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Get Idiota
Antonio Espinar, capo of Mexico's nefarious Las Brujas cartel and foosball fanatic, has no love for the media. In fact, he has a history of hanging the corpses of reporters he's murdered from highway overpasses as a sign to stay out of his business. So if a journalist could get an interview with him and survive it, they would no doubt get the attention of everyone in the world—including the Pulitzer board. But it would take someone fearless to do it.Travel writer Nick Ripley is not fearless. He's desperate. Desperate to win his wife back after losing their life savings in a real-estate scam. Desperate enough to not only interview Espinar face to face, but to offer to write the man's biography—for a paltry 10 million Espinar accepts.Bigger Espinar pays out the 10 million in marijuana. An American ton of grade-A bobo bush.Saddled with this burdensome prize, Nick and his sticky-fingered fixer, Manu Paulo, must find a way to smuggle their truckload of contraband across the border and sell it to reap their payday. Further complicating matters, Manu liberated Espinar's prized pet emu, Idiota, before their departure.Now, Espinar wants their heads—and his bird back. A modern Amazonian village wants to keep them as sex slaves. An oddball trio of criminals with a penchant for the occult and explosives wants to steal their goods. And every law enforcement agency from Mexico City to Manitoba wants them locked up.Can they escape with their lives and come away with a fortune? Or will they find themselves digging their own graves in the middle of cartel country?
270 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2020
20 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Nate Granzow
9 books60 followersAn outdoorsman, award-winning novelist, and editor, Nate Granzow likes the smell of gunpowder, the taste of gin, and the feel of leather-bound books. He won the Clive Cussler Adventure Writer's Competition in 2017 for "The Phaistos Paragon," won a 2019 Best Independent Book Award for "Zimbabwe Hustle," and ranked as a finalist in the 2021 Minnesota Book Awards with "Get Idiota."
Follow Nate Granzow for updates and giveaways at:
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Follow Nate Granzow for updates and giveaways at:
www.nategranzow.com
www.facebook.com/NateGranzowAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 19, 2022
Why isn't this a movie?
You've already read the description of the story. What a short description gives you is just a hint of the fun to come. Funny, outlandish, violent characters doing funny, outlandish and violent things. A couple guys just trying to make a few (10 million) bucks and who can't buy a break. A cartel leader with a foosball fetish. And an emu. Throw in a few twists and you have a helluva thrilling black comedy ride. Buckle up.
You've already read the description of the story. What a short description gives you is just a hint of the fun to come. Funny, outlandish, violent characters doing funny, outlandish and violent things. A couple guys just trying to make a few (10 million) bucks and who can't buy a break. A cartel leader with a foosball fetish. And an emu. Throw in a few twists and you have a helluva thrilling black comedy ride. Buckle up.
April 19, 2022
Rooting for the unusual suspects; puts the ha in hapless
Enjoyable comedic and trashy mystery that’s part Carl Hiaasen caper, part Elmore Leonard and part crafty Dad Jokes—a Canadian version of Cheech and Chong with an emu. Riveting improbabilities at every turn and twist yet as believable as an Irish ballad sung by the Witness Protection Choir.
Enjoyable comedic and trashy mystery that’s part Carl Hiaasen caper, part Elmore Leonard and part crafty Dad Jokes—a Canadian version of Cheech and Chong with an emu. Riveting improbabilities at every turn and twist yet as believable as an Irish ballad sung by the Witness Protection Choir.
March 10, 2021
What just happened?
Holy crap, what a ride!
I was expecting a cartel tale, with some dirty doings in the desert. I was NOT expecting to laugh so hard that I had to stop reading. Several times. I was not expecting to be rooting for an emu. I was not expecting that ending.
It was so over the top, so madcap, like one of those old Pink Panther movies, except no Inspector Closeau. I never did like him anyway. I LOVED these two MCs, who really just kept making all the wrong choices! I mean, somehow it all made sense. They really are just trying to get home. Never mind that they have some rather eccentric baggage, but it couldn't be that hard, right?
I want more books like this. More wise-ass banter, more high stakes hijinks, more goofballs on the lamb and just a lot more good stories with great characters that make me laugh and laugh.
