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The Coaster
Bob Patterson considers himself an Everyman - albeit an Everyman with a rich, beautiful wife, two good kids, and a mail-it-in job that ignores his law degree. Despite his good fortune, Bob is idling through life, bored at work and at home. In short, he is the proverbial Coaster.
Bob's wife, Sarah, is the anointed heir to the empire built by her father, Sam, a kind of Kansas City, Missouri, Warren Buffet. Fine by Bob, the family soccer mom. But early one morning he and Sarah awake to terrible news.
Sam's death reveals he appointed Bob to be the trustee of his personal fortune and, as the IRS currently has it, he'll be in charge of his mother-in-law's money. Even more terrifying, Bob realizes he faces the prospect of actually working all day, for stakes that matter.
Is the reappearance of Bob's wildest fraternity brother from college and a proposal from a bland businessman with a plan that seems too good to be true mere coincidence? A businessman who refuses to take No for an answer. After a lifetime of choosing the path of least resistance, will Bob finally take a stand when his family needs him most? If so, where?
Bob peppers his story with sports and pop culture references and wry commentary on everything from the sex lives of married couples (such as they are) to the enormous cost of being "honored" at a charitable event. Bob knows what the hero should do in the situations he encounters (he's read the books and seen the movies, too). He doesn't have "a very particular set of skills" or a secret past in the Special Forces. He's just a regular guy who handles extreme pressure and threats to his family about like you'd expect (not well). It's going to take all he's got (really, more than he's got) to raise his game. Fortunately he's got an ace-in-the-hole...at home.
Darkly comic, The Coaster turns the conventions of the mystery/suspense genre upside down.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2016
19 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 20, 2022
Jokes are pretty comedic, just that the entire plot was subpar at best.
May 24, 2017
This book is definitely different! I was totally entertained by the character of Bob throughout the book; his observations and humor kept me laughing. There is a mystery/suspense aspect to the book, but the real treat is Bob's take on life, his wife, and others that he encounters along the way. There was one part where Bob catches up on the internet headlines (this is what he does to create the appearance of being busy at work) and says that Donald Trump is thinking of running for president; in parentheses, he asks if this is a joke. Ah, to be back in that time of innocence....
June 5, 2023
Despite the abundance of cringey boomer humor, this was actually pretty funny. Definitely a wild ride.
September 21, 2017
This book started off crude, then it got lewd, and then it was just ludicrous. It did end up being an okay story, but overall, for me it balanced at three stars. I started this book because it had good ratings in a readers choice contest at the local library. I am not seeing it, unless all the votes were by frat boys.
March 26, 2017
The Coaster is a laugh-out-loud page-turner! I read the book in two days because I couldn't stop laughing and couldn't stop wondering what ridiculous thing would happen next. Wurster's self-deprecating sarcasm and over-the-top (politically incorrect) similes had me smiling the whole time. Can't wait for his next book!
(Also - unrelated note - does his writing remind anyone else of Jonathan Tropper's? {one of my favorite authors
(Also - unrelated note - does his writing remind anyone else of Jonathan Tropper's? {one of my favorite authors
August 22, 2017
I didn't know how to rate this book. I could only read 1/2 of it and when the main review on the cover says "The Coaster is a guilty pleasure" I should've maybe paid attention.
I actually liked the book so how would I rate it if I didn't have to stop reading probably 4 stars. But when you have to read it because there are so many crude parts then you rate it 2 stars.
When you are reading and you're like hmm...every page you realize you just have to stop.
I actually liked the book so how would I rate it if I didn't have to stop reading probably 4 stars. But when you have to read it because there are so many crude parts then you rate it 2 stars.
When you are reading and you're like hmm...every page you realize you just have to stop.
January 13, 2025
Some years ago, Jon Scieszka created the Guys Read initiative, based on the idea that if you want boys to enjoy reading, you have to provide them with books that might actually interest them. To that end, he and his cohorts produced a series of fast-paced, action-packed stories designed to show boys that reading isn’t just for girls and nerds. Erich Wurster’s The Coaster is like Guys Read for grown-ups. It’s a rollicking caper disguised as a financial thriller starring a protagonist who probably grew up with the Guys Read books.
