Star Struck

Dev Haskell Mystery #18

by Mike Faricy

Dev Haskell gets a one night gig posing as security for his pal Wink, a Bono impersonator.

Complications . . .

Sassy, the hottie from his high school days, promises to do anything, (and I mean anything!!) if she can meet Bono. Crime lord Tubby Gustafson is hosting a birthday party for his granddaughter so mob enforcer Fat Freddy Zimmerman suggests it would be wise if Bono attended. Turns out Fat Freddy might just have an ulterior motive.

Only one problem . . .

Wink’s been kidnapped along with sexy Sassy, and it’s up to Dev to find them — FAST!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Cozy Mystery

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2018

About the author

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, I still live there as well as in Dublin, Ireland. I've been a soldier, freelance journalist, tended bar, sold designer cakes, owned a painting and decorating company along with a number of other schemes and scams. If that doesn't offend you I also play bagpipes with the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band. All my books stand alone, read them in whatever order you wish. They are filled with the sort of oddballs we are all curious about, but wisely, prefer to keep at a distance. None of my characters will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to take over the government. Rather, they inhabit a world just below the surface of polite society, characters with one foot on either side of the law. The circumstances they find themselves in are usually due to bad decisions, but bad decisions lead to interesting stories. They serve not so much as an example but as a warning to us all. Thanks for taking the time, happy reading.

Reviews

[Mike Elphick]

This is Faricy's latest novel starring private investigator Dev Haskell, and I've read all 18 of them. He is my favorite contemporary author of hard boiled PI stories. I love his cynical sense of humor. Haskell's first person narration exhibits a philosophical acceptance of his many misadventures and bizarre relationships. However, the location (St. Paul, Minnesota) becomes rather restrictive and boring after 18 novels and several novellas. Faricy seems to understand that problem, because he has also written some novels (under the pen name Patrick Emmett) set in Dublin and starring a U.S. marshall. I highly recommend those books. However, another experiment by Faricy was to write from the viewpoint of the bad guy in his Corridor Man series. I've only read a couple of those and I hated them.

[David Bishop]

Star Struck, a Dev Haskell mystery, by Mike Faricy: A fun romp through the world of celebrity impersonators and the supposedly regular folks who’ll do most anything to rub up against someone who looks like someone they’d do most anything to rub up against. Wink makes walking around money and gets rubbed up against because he looks like Bono. With practice, Wink learns to move like Bono and to lip sync Bono’s songs. He rents himself out to businesses wanting to hype their marketing or, other entertainers lusting to grow the crowds at their gigs by having the famous Bono do a guest appearance. Wink’s fantasy from high school, the sexy Sassy, who never even gave Wink a wink, now is offering much more. Life is good, or, at least it is, until someone decides to kidnap the stand-in Bono with the bonus of also latching onto Sassy. That’s when Dev Haskell needs to expand his Bono security services to include Bono rescue.

[John]

Luther Winkler, aka Wink, an old high school friend, is a twin for Bono of U2 and has a gig with a local U2 cover band playing Bono to draw a crowd. He asks Dev Haskell to come along and pretend to be his security guard. Things goes off without a hitch and everyone believes that Wink is the real Bono. The gorgeous Sassy Aronson, their former high school dream girl, sees the pair on the news and she lets Dev know that if he will get her backstage to meet Bono she will make it well worth his while. Meanwhile, local mob boss Tubby Gustafson wants Bono to come to his granddaughter's 15th birthday party and makes it clear that Dev had better deliver him or else. The problem is that the next night two bumbling brothers just out of prison kidnap Wink and Sassy from the nightclub and contact Dev to pay the million dollar ransom. They tell him that if he contacts the police they will kill Bono and Sassy. Now Dev has no choice but to contact Tubby's vicious lieutenant, Fat Freddy Zimmerman and beg him to help recover Bono or Tubby's not going to be happy with either of them. Another fun, action packed adventure with Dev and gang including Heidi, Louie, Morton, Preston and Fat Freddy. It has just the right mix of comedy and drama.

[Michele Roosa]

Read this!

Dev Haskell is my all time favorite character and I am always not so patiently waiting for his next adventure. Some come on Faricy, get cracking!

[Wpayne]

Star Struck

Always get a kick out of reading Mike Faricy's books. Wondering all the while just how Dev is going to get out of the mess he is in.

[Madelon]

Dev has an old high school buddy who looks like somebody… that's somebody with a capital S. Said buddy wants Dev to pose as his security man at an impersonation gig. Dev has his reservations. Then there's the hottie from hell, also a high school classmate. Between the two, our favorite private investigator faces peril that includes the local mob and a couple of recent parolees that make dumb and dumber seem smart.

As always, mayhem ensues.

In STAR STRUCK, we learn a bit more about the St. Paul underworld run by Tubby Gustafson while Fat Freddy Zimmerman plays a dangerous game.

As I've said before (and I will surely say it again), to really appreciate the humor and havoc that is the Dev Haskell - Private Investigator series, you need to start at the beginning. Read RUSSIAN ROULETTE and work your way through all the books. They are short reads with a lot of bonus material included. You will forget about what's going on in this world in favor of what's happening in Dev's.

