Knock 'Em Dead, Donny

by S.A. Adams

There is only one way out of purgatory. Wait until your sentence is up. But I ain’t got time for that.

My name is Donny, and this is the story of my death. The good news is there is an afterlife, the bad news is I didn’t make it into Heaven. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Remanded to purgatory, Saint Peter offers me a reduced sentence if I opt for the seventh level. It sounded like a great deal, but it turned into my worst nightmare.

Now my daughter is in trouble back on Earth. I can’t let her end up in purgatory, or God forbid, some place worse. I need to save her before it’s too late. But that would mean the impossible—breaking out. I’ll do anything to save my daughter. I just hope I don’t lose my soul in the process.

*The Infernal Parable is a literary dark fantasy journey into the heart and soul of a man, struggling with his inner demons in a morally gray universe. It follows his regrets, inspirations, penitence, and ultimate redemption.*

ebook

Published June 10, 2022

About the author

As a child, S. A. Adams would lie awake at night listening to the coyotes' howl. Their yellow eyes glowed in the dark outside his window in Southern Arizona. He told himself stories to fall asleep. Due to his parent’s careers and family issues, he had a whirlwind childhood, being thrown around to ten different schools in twelve years. He graduated from George Mason University in 2004, but suburban Virginia wasn’t exotic enough to settle down. His love for all things African brought him back to the continent in 2005, and he currently resides in Mozambique. He still hears the coyotes howling in his dreams

Reviews

[S.A. Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Most people enjoy the sight of their own handwriting as they enjoy the smell of their own farts." W. H. Auden

[Myla Karee · Rating 5 out of 5]

When thinking of noir, I imagine snappy dialogue, femme fatales, hard boiled stories, but the heart of noir is the character who has nothing left to lose. When their only way out is through, every possible decision, the wrong one… You get noir.

I’m here for it.

Donny is done. He’s massively destroyed his life by living as F. Scott Fitzgerald once described as careless.

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Add in modern vices and a profane mouth, and it’s amazing that Donny made it to the second page of the book.

The book is technically horror, but it read as true noir, with a touch of literary flair.

Upon Donny’s death, he descends to purgatory which was a little more on the hellish side of the afterlife, all the while cracking jokes. He’s a hard-boiled character in the sense of old Humphrey Bogart films. There’s a lot of humor in the story.

We see Donny as a selfish wreck of a human, but as time marches on the deserts of purgatory, it’s plain his greatest sins went much deeper than a Fitzgerald carelessness. He let the ones he loved in life go with an unparalleled selfishness, leaving unfathomable damage.

Millennia’s go by on purgatory time, and Donny reflects… and