Our antihero is a regular guy named Bob. He’s ordinary in almost every way: middle-aged, average intelligence, not particularly gifted or even interested in any one area. He happens to be trapped in a rich guy’s life, partly because he was born that way but mainly because he married up. The point is, he got here through very little effort of his own, as he freely and frequently admits to the reader. His wife Sarah, a true scion of wealth and power, is the one who really wears the pants around their sprawling estate. Bob is fully aware of this too, and if he should lose sight of it for a few minutes, Sarah is more than willing to remind him – in a loving way of course. Bob is content to tag along, raising their kids and putting in his hours at a do-nothing white-collar job he only has because of his father-in-law Sam. He is the coaster of the title, and if you hadn’t figured it out already, it’s spelled out for you by Bob’s old buddy Dave “Corny” Cornwall, who breaks down his law-of-the-jungle philosophy of business and life (with himself at the top of the food chain naturally). All of Bob’s old buddies have stupid nicknames, by the way – Dave Cornwall = Corny, Dan Langham = Lang, and most disturbingly of all, Kevin Nelson = Nellie.
Another of his (few) responsibilities, at least when he can’t avoid it, is to accompany Sarah to various society functions where the movers and shakers gather to trade stale jokes and pat each other on the back. We see this dynamic play out early on, at yet another gala honoring Bob’s in-laws for being rich but generous. Bob drifts along in Sarah’s wake as she introduces him to her various business associates. They’re all cordial but faintly condescending, and Bob responds by grinning along and inwardly mocking their inane banter. He makes comments that may or may not be jokes and which tend to puzzle the Civic League squares he’s talking to. These are people who are unaccustomed to sarcasm or anything but the most vanilla sort of office-friendly humor, and they aren’t sure how to take him. He heads for the bar at the earliest opportunity – wouldn’t you? Everyone likes Bob, but nobody really respects him, including Sam, whom he reveres. Most of the time this is okay with Bob, but deep inside he would like a little respect, dammit!
The plot gets moving when Sam dies of an unexpected heart attack the night after the aforementioned gala. Through various financial and legal machinations, Bob finds himself administrator of Sam’s trust. Everyone assures him he’ll do fine, most of the real work is done for him by accountants and lawyers and the like, and so Bob treats it all like law school – in other words, paying very little attention and signing where he needs to sign. Fake it till you make it is Bob’s guiding principle, and then keep on faking it because you’ve already made it. Except there’s this one pesky guy named Tom who keeps bugging him about some investment Sam was supposedly going to make in his business right before he died. Bob rouses from his mental lethargy not so much because it piques his interest, but because Tom won’t leave him alone. It’s a can’t-miss, surefire deal guaranteed to bring enormous profits. Bob will look like a genius if he takes this chance of a lifetime, but even he is smart enough to suspect it might be too good to be true.
What follows is a wild ride of intimidation, blackmail, accidental death and almost-murder (Bob’s not mean enough – or brave enough - to actually kill anyone with intent). I won’t spoil it any more for you, partly because summarizing the plot only underlines how ludicrous it all is. It’s the kind of book that seems written for the sole purpose of getting a movie deal. It’ll end up being little more than a “popcorn movie,” a vehicle for some aging star whose name alone will hopefully be enough to carry the project and make everybody some money, and it doesn’t matter if you remember it six months from now. Innocent regular guy gets roped into something he doesn’t like and so he concocts a series of increasingly hare-brained schemes to try and get out of it. Lots of snappy dialogue and slapstick incompetence. Too much, really. The endless wisecracking starts to grate on you (and I love wisecracks), as do Bob’s constant reminders that he doesn’t know what he’s doing – we get it already! Occasionally the author, through Bob, breaks the fourth wall to make fun of some of the tropes of thrillers (a character winks at the reader and comments on “heavy-handed foreshadowing,” for example), and then goes right off and employs other tropes of thrillers. There are a few halfhearted attempts to make Bob sound less like a complete dimwit, like the part where he mentions Malcolm Gladwell by name when discussing his ten-thousand-hours theory, but he’s way more comfortable throwing out sports analogies and references to blockbuster movies. The plot, as mentioned, is not very believable, particularly with the introduction of the meth-dealing angle and oh yeah, the surprise storage locker full of money in the last chapter, but that’s almost beside the point. Just eat your popcorn and guffaw at the zingers.