To whit:
"They fell in behind him, following the speedo at a safe distance like a reflective orange caution sign on the back of an Amish horse carriage."
"Screaming, Nick leaned over the steering wheel like a bicyclist trying to throw his weight forward and pedal faster."
"If he was more superstitious he'd have believed they'd been cursed. Got on the wrong side of a Romani enchantress or crossed a Haitian mambo somewhere along the way. Maybe they needed to burn a shitload of sage and start over."
I know. I'm only giving you the punchlines. But each one of these lines had me roaring. It's all in the build-up, and for that, you'll just have to read the whole thing.
Which you should do. Right away. This is the cure for what ails you.
I received a copy of this to read from the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for my role as a judge in the genre fiction category. My only regret is that I have to return it! Because it's a Finalist, of course.
Holy crap, what a ride!
I was expecting a cartel tale, with some dirty doings in the desert. I was NOT expecting to laugh so hard that I had to stop reading. Several times. I was not expecting to be rooting for an emu. I was not expecting that ending.
It was so over the top, so madcap, like one of those old Pink Panther movies, except no Inspector Closeau. I never did like him anyway. I LOVED these two MCs, who really just kept making all the wrong choices! I mean, somehow it all made sense. They really are just trying to get home. Never mind that they have some rather eccentric baggage, but it couldn't be that hard, right?
I want more books like this. More wise-ass banter, more high stakes hijinks, more goofballs on the lamb and just a lot more good stories with great characters that make me laugh and laugh.
To whit:
"They fell in behind him, following the speedo at a safe distance like a reflective orange caution sign on the back of an Amish horse carriage."
"Screaming, Nick leaned over the steering wheel like a bicyclist trying to throw his weight forward and pedal faster."
"If he was more superstitious he'd have believed they'd been cursed. Got on the wrong side of a Romani enchantress or crossed a Haitian mambo somewhere along the way. Maybe they needed to burn a shitload of sage and start over."
I know. I'm only giving you the punchlines. But each one of these lines had me roaring. It's all in the build-up, and for that, you'll just have to read the whole thing.
Which you should do. Right away. This is the cure for what ails you.
I received a copy of this to read from the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for my role as a judge in the genre fiction category. My only regret is that I have to return it! Because it's a Finalist, of course.
October 4, 2020
Award-winning author Nate Granzow cut his teeth writing thrillers with everyman protagonists (THE SCORPION'S NEST, the Cogar series). With ZIMBABWE HUSTLE, he changed things up, going for black comedies while retaining the ordinary protagonists. Granzow demonstrated that in the age of Netflix comedy specials, long-form prose is still a viable comedic medium.
With GET IDIOTA, Granzow proves that his comedic endeavor was far from a flash in a pan. A down on his luck journalist tries to strike it rich by agreeing to interview a sociopathic cartel boss. That interview turns into making a pitch to write the boss's autobiography for a big payday. The boss holds up his end of the deal, with one tiny complication.
The boss pays the journo the big payday in a cargo truck full of marijuana.
Worse, the journo's sidekick--a kleptomaniac Samoan photographer who prides himself in skating through life--decides to relieve the cartel boss of several heirlooms...and one emu named Idiota.
For reasons unknown to the pair, the cartel boss is **really** attached to the emu, and all bets are off. A bounty is put on their heads with one directive: get Idiota.
Granzow displays his comedic chops in spades. I found myself laughing non-stop as the protagonists go from one catastrophe to another. The punchlines are witty and sharp, and the cast of characters are outlandish enough to bring laughter, but not so outlandish that they break the reader's suspension of disbelief. The ending is excellently set up in a way that you won't see coming at first, but which will make perfect sense when all is explained.
Another excellent novel from a criminally underrated novelist. Granzow deserves ten times the accolades and recognition that he's earned.
With GET IDIOTA, Granzow proves that his comedic endeavor was far from a flash in a pan. A down on his luck journalist tries to strike it rich by agreeing to interview a sociopathic cartel boss. That interview turns into making a pitch to write the boss's autobiography for a big payday. The boss holds up his end of the deal, with one tiny complication.
