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The Hemingway Thief
“[A] stellar debut…. Filled with charming pop-culture references, this deft caper novel is by turns laugh-out-loud funny and poignant.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW Novelist Henry “Coop” Cooper is contemplating a new book between sipping rum and lounging on a Baja beach with hotel owner Grady Doyle. When Grady tries to save a drunk from two thugs, Coop tags along for the sake of a good story. The drunk is Ebbie Milch, a small-time thief on the run in Mexico because he has stolen the never-before-seen first draft of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast from a wealthy rare book dealer. The stolen manuscript is more than just a rare piece of literary history. It reveals clues to an even bigger the location of a suitcase the young, unpublished Hemingway lost in Paris in 1922. A year’s worth of his stories had vanished, never to be seen again. Until now. But Coop and Grady aren’t the only ones with their eyes on this elusive literary prize, and what starts as a hunt for a legendary writer’s lost works becomes a deadly adventure. For Coop this story could become the book of a lifetime . . . if he lives long enough to write it.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 29, 2019
I went to see a library program featuring Mr. Harris talking about his novel, and bought the mystery. The novel is a slapstick, satirically voiced and rollicking Mexican adventure filled with every cliché, plenty of booze and mild drug use, and locker room talk.
A down and out successful pop culture campy-vampire romance writer has run out of steam and takes a trip to the back side of Mexico’s popular tourist resorts where he stumbles across compadres willing to look for adventure. The hippie hotel owner and his cohorts agree to solve a legendary mystery when the descendant of a man who stole Ernest Hemingway’s suitcase of manuscripts nearly a hundred years earlier shows up on the lam and beaten. Ebbie Milch is a fourth or fifth generation conman and his story is full of more holes than he is. Yet Coop, whose alter-ego vampire detective is after a “real” literary tale, becomes obsessed with finding the case when he reads what he takes as clues to its whereabouts in a stolen manuscript Milch produces.
People who know people become the key to gain admittance to various cartels as Harris introduces fabulous underground boxing rings run by scary nationals, an acclaimed hit woman who has it in for her spurned lover who happens to be one of Coop’s gang of four, and a descendant of John Wilkes Booth, yes, that one, are among the many lost and found souls that create a background for the literary adventure Coop wants to create. The journey is a bloody Larry, Moe, and Curly production which waxes eloquent toward the end.
The Hemingway Thief is a romp for those who like big guns, rum with a side of tequila, the good kind of weed, a Mexican adventure, and aren’t fazed by a limited vocabulary of repeated four-letter words.
A down and out successful pop culture campy-vampire romance writer has run out of steam and takes a trip to the back side of Mexico’s popular tourist resorts where he stumbles across compadres willing to look for adventure. The hippie hotel owner and his cohorts agree to solve a legendary mystery when the descendant of a man who stole Ernest Hemingway’s suitcase of manuscripts nearly a hundred years earlier shows up on the lam and beaten. Ebbie Milch is a fourth or fifth generation conman and his story is full of more holes than he is. Yet Coop, whose alter-ego vampire detective is after a “real” literary tale, becomes obsessed with finding the case when he reads what he takes as clues to its whereabouts in a stolen manuscript Milch produces.
People who know people become the key to gain admittance to various cartels as Harris introduces fabulous underground boxing rings run by scary nationals, an acclaimed hit woman who has it in for her spurned lover who happens to be one of Coop’s gang of four, and a descendant of John Wilkes Booth, yes, that one, are among the many lost and found souls that create a background for the literary adventure Coop wants to create. The journey is a bloody Larry, Moe, and Curly production which waxes eloquent toward the end.
The Hemingway Thief is a romp for those who like big guns, rum with a side of tequila, the good kind of weed, a Mexican adventure, and aren’t fazed by a limited vocabulary of repeated four-letter words.
June 29, 2016
What can go wrong when a frustrated writer, an ex-pat innkeeper/former cop or gangster and a confessed thief and conman team up over a cache of lost Hemingway writings?
Trouble for them and fun for you.
Henry 'Coop' Cooper, who churns out vampire romance novels, is taking a break in sunny Baja and hopes to convince his agent to approve a try at writing a 'real' novel. He and Grady Doyle, the innkeeper, are sitting in the cantina, avoiding the sun and enjoying some rum, when they witness a couple thugs beating up a drunk, Ebbie Milch turns out to be a descendant of the Milch who hung out with Hemingway in the Paris years described in 'A Moveable Feast.'