I hate how snobby I sound when I call The Coaster an entertainment, a lightweight novel to read on a beach or an airplane, a book for people who don’t really read books, but that’s what it is. I don’t want to go too hard on it. The writing is engaging and often funny, and through Bob, Erich Wurster is able to show the difference between being liked by other guys and being respected by them. He also hints at the existential – not crisis, exactly, but quandary - of being a regular guy in a world where if you haven’t made it by now, brother, you probably ain’t gonna. It’s even endearing the way he dedicates the book to his wife, saying, “See? I wasn’t just screwing around on the computer. I was writing a book!” That’s a direct quote. He’s a regular guy too, and if you made it this far in the book (or this review for that matter), chances are so are you. And for regular guys like us, writing a book - any book, even if it isn’t The Great Gatsby - is a triumph.
Our antihero is a regular guy named Bob. He’s ordinary in almost every way: middle-aged, average intelligence, not particularly gifted or even interested in any one area. He happens to be trapped in a rich guy’s life, partly because he was born that way but mainly because he married up. The point is, he got here through very little effort of his own, as he freely and frequently admits to the reader. His wife Sarah, a true scion of wealth and power, is the one who really wears the pants around their sprawling estate. Bob is fully aware of this too, and if he should lose sight of it for a few minutes, Sarah is more than willing to remind him – in a loving way of course. Bob is content to tag along, raising their kids and putting in his hours at a do-nothing white-collar job he only has because of his father-in-law Sam. He is the coaster of the title, and if you hadn’t figured it out already, it’s spelled out for you by Bob’s old buddy Dave “Corny” Cornwall, who breaks down his law-of-the-jungle philosophy of business and life (with himself at the top of the food chain naturally). All of Bob’s old buddies have stupid nicknames, by the way – Dave Cornwall = Corny, Dan Langham = Lang, and most disturbingly of all, Kevin Nelson = Nellie.
Another of his (few) responsibilities, at least when he can’t avoid it, is to accompany Sarah to various society functions where the movers and shakers gather to trade stale jokes and pat each other on the back. We see this dynamic play out early on, at yet another gala honoring Bob’s in-laws for being rich but generous. Bob drifts along in Sarah’s wake as she introduces him to her various business associates. They’re all cordial but faintly condescending, and Bob responds by grinning along and inwardly mocking their inane banter. He makes comments that may or may not be jokes and which tend to puzzle the Civic League squares he’s talking to. These are people who are unaccustomed to sarcasm or anything but the most vanilla sort of office-friendly humor, and they aren’t sure how to take him. He heads for the bar at the earliest opportunity – wouldn’t you? Everyone likes Bob, but nobody really respects him, including Sam, whom he reveres. Most of the time this is okay with Bob, but deep inside he would like a little respect, dammit!
The plot gets moving when Sam dies of an unexpected heart attack the night after the aforementioned gala. Through various financial and legal machinations, Bob finds himself administrator of Sam’s trust. Everyone assures him he’ll do fine, most of the real work is done for him by accountants and lawyers and the like, and so Bob treats it all like law school – in other words, paying very little attention and signing where he needs to sign. Fake it till you make it is Bob’s guiding principle, and then keep on faking it because you’ve already made it. Except there’s this one pesky guy named Tom who keeps bugging him about some investment Sam was supposedly going to make in his business right before he died. Bob rouses from his mental lethargy not so much because it piques his interest, but because Tom won’t leave him alone. It’s a can’t-miss, surefire deal guaranteed to bring enormous profits. Bob will look like a genius if he takes this chance of a lifetime, but even he is smart enough to suspect it might be too good to be true.