The boss pays the journo the big payday in a cargo truck full of marijuana.
Worse, the journo's sidekick--a kleptomaniac Samoan photographer who prides himself in skating through life--decides to relieve the cartel boss of several heirlooms...and one emu named Idiota.
For reasons unknown to the pair, the cartel boss is **really** attached to the emu, and all bets are off. A bounty is put on their heads with one directive: get Idiota.
Granzow displays his comedic chops in spades. I found myself laughing non-stop as the protagonists go from one catastrophe to another. The punchlines are witty and sharp, and the cast of characters are outlandish enough to bring laughter, but not so outlandish that they break the reader's suspension of disbelief. The ending is excellently set up in a way that you won't see coming at first, but which will make perfect sense when all is explained.
Another excellent novel from a criminally underrated novelist. Granzow deserves ten times the accolades and recognition that he's earned.
October 11, 2020
A comic grand slam. . .
Nate Granzow has a unique talent--a gift, let's say, without inquiring too closely into the origins of such a gift ;) --for taking a serious real-world subject and treating it with the respect it deserves. . .while at the same time managing somehow to dig out nuggets of comedy from the most unexpected of places.
That talent has never been more fully on display than in "Get Idiota," a wild, madcap caper delving into the world of Mexican drug cartels. . .and starring one drug lord in particular with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and a mansion stocked with toilet paper so soft that it is described, in Granzow's inimitably hilarious prose, as like "wiping yourself with a Corgi."
I snorted, I chuckled, and I laughed my way through each and every page, and it's 2020, who doesn't need a laugh? So, folks, do yourself a favor and buy "Get Idiota." It's the only book even possibly wild enough to be worthy of this year, and you'll enjoy every minute of it.
Nate Granzow has a unique talent--a gift, let's say, without inquiring too closely into the origins of such a gift ;) --for taking a serious real-world subject and treating it with the respect it deserves. . .while at the same time managing somehow to dig out nuggets of comedy from the most unexpected of places.
That talent has never been more fully on display than in "Get Idiota," a wild, madcap caper delving into the world of Mexican drug cartels. . .and starring one drug lord in particular with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and a mansion stocked with toilet paper so soft that it is described, in Granzow's inimitably hilarious prose, as like "wiping yourself with a Corgi."
I snorted, I chuckled, and I laughed my way through each and every page, and it's 2020, who doesn't need a laugh? So, folks, do yourself a favor and buy "Get Idiota." It's the only book even possibly wild enough to be worthy of this year, and you'll enjoy every minute of it.
March 3, 2021
Very fun, lots of crazy scenarios. Great
Very fun, creative ...like how the neck did you come up with this, never a dull moment and great use of vocabulary.
Very fun, creative ...like how the neck did you come up with this, never a dull moment and great use of vocabulary.
February 17, 2021
I was surprised by how much I laughed throughout this comedic, fast-paced novel. It had be hooked immediately from its description of a Ponzi scheme, then it goes brilliant places from there. I don’t want to spoil anything, but needless to say, this is highly recommended!
October 10, 2020
This is a great, fun read that has the spirit of the best 1980’s action adventure movies- likeable characters, good pace, laughs peppered in, plot twists and characters who manage to get into and out of tough spots by sheer dumb luck. The reality behind the fiction only helps to make the adventure more fun.
November 22, 2020
Dire circumstances call for extreme measures. In Nate Granzow’s rollicking farce, “Get Idiota,” the author finds comedy in one man’s acts of desperation, as his quest for redemption is fraught with folly, absurdity, and moral handwringing.
Nick Ripley, “southeastern Ontario’s second or third-most celebrated journalist,” loses his family and life savings by investing in a doomed Ponzi scheme. In an audacious gamble to restore his fortunes, Nick travels to Mexico seeking a rare interview with Antonio Espinar, the notorious kingpin of the Las Brujas drug cartel. The venture has high risk — Espinar is known to despise journalists and butchers them upon the slightest affront; but it is also high reward — “global fame… TV appearances… book deals with six digit advances,” and, most of all, “The kind of success that would convince Maddie [Nick’s estranged wife] that leaving him had been a mistake.”