They intercede and thus begins a caper replete with enough action, deaths, greedy collectors of rare books and manuscripts, drug dealers and assassins to satisfy any connoiseur. In case its not, it offers the further incentive of humor (even some of the deaths are funny), a dedicated female hit-woman known as La Donde and a weird sort of romance.
This is a first novel and, like many another, it has its flaws.
It's still a heck of a lot of fun.
Trouble for them and fun for you.
Henry 'Coop' Cooper, who churns out vampire romance novels, is taking a break in sunny Baja and hopes to convince his agent to approve a try at writing a 'real' novel. He and Grady Doyle, the innkeeper, are sitting in the cantina, avoiding the sun and enjoying some rum, when they witness a couple thugs beating up a drunk, Ebbie Milch turns out to be a descendant of the Milch who hung out with Hemingway in the Paris years described in 'A Moveable Feast.'
They intercede and thus begins a caper replete with enough action, deaths, greedy collectors of rare books and manuscripts, drug dealers and assassins to satisfy any connoiseur. In case its not, it offers the further incentive of humor (even some of the deaths are funny), a dedicated female hit-woman known as La Donde and a weird sort of romance.
This is a first novel and, like many another, it has its flaws.
It's still a heck of a lot of fun.
March 30, 2016
Loved this one. Adventure caper novel with lots of laughs, insight into writers, and one very much appreciated Goonies reference.
Read
June 3, 2024Paris Yayınları tarafından Türkçe’ye çevrilen kitabı epey beğendim. Tam bir plaj romanı. Aksiyon dozu öyle yüksek ki hızlı hızlı iki oturuşta bitirilebilir. Hemingway’in Paris Bir Şenliktir kitabının (kişisel olarak favorim) el yazmaları Meksika’da, cheesy romanlar yazan bir yazarın eline geçer ve olaylar karışır. Yazar okuru eğlendirebilmek adına tesadüfleri biraz fazla tutmuş gibi gelse de sonuç olarak eğlendiriyor.
August 1, 2020
Three stars because I love a Hemingway hook. If it didn’t have the hook, I wouldn’t have finished it. It’s not bad, I’m just not a pulp fan.
June 30, 2016
The Hemingway Thief is an intriguing and original speculative mystery-thriller about the most famous theft in literature, the infamous theft of Ernest Hemingway’s entire oeuvre from a train station platform. Written by first-time novelist Shaun Harris, it is one of those thrillers that starts off at high speed and never lets up.
It begins with successful romance novelist Henry “Coop” Cooper plotting the murder of Toulouse Velour, his pseudonymous alter-ego. When a drunk grifter wanders into the bar and Coop more or less accidentally rescues him, with encouragement and help from the bar owner, Grady, he ends up involved in an adventure that could last him a lifetime.
The grifter reveals he has a Hemingway manuscript, a draft of A Movable Feast that has been heavily edited. Much of what is left out leaves clues to an irresistible treasure hunt that brings them into contact with hard outlaws, cartel heavies and the most dangerous hired gun in the world. Well, the second most dangerous, there’s this one in Ireland…
Frequently funny, this is a delightful caper. There is a lot of violence and more people die than at a Midsomer County tea party, but it’s all in good fun as Coop manages to accidentally rescue himself and others more than once. Somewhere along the way, he finds he has grit and even tries to rescue people on purpose a few times.
And best of all, when the book is all done and the secrets are discovered, there will be a part of you that hopes it is all really true.
The Hemingway Thief will be released on July 19th. I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
It begins with successful romance novelist Henry “Coop” Cooper plotting the murder of Toulouse Velour, his pseudonymous alter-ego. When a drunk grifter wanders into the bar and Coop more or less accidentally rescues him, with encouragement and help from the bar owner, Grady, he ends up involved in an adventure that could last him a lifetime.