What follows is a wild ride of intimidation, blackmail, accidental death and almost-murder (Bob’s not mean enough – or brave enough - to actually kill anyone with intent). I won’t spoil it any more for you, partly because summarizing the plot only underlines how ludicrous it all is. It’s the kind of book that seems written for the sole purpose of getting a movie deal. It’ll end up being little more than a “popcorn movie,” a vehicle for some aging star whose name alone will hopefully be enough to carry the project and make everybody some money, and it doesn’t matter if you remember it six months from now. Innocent regular guy gets roped into something he doesn’t like and so he concocts a series of increasingly hare-brained schemes to try and get out of it. Lots of snappy dialogue and slapstick incompetence. Too much, really. The endless wisecracking starts to grate on you (and I love wisecracks), as do Bob’s constant reminders that he doesn’t know what he’s doing – we get it already! Occasionally the author, through Bob, breaks the fourth wall to make fun of some of the tropes of thrillers (a character winks at the reader and comments on “heavy-handed foreshadowing,” for example), and then goes right off and employs other tropes of thrillers. There are a few halfhearted attempts to make Bob sound less like a complete dimwit, like the part where he mentions Malcolm Gladwell by name when discussing his ten-thousand-hours theory, but he’s way more comfortable throwing out sports analogies and references to blockbuster movies. The plot, as mentioned, is not very believable, particularly with the introduction of the meth-dealing angle and oh yeah, the surprise storage locker full of money in the last chapter, but that’s almost beside the point. Just eat your popcorn and guffaw at the zingers.
I hate how snobby I sound when I call The Coaster an entertainment, a lightweight novel to read on a beach or an airplane, a book for people who don’t really read books, but that’s what it is. I don’t want to go too hard on it. The writing is engaging and often funny, and through Bob, Erich Wurster is able to show the difference between being liked by other guys and being respected by them. He also hints at the existential – not crisis, exactly, but quandary - of being a regular guy in a world where if you haven’t made it by now, brother, you probably ain’t gonna. It’s even endearing the way he dedicates the book to his wife, saying, “See? I wasn’t just screwing around on the computer. I was writing a book!” That’s a direct quote. He’s a regular guy too, and if you made it this far in the book (or this review for that matter), chances are so are you. And for regular guys like us, writing a book - any book, even if it isn’t The Great Gatsby - is a triumph.
June 21, 2018
Interesting read. Main character seemed to fall into every possible mistake and eventually come out on top. Maybe... Definitely not an earth-shattering story but entertaining. The internal dialogue the main character has with himself definitily entertained me. Although sometimes he went into a little too much detail. (over-detailed??) Is that a term???
Definitely kept my interest.
Definitely kept my interest.
September 30, 2017
3.5? stars
This book defies categorization and is hard to rate. I think the author began with the premise, What’s the craziest mid-life crisis someone could have? The first half read like contemporary fiction, and then it turned into a sort of thriller. I guess this is because there’a lot of setup that pays off later as far as clues go. I laughed out loud a lot through the whole thing; I think the author and I have very similar ways of thinking.
I liked how the main character was middle-aged. That doesn’t happen a lot (at least in what I read), and it’s fun to read about somebody who has kids and has been married a long time. Also, the marriage is realistic and normal, which was awesome.
I think a lot of Bob’s experiences were based on the author’s personal experience: I believed he’s actually tried to drive a motorcycle with no clue, been around real horses, and dragged a corpse around. It really pushes the boundaries of credulity.
P.S. This is the 700th book I’ve marked as Read on Goodreads!
This book defies categorization and is hard to rate. I think the author began with the premise, What’s the craziest mid-life crisis someone could have? The first half read like contemporary fiction, and then it turned into a sort of thriller. I guess this is because there’a lot of setup that pays off later as far as clues go. I laughed out loud a lot through the whole thing; I think the author and I have very similar ways of thinking.