To aid him in this fool’s errand, Nick solicits assistance from Manu Paulo, an old friend and expatriate Samoan photojournalist living in Mexico. Together, they infiltrate Espinar’s drug empire and cajole their way into his good graces… for a while, that is. When the mercurial drug honcho sours on them, they flee for their lives, along with $10,000,000 of illicit product. By happenstance, Espinar’s beloved Emu, Idiota, also hitches a ride with them.
With Espinar’s minions in hot pursuit and a bounty on their heads, Nick, Manu, and Idiota blunder their way from one misadventure to another. They find temporary refuge in a community of women, whose modus operandi with visiting menfolk is to love them, then castrate them. After a brief spell in a Mexican jail, they seek passage on a drug smugglers’ boat, only to barely escape a Coast Guard raid.
In addition to the raucous narrative, Granzow delivers a much of this book’s humor through Nick and Manu’s ongoing banter. For example, while wandering the waterfront in search of an unscrupulous sea captain willing to ferry them across the border, Nick laments that he doesn’t want to become a criminal, to which Manu replies:
"We both are, now. Don't you feel the change? A transformation of your very essence? You're a different man now, my friend—a vile and disreputable sort. Honestly, I'm ashamed to be seen associating with you."
Granzow’s writing is crisp, the pace is rapid, the humor is edgy, and the plot is topical. Overall, “Get Idiota” is a thinking person’s screwball comedy.
Nick Ripley, “southeastern Ontario’s second or third-most celebrated journalist,” loses his family and life savings by investing in a doomed Ponzi scheme. In an audacious gamble to restore his fortunes, Nick travels to Mexico seeking a rare interview with Antonio Espinar, the notorious kingpin of the Las Brujas drug cartel. The venture has high risk — Espinar is known to despise journalists and butchers them upon the slightest affront; but it is also high reward — “global fame… TV appearances… book deals with six digit advances,” and, most of all, “The kind of success that would convince Maddie [Nick’s estranged wife] that leaving him had been a mistake.”
To aid him in this fool’s errand, Nick solicits assistance from Manu Paulo, an old friend and expatriate Samoan photojournalist living in Mexico. Together, they infiltrate Espinar’s drug empire and cajole their way into his good graces… for a while, that is. When the mercurial drug honcho sours on them, they flee for their lives, along with $10,000,000 of illicit product. By happenstance, Espinar’s beloved Emu, Idiota, also hitches a ride with them.
With Espinar’s minions in hot pursuit and a bounty on their heads, Nick, Manu, and Idiota blunder their way from one misadventure to another. They find temporary refuge in a community of women, whose modus operandi with visiting menfolk is to love them, then castrate them. After a brief spell in a Mexican jail, they seek passage on a drug smugglers’ boat, only to barely escape a Coast Guard raid.
In addition to the raucous narrative, Granzow delivers a much of this book’s humor through Nick and Manu’s ongoing banter. For example, while wandering the waterfront in search of an unscrupulous sea captain willing to ferry them across the border, Nick laments that he doesn’t want to become a criminal, to which Manu replies:
"We both are, now. Don't you feel the change? A transformation of your very essence? You're a different man now, my friend—a vile and disreputable sort. Honestly, I'm ashamed to be seen associating with you."
Granzow’s writing is crisp, the pace is rapid, the humor is edgy, and the plot is topical. Overall, “Get Idiota” is a thinking person’s screwball comedy.
July 27, 2023
**Get Idiota** by Nate Granzow - A Hilarious Cartel Adventure That Keeps You Guessing
"Get Idiota" is an outlandish, over-the-top, road trip adventure novel that takes readers on a wild ride through a world filled with chaos, absurdity, and relentless humor. If you enjoy oddball characters and unpredictable plots, this book may just become your happy place.
