularly impressed by the rapport between Lila and her father Dix. We learn slowly but steadily about the chaotic and dysfunctional relationship that Lila has had with both her parents, yet she blames Dix for most of the abandonment and the childhood she spent bounced from foster home to foster home and then her last stop was a group home. Her mother, who’s mentally ill, has shown Lila as a small child how much she tried to be the parent she needed and how profoundly difficult it was for her mother to do. A two week period of her mother acting as a functional adult and parent had nearly killed her and Lila knew then that it would be up to her to make the life she felt she was deserved on her own. She was keen and intelligent at a very young age and was aware of she was to make something of a life for herself that was different from her parents she’d need to do everything differently than they had. She’s somewhat successful yet one cannot wonder why she’s so unfulfilled and feels such an enormous emptiness within herself since as long as she can remember. She has made plans to leave her current life and job position as soon as she finds her missing mother. A call to her about her mothers missing from her job or haven’t been seen or heard from in weeks is niggling Lila mostly because her father, whom she’s not set eyes on in 20 yrs BY CHOICE is currently being held for questioning surrounding her mothers disappearance which didn’t make any sense bc her father and mother loathe each other and never have spoken let alone seen one another in nearly 2 decades.
Lila was visiting with Dix, her good for nothing father, who has a chance at the major leagues in baseball yet on his 19th bday he took a waitress home with him after taking Lila there under the premise it was his time with her and while she ate a ton of pizza and even a dessert that was shaped as a pizza but made of cookie dough and ice cream, he gave her a ton of quarters to play the video games there, they’d closed up the joint and to Lila’s surprise the waitress would be heading home in their car, Dix asked if they’d be able to give her a ride home. Lila fell asleep quickly once she was in the car but woke to see the waitress in the front seat giving Dix a handjob, that will be the result of their crashing into oncoming truck and killing the waitress. Lila doesn’t learn until years later that it was because of what the waitress was doing to Dix that he’d allowed with her in the car. When Lila came to front flipping and crashing, she felt the blood dripping on her and smelled the horrific scent it leaves. Dix pulled her out of the wreck and would subsequently spend years in jail for killing the waitress. Both Dix and Mattie weren’t parental material and Lila spends her life bouncing from foster home to foster home and eventually to group home in which she leaves extremely young and has raised herself since. Once Dix was jailed she never went to see him because she blamed him for her life that she suffered, cognizant her mother Mattie was just too sick to parent although she’d tried so hard.
When Lila has secured a job with the scout who’d ironically chosen her father for the big leagues and has spent a good portion of her adult life keeping tabs on her mother as she has a tendency to take off and disappear for unspecified and unpredictable periods of time. The call Lila receives is telling her that her father is being charged with her mothers disappearance, her mother has been missing for about a week but there’s no footage of her leaving her apartment and only footage of her father entering it and leaving roughly twenty minutes later and her mother was never seen from again.
Lila rushes the several hours to where her parents both still live and Lila loathes. It’s got a Big Box factory and a bunch of almond farms that’s all there is to the dry and hot desert of where she grew up. When she gets her father out of jail, they make a tentative plan to search for Mattie together because after getting access into Mattie’s apartment, Lila can tell something this is time is so very different than the other times her mother has taken off. Lila is certain foul play is at hand and when she and Dix discover the message that’s left in Mattie’s secret spot she’s kept for Lila in case she disappeared she’s always put in money and a note or a note promising to stay home and know her mother Mattie will be back. This time what is found raises more questions than it doesn’t and as they head out into the town investigating what they do know they are adding up major enemies unbeknownst to them and the danger is getting all too real.
Their investigation will take us on a wild and crazy journey, meeting up with characters you won’t soon forget and who give us a deep appreciation for the town in which Lila’s parents reside and the person that Dix ultimately is, regardless of how neglected Lila was by him and how poorly he’s treated her by never being the man she needed or the parent every child deserves. Her mother, due to her mental illnesses was always forgiven in Lila’s heart because she saw firsthand how hard her mom tried to be a parent and how she tried to be the person Lila needed but it broke her and Lila accepted that she’d prefer her mother as she was, sick, than trying to be who Lila needed. At least she knew better than to expect anything from her mother. Dix, in her mind was a cop out. He was inexcusable in his absence and in his disinterest in her life and continued broken promises and indifference when with her. She and Dix will spend more time together looking for Mattie, unraveling the truth and dodging death danger and determined entities who want them gone for all they’re uncovering and it seems to be helping them communicate in their way, the constant sarcastic bantering that sheds the truth disguised under humor or sarcasm but their both adept in comprehending the others way of speaking and while it may seem counterproductive to most, for them they’ve been getting a lot of the past into the present and talking about the hard truths of their lives apart and together.
When they finally find the revelation and conclude what’s happened to Mattie, both daughter and father have reached an agreement that they will better communicate, spend more time together and be accountable for the relationship and the time spent together.
This book has some of the funniest bantering one can imagine and the best example of how awkward some father and daughters have when trying to speak from the heart or connect on a level as two adults versus the child and parent.
Such a beautifully written story and the humor was bang on. I’m so enthralled with this author and I could’ve spent another week with Lila and Dix because I truly adored their very similar sense of humor and the way they use that humor and sardonic tone as a way to express themselves so not to get to emotional or show their vulnerability in circumstances when they feel it most,
So skillfully executed!
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ADVANCED READING COPY, of GET LOST by the author JUSTIN HALPERN and to the publisher GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING who also has been so gracious to allow me to read this and express my honest opinion of the review.
#Netgalley #ARC #JustinHalpern #GetLost #GrandcentralPublishing
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
General Adult Fiction
Justin Halpern is one of the most sardonic, dry humored writers I’ve had the privilege and pleasure reading recently, He has a clever, cunning and witty style of building his characters and giving them such dynamic and engaging characteristics and personalities that it is only natural when reading the invested amount of time and immersive storytelling he is innately and exceptionally skilled in creating these particular characters that I became fully invested and wholly engaged in their lives and the world in which the author has skillfully and deeply influenced their lives in the story to reach out and form a bonded and intimate relationship with the reader.
I was so impressed with the cleverness and witty quips that were sprinkled throughout the book often finding myself belly laughing at the one liners and the distinct expressions certain characters retained throughout the novel.
I was particularly impressed by the rapport between Lila and her father Dix. We learn slowly but steadily about the chaotic and dysfunctional relationship that Lila has had with both her parents, yet she blames Dix for most of the abandonment and the childhood she spent bounced from foster home to foster home and then her last stop was a group home. Her mother, who’s mentally ill, has shown Lila as a small child how much she tried to be the parent she needed and how profoundly difficult it was for her mother to do. A two week period of her mother acting as a functional adult and parent had nearly killed her and Lila knew then that it would be up to her to make the life she felt she was deserved on her own. She was keen and intelligent at a very young age and was aware of she was to make something of a life for herself that was different from her parents she’d need to do everything differently than they had. She’s somewhat successful yet one cannot wonder why she’s so unfulfilled and feels such an enormous emptiness within herself since as long as she can remember. She has made plans to leave her current life and job position as soon as she finds her missing mother. A call to her about her mothers missing from her job or haven’t been seen or heard from in weeks is niggling Lila mostly because her father, whom she’s not set eyes on in 20 yrs BY CHOICE is currently being held for questioning surrounding her mothers disappearance which didn’t make any sense bc her father and mother loathe each other and never have spoken let alone seen one another in nearly 2 decades.