I liked how the main character was middle-aged. That doesn’t happen a lot (at least in what I read), and it’s fun to read about somebody who has kids and has been married a long time. Also, the marriage is realistic and normal, which was awesome.
I think a lot of Bob’s experiences were based on the author’s personal experience: I believed he’s actually tried to drive a motorcycle with no clue, been around real horses, and dragged a corpse around. It really pushes the boundaries of credulity.
P.S. This is the 700th book I’ve marked as Read on Goodreads!
September 5, 2017
Every now and then, my library's Reader's Choice books pull me away from my other planned reading. These are always recently-published books that the librarians have flagged as worth a read, and they are almost always right. Trust your librarians!
This is a pure, fun popcorn book--which is exactly how it's advertised. Are there a few plot points that strain credulity? Sure. Is the dialogue less than inspired in places? Yep. If you go in expecting Shakespeare or Austen, you'll be disappointed. But if you just need something fun with a twisty plot that doesn't demand too much of you, this is great.
Just a note on my ratings here: four stars means it's a good representation of its genre. This is not a book that will stay with you, but it was great fun.
This is a pure, fun popcorn book--which is exactly how it's advertised. Are there a few plot points that strain credulity? Sure. Is the dialogue less than inspired in places? Yep. If you go in expecting Shakespeare or Austen, you'll be disappointed. But if you just need something fun with a twisty plot that doesn't demand too much of you, this is great.
Just a note on my ratings here: four stars means it's a good representation of its genre. This is not a book that will stay with you, but it was great fun.
June 28, 2017
(Audiobook June 2017) - Just when I was about to stop going off my "to read list", I pulled this one while browsing the shelves. I am SOOOOO glad I did. This one hit me at the right time. It is a mystery that borders heavily on a comedy, at least the main character was hilarious to me. A perfect summer read/listen. Will have to check out more by this author.
July 18, 2017
This was very entertaining. I liked the self deprecating, good natured protagonist. The bad guys were bad enough to take seriously but not too disturbing. I liked that his marriage was really better than he made it out to be at the beginning. His wife was a good character as well. Four solid stars!
November 6, 2017
This book is not high literature, but it's funny and whitty and a delicious guilty pleasure.
September 22, 2017
I felt like there was too much sarcasm in this book. It was good, but everything was a joke to this guy. This book was a lot more serious than I thought it would be too. Too much was going on and all I could think was, why is no one going to the police? FBI? It was quite ridiculous. This guy had a good head on his shoulders. He may be the laziest man alive, but he was smart. I like that the typical things didn't happen such as caving and coverup. The typical stuff happened at least what I expected when the truth is told. Every book and movie character should take. Lesson of honesty from this guy.
Overall, I did end up enjoying the story, BUT it was hard to enjoy when the main character was making a joke out of everything. It made the whole situation seem ridiculous. I think if the book would have been more serious with a joke here and there then it would have been amazing. I just think the jokes were too much and actually took away from the story.
Overall, I did end up enjoying the story, BUT it was hard to enjoy when the main character was making a joke out of everything. It made the whole situation seem ridiculous. I think if the book would have been more serious with a joke here and there then it would have been amazing. I just think the jokes were too much and actually took away from the story.
July 15, 2017
If you think of the dialogue as screen play like from a 40s potboiler, that helps and I was entertained, but I couldn't buy that a regular joe who has lived an uneventful life thus far would do the things Patterson ends up doing. *Spoiler Alert* Patterson's disposition of the last body doesn't even make sense at all because he had the dirt on this guy to manage his problem legally. And while he is managing the "problem" his wife goes to bed -- to sleep -- knowing that someone threatening the family is there? Was there an editor? I don't like tie everything up with a bow endings, which this book has, and I guess the tone calls for, but he characterizes a new business and new baby as positive outcomes from the most horrific events of his life. Sorry, but ick.
April 29, 2018
2.5 stars
It was different.
Not sure if there was really a story. It was more like observations on upper-middle class lifestyles.