The grifter reveals he has a Hemingway manuscript, a draft of A Movable Feast that has been heavily edited. Much of what is left out leaves clues to an irresistible treasure hunt that brings them into contact with hard outlaws, cartel heavies and the most dangerous hired gun in the world. Well, the second most dangerous, there’s this one in Ireland…
Frequently funny, this is a delightful caper. There is a lot of violence and more people die than at a Midsomer County tea party, but it’s all in good fun as Coop manages to accidentally rescue himself and others more than once. Somewhere along the way, he finds he has grit and even tries to rescue people on purpose a few times.
And best of all, when the book is all done and the secrets are discovered, there will be a part of you that hopes it is all really true.
The Hemingway Thief will be released on July 19th. I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
June 14, 2016
Setting: Paris 1922 (Hemingway's suitcase containing a very rare manuscript is stolen)
As this is taking place we have
"Coop" Henry Cooper is introduced to the reader. He is the author of romance vampire novels. He goes in to hiding in order to try to get the writing juices flowing. He chose an out of the way hideout in a Baja hotel owned by Grady. You can picture Coop lounging on the beach with his bottle of rum. He does like his rum. The author gives the reader some very interesting and well described characters from the Sonoran desert. Haven't ever been there but the described characters and scenery are somewhat real. The pace is fast and flows smoothly. It's a book where you put your imagination to work. The author adds a bit of humor which is combined with a little suspense. You meet Ebbie, a thief hiding in Mexico since he stole Hemingway's first draft of A MOVEABLE FEAST. This very rare manuscript contains clues to the lost suitcase of Ernest Hemingway and the secrets, maybe dark, that it contains. This search for the lost suitcase is fast becoming a daring and possibly dangerous adventure. Will Coop get his once in a lifetime chance at that novel he wants to write?
I received this book in exchange for my unbiased view from the author and Night Owl Reviews. No other compensation took place.
As this is taking place we have
"Coop" Henry Cooper is introduced to the reader. He is the author of romance vampire novels. He goes in to hiding in order to try to get the writing juices flowing. He chose an out of the way hideout in a Baja hotel owned by Grady. You can picture Coop lounging on the beach with his bottle of rum. He does like his rum. The author gives the reader some very interesting and well described characters from the Sonoran desert. Haven't ever been there but the described characters and scenery are somewhat real. The pace is fast and flows smoothly. It's a book where you put your imagination to work. The author adds a bit of humor which is combined with a little suspense. You meet Ebbie, a thief hiding in Mexico since he stole Hemingway's first draft of A MOVEABLE FEAST. This very rare manuscript contains clues to the lost suitcase of Ernest Hemingway and the secrets, maybe dark, that it contains. This search for the lost suitcase is fast becoming a daring and possibly dangerous adventure. Will Coop get his once in a lifetime chance at that novel he wants to write?
I received this book in exchange for my unbiased view from the author and Night Owl Reviews. No other compensation took place.
July 21, 2016
The Hemingway Thief is a tight, well crafted thriller, which, like all good books, has characters who are neither entirely good nor completely bad. A bit, I understand, like Hemingway himself.
The year is 1922. The place: Paris. Hadley is instructed by her husband to gather up all his work, place it in a case, and come join him in Switzerland. Hadley does just as her spouse, Ernest Hemingway, directs and packs up a year’s collection of his work—which disappears.
That is, until it’s discovered in the hands of Ebbie Milch—a name that sounds like something you scrunch up and sprinkle around your front yard. Ever fond of his drink, Milch turns up in Mexico with the rare material, desperate to make himself scarce, as he has misappropriated the first draft of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast.
A love of alcohol is the only thing the crook has in common with Hemingway, and things go terribly wrong for him, as, not surprisingly, he is not the only one who has more than a passing interest in the manuscript.
Read Dirk Robertson's full review on our blog!
The year is 1922. The place: Paris. Hadley is instructed by her husband to gather up all his work, place it in a case, and come join him in Switzerland. Hadley does just as her spouse, Ernest Hemingway, directs and packs up a year’s collection of his work—which disappears.
That is, until it’s discovered in the hands of Ebbie Milch—a name that sounds like something you scrunch up and sprinkle around your front yard. Ever fond of his drink, Milch turns up in Mexico with the rare material, desperate to make himself scarce, as he has misappropriated the first draft of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast.
A love of alcohol is the only thing the crook has in common with Hemingway, and things go terribly wrong for him, as, not surprisingly, he is not the only one who has more than a passing interest in the manuscript.
Read Dirk Robertson's full review on our blog!
February 9, 2017
Ernest Hemingway famously lost all his early, unpublished stories in 1923 when the suitcase containing them was stolen from a Paris train station. Hemingway’s wife, Hadley, was taking the writings to her husband when she decided to buy a bottle of water and left the case unattended. The suitcase filled with Hemingway’s words never was recovered.
Who was the thief, and do the works still exist? That question is explored in a romping, fun debut novel by Shaun Harris. Novelist Henry “Coop’’ Cooper is burned out writing his Scottish vampire mystery series and takes a vacation in a run-down resort in Mexico. When a drunk is accosted by a couple of tough guys, Coop helps hotel owner Grady to save him. The drunk turns out to be a two-bit con man named Ebbie Milch who has stolen what is supposedly the first draft of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, which might contain clues to finding the missing suitcase. Soon Coop, Grady and Milch take a dangerous trip deep into the land of outlaws while being chased by an elderly used book dealer and a female hitman.
The Hemingway Thief is filled with colorful characters and will appeal to readers who like amusing, fast-paced capers.
Who was the thief, and do the works still exist? That question is explored in a romping, fun debut novel by Shaun Harris. Novelist Henry “Coop’’ Cooper is burned out writing his Scottish vampire mystery series and takes a vacation in a run-down resort in Mexico. When a drunk is accosted by a couple of tough guys, Coop helps hotel owner Grady to save him. The drunk turns out to be a two-bit con man named Ebbie Milch who has stolen what is supposedly the first draft of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, which might contain clues to finding the missing suitcase. Soon Coop, Grady and Milch take a dangerous trip deep into the land of outlaws while being chased by an elderly used book dealer and a female hitman.
The Hemingway Thief is filled with colorful characters and will appeal to readers who like amusing, fast-paced capers.
July 7, 2016
This is a fun book! One of the more memorable mysteries in the literary world is what happened to the suitcase containing Hemingway's Paris work. His wife Hadley packed up his papers in Paris but the suitcase was gone before she reached Switzerland. For nearly a hundred years people have speculated about that suitcase. Now Shaun Harris uses parts of various theories on what happened to the suitcase and what the suitcase actually contained to spin quite a tale. The body count in this caper is quite high-too many to remember-and the methods of death are equally remarkable, but somehow the book is laugh out-loud funny from start to finish. Hopefully Grady and Coop will have another outing next year.
June 3, 2016
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway I just finished reading it and I have to say I really thoroughly enjoyed it. From the beginning I felt like the author really got into the minds of the characters and showing us their individual personalities. I loved Coop and found his struggles very relatable. The plot was a little ridiculous but in a very fun way that reminded me somewhat of the humor in The Rum Diaries movie with Johnny Depp. I think there was a good amount of character development throughout the events in the book and it was certainly not predictable, which is always nice to see. It was great!
July 15, 2016
I loved this book. It puts you right in the center of the action and does not lose momentum. It reads like you're watching a movie, with characters and scenery that jump right off the pages. This hilarious whirlwind of a book is a very fun read.
October 5, 2024
The Holy Grail is Ernest Hemingway’s stolen suitcase full of first drafts. The setting is a run-down hotel in a Mexican town with a population of sixty people and ninety-two stray dogs. The dramatis personae are a writer whose best-sellers feature Alastair McMerkin, the Scottish vampire detective, a conman, a couple of hitmen, an ex-cop with a murky past, an odd-job man who is surprisingly handy with a gun, a shady dealer in first editions, and a hired killer called Pieta.
Henry Cooper (Coop) has come to Pendira to write a real book. He’s made lots of money out of the Alastair McMerkin books (written under the pseudonym Toulouse Velour) but he’s never got over the scathing reviews of his first novel, pre-McMerkin:
"The book critic for the Washington Post suggested my novel made a solid case to reconsider book-burning. The Chicago Reader merely printed the first page with the suggestion it be used to line birdcages… "
An even deeper wound is his father’s comment on his first novel: "It’s no John Grisham." Now he’s planning to kill off McMerkin and write a novel" bereft of Scots, vampires, and genital euphemisms. Even better than John Grisham."