Lila was visiting with Dix, her good for nothing father, who has a chance at the major leagues in baseball yet on his 19th bday he took a waitress home with him after taking Lila there under the premise it was his time with her and while she ate a ton of pizza and even a dessert that was shaped as a pizza but made of cookie dough and ice cream, he gave her a ton of quarters to play the video games there, they’d closed up the joint and to Lila’s surprise the waitress would be heading home in their car, Dix asked if they’d be able to give her a ride home. Lila fell asleep quickly once she was in the car but woke to see the waitress in the front seat giving Dix a handjob, that will be the result of their crashing into oncoming truck and killing the waitress. Lila doesn’t learn until years later that it was because of what the waitress was doing to Dix that he’d allowed with her in the car. When Lila came to front flipping and crashing, she felt the blood dripping on her and smelled the horrific scent it leaves. Dix pulled her out of the wreck and would subsequently spend years in jail for killing the waitress. Both Dix and Mattie weren’t parental material and Lila spends her life bouncing from foster home to foster home and eventually to group home in which she leaves extremely young and has raised herself since. Once Dix was jailed she never went to see him because she blamed him for her life that she suffered, cognizant her mother Mattie was just too sick to parent although she’d tried so hard.
When Lila has secured a job with the scout who’d ironically chosen her father for the big leagues and has spent a good portion of her adult life keeping tabs on her mother as she has a tendency to take off and disappear for unspecified and unpredictable periods of time. The call Lila receives is telling her that her father is being charged with her mothers disappearance, her mother has been missing for about a week but there’s no footage of her leaving her apartment and only footage of her father entering it and leaving roughly twenty minutes later and her mother was never seen from again.
Lila rushes the several hours to where her parents both still live and Lila loathes. It’s got a Big Box factory and a bunch of almond farms that’s all there is to the dry and hot desert of where she grew up. When she gets her father out of jail, they make a tentative plan to search for Mattie together because after getting access into Mattie’s apartment, Lila can tell something this is time is so very different than the other times her mother has taken off. Lila is certain foul play is at hand and when she and Dix discover the message that’s left in Mattie’s secret spot she’s kept for Lila in case she disappeared she’s always put in money and a note or a note promising to stay home and know her mother Mattie will be back. This time what is found raises more questions than it doesn’t and as they head out into the town investigating what they do know they are adding up major enemies unbeknownst to them and the danger is getting all too real.
Their investigation will take us on a wild and crazy journey, meeting up with characters you won’t soon forget and who give us a deep appreciation for the town in which Lila’s parents reside and the person that Dix ultimately is, regardless of how neglected Lila was by him and how poorly he’s treated her by never being the man she needed or the parent every child deserves. Her mother, due to her mental illnesses was always forgiven in Lila’s heart because she saw firsthand how hard her mom tried to be a parent and how she tried to be the person Lila needed but it broke her and Lila accepted that she’d prefer her mother as she was, sick, than trying to be who Lila needed. At least she knew better than to expect anything from her mother. Dix, in her mind was a cop out. He was inexcusable in his absence and in his disinterest in her life and continued broken promises and indifference when with her. She and Dix will spend more time together looking for Mattie, unraveling the truth and dodging death danger and determined entities who want them gone for all they’re uncovering and it seems to be helping them communicate in their way, the constant sarcastic bantering that sheds the truth disguised under humor or sarcasm but their both adept in comprehending the others way of speaking and while it may seem counterproductive to most, for them they’ve been getting a lot of the past into the present and talking about the hard truths of their lives apart and together.
When they finally find the revelation and conclude what’s happened to Mattie, both daughter and father have reached an agreement that they will better communicate, spend more time together and be accountable for the relationship and the time spent together.
This book has some of the funniest bantering one can imagine and the best example of how awkward some father and daughters have when trying to speak from the heart or connect on a level as two adults versus the child and parent.
Such a beautifully written story and the humor was bang on. I’m so enthralled with this author and I could’ve spent another week with Lila and Dix because I truly adored their very similar sense of humor and the way they use that humor and sardonic tone as a way to express themselves so not to get to emotional or show their vulnerability in circumstances when they feel it most,
So skillfully executed!
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ADVANCED READING COPY, of GET LOST by the author JUSTIN HALPERN and to the publisher GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING who also has been so gracious to allow me to read this and express my honest opinion of the review.
#Netgalley #ARC #JustinHalpern #GetLost #GrandcentralPublishing
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There is something deeply unwell, in the best way, about a book that opens with a missing mom and somehow still feels like you’re eavesdropping on the funniest, most chaotic family therapy session that absolutely should not be happening in public.
Get Lost really said, what if we took unresolved childhood trauma, sprinkled in some Russian thugs, added a deeply unserious former baseball star father, and then just… let everyone make terrible decisions at high speed? And honestly, I respect that level of commitment to the bit.
Lila Dixon is not here to win Miss Congeniality. She’s prickly, foul-mouthed, and running on the kind of emotional exhaustion that comes from being raised by two parents who feel like abstract concepts instead of stable humans. When her mom, Mattie, goes missing, it’s not even immediately alarming because apparently this woman treats disappearing like a hobby. Casual. Normal. Totally fine. Except this time there’s a suspicious chunk of money, actual danger, and oh yeah, her dad Dix is lurking around like a charming human red flag.
And Dix… oh my god, Dix. This man is the walking embodiment of “everyone loves him except the person who has the most reason not to.” Former baseball hero, professional disappointment, somehow still magnetic enough that you understand why people keep letting him back into their lives. The dynamic between him and Lila is the entire emotional engine of this book, and it’s messy in that very specific way where you’re laughing one second and then suddenly realizing, oh wait, this is actually about a lifetime of hurt and unmet expectations.
The mystery itself is kind of like that friend who says they’re just tagging along but ends up being the reason you got into trouble in the first place. It’s there, it moves things forward, it introduces a lineup of shady farmers, criminals, and general weirdos, but let’s be real… the real star is the dialogue. This book talks. It zings. It absolutely refuses to shut up, and most of the time, it works. It genuinely feels like it was written by someone who understands how people actually argue, deflect, and occasionally say something accidentally profound in between insults.
There’s a very “this would be an incredible movie” energy the entire time. Like I could see the casting in my head, I could hear the delivery of certain lines, I could picture the awkward silences after someone says something a little too real. The pacing is tight, almost aggressively so, which keeps things moving but also sometimes makes you go, wait, can we sit in that emotional gut punch for like… five more seconds?
Because here’s the thing, under all the chaos and sarcasm, there’s real heart here. Lila’s flashbacks and her slow, reluctant peeling back of her own defenses hit harder than you expect. The book understands that being angry all the time usually means you were hurt first, and it doesn’t make that neat or pretty. It just lets it exist alongside car chases and bad decisions.
But yeah… the ending. We need to talk about the ending. It’s not bad, it’s just… quick. Like emotionally, I was still unpacking things and the book was already grabbing its coat and saying “okay bye!” I wanted a little more breathing room, a little more resolution, maybe one more scene to really land the emotional arc. Instead it kind of sprints to the finish line like it suddenly remembered it left the stove on.
Still, I had a genuinely good time with this. It’s funny in that sharp, slightly unhinged way, the characters are flawed without being unbearable, and the whole thing balances absurdity with sincerity better than it probably has any right to. It’s not reinventing the mystery genre, but it doesn’t need to. It just shows up, tells a chaotic story about a broken family trying to function, and makes you laugh while doing it.
I’m calling it a solid 3.5 stars, the kind where you finish it and immediately start mentally casting the movie version while also texting your friend “you would hate the dad but also kind of love him?? I’m confused.”
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Emotionally Invested in a Man Who Absolutely Forgot His Kid’s Birthday At Least Five Times
And a huge thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, for enabling my emotional spiral and questionable attachment to fictional disasters.
Get Lost really said, what if we took unresolved childhood trauma, sprinkled in some Russian thugs, added a deeply unserious former baseball star father, and then just… let everyone make terrible decisions at high speed? And honestly, I respect that level of commitment to the bit.
Lila Dixon is not here to win Miss Congeniality. She’s prickly, foul-mouthed, and running on the kind of emotional exhaustion that comes from being raised by two parents who feel like abstract concepts instead of stable humans. When her mom, Mattie, goes missing, it’s not even immediately alarming because apparently this woman treats disappearing like a hobby. Casual. Normal. Totally fine. Except this time there’s a suspicious chunk of money, actual danger, and oh yeah, her dad Dix is lurking around like a charming human red flag.
And Dix… oh my god, Dix. This man is the walking embodiment of “everyone loves him except the person who has the most reason not to.” Former baseball hero, professional disappointment, somehow still magnetic enough that you understand why people keep letting him back into their lives. The dynamic between him and Lila is the entire emotional engine of this book, and it’s messy in that very specific way where you’re laughing one second and then suddenly realizing, oh wait, this is actually about a lifetime of hurt and unmet expectations.
The mystery itself is kind of like that friend who says they’re just tagging along but ends up being the reason you got into trouble in the first place. It’s there, it moves things forward, it introduces a lineup of shady farmers, criminals, and general weirdos, but let’s be real… the real star is the dialogue. This book talks. It zings. It absolutely refuses to shut up, and most of the time, it works. It genuinely feels like it was written by someone who understands how people actually argue, deflect, and occasionally say something accidentally profound in between insults.
There’s a very “this would be an incredible movie” energy the entire time. Like I could see the casting in my head, I could hear the delivery of certain lines, I could picture the awkward silences after someone says something a little too real. The pacing is tight, almost aggressively so, which keeps things moving but also sometimes makes you go, wait, can we sit in that emotional gut punch for like… five more seconds?
Because here’s the thing, under all the chaos and sarcasm, there’s real heart here. Lila’s flashbacks and her slow, reluctant peeling back of her own defenses hit harder than you expect. The book understands that being angry all the time usually means you were hurt first, and it doesn’t make that neat or pretty. It just lets it exist alongside car chases and bad decisions.
But yeah… the ending. We need to talk about the ending. It’s not bad, it’s just… quick. Like emotionally, I was still unpacking things and the book was already grabbing its coat and saying “okay bye!” I wanted a little more breathing room, a little more resolution, maybe one more scene to really land the emotional arc. Instead it kind of sprints to the finish line like it suddenly remembered it left the stove on.
Still, I had a genuinely good time with this. It’s funny in that sharp, slightly unhinged way, the characters are flawed without being unbearable, and the whole thing balances absurdity with sincerity better than it probably has any right to. It’s not reinventing the mystery genre, but it doesn’t need to. It just shows up, tells a chaotic story about a broken family trying to function, and makes you laugh while doing it.
I’m calling it a solid 3.5 stars, the kind where you finish it and immediately start mentally casting the movie version while also texting your friend “you would hate the dad but also kind of love him?? I’m confused.”
Whodunity Award: For Making Me Emotionally Invested in a Man Who Absolutely Forgot His Kid’s Birthday At Least Five Times
And a huge thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, for enabling my emotional spiral and questionable attachment to fictional disasters.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Get Lost, by Justin Halpern, from Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 3 ⭐
This was a really good book……until it wasn’t.
Smart, baseball, wicked funny, and surprisingly plausible for the most part. Kind of like the TV show Brockmire (can we still say TV show? is that allowed?), only not really. I guess I’m trying to say they share the same ethos, to a certain degree? Especially on the vulgarity front. For a prude, I’m surprisingly foul-mouthed, so that is not a slam. (Although a few times the book’s humor turned a little off toward the 13-year-old boy kind of funny, not my favorite.)
No, no, the reason this book isn’t getting a higher rating from me is because of the climax before the denouement. Sentient flying vampire dogs from outer space with opposable thumbs (the dogs, not the space) would’ve been more believable. I swear to goodness I actually “harrumphed” whilst rolling my eyes so far back in my head I was afraid they were gonna get stuck.
Guess maybe Justin Halpern felt the need to write it that way in case this gets optioned for a movie?
Sigh. Oh, well, at least it didn’t read like it was generated by AI.
PS
Brockmire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5722190/
PPS
I was actually selected to be an extra for an episode of Brockmire that was being filmed at a minor-league baseball field near where I lived. So exciting! Even though I and all my fellow extras were going to be portraying venue janitorial staff.
Sadly, they wound up not filming that scene, so Mr DeMille never got his close up. And I never got to Hank Azaria OR Amanda Peet. Sigh.
DESCRIPTION
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Sh*t My Dad Says, a fast-paced and hilarious thriller about a young woman who reluctantly teams up with her deadbeat dad to find her missing mom—perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard.
When Lila Dixon gets a call that her mother has gone missing, she initially brushes it off—Mattie’s disappearances are a part of life, like earthquakes in their dusty California hometown. But this time the prime suspect is Lila’s larger-than-life father: the one-time baseball star, local hero, and fatal charmer John “Dix” Dixon.
Dix’s main accomplishment as a dad was finding new ways to disappoint his daughter, but even Lila knows he’s not behind this. And when they uncover a $250,000 deposit to Mattie’s bank account, and someone slips a threatening note under Lila’s motel door, they realize Mattie may be in real danger. Now they’re heading down a trail marked by unsavory Russian thugs, fat-cat farmers, and an unseen enemy who’s always a step ahead.
With crackling banter and characters that leap off the page, Get Lost is a thrilling and emotionally layered mystery. Justin Halpern tells a story that’s by turns hilarious and poignant: about fractured families, grudges that last a lifetime, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to the people we thought we’d lost for good.
Received a complimentary copy of Get Lost, by Justin Halpern, from Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 3 ⭐
This was a really good book……until it wasn’t.
Smart, baseball, wicked funny, and surprisingly plausible for the most part. Kind of like the TV show Brockmire (can we still say TV show? is that allowed?), only not really. I guess I’m trying to say they share the same ethos, to a certain degree? Especially on the vulgarity front. For a prude, I’m surprisingly foul-mouthed, so that is not a slam. (Although a few times the book’s humor turned a little off toward the 13-year-old boy kind of funny, not my favorite.)
No, no, the reason this book isn’t getting a higher rating from me is because of the climax before the denouement. Sentient flying vampire dogs from outer space with opposable thumbs (the dogs, not the space) would’ve been more believable. I swear to goodness I actually “harrumphed” whilst rolling my eyes so far back in my head I was afraid they were gonna get stuck.
Guess maybe Justin Halpern felt the need to write it that way in case this gets optioned for a movie?
Sigh. Oh, well, at least it didn’t read like it was generated by AI.
PS
Brockmire: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5722190/
PPS
I was actually selected to be an extra for an episode of Brockmire that was being filmed at a minor-league baseball field near where I lived. So exciting! Even though I and all my fellow extras were going to be portraying venue janitorial staff.
Sadly, they wound up not filming that scene, so Mr DeMille never got his close up. And I never got to Hank Azaria OR Amanda Peet. Sigh.
DESCRIPTION
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Sh*t My Dad Says, a fast-paced and hilarious thriller about a young woman who reluctantly teams up with her deadbeat dad to find her missing mom—perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard.
When Lila Dixon gets a call that her mother has gone missing, she initially brushes it off—Mattie’s disappearances are a part of life, like earthquakes in their dusty California hometown. But this time the prime suspect is Lila’s larger-than-life father: the one-time baseball star, local hero, and fatal charmer John “Dix” Dixon.
Dix’s main accomplishment as a dad was finding new ways to disappoint his daughter, but even Lila knows he’s not behind this. And when they uncover a $250,000 deposit to Mattie’s bank account, and someone slips a threatening note under Lila’s motel door, they realize Mattie may be in real danger. Now they’re heading down a trail marked by unsavory Russian thugs, fat-cat farmers, and an unseen enemy who’s always a step ahead.
With crackling banter and characters that leap off the page, Get Lost is a thrilling and emotionally layered mystery. Justin Halpern tells a story that’s by turns hilarious and poignant: about fractured families, grudges that last a lifetime, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to the people we thought we’d lost for good.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Get Lost by Justin Halpern is a very highly recommended humorous mystery, for the right reader. This is a hilarious thriller following an adult daughter and her deadbeat father as they look for her missing mother. It has a lightning-fast-paced novel with twists and turns galore, however the use of profanity, mainly by Lila, is prolific.
Lila Dixon is a baseball scout, and not necessarily pleased about it, when she receives a call about her mother Mattie Wilkerson who is missing from her apartment in Los Armarios, California. Lila isn't too concerned because her mother has a history of mental health issues and has been taking off and disappearing as long as Lila can remember. This time, however, her charming but deadbeat dad John “Dix” Dixon, former minor league baseball player and local hero is the prime suspect. Knowing her mother likely took off on her own and her father would not have murdered Mattie, Lila takes off for Los Armarios to get to the bottom of the mess.
When she arrives things are more complicated than she anticipated. The local cops are clueless, so Lila ends up getting Dix out of jail and investigating Mattie's disappearance while Dix invites himself to tag along to find Mattie. In their efforts Lila uncovers a large monetary pay out to Mattie and money subsequently changing hands. Then it appears that Mattie may actually be in real danger when Lila receives a threatening note. Lila provides the brains, cynicism, and foul mouth to the investigation and Dix has the connections, the charisma, and people skills.
Lila may be a disagreeable, foul-mouthed, and irritable cynic, but she is also intelligent, realistic, and determined. Along the way in the novel we learn more about her childhood and her attitude becomes understandable and will be relatable to some people. Dix is an optimist who "likes to see conflicts as simply a detour on the road to friendship," and likes to point out that "the sun shines on a dog's butt every once in a while." With their complicated history and Lila's lifelong disappointment, strife is expected in their collaboration.
The well-written and planned plot moves very quickly with no down time. In spite of Lila's inability to utter a sentence without some expletive and Dix's denseness at times, I admittedly like this duo. The two end up working well together in their own unique dysfunctional way. The cast of characters they encounter is unique. With the dangers they encounter and the plot twists, the novel most certainly has dark overtones along with poignant moments. This would make an excellent movie (perhaps with some of the language toned down).
Get Lost is an excellent choice for those who enjoy humorous, fast-paced thrillers that also have a somber side and won't mind the expletives. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Lila Dixon is a baseball scout, and not necessarily pleased about it, when she receives a call about her mother Mattie Wilkerson who is missing from her apartment in Los Armarios, California. Lila isn't too concerned because her mother has a history of mental health issues and has been taking off and disappearing as long as Lila can remember. This time, however, her charming but deadbeat dad John “Dix” Dixon, former minor league baseball player and local hero is the prime suspect. Knowing her mother likely took off on her own and her father would not have murdered Mattie, Lila takes off for Los Armarios to get to the bottom of the mess.
When she arrives things are more complicated than she anticipated. The local cops are clueless, so Lila ends up getting Dix out of jail and investigating Mattie's disappearance while Dix invites himself to tag along to find Mattie. In their efforts Lila uncovers a large monetary pay out to Mattie and money subsequently changing hands. Then it appears that Mattie may actually be in real danger when Lila receives a threatening note. Lila provides the brains, cynicism, and foul mouth to the investigation and Dix has the connections, the charisma, and people skills.
Lila may be a disagreeable, foul-mouthed, and irritable cynic, but she is also intelligent, realistic, and determined. Along the way in the novel we learn more about her childhood and her attitude becomes understandable and will be relatable to some people. Dix is an optimist who "likes to see conflicts as simply a detour on the road to friendship," and likes to point out that "the sun shines on a dog's butt every once in a while." With their complicated history and Lila's lifelong disappointment, strife is expected in their collaboration.
The well-written and planned plot moves very quickly with no down time. In spite of Lila's inability to utter a sentence without some expletive and Dix's denseness at times, I admittedly like this duo. The two end up working well together in their own unique dysfunctional way. The cast of characters they encounter is unique. With the dangers they encounter and the plot twists, the novel most certainly has dark overtones along with poignant moments. This would make an excellent movie (perhaps with some of the language toned down).
Get Lost is an excellent choice for those who enjoy humorous, fast-paced thrillers that also have a somber side and won't mind the expletives. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC of Get Lost by Justin Halpern.
This book is perfect for fans of Carl Hiassen's books, the upcoming debut Killer Vibes by Jack Friday, or fans of Danny McBride TV shows. It's sharp, witty, dark, and funny all at once.
Halpern is known for a book about the witticisms of a parent, and he perfectly captures Dix in his verbiage, but he also really captures what a lot of people eventually have to grapple with -- their parents are not perfect people and those imperfections do impact their children in a myriad of ways. In this case, Lila has been fairly decimated by the actions of having a mother who is mentally unwell and a father who is the life of the party when you're in his line of sight but absent in everything else. She's armored in words and distance. She hates herself as much as she hates everything else, and she's wrapped in a lifetime of abandonment and self-protection. We learn about her past and Dix's past in snippets, which were, at times, a bit jarring in how they appeared in a chapter, but did help for the overall depth of the story. In Dix we see a man who peaked with early career success and faced consequences for his own immaturity, but he buries everything between a veneer of joviality instead of ever really acknowledging the ways he could change if the easy route wasn't always closer to his feet. I'm sure plenty of children reading this book will relate to Lila's feelings and Dix's actions and I think that's the part you take away with you from this book.