But it was witty nevertheless with smartly written narrative.
And I found it a nice twist to hear from a male point of view on issues such as marriage, kids (ie soccer mom duties), romance, etc.
Also, this was classified as a mystery but I don’t think that was applicable.
It’s more of a “dark/black” comedy with some criminal elements.
Unfortunately, once the “crime” becomes evident, the story is predictable.
the humor is dark/black humor which i had no problem with. there was some stuff in the middle w/his old college friend at a bar that i found too crude for me. i just skimmed thru that.
but it was a good entertaining read nonetheless.
It was different.
Not sure if there was really a story. It was more like observations on upper-middle class lifestyles.
But it was witty nevertheless with smartly written narrative.
And I found it a nice twist to hear from a male point of view on issues such as marriage, kids (ie soccer mom duties), romance, etc.
Also, this was classified as a mystery but I don’t think that was applicable.
It’s more of a “dark/black” comedy with some criminal elements.
Unfortunately, once the “crime” becomes evident, the story is predictable.
the humor is dark/black humor which i had no problem with. there was some stuff in the middle w/his old college friend at a bar that i found too crude for me. i just skimmed thru that.
but it was a good entertaining read nonetheless.
December 14, 2016
This novel defies categories--maybe you could call it a humorous thriller. The main character, Bob Patterson, an under achiever was laugh out loud funny, and even though his wife wasn't all that likable, the story kept me turning the pages. Bob's wealthy father in law and boss suddenly dies and Bob finds himself in charge of the family trust and running the company. When an old college buddy comes to town and talks Bob into drinking with him, the story takes a sinister unexpected turn. The twists this story took kept me hooked and the humor was a refreshing change for this thriller. It would be great to see this story as a movie.
August 6, 2017
Not sure where the recommendation came from, but I found the author's dry wit and droll delivery quite entertaining. Despite some of the raunchiness and far-fetched plot angles, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially Bob's self-deprecating humor. Definitely not for everyone, but as a debut novel, I think there may be some talent here.
May 26, 2017
4.5 stars
The Coaster is an entertaining novel of a guy who is forced to become trustee of his recently deceased father-in-laws estate. But things get complicated. I loved the main character and his family. I look forward to more books from this author.
The Coaster is an entertaining novel of a guy who is forced to become trustee of his recently deceased father-in-laws estate. But things get complicated. I loved the main character and his family. I look forward to more books from this author.
March 8, 2020
Kind of amusing mystery. A husband "coasting " on his wife's family money until her father dies unexpectedly, leaving him in charge of his estate with some pushy salesmen trying to get him to invest in their funds. A bit shmaltzy, but I still enjoyed it.
March 23, 2021
Easy enough to read and plot is OK but after the first little bit it became obvious that the author was just test driving a few cute turns of phrases. By the end it became ridiculous and I regret wasting so much time on it.
November 7, 2016
Excellent story - a great guilty pleasure like the cover stated! When can we expect book nr two? Funny and witty. Dry humor is my kind! Keep up the great work, Mr. Wurster!
May 31, 2017
I really loved this. It's funny, smart, and goes by in a jiff. Bonus points for a local author writing for an independent press!
July 31, 2017
Quirky, humorous, and clever. An admirable debut.
August 8, 2017
the beginning dragged for me, but it quickly picked up and I loved the self deprecating humor
September 29, 2017
entering and funny in its observations of the mundane elements of life but not the greatest plot and a little ridiculous.
November 3, 2017
This is a funny book and it kept me entertained to the end. Pretty obvious plot, but you're reading this for the humor not the twists and turns.
November 6, 2017
It was actually a fun character who developed nicely and was fun, BUT the language was just a little out of my comfort zone which made the book a star lower than it would have scored otherwise
November 9, 2017
This character Bob is very interesting and we see how he is required to take on new responsibilities.
May 6, 2018
This is by far one of the funniest books I have ever read. I laughed out loud throughout this book, thanks to the author's hilarious wit. I read it in a day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews