Great book! It had me laughing from the first page. I love how each story was connected with very colorful characters. The wit and humor was contagious!
3.5 stars One look at the cover and you know this book is meant to be read just for the fun of it. The book is made up of several short stories about the adventures of the two main characters. It is a quick, fun read and definitely targets a younger audience (especially teen to young adult males—of which I am not one). If I were in the target audience, I would probably give this four stars. Each vignette centers around a crime or pseudo crime that our intrepid detectives solve. Wrongs are rectified and all is right with the world of Fairfax and Glew. Though the writing tends toward choppy with a couple moments of confusion, especially in the first story, I enjoyed the light read. I recommend this for young people who are looking for something reminiscent of old-time detective novels with a thoroughly modern feel, and/or older readers who aren’t picky about the finer points of writing.
Warning: there is some swearing as well as references to possible sexual relations.
Fairfax & Glew, Vol. 1, by Parker McCoy, is a short book of five short stories, all involving the very effective team of Fairfax & Glew.
These two guys live separately but are close buddies. They both have day jobs (I think?) but for fun and sometimes a perk or two, they act as freelance detective-vigilantes. Their missions come to them by word of mouth and are local. Their mission statement needs to be “no job too small, and we get it done.”
The crimes revolve around petty theft and betrayal of partners and friends for the most part.
They are non-violent whenever possible while doing their vigilantism, depending more on the element of surprise. Both men have a high moral sensitivity to right and wrong, and they live by that code.
I enjoyed reading each of the stories very much. I appreciate Parker's creativity in the plot lines. The connection between the two main characters is good, as evidenced through their banter and how they work together in serving justice. Descriptions of the wrongdoers and their minds shows insight into the rationalizations people use to allow themselves to do wrong.
The two main characters are close friends and work as freelance detective-vigilantes. Their highly regarded reputation along with their obliging manner means that they are never short of work. I loved their integrity and 'nothing is too hard' approach. The mini stories are peppered with 'laugh out loud humour ' and the author has show cased his creativity with engaging plot sequences. I liked how Parker highlights the way certain people justify their behaviour, which is a common theme in my own novels. Bravo!
Fairfax and Glew is a book of short stories. Glew is a detective and Fairfax is his sidekick. Though I found the first story in the book quite confusing and hard to follow, each story after that was more entertaining. These stories are well written and are reminiscent of the old gumshoe style detective stories. Each story includes a bit of humor whether it be in the sarcasm Fairfax and Glew dish out to the bad guys, or the witty remarks they make to each other. If you enjoy old detective stories and prefer short stories as opposed to full-length novels, you'll enjoy Fairfax and Glew.
2.5/5 stars I have been waiting a while for this book to reach me and I was rather happy it arrived today. Fairfax & Glew was a rather fast read. I managed to get through the book in roughly an hour. There are comical moments in each short story and the cases are unique. To a degree, you can picture the cases like something you would see on TV. I didn’t look at the cases to be one hundred percent believable. I mostly cared about how each was handled.
While I did enjoy the cases, there were issues that I could not ignore. The sentence structure and the flow made it hard to read at times. I would find myself getting into a scene and then suddenly there were a lot of periods or the dreaded recurring word “said”. I understand that it is useful at times, but with the way it was used, it took away from the flow of everything. Some sentences looked like they were done in stanzas instead of placed together, which left me confused. In one story I didn’t know if I was in the person’s head or not. The name changes, while funny in some moments, were off putting in others. There were even moments when I didn’t know who I was reading about.
Other than that, if you are looking for a fast read with some wacky cases, this is a story to keep in mind.
I really enjoyed Fairfax and Glew Volume 1, one of the most unusual PI teams you’re ever likely to come across. They don’t go in for murders or missing person cases (not yet, at least). Instead they sort out people’s more mundane issues, but in imaginative ways. And they made me smile.
Some Amazon reviews have critised Parker McCoy’s writing style. I don’t get it. Yes, he tends to use short, clipped sentences. Yet, writing style is a personal thing. That’s his. And Lee Child has done quite well. Being economic with his words. Who wants all books to be written the same way? Personally, I find McCoy’s style unusual and fresh. I like it. A lot.
Looking forward to reading Fairfax and Glew Volume Tew.
Hey there! I just finished reading the book by Parker McCoy, and let me tell you, it was a wild ride! Roughneck Fairfax and Private Eye Glew make quite the dynamic duo in this thrilling collection of crime yarns. From chasing down tool thieves to unraveling mysteries, each story is packed with action and suspense. Whether it's recovering stolen vehicles, finding missing items, or protecting a one-eyed beagle named Ned, Fairfax and Glew prove time and again that they're up to the challenge. With their witty banter and relentless pursuit of justice, these stories will keep you hooked from start to finish. So grab a cup of coffee and get ready for a thrilling ride through Hookville's underbelly!
What a great book! McCoy’s short stories are fun and quirky. The high energy—BIG—personalities navigate this 1970s-style detective world in an immensely entertaining way. I enjoyed the relationship arch between Fairfax and Glew as they explored their partnership dynamics over the course of the book: from necessary pairing to testing the bonds of their friendship. If you like gritty content (smokes, booze, guns, sex, fights) combined with clever narrative embellishments—references to tunes that set the tone, and witty names (ie. “Pardon You Apartments,” and, “Lakey, Bakey Bakery”)—you’ll enjoy this funny fiction.
This author has a good sense of humor that tends toward wry irony. The stories are written pretty much as pointed little short stories. The characters of Fairfax and Glew are well-developed, quirky, yet as easily identifiable as Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. They don't, however, solve murder mysteries. They are more like burglar-bashing vigilantes handing out street justice. And mostly with a deft ironic twist. I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories, look forward to more, and would really like to see these two characters applied to a novel-length crime-buster story.
Fairfax and Glew (volume 1) is an intriguing set of short stories set in small town Tennessee. Proving that sleuthing doesn’t have to be set on the grander scale! Parker McCoy introduces a plethora of straight speaking characters (Some great names), with just a couple Of guys who have done wrong! The text is very conversational and engaging. A good flowing read - recommenced stuff.
It took me a chapter or two to sync up with the offbeat voice and rhythm of this book, but once I did, I found it both amusing and satisfying. The two main characters are certainly an oddball pair of private eyes with their own, unique style, methods of detection and sense of justice. Short, breezy and light, it’s a fun read.
Throughly enjoyable story. Read about two guys that that will help out if you need help with someone stealing your TV dinners to breaking & entering. Light-hearted, a fun read.
This was a fun read. The language was a bit opaque in a couple spots but the dialogue was credible for these characters. It was funny. I'm not one for 'silly humor' but the Marie Callender meal vs Hungry Man got me. Im still chuckling about that one.
Sort of Sherlock Holmes meets Myron Bolitar. It's jumpy and not especially consistent but interesting nonetheless. The characters are fun but not well flushed out. I get the impression this is a style I'm not fully understanding
Overall this was nice but was not really seeing much of an over all book until the end. I think the next one should be better. I will continue to the next one but I'm not going to rush it. You do need to read the whole thing to see a future in the book and it does get better as it goes.
I had absolutely no idea what I was going to be reading. Glad I took the leap of faith. Funny vignettes about two Tennessee private investigators. Loved it.