The story revolves around Nick Ripley, a milquetoast reporter, who's desperate to redeem himself after facing major setbacks in life. Teaming up with the crazy and audacious Manu Paulo, an acquaintance with a knack for getting into trouble, Nick embarks on a dangerous quest to interview the notorious Mexican crime lord, Antonio Espinar. The premise alone is enough to pique anyone's interest, and the ensuing hilarity of this epic comedy of errors keeps readers hooked from the start.
I struggled a bit at first with Nick, who lacked spark and was not a charismatic protagonist. As I got further into it, his character definitely grew on me and I became invested in witnessing his transformation from a desperate individual to someone prepared to take risk.
There was a lot of humour throughout the book, with outlandish and outrageous situations and desperate circumstances that made for an entertaining all round package. I don't usually like humour in my books, but it worked here.
The plot's unevenness might be a slight drawback for some, but a surprising twist at the end ties everything together perfectly, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.
While the novel might not be everyone's cup of tea, readers looking for a fun and exciting read will find "Get Idiota" to be a refreshing addition to their bookshelves. Even those who typically prefer darker and more intense books, like I do, may find themselves thoroughly entertained by the unapologetic absurdity of this tale.
"Get Idiota" is an outlandish, over-the-top, road trip adventure novel that takes readers on a wild ride through a world filled with chaos, absurdity, and relentless humor. If you enjoy oddball characters and unpredictable plots, this book may just become your happy place.
The story revolves around Nick Ripley, a milquetoast reporter, who's desperate to redeem himself after facing major setbacks in life. Teaming up with the crazy and audacious Manu Paulo, an acquaintance with a knack for getting into trouble, Nick embarks on a dangerous quest to interview the notorious Mexican crime lord, Antonio Espinar. The premise alone is enough to pique anyone's interest, and the ensuing hilarity of this epic comedy of errors keeps readers hooked from the start.
I struggled a bit at first with Nick, who lacked spark and was not a charismatic protagonist. As I got further into it, his character definitely grew on me and I became invested in witnessing his transformation from a desperate individual to someone prepared to take risk.
There was a lot of humour throughout the book, with outlandish and outrageous situations and desperate circumstances that made for an entertaining all round package. I don't usually like humour in my books, but it worked here.
The plot's unevenness might be a slight drawback for some, but a surprising twist at the end ties everything together perfectly, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.
While the novel might not be everyone's cup of tea, readers looking for a fun and exciting read will find "Get Idiota" to be a refreshing addition to their bookshelves. Even those who typically prefer darker and more intense books, like I do, may find themselves thoroughly entertained by the unapologetic absurdity of this tale.
July 13, 2023
Get Idiota by Nate Granzow is an outlandish, over-the-top, road trip adventure novel. You never really know what's going to happen next. If you like oddball or off-the-wall characters then this may just be your happy place.
The basic premise is that a milquetoast reporter, desperate to redeem himself after some major life setbacks, teams up with a crazy, ne'er do well acquaintance in order to get an exclusive interview with a notorious Mexican crime lord known for killing and/or maiming those who annoy him... particularly reporters. What follows is an epic comedy of errors.
I had a difficult time getting into this one. I'm not entirely sure why other than it was hard to like the main character. He grows on you, but in the beginning he's just a pitiful guy that isn't much fun to read about. What eventually got me hooked was just the outrageous 'What next?' factor - had to see where all this craziness was headed (if it was going anywhere at all).
Overall it was more humorous than outright hilarious - it had its moments - and the plot was a little uneven for my taste. There is a great twist at the end that caught me by complete surprise and yet, in retrospect, was absolutely perfect.
BOTTOM LINE: Liked it, didn't love it. I think fans of Dave Barry might enjoy this one.
The basic premise is that a milquetoast reporter, desperate to redeem himself after some major life setbacks, teams up with a crazy, ne'er do well acquaintance in order to get an exclusive interview with a notorious Mexican crime lord known for killing and/or maiming those who annoy him... particularly reporters. What follows is an epic comedy of errors.
I had a difficult time getting into this one. I'm not entirely sure why other than it was hard to like the main character. He grows on you, but in the beginning he's just a pitiful guy that isn't much fun to read about. What eventually got me hooked was just the outrageous 'What next?' factor - had to see where all this craziness was headed (if it was going anywhere at all).
Overall it was more humorous than outright hilarious - it had its moments - and the plot was a little uneven for my taste. There is a great twist at the end that caught me by complete surprise and yet, in retrospect, was absolutely perfect.
BOTTOM LINE: Liked it, didn't love it. I think fans of Dave Barry might enjoy this one.
September 15, 2020
This summer, to get my mind away from Covid-19 for a bit, I read some caper novels by top authors of such: Venus with Pistol by Gavin Lyall, The Singapore Wink by Ross Thomas, High Adventure by Donald Westlake, and The Intercom Conspiracy by Eric Ambler. It is not hyperbole to say that Nate Granzow's Get Idiota can comfortably stand with them, which is an impressive accomplishment indeed. If the reader does not recognize the caper novels cited previously by this reviewer, Granzow's novel reads like AMC's Breaking Bad in its less dark moments; though, maybe, the closest comparison in tone and style is Guy Ritchie's film Snatch. Get Idiota has a breezy style to it. And one simply can not help but pull for the hapless narrator, Nick Ripley, and his bumbling compadre, Manu. Granzow has been a good, enjoyable writer going back to his first books, The Scorpion's Nest and Hekura. But with Get Idiota he truly shines. If he keeps producing books like this one, there will be many happy escapist reads ahead for those of us who, like Ripley, dream of just getting away from their cubicle for a bit.
October 7, 2020
Get Idiota! made me laugh out loud. Often. Chapter 15 alone (the protagonists’ escape from a drug lord) is one of the goofiest, funniest scene I’ve ever read.
It’s a crime caper / farce with an absurd cast of ne’er do wells trying to fleece a maniacal Mexican drug lord who is obsessed with foos ball.
Nick is a down-on-his-luck Canadian travel journalist. Manu is his hefty Samoan fixer. Who is also a kleptomaniac. Hijinks ensue, rather unpredictably.
Granzow has a knack for witty retorts and seemingly trivial references and asides about the bizarre quirks of our modern world. I say seemingly trivial because in fact they aren’t. The book reaches a climax of maximal chaos and hapless losers, but those references all come together for a heck of a finish.
It’s Guy Ritchie does The Hangover. Great fun.
It’s a crime caper / farce with an absurd cast of ne’er do wells trying to fleece a maniacal Mexican drug lord who is obsessed with foos ball.
Nick is a down-on-his-luck Canadian travel journalist. Manu is his hefty Samoan fixer. Who is also a kleptomaniac. Hijinks ensue, rather unpredictably.
Granzow has a knack for witty retorts and seemingly trivial references and asides about the bizarre quirks of our modern world. I say seemingly trivial because in fact they aren’t. The book reaches a climax of maximal chaos and hapless losers, but those references all come together for a heck of a finish.
It’s Guy Ritchie does The Hangover. Great fun.
April 6, 2021
After hitting rock bottom, a journalist, harboring what could only be defined as a death wish, manages to secure an interview with Mexico’s most powerful cartel lord, a capo who also happens to be a total psychopath.
With the help of a local colleague, a carefree, reckless, kleptomaniac, our hero soon finds himself inside the fortified walls of a ruthless drug lord’s hacienda, where scoring a goal during a foosball game can get you killed. Or at least thrown out of a window.
I greatly enjoyed reading this quick page turner—about three hours—and following this bumbling duo as they careen from one impossible situation into another, narrowly escaping death and dismemberment around every corner. If you enjoy action adventure with a heavy dose of humor sprinkled in, where the characters are often their own worst enemies, then this book is for you.
With the help of a local colleague, a carefree, reckless, kleptomaniac, our hero soon finds himself inside the fortified walls of a ruthless drug lord’s hacienda, where scoring a goal during a foosball game can get you killed. Or at least thrown out of a window.
I greatly enjoyed reading this quick page turner—about three hours—and following this bumbling duo as they careen from one impossible situation into another, narrowly escaping death and dismemberment around every corner. If you enjoy action adventure with a heavy dose of humor sprinkled in, where the characters are often their own worst enemies, then this book is for you.
October 1, 2020
This was an exhilarating read from beginning to end, and the adventure it takes you on is an unforgettable one. After the first few chapters I had a hard time putting this book down every night. Get Idiota is an exceptional adventure - action - comedy story that transports the reader to a dangerous cartel laden Northern Mexico. The two protagonists’ journey that you follow, including the antagonists and supporting characters, are all superbly developed, and unlike other books I cared about all their stories (quite rare). I have also never loved an Emu until I read this. If you are looking for adventure, danger, emu knowledge, and relatable characters with serious wit -- this book is what you need!
October 18, 2020
Down in Mexico is a drug cartel boss with an emu named Idiota. He hates reporters. Usually their stories on him are the last they every write. In Canada, is a journalist for a travel magazine who lost everything, including his family, in a Ponzi scheme. He thinks a good way to get back on his feet is to interview the drug lord. He calls up his friend, who gets him an interview and the fun starts. It turns into a book deal for $10 million, for which they get paid in pot. On the way out, they rescue the emu and have more adventures than you can count. These guys are a regular comedy team. By the time they make it to the states, all their pot is gone, one way or another, which is just as well. This book is laugh outloud funny all the way through!
August 2, 2023
How is it that a down-on-his-luck writer, his back to the wall and his options seriously limited, could POSSIBLY manage to get himself into such a fine mess south of the border? Could it be from his own bad decisions? Or was it because of his buddy, who has even more compromised decision-making skills? Or was it possibly the emu. Yeah: let's blame it on the emu. 'Cuz, reasons.
The deck is stacked against our Hero. He's got some hard decisions to make, drug lords to evade and a badass lady on his tail. And when you're suddenly missing a pinky toe, those decisions can get really challenging really fast.
There's so much to tell. Best that you just read it. Now THERE's a decision nobody will regret!
The deck is stacked against our Hero. He's got some hard decisions to make, drug lords to evade and a badass lady on his tail. And when you're suddenly missing a pinky toe, those decisions can get really challenging really fast.
There's so much to tell. Best that you just read it. Now THERE's a decision nobody will regret!
November 9, 2020
Lively and hilarious! A down on his luck reporter and his kleptomaniac pal need to turn their lives around – fast. They decide to write the biography of a Mexican drug lord with a foosball fetish but when he pays them with weed instead of cash, their dreams are crushed. When they steal Idiota – the cartel’s pet emu – they must run for their lives. Get Idiota is a fast-paced tale of friendship, misadventure, and spot-on humor. The twist at the end will have you cheering! If you liked the works of Elmore Leonard, you will love Nate Granzow!
-- A.W. Baldwin, Award Winning Author of Raptor Canyon and Wings Over Ghost Creek.
-- A.W. Baldwin, Award Winning Author of Raptor Canyon and Wings Over Ghost Creek.
August 6, 2023
4.5 rounded up to 5.
First, thank you very much to Netgalley and the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange of an honest review; I don’t think this book would have crossed my radar otherwise, and that would have been a shame - this book was just a really fun read.
The novel opens to explain how our main character, Nick, found himself broke after falling for a pyramid scheme engendered by his brother-in-law. In a desperate attempt to get his family back and get out of bankruptcy, Nick decides to fly to Mexico to try to get an interview with one of the most notorious cartel leaders, Antonio Espinar, known for making reporters “disappear”. This is how Nick later finds himself with 10 million dollars’ worth of weed and no plan to transport it across the border or turn it into cash.
This is not a novel about themes or the accurate representation of cartels; rather the author takes all the known preconceptions and just runs wild with them. This book is over the top, with characters that mostly lack a sense of ridicule and have a flair for the extravagant, and that get themselves in really outlandish situations. The type humor and the overall vibe of the novel just reminded me a lot of the movie “The Hangover”, even if the plot was very distinct and more violent (some scenes are dark).
Get Idiota made me laugh out loud constantly and I ended up enjoying this book much more than what I was expecting; I started reading it during an international flight and it did a brilliant job at making time go by faster. I’m now looking forward to get to other works from Nate Granzow when I’m in the mood for something funny.