But when you aren't caught up in their familial mess, readers will be laughing at the dry humor and clever callbacks, and being caught up in the mystery of where Lila's mother has disappeared to this time. It's a darker story than I expected, but it all works all together,
It's a short book, and I finished it in one afternoon and was incapable of putting it down because the story kept twisting and turning in entertaining and unexpected ways -- the plot is tightly woven and doesn't have any dull spaces. I do feel like I would have been happy with one more chapter given how abrupt the ending felt, but it was still a sensible ending and one that gave more context to Lila and Dix, just not quite closure - but sometimes that's just how family is, right?
This book is perfect for fans of Carl Hiassen's books, the upcoming debut Killer Vibes by Jack Friday, or fans of Danny McBride TV shows. It's sharp, witty, dark, and funny all at once.
Halpern is known for a book about the witticisms of a parent, and he perfectly captures Dix in his verbiage, but he also really captures what a lot of people eventually have to grapple with -- their parents are not perfect people and those imperfections do impact their children in a myriad of ways. In this case, Lila has been fairly decimated by the actions of having a mother who is mentally unwell and a father who is the life of the party when you're in his line of sight but absent in everything else. She's armored in words and distance. She hates herself as much as she hates everything else, and she's wrapped in a lifetime of abandonment and self-protection. We learn about her past and Dix's past in snippets, which were, at times, a bit jarring in how they appeared in a chapter, but did help for the overall depth of the story. In Dix we see a man who peaked with early career success and faced consequences for his own immaturity, but he buries everything between a veneer of joviality instead of ever really acknowledging the ways he could change if the easy route wasn't always closer to his feet. I'm sure plenty of children reading this book will relate to Lila's feelings and Dix's actions and I think that's the part you take away with you from this book.
But when you aren't caught up in their familial mess, readers will be laughing at the dry humor and clever callbacks, and being caught up in the mystery of where Lila's mother has disappeared to this time. It's a darker story than I expected, but it all works all together,
It's a short book, and I finished it in one afternoon and was incapable of putting it down because the story kept twisting and turning in entertaining and unexpected ways -- the plot is tightly woven and doesn't have any dull spaces. I do feel like I would have been happy with one more chapter given how abrupt the ending felt, but it was still a sensible ending and one that gave more context to Lila and Dix, just not quite closure - but sometimes that's just how family is, right?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lila Dixon is a smart-mouthed baseball scout living in a California desert town a few hours from her hometown of Los Armarios. Her parents, long divorced, still live there. Lila visits her mother, Mattie Wilkerson, from time to time, but she has long ago given up on her unreliable father, “Dix” Dixon. Dix was a baseball phenom as a kid, was signed to the Cincinnati Reds, but managed to screw up his baseball career spectacularly. He’s a ne’er-do-well and not too burdened by honesty in his small (more like micro) business, but his charm and former fame get him treated well by most in town.
Mattie has always had mental health challenges, and she would often disappear for a couple of days, starting when Lila was a child. But she always assured Lila of her love, and Lila always believed her. Now Lila gets a call saying her mother has been missing for several days, and despite Mattie’s consistent history of returning from wherever, Lila is worried and heads for Los Armarios. She has trouble getting either Dix or the local sheriff to take seriously the notion that Mattie is a missing person. She decides to investigate on her own, and Dix joins her, undeterred by her insistence she doesn’t need or want him.
The two are opposites. Lila’s temperature is always on the simmer, and her approach to people tends to be confrontational, at best. But she’s sharp, and puts clues together fast. Dix seems to have about a room temperature IQ, but his charm and humor get maximum information and cooperation from people they approach. Over several days, they have a wild adventure that includes crooked law enforcement, powerful and dangerous almond growers, Russian gangsters, and a creepy morgue attendant. Lila never much liked Los Armarios, but she had no idea there was so much craziness and crime going on in this dusty town.
Much snappy—and profane—dialog and nonstop action propel this entertaining story.
Mattie has always had mental health challenges, and she would often disappear for a couple of days, starting when Lila was a child. But she always assured Lila of her love, and Lila always believed her. Now Lila gets a call saying her mother has been missing for several days, and despite Mattie’s consistent history of returning from wherever, Lila is worried and heads for Los Armarios. She has trouble getting either Dix or the local sheriff to take seriously the notion that Mattie is a missing person. She decides to investigate on her own, and Dix joins her, undeterred by her insistence she doesn’t need or want him.
The two are opposites. Lila’s temperature is always on the simmer, and her approach to people tends to be confrontational, at best. But she’s sharp, and puts clues together fast. Dix seems to have about a room temperature IQ, but his charm and humor get maximum information and cooperation from people they approach. Over several days, they have a wild adventure that includes crooked law enforcement, powerful and dangerous almond growers, Russian gangsters, and a creepy morgue attendant. Lila never much liked Los Armarios, but she had no idea there was so much craziness and crime going on in this dusty town.
Much snappy—and profane—dialog and nonstop action propel this entertaining story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This time her mom's taking off feels different
Growing up Lila Dixon didn't have it easy. Her mother Mattie was chronically unreliable, likely to disappear out of the blue even when Lila was very young and leaving the child to fend for herself for a few hours or even a few days. Lila's father, John Dixon aka Dix, is a charismatic man who for a brief time was a baseball star and is still a local hero. He also ended up in prison for a spell and even when he came out was never really there for his daughter, Lila has forged her own life and a thick coat of armor, keeping her parents at a remove and her small California hometown behind her. Then she is notified that Mattie has gone missing...again. What's different is that this time local law enforcement point to Dix being behind the disappearance. Lila reluctantly returns home to poke around, and starts to suspect that Mattie didn't disappear on her own. And, although Dix is still a living, breathing disappointment to her, she doesn't think that he's behind it. A large, unexplained bank deposit and subsequent withdrawal, threatening notes, Russian heavies, a hostile local sheriff and hints of corruption all add up to big trouble, and Lila and Dix join forces to get to the bottom of things...and maybe even mend their own frayed relationship.
Get Lost is a mystery heavily laced with snark and humor, one that has clear parallels to the books of Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard and Janet Evanovich. Lila and Dix are flawed but relatable protagonists whose less-than-idyllic father/daughter relationship rings true. There is plenty of sharp-edged banter between the two, as well as a cast of oddballs who surround them as they wade into the strange shenanigans in the sleepy town. Will they find Mattie? Why and how did she disappear (there's a bit of a locked room conundrum to the case)? And, in the end, can this fractured family put aside past mistakes and grievances and find there way back to one another? If you're looking for a comedic mystery on the lighter side, this debut from humor writer Justin Halpern could be a great addition to your TBR shelf. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Cardinal for allowing me access to the title in exchange for my honest review.
Growing up Lila Dixon didn't have it easy. Her mother Mattie was chronically unreliable, likely to disappear out of the blue even when Lila was very young and leaving the child to fend for herself for a few hours or even a few days. Lila's father, John Dixon aka Dix, is a charismatic man who for a brief time was a baseball star and is still a local hero. He also ended up in prison for a spell and even when he came out was never really there for his daughter, Lila has forged her own life and a thick coat of armor, keeping her parents at a remove and her small California hometown behind her. Then she is notified that Mattie has gone missing...again. What's different is that this time local law enforcement point to Dix being behind the disappearance. Lila reluctantly returns home to poke around, and starts to suspect that Mattie didn't disappear on her own. And, although Dix is still a living, breathing disappointment to her, she doesn't think that he's behind it. A large, unexplained bank deposit and subsequent withdrawal, threatening notes, Russian heavies, a hostile local sheriff and hints of corruption all add up to big trouble, and Lila and Dix join forces to get to the bottom of things...and maybe even mend their own frayed relationship.
Get Lost is a mystery heavily laced with snark and humor, one that has clear parallels to the books of Carl Hiassen, Elmore Leonard and Janet Evanovich. Lila and Dix are flawed but relatable protagonists whose less-than-idyllic father/daughter relationship rings true. There is plenty of sharp-edged banter between the two, as well as a cast of oddballs who surround them as they wade into the strange shenanigans in the sleepy town. Will they find Mattie? Why and how did she disappear (there's a bit of a locked room conundrum to the case)? And, in the end, can this fractured family put aside past mistakes and grievances and find there way back to one another? If you're looking for a comedic mystery on the lighter side, this debut from humor writer Justin Halpern could be a great addition to your TBR shelf. My thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Cardinal for allowing me access to the title in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Comedic crime novels can be quite tough to get the right mix of tone, and this debut novel does it well. Set in a small almond-growing town in the valley of California north of Bakersfield (kind of somewhere along Highway 99, like Tulare or thereabouts), it's in the vein of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen with maybe with a dash of the TV show Poker Face.
Thirtiesh Lila is a sour baseball scout barely making a living whose unstable mother has gone missing (again), only this time it seems like something more sinister is at play. Arriving at her run-down hometown, she is thrown together with her deadbeat dad to figure out what's happened to her mom. Her dad is former high-school baseball star and ex-con who still manages to charm everyone in town even as he skips out on bills, and hits on their wives. Together they navigate good-old-boy cops, random Russian gangsters, local meth burnouts, an almond-grower tycoon, the incursion of an Amazon-like distribution center, and more.
The author is a veteran TV writer and showrunner, so the action moves along at a brisk pace and the dialogue is dense with banter. The ultimate mystery of what happened to Lila's mother is kind of absurd and unsatisfying, but it's mostly an excuse for set pieces and Lila's running scorn for the father who let her be raised in foster homes. The story pauses every few chapters to share some scenes of her childhood and build up a picture of why she can never forgive him. I suppose this creates a certain depth to what is otherwise a wacky caper, but the story is otherwise so rock-em, sock-em with bullets and car chases, I'm not it quite has full effect. All in all, a pretty fun rapid read for those who are into this type of thing.
Note: The cover does the book no favors.
Thirtiesh Lila is a sour baseball scout barely making a living whose unstable mother has gone missing (again), only this time it seems like something more sinister is at play. Arriving at her run-down hometown, she is thrown together with her deadbeat dad to figure out what's happened to her mom. Her dad is former high-school baseball star and ex-con who still manages to charm everyone in town even as he skips out on bills, and hits on their wives. Together they navigate good-old-boy cops, random Russian gangsters, local meth burnouts, an almond-grower tycoon, the incursion of an Amazon-like distribution center, and more.
The author is a veteran TV writer and showrunner, so the action moves along at a brisk pace and the dialogue is dense with banter. The ultimate mystery of what happened to Lila's mother is kind of absurd and unsatisfying, but it's mostly an excuse for set pieces and Lila's running scorn for the father who let her be raised in foster homes. The story pauses every few chapters to share some scenes of her childhood and build up a picture of why she can never forgive him. I suppose this creates a certain depth to what is otherwise a wacky caper, but the story is otherwise so rock-em, sock-em with bullets and car chases, I'm not it quite has full effect. All in all, a pretty fun rapid read for those who are into this type of thing.
Note: The cover does the book no favors.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a review of an ARC from Edelweiss.
Lila Dixon is working as a baseball scout in Southern California when she gets a call that her mother Mattie has gone missing. Normally she would ignore this, as her mother's long history of going on walkabout dates back to her childhood (and is one reason Lila spent a lot of that time in foster care). But the sheriff says Lila's father Dix, a washed-up minor leaguer who has been largely absent from their lives, is being held on suspicion of murder, she has to figure things out. When she and her Dad discover that Mattie recently deposited $250,000 in her bank account, and the police have no interest in investigating further, they try to solve the mystery on their own.
The promos I saw for this were pitching it as a dark humor thriller, in the mode of Carl Hiassen or Elmore Leonard. And there were funny bits to this, with a mad-cap thriller with Russian gangsters, evil farmers, and corporate greed did make for some scenes that I can envision being funny in a movie or TV show (Halpern has written and produced for sitcoms).
But the overall book was much darker, and the heart of the story is the relationship between Lila and Dix. We see their strained past through flashbacks and watching him try to reach out to her, and her deal with the scars of her childhood, was truly moving. That part felt like the main focus of the story, with the chase scenes and quips just added in to lighten up what is other a very sad story.
Lila Dixon is working as a baseball scout in Southern California when she gets a call that her mother Mattie has gone missing. Normally she would ignore this, as her mother's long history of going on walkabout dates back to her childhood (and is one reason Lila spent a lot of that time in foster care). But the sheriff says Lila's father Dix, a washed-up minor leaguer who has been largely absent from their lives, is being held on suspicion of murder, she has to figure things out. When she and her Dad discover that Mattie recently deposited $250,000 in her bank account, and the police have no interest in investigating further, they try to solve the mystery on their own.
The promos I saw for this were pitching it as a dark humor thriller, in the mode of Carl Hiassen or Elmore Leonard. And there were funny bits to this, with a mad-cap thriller with Russian gangsters, evil farmers, and corporate greed did make for some scenes that I can envision being funny in a movie or TV show (Halpern has written and produced for sitcoms).
But the overall book was much darker, and the heart of the story is the relationship between Lila and Dix. We see their strained past through flashbacks and watching him try to reach out to her, and her deal with the scars of her childhood, was truly moving. That part felt like the main focus of the story, with the chase scenes and quips just added in to lighten up what is other a very sad story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Super quirky, crazy banter, interesting ending with a twist
Without giving anything away, I must say that Dix and Lila get lucky so many times in such amazing circumstances. The author’s characterization of Dix and Lila could not be more perfect; where Dix is charm personified, Lila is the total opposite. Lila can turn a pleasant conversation into something else when she opens her mouth. By the use of flashbacks, Halpern has told us about the turbulent past shared by Dix and Lila. By the time I read the last flashback to her youth, I felt such pity for her, which Lila would have hated!