Life is quiet in the Hotel Baja until two thugs try to abduct a young man who’s just checked in under an obviously fake name. They’ve been sent to get him because he’s stolen a first draft of a Hemingway novel, but there’s even more to it. He’s the grandson of the man who’s said to have stolen Hemingway’s suitcase in 1922 and brought it to Mexico. Henry is sucked into a fast and furious hunt for the suitcase, pursued across Mexico by the sinister book-dealer and the hired killer Pieta. The ex-cop Grady and the mysterious odd-job man Digby, in a sly homage to old-fashioned Wild West heroes, pull off miraculous rescues in apparently desperate situations, and it all comes to a head in an old Apache stronghold on the top of the mesa. Throw in a whole lot of literary jokes and cynical worldly wisdom and you have a fizzing crackling brew that will keep you on the hook and give you lots of laughs. The macho personality of Hemingway is part of the joke, but I don’t think old Ernest, who took himself very seriously, would be laughing at this takedown.
Clever, funny, highly original – yes, Coop, worthy of John Grisham.
Henry Cooper (Coop) has come to Pendira to write a real book. He’s made lots of money out of the Alastair McMerkin books (written under the pseudonym Toulouse Velour) but he’s never got over the scathing reviews of his first novel, pre-McMerkin:
"The book critic for the Washington Post suggested my novel made a solid case to reconsider book-burning. The Chicago Reader merely printed the first page with the suggestion it be used to line birdcages… "
An even deeper wound is his father’s comment on his first novel: "It’s no John Grisham." Now he’s planning to kill off McMerkin and write a novel" bereft of Scots, vampires, and genital euphemisms. Even better than John Grisham."
Life is quiet in the Hotel Baja until two thugs try to abduct a young man who’s just checked in under an obviously fake name. They’ve been sent to get him because he’s stolen a first draft of a Hemingway novel, but there’s even more to it. He’s the grandson of the man who’s said to have stolen Hemingway’s suitcase in 1922 and brought it to Mexico. Henry is sucked into a fast and furious hunt for the suitcase, pursued across Mexico by the sinister book-dealer and the hired killer Pieta. The ex-cop Grady and the mysterious odd-job man Digby, in a sly homage to old-fashioned Wild West heroes, pull off miraculous rescues in apparently desperate situations, and it all comes to a head in an old Apache stronghold on the top of the mesa. Throw in a whole lot of literary jokes and cynical worldly wisdom and you have a fizzing crackling brew that will keep you on the hook and give you lots of laughs. The macho personality of Hemingway is part of the joke, but I don’t think old Ernest, who took himself very seriously, would be laughing at this takedown.
Clever, funny, highly original – yes, Coop, worthy of John Grisham.
October 31, 2016
I read this book because the author lives in Lavalle, WI, which is a town of less than 1,000 souls where I grew up, and I can't believe anyone who lives in Lavalle wrote a novel. It's a thriller set in Mexico, where a frustrated romance novelist taking a sabbatical finds himself unwittingly living the kind of adventure he yearns to write, when an old Hemingway manuscript shows up at his door, with some thugs in hot pursuit.
The manuscript leads to the further discovery of the existence of the lost suitcase full of his early stories that was stolen from Hemingway in 1922 Paris. It's a fun premise, and I think the book gets off to a good start, but somewhere along the way the story just kind of falls apart. Which is obviously a problem. The other problem I had was that the narrator (our romance novelist) is a little too hardboiled to be believable. He falls in with a group of tough guys, all the more reason he doesn't need to compete w/ them for who's coolest under the threat of death - just didn't ring true and was distracting to me.
Having said all of that, this is hands down the best novel ever written by a native of Lavalle, WI, so cheers Shaun.
The manuscript leads to the further discovery of the existence of the lost suitcase full of his early stories that was stolen from Hemingway in 1922 Paris. It's a fun premise, and I think the book gets off to a good start, but somewhere along the way the story just kind of falls apart. Which is obviously a problem. The other problem I had was that the narrator (our romance novelist) is a little too hardboiled to be believable. He falls in with a group of tough guys, all the more reason he doesn't need to compete w/ them for who's coolest under the threat of death - just didn't ring true and was distracting to me.
Having said all of that, this is hands down the best novel ever written by a native of Lavalle, WI, so cheers Shaun.