[Jeff Benham]

Two things you know for sure about Dev Haskell; He get into situations nobody else would get into and he gets blamed for things he had nothing to do with. An old high school buddy, who Dev hasn't seen in 15 years, decides he wants to get gigs impersonating Bono. The fact that he can't sing or even play the guitar doesn't seem to be a problem. When he gets dressed up like Bono. he looks enough like the star that women swoon over him. He wants Haskell to be his security for one particular gig. This is all innocent enough except that a couple of not too bright thugs think he is the real Bono and kidnap him while Fat Freddie has Dev otherwise detained. everything that happens after this is pure Dev and Fat Freddie ends up having to save him from the thugs. All is well until it isn't. "Bono" actually gets kidnapped again. Pure entertainment!

[Kat Lebo]

Star Struck, Dev Haskell Book #18
by Mike Faricy

This was a hilarious, fun novel that delivered on all levels. As I've read the majority of the first 18 books in the series, I'm pretty familiar with Dev Haskell's world. This one delivers with all the regulars: Heidi, Dev's officemate, Louie, his dog, Morton, plus Fat Freddy Zimmerman and Tubby Gustafson, plus a new character, Dev's old school friend, Wink. Wink has found a new line of work -- posing as Bono, who he evidently resembles. The fun starts there. There is plenty of danger, a smattering of hilarious sex, lots of action, and, somehow, Dev manages to emerge relatively safe! Great plotting and pacing, good proofing and editing, consistent and believable (well, mostly) characters. The only thing that would have made it more fun would have been for Morton to be more involved.

[Carlton Phelps]

Always a great read

Dev Haskell's friend has started a new adventure to his many jobs. When dressed just the right way he looks like Bono of U2 fame. And he hires Dev as his "security"/ "bodyguard" to add to the illusion.
All is going along fairly well until Bono and an old and sex driven girlfriend are kidnapped.
Almost at the same time New Orleans crime boss wants and expects Bono to appear at his granddaughter birthday party.
And we are off to another adventure and mystery story starting Dev Haskell.

[Ruth Caves]

Friends

With friends like these, who needs enemies!
Funny, wisecracking, not overly ambitious private eye knows too many bad guys, but somehow he's always the one that understands things wrong and gets body punishing discipline. Good thing he has a dog.
You've got to feel for a guy like that, but occasionally he does get the girl.
Good read, glad I have more of this authors books

[Thomas Roach]

Well I am headed into book 19 tonight. I may need a 12 step group in my future, but series will come to an end. Getting through two of these a week, fun read, great characters. I am reading in order but not so sure it's really needed to be read that way. Actually started with another series, I think with three books. Like the writing, moves really fast. Comedy with crime, good and bad guys. So no spoilers but I have to finish and see what happens.

[Kerry Sharp]

Good, light, entertaining read

A good read, even great for admirers of the chaotic style of Dev Haskell.
Dev is a shallow as spilt milk, not a lot of character development here. The story is plotted with precision yet if you fail to enter into the spirit of things, totally unbelievable.
Yet if you take the spirit it is a good, light, entertaining read.

[Jennie Ersari]

I just love Dev Haskell!

Dev hears from an old schoolmates who is going around pretending to be Bobo of U2. He pretends to be his security and they go to a birthday party for the granddaughter of monster Fatty Gustafsen. This begins more trouble than he bargained for.

[Marcia-Lee Finocchio]

Dev Haskell. P I

Entertaining storyline in this series, a PI that gets involved unwillingly with the Mob gangster Tubby.. This book was very interesting, a lot of great characters and humor..

[J.D. Schechter]

Another fun read

Probably the unluckiest PI in the business - and likely the horniest - Haskell always manages to entertain, and never fails to add a surprise at what you think is the end

[Ted Tayler]

"Entertaining"

This was more a bit of fun than a crime thriller. Oddball characters in fantastic situations. I don't know what I expected, but what I got was a few hours harmless fun and a few laughs. If you need cheering up this could fit the bill.

[Robyn]

Dev's in it again

Dev tries to help a friend out and gets into more trouble than he can handle. He gets into very BIG trouble this time with his adventure. Funny story get characters.

[Kate O'Connell]

Great fun as always. Dev's shenanigans are always entertaining. He's got all the bad boy habits but charming none the less. Fav part, besides Morton who I love, was vacuuming dust from his tux.
Thanks

[Kathleen]

I Love this collection of Dev Haskell books.
Dev is one helluva guy.
He’s witty, smart, but also makes some bad choices.
If it were not for those he would not have such an Interesting life with such incredibly crazy characters who are not very nice.
I laughed out loud several times.

[Ellen White]

Another story with the odd sense of humor along with unusual relationships and plenty of humor.This has to do with impersonation of Bono and Sassy wanting to meet him. Unusual plot

[debbie ragan]

Favorite P.I.

He makes me laugh. He makes me cringe, and feel a little sorry for him but not often. He's just too cool

[John Roach,]

yet another enthralling Dev Haskell yarn

[Ellen]

Do not miss reading this Book!

Riveting! So glad I got this book, thoroughly enjoyable, clean enough....more, I want more of Mike Faricy books! Don't pass this one up.

[Mary j. childers]

Bono

Being famous can be nothing but trouble. Helping a friend can make you think about what true friendship really is.

[Virginia]

In these serious times, it's nice to read a book that is just crazy & fun. Dev Haskell never disappoints.

[Aimee]

At least the asshole cop wasn’t in this one. Fat Freddy & Tubby are involved along with a Bono impersonator. Wacky crimes abound.

[Caryl]

Again fantastic !

I'm so into Dev Haskell, I think he's such a cool character. Another great read, mystery and humor combined. Loved this one!

[Beth Helm]

Fabulous

I loved this book. It was a fast-paced read with plenty of twists. Poor Dev and his "friends" wind up in trouble as always.