Lila’s boss Arturo calls her to tell her that her mother is missing. No biggie since Mattie has done this escape routine throughout Lila’s life. Difference this time is that they think Lila’s father Dix killed Mattie. Lila needs to set the new Sheriff strait. With Dix’s help Lila and he discover things that bring her disappearance into a new interpretation. Now Lila does not think Mattie left on her own this time. Somebody did this to her mother, leaving Lila to wonder is her mother Mattie still alive? Wait for the twist and the help that arrives from unlikely sources. This was a fascinating story with what I refer to as an open ending, not cliffhanger. Some things are resolved but others are not spelled out. I prefer a little more closure. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Without giving anything away, I must say that Dix and Lila get lucky so many times in such amazing circumstances. The author’s characterization of Dix and Lila could not be more perfect; where Dix is charm personified, Lila is the total opposite. Lila can turn a pleasant conversation into something else when she opens her mouth. By the use of flashbacks, Halpern has told us about the turbulent past shared by Dix and Lila. By the time I read the last flashback to her youth, I felt such pity for her, which Lila would have hated!
Lila’s boss Arturo calls her to tell her that her mother is missing. No biggie since Mattie has done this escape routine throughout Lila’s life. Difference this time is that they think Lila’s father Dix killed Mattie. Lila needs to set the new Sheriff strait. With Dix’s help Lila and he discover things that bring her disappearance into a new interpretation. Now Lila does not think Mattie left on her own this time. Somebody did this to her mother, leaving Lila to wonder is her mother Mattie still alive? Wait for the twist and the help that arrives from unlikely sources. This was a fascinating story with what I refer to as an open ending, not cliffhanger. Some things are resolved but others are not spelled out. I prefer a little more closure. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this book! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I was hoping it would be a lighthearted humorous story. Well, it was definitely funny, but it was also darker than I expected! Which was not a bad thing. This book has a lot going on. It has a locked room mystery, car chases, shootouts, great plot twists, hilarious banter and a whole lot of heart. Get Lost centers around the relationship between Lila and her father and the flashbacks throughout help explain why it has fractured. Dix and Lila are both kind of awful, but you can't help but love them and root for them too. The mystery of what happened to her mom is compelling and takes unexpected twists and turns. The only complaint I have is how abrupt the ending is. It was a fitting ending but it also felt like there should be a bit more. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters yet. I would love to see them again! I highly recommend Get Lost and I will definitely be looking to see what Justin Halpern comes up with next! As much as I enjoyed this book, I do have to say that there's a lot of swearing and dirty humor, so if that offends you, this is not the book for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.
July 10, 2026
THRILLER!
I knew nothing about the author going into this, but once I started reading I thought if he doesn't write for TV he should. Turns out he does! This reads like you're watching a A-Team mixed with Tracker. It's fun, the characters are believable and interesting, but there is still the dark theme that runs not just in the current story but in their collective past.
Lila's mom is missing again. A theme throughout Lila's life that made her grow up way sooner than she should have. She finds her father being "questioned" at the sheriffs department. Dix became a father just when he was drafted to play in minor league baseball and his own immaturity and desires kept him from being the parent she needed. She unhappily connects with him to help find her mother. The dark that runs through this story stays dark but the well written barbs and bickering keeps the reader from drowning in it.
If you like action packed TV that isn't just about making something explode and has an interesting plot. Read this. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to #GrandCentralPublishing and #Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I knew nothing about the author going into this, but once I started reading I thought if he doesn't write for TV he should. Turns out he does! This reads like you're watching a A-Team mixed with Tracker. It's fun, the characters are believable and interesting, but there is still the dark theme that runs not just in the current story but in their collective past.
Lila's mom is missing again. A theme throughout Lila's life that made her grow up way sooner than she should have. She finds her father being "questioned" at the sheriffs department. Dix became a father just when he was drafted to play in minor league baseball and his own immaturity and desires kept him from being the parent she needed. She unhappily connects with him to help find her mother. The dark that runs through this story stays dark but the well written barbs and bickering keeps the reader from drowning in it.
If you like action packed TV that isn't just about making something explode and has an interesting plot. Read this. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to #GrandCentralPublishing and #Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!
I have previously enjoyed this author's books and as excited to read his first novel. Typical to Halpern's writing style, there are so many funny moments even though the book involves finding our main character, Lila's lost mother. Lila receives a call that her mother is missing, though this has happened before, she drops everything to go home to investigate. With this adventure, Lila is faced with connecting with her father, Dix, who has not been a stable or reliable figure in her life. During the quest to find her mother, they connect, reflect on the past and use each other to find out where her mother is. There are quite a few twists throughout the read as they investigate the days leading up to the disappearance and the interactions between others in their small town. Overall, I found this book interesting, another good one from Halpern, just wish the ending was a bit different, it left us wanting more or more resolution to the characters.
I have previously enjoyed this author's books and as excited to read his first novel. Typical to Halpern's writing style, there are so many funny moments even though the book involves finding our main character, Lila's lost mother. Lila receives a call that her mother is missing, though this has happened before, she drops everything to go home to investigate. With this adventure, Lila is faced with connecting with her father, Dix, who has not been a stable or reliable figure in her life. During the quest to find her mother, they connect, reflect on the past and use each other to find out where her mother is. There are quite a few twists throughout the read as they investigate the days leading up to the disappearance and the interactions between others in their small town. Overall, I found this book interesting, another good one from Halpern, just wish the ending was a bit different, it left us wanting more or more resolution to the characters.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I won this ARC from a giveaway.
From the start, I thought this was an easy read. I liked the style of writing and the characters seemed genuine.
It was a humorous mystery that told the story of a disconnected father and daughter trying to find the missing ex-wife/mother. It took you through the daughter’s traumatic childhood all while trying to piece the connections together to find the mom. I appreciated the insight it gave to understand the main characters feelings towards her dad.
I liked the twists and turns, it really felt like I was on a roller coaster but in a good way.
I do feel like the plot could’ve been streamlined slightly to be more cohesive, there were some parts that could’ve been left out as they caused more confusion than contributing to the overall plot.
For the most part though, it was an enjoyable and easy read. Definitely a lighthearted mystery compared to some of the other books I read.
From the start, I thought this was an easy read. I liked the style of writing and the characters seemed genuine.
It was a humorous mystery that told the story of a disconnected father and daughter trying to find the missing ex-wife/mother. It took you through the daughter’s traumatic childhood all while trying to piece the connections together to find the mom. I appreciated the insight it gave to understand the main characters feelings towards her dad.
I liked the twists and turns, it really felt like I was on a roller coaster but in a good way.
I do feel like the plot could’ve been streamlined slightly to be more cohesive, there were some parts that could’ve been left out as they caused more confusion than contributing to the overall plot.
For the most part though, it was an enjoyable and easy read. Definitely a lighthearted mystery compared to some of the other books I read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When Justin Halpern's writing was compared to Elmore Leonard, I was skeptical. Leonard had a gift for creating unforgettable characters through sharp, natural dialogue, and that's not an easy standard to meet. While no one quite reaches Leonard's level, Halpern comes surprisingly close. I can see why the comparison is made.
Get Lost is a quick, entertaining read that takes readers on a wild ride. The story is packed with colorful, memorable characters whose lives weave together in clever and often hilarious ways. Halpern's dialogue-driven style keeps the pages turning, and the cast feels alive from start to finish. If you enjoy character-focused stories with plenty of personality and humor, this one is worth picking up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
Get Lost is a quick, entertaining read that takes readers on a wild ride. The story is packed with colorful, memorable characters whose lives weave together in clever and often hilarious ways. Halpern's dialogue-driven style keeps the pages turning, and the cast feels alive from start to finish. If you enjoy character-focused stories with plenty of personality and humor, this one is worth picking up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
July 23, 2026
THIS BOOK WAS FREAKING AMAZING!
It’s been a minute since I devoured a book this fast, but it was just so good it was impossible to put down.
It has everything you want in a story: it’s fast-paced, has a great sense of humor, there’s a mystery to solve and has the vibes of a action comedy movie. But the best thing about it was this unconventional, chaotic dad-daughter duo whom I absolutely loved from the very first conversation they had.
Some of the flashbacks were deeply moving and sad, yet they explain why Lila is so resentful towards her charismatic dad and why she’s the woman she is today. But somehow it’s impossible to hate him. He’s exhilarating.
Just a fantastic book with great characters.
I loved every bit of it and I truly want to thank @grandcentralpublishing @cardinalpublishing
@tandemcollectiveglobal for sending me the copy and for including me in this Readalong
P.S. Someone’s better make a movie out of this !! 🎬
It’s been a minute since I devoured a book this fast, but it was just so good it was impossible to put down.
It has everything you want in a story: it’s fast-paced, has a great sense of humor, there’s a mystery to solve and has the vibes of a action comedy movie. But the best thing about it was this unconventional, chaotic dad-daughter duo whom I absolutely loved from the very first conversation they had.
Some of the flashbacks were deeply moving and sad, yet they explain why Lila is so resentful towards her charismatic dad and why she’s the woman she is today. But somehow it’s impossible to hate him. He’s exhilarating.
Just a fantastic book with great characters.
I loved every bit of it and I truly want to thank @grandcentralpublishing @cardinalpublishing
@tandemcollectiveglobal for sending me the copy and for including me in this Readalong
P.S. Someone’s better make a movie out of this !! 🎬
June 26, 2026
Thank you to @GrandCentralPublishing and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #GetLost. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
The premise of this book had potential: a mom goes missing, daughter and estranged father team up to find her, with lots of sketchy characters and red herrings. But the execution was a little bumpy and the ending was so abrupt it didn't provide closure for the characters or reader. There's some childhood trauma themes that could be triggering for some readers. And while it explains Lila's relationship with her father, I found her too prickly to like.
I read the author bio when I finished the book and the pacing of the book made more sense. Halpern is a TV writer (Abbott Elementary) and in hindsight, I could see some of the chapters as "episodes".
Overall, an OK read, just not for me.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
The premise of this book had potential: a mom goes missing, daughter and estranged father team up to find her, with lots of sketchy characters and red herrings. But the execution was a little bumpy and the ending was so abrupt it didn't provide closure for the characters or reader. There's some childhood trauma themes that could be triggering for some readers. And while it explains Lila's relationship with her father, I found her too prickly to like.
I read the author bio when I finished the book and the pacing of the book made more sense. Halpern is a TV writer (Abbott Elementary) and in hindsight, I could see some of the chapters as "episodes".
Overall, an OK read, just not for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed this novel. For me It was a black comedy. A mentally ill mom and “more off than on wife,” suddenly disappears. This is not unusual for her, as she has done this for many years …even leaving her young daughter all alone, but always returning a couple of days later. The daughter is now 32, and finds out that her mom is missing.. as usual, but this time not returning for some mysterious reason. She travels to look for her mom back in the town where she herself was raised by her mom. But, the mystery of trying to find her mom was not as compelling as the funny dialogue between herself and her estranged father. It was quick, nonstop witty and interesting. If you enjoy humor - the real “haha” kind, you’ll enjoy this book.Thank you NetGallery,author,Justin Halpern and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read the arc ebook,Get Lost.
On Sale July 07,2026
On Sale July 07,2026
July 18, 2026
I listened to this on Audible and the narrator was excellent. A story of a girl who seems to be pretty angry with the world, and on top of everything else, has lost her mother. And when I say lost, I mean she cannot be found but we do not know if she is alive or dead. It seems that it’s not unusual for her mother to wander off and then suddenly reappear. In this case, though, her mother is not returning.
In order to find out what happened to her mother, the girl ends up being forced to collaborate with her father. There were a few laugh out loud moments here, but in general, this book was a little more tense than I really love. However, if you like everything to tie up neatly at the end as well as books that obliquely deal with how we make peace with family members who have not supported us as they should have over the years, this is a pretty good read!
In order to find out what happened to her mother, the girl ends up being forced to collaborate with her father. There were a few laugh out loud moments here, but in general, this book was a little more tense than I really love. However, if you like everything to tie up neatly at the end as well as books that obliquely deal with how we make peace with family members who have not supported us as they should have over the years, this is a pretty good read!
July 20, 2026
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Tandem Reads for the gifted copy.
I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. You don't see a combination thriller/comedy very often. I felt so much empathy for Lila for the hand she was dealt in life. Because of having two mostly uninvolved parents and no friends growing up, she has built up a wall around herself, responding to each person she counters defensively. Her comments are funny yet covering up her past hurt. There was so much about Dix not to like yet you can't help being drawn to him. The pacing was quick, and there were several parts that had my heart racing. I wish it had ended a little differently, but it was still a fun read.
What to Expect:
--missing woman
--father-daughter fractured relationship
--untrustworthy cops
--forced proximity
--amateur detectives
I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. You don't see a combination thriller/comedy very often. I felt so much empathy for Lila for the hand she was dealt in life. Because of having two mostly uninvolved parents and no friends growing up, she has built up a wall around herself, responding to each person she counters defensively. Her comments are funny yet covering up her past hurt. There was so much about Dix not to like yet you can't help being drawn to him. The pacing was quick, and there were several parts that had my heart racing. I wish it had ended a little differently, but it was still a fun read.
What to Expect:
--missing woman
--father-daughter fractured relationship
--untrustworthy cops
--forced proximity
--amateur detectives
July 22, 2026
What a fun book! I say it's fun (and it is, with lots of hilarious banter) but Get Lost also involves a missing person mystery, true danger, and lots of emotion. I loved it. The inclusion of baseball as a theme/background only made it better.
This is a book that you can instantly picture on screen. It would make a great movie or limited TV series. (This isn't a surprise since the author has written for TV.)
There is no way to become bored between the fast pace, the engaging mystery, the short page length, and all the laughing you'll be doing.
My rating is 4.5 stars only because i would have liked a little bit different ending and wrap up to the mystery, but this was a five-star reading experience for sure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, and I'm leaving my review voluntarily. All views are my own.
This is a book that you can instantly picture on screen. It would make a great movie or limited TV series. (This isn't a surprise since the author has written for TV.)
There is no way to become bored between the fast pace, the engaging mystery, the short page length, and all the laughing you'll be doing.
My rating is 4.5 stars only because i would have liked a little bit different ending and wrap up to the mystery, but this was a five-star reading experience for sure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, and I'm leaving my review voluntarily. All views are my own.
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