July 23, 2017
When I selected The Hemingway Thief, I expected to love it. The title is from Seventh Street Books, which consistently turns out quality. I also have a penchant for all things Hemingway.
At the onset, my impression was of Carl Hiaasen transplanted to a Baja setting. I've read a couple of Hiaasen books and enjoyed them. All was well. The main character in The Hemingway Thief is a writer, so I related to his conflict of wanting to pursue a "real story," while his agent exhorts him not to abandon his cash-cow romance series. The writer main character set the stage for witty dialog and literary allusions. Everything was in place for me to love this book, but I didn't.
The plot devolved into four buddies on a road trip, seeking the famous Hemingway suitcase full of stories stolen in Paris in 1922. On their quest, the four men meet nefarious types and have various gun battles and great escapes. There's even an allusion to The Great Escape, one of way too many allusions! The only women in the story are sexy assassins. I can't say The Hemingway Thief is a bad book, it's just not a book for me.
At the onset, my impression was of Carl Hiaasen transplanted to a Baja setting. I've read a couple of Hiaasen books and enjoyed them. All was well. The main character in The Hemingway Thief is a writer, so I related to his conflict of wanting to pursue a "real story," while his agent exhorts him not to abandon his cash-cow romance series. The writer main character set the stage for witty dialog and literary allusions. Everything was in place for me to love this book, but I didn't.
The plot devolved into four buddies on a road trip, seeking the famous Hemingway suitcase full of stories stolen in Paris in 1922. On their quest, the four men meet nefarious types and have various gun battles and great escapes. There's even an allusion to The Great Escape, one of way too many allusions! The only women in the story are sexy assassins. I can't say The Hemingway Thief is a bad book, it's just not a book for me.
December 8, 2021
The Hemingway Thief.
I hear Mr. Harris speak at the Lakefly Writers conference and read this book for his coming back to it. The Hemingway Thief was everything I expected it to be- a fun, funny, and well-written ride.
The main character is Coop, a (guy) romance writer living down in Mexico hoping to write something that will get him respect as a man. He stumbles on more than he bargained for.
Harris’ characters were sketched in quickly, but I bonded with them and rooted for them. This story is definitely interesting characters put in terrible situations in interesting locales. The story played out in my mind like an action movie.
I was hooked on the story and had to keep reading because I wanted to find out what happened next. Anybody that loves Hemingway will be intrigued by how the story unfolds.
This is a well-written story. Coop has an inferiority complex with John Grisham. I Like Grisham, but Harris’ writing is better. Yet, like Grisham, it would be a good book to take on vacation. In Mexico. However that is how this story begins..
I hear Mr. Harris speak at the Lakefly Writers conference and read this book for his coming back to it. The Hemingway Thief was everything I expected it to be- a fun, funny, and well-written ride.
The main character is Coop, a (guy) romance writer living down in Mexico hoping to write something that will get him respect as a man. He stumbles on more than he bargained for.
Harris’ characters were sketched in quickly, but I bonded with them and rooted for them. This story is definitely interesting characters put in terrible situations in interesting locales. The story played out in my mind like an action movie.
I was hooked on the story and had to keep reading because I wanted to find out what happened next. Anybody that loves Hemingway will be intrigued by how the story unfolds.
This is a well-written story. Coop has an inferiority complex with John Grisham. I Like Grisham, but Harris’ writing is better. Yet, like Grisham, it would be a good book to take on vacation. In Mexico. However that is how this story begins..
Read
March 2, 2022This was a book I got while on vacation in the driftless region of WI (near WI Dells) when we visited every independent book store we found & bought books by local authors. A first book for this author, it was a good read about an author who had been writing romance novels about a vampire detective under a pen name and is taking time off in Baja California to figure out how to change gears & write a novel under his own name. He gets involved with the owner of a small hotel & his handyman in tracking down the Hemingway suitcase that was stolen in Paris with original Hemingway manuscripts from his earliest works. A fast-moving adventure story that gives the author the subject for the break-off novel he wants to write.
March 18, 2018
A very impressive debut mystery! I rarely give 5 stars to a mystery but, as a first novel, this one is impressive. Mr Harris deserves accolades just for composing the paragraph on "doubt." I will commit it to memory and quote him often.
This book was listed among the Madison Public Library Mystery Book Group selections. I am grateful for the suggestion. After last month's "cozy," I needed this wonderful buddy caper, populated with misfits, to banish the taste of sugar. Best of luck, Mr Harris. This is a fine beginning and I look forward to reading more.
This book was listed among the Madison Public Library Mystery Book Group selections. I am grateful for the suggestion. After last month's "cozy," I needed this wonderful buddy caper, populated with misfits, to banish the taste of sugar. Best of luck, Mr Harris. This is a fine beginning and I look forward to reading more.
August 4, 2024
The book starts off fun and ends fun. I forgot that it was on my bookshelf and decided to give it a go. I read this over one and a half days of floating in the pool.
This isn’t a book that you read for deep ponderous thoughts on life, you read it because it’s a perfect companion for sunny weather.
I think this would make a fun series on Amazon or Netflix. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Sure, the women could have used some more work but not a lot of men can write for women characters.
This isn’t a book that you read for deep ponderous thoughts on life, you read it because it’s a perfect companion for sunny weather.
I think this would make a fun series on Amazon or Netflix. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Sure, the women could have used some more work but not a lot of men can write for women characters.
September 29, 2017
Lots of action! Kinda silly, but keeps you interested. Didn't get a lot of the references, but enjoyed some of the ones I did. I did really like how the author described the setting. Can't say I really liked any of the characters, but oh well...it was a fun quick read set in Mexico. Maybe I will go meet the author when he visits the library! (Don't know when that will be since he moved the date so I can't say for sure)
November 9, 2017
This is a fun caper novel, with a vampire romance writer joining up with a cast of colorful and dangerous characters vying for a suitcase full of lost early Hemingway manuscripts in the Mexican rough country. I enjoyed both the cinematic action and the musings about the life of a writer. Sharp, funny dialogue and preposterous situations, with moments of poignancy here and there.
November 14, 2017
I didn't dislike this book. I also didn't care what happened. Took forever to read. Not because it wasn't easy to read, or follow, but the story simply didn't grip me. I wasn't invested in any of the characters. Plot concept was interesting and what intrigued me to begin with. But I'd tell people to look elsewhere for reading material.
December 31, 2017
So I wanted to give 3.5 stars, but GoodReads doesn’t allow for half stars... the book was a fun and entertaining read - just what you want to read when taking a few days of work to relax.
My critique is that the author abuses simile with references to elements of pop culture which may cause it not to age well after we 70s/80s/90s kids stop reading and/or forget who the A-Team was (eg).
My critique is that the author abuses simile with references to elements of pop culture which may cause it not to age well after we 70s/80s/90s kids stop reading and/or forget who the A-Team was (eg).
November 21, 2019
The story starts out well enough then rapidly becomes boring. I mean how many shoot outs in run down Mexican cantinas are interesting. This book just goes from one to another throughout. There is also little mystery here. The connection between the characters is just a concatenation of sarcastic conversation.
April 12, 2020
What a ride. Setting superb, a rollicking cast of characters (and I know of the limitations and in some parts actual ban on the term “rollicking”) and a south of the border suitable plot. This one rides like a jeep in the desert. Loved it and finished it wanting more. Now about the works of Toulouse Valour.....
July 14, 2021
I admit to having a bit of trouble in the first few pages, but the book won me over with its wit and tone. Like Hemingway himself, the main character has fears about his own masculinity, and Coop's self-doubt makes him a very likeable character. Overall, a good read, especially if you are a Hemingway fan.
January 25, 2017
Shaun Harris overuses simile like I overuse pizza - too much, too often, and with too much gusto. Still, the story was good, the dialog was compelling and the characters were different and well-drawn. I recommend Harris's first novel!
July 16, 2017
It was meant to be meeting Shaun and Anne Harris at Lake Redstone. Always looking for a good book and this one hit the spot. Love the story and the subtle connections to things and places I know. Can't wait to discuss it with you when I am back up north.
December 18, 2023
Amazing book. I picked it up initially just because of the name, as I love everything Hemingway has written. I was not expecting an adventure such as this though. Shaun Harris did an amazing job of following Hemingway's life, and creating a mystery surrounding Papa's last years.
May 17, 2017
This was incredibly entertaining and I loved the characters
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