First, thank you very much to Netgalley and the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange of an honest review; I don’t think this book would have crossed my radar otherwise, and that would have been a shame - this book was just a really fun read.
The novel opens to explain how our main character, Nick, found himself broke after falling for a pyramid scheme engendered by his brother-in-law. In a desperate attempt to get his family back and get out of bankruptcy, Nick decides to fly to Mexico to try to get an interview with one of the most notorious cartel leaders, Antonio Espinar, known for making reporters “disappear”. This is how Nick later finds himself with 10 million dollars’ worth of weed and no plan to transport it across the border or turn it into cash.
This is not a novel about themes or the accurate representation of cartels; rather the author takes all the known preconceptions and just runs wild with them. This book is over the top, with characters that mostly lack a sense of ridicule and have a flair for the extravagant, and that get themselves in really outlandish situations. The type humor and the overall vibe of the novel just reminded me a lot of the movie “The Hangover”, even if the plot was very distinct and more violent (some scenes are dark).
Get Idiota made me laugh out loud constantly and I ended up enjoying this book much more than what I was expecting; I started reading it during an international flight and it did a brilliant job at making time go by faster. I’m now looking forward to get to other works from Nate Granzow when I’m in the mood for something funny.
November 5, 2023
That book was fun to read ! And the story was so original it was very refreshing.
Just look at the cover. An emu and lots of drugs. And imagine a desperate journalist and his weird but funny Samoan friend, two average guys who clearly aren't cut out for this, trying to smuggle the animal and the drugs out of Mexico. Really entertaining ! What I really loved is that the author managed to put many funny lines between the psychopathic behavior of the drug lord and the many life threatening events the characters are facing. I recommend if you're looking for a thriller full of twists and humour.
Just look at the cover. An emu and lots of drugs. And imagine a desperate journalist and his weird but funny Samoan friend, two average guys who clearly aren't cut out for this, trying to smuggle the animal and the drugs out of Mexico. Really entertaining ! What I really loved is that the author managed to put many funny lines between the psychopathic behavior of the drug lord and the many life threatening events the characters are facing. I recommend if you're looking for a thriller full of twists and humour.
July 28, 2024
A hilarious dark comedy with twists
Remember the saying, "If he didn't have bad luck helped wouldn't have any at all". That seems to be the theme of this book. What's more amazing is that almost everyone who is involved with Nick and Manu get mixed up in it too. Nick's grand scheme was to interview a vicious cartel leader to regain his fortune and family. What he didn't count on was his friend's thievery and the cartel leader's greed. I need this in paper back!
Remember the saying, "If he didn't have bad luck helped wouldn't have any at all". That seems to be the theme of this book. What's more amazing is that almost everyone who is involved with Nick and Manu get mixed up in it too. Nick's grand scheme was to interview a vicious cartel leader to regain his fortune and family. What he didn't count on was his friend's thievery and the cartel leader's greed. I need this in paper back!
August 9, 2023
No point in recapping the publisher's blurb of this mad adventure spawned by falling victim of a Ponzi scheme as envisioned by the McKenzie brothers. Laughed my way through most of the book!
I requested and received an EARC from Venator Media Solutions via NetGalley. Thank you
I requested and received an EARC from Venator Media Solutions via NetGalley. Thank you
August 19, 2024
If one were to read the blurb of this book, it comes across as pretty ridiculous. A drug lord, an author down on his luck, and his friend, an emu. What follows makes a fun read. For sure, if this book ends up being made into a movie, I won't b surprised. It was such a fun read.
December 1, 2021
Simply Enjoyable
This was such a fun read! Very witty humor, and loved that everything that happened was completely unexpected. Would recommend!
This was such a fun read! Very witty humor, and loved that everything that happened was completely unexpected. Would recommend!
January 28, 2022
2021 Best Indie Book Award Winner!
February 28, 2021
Very funny (silly, actually) fast paced read. Being immature myself, I did enjoy the immature humor. Improbable situations and broad characterizations of nutty characters might make this a good movie. While I personally enjoyed this nominated book, I am not sure it has the gravitas to be given a Minnesota Book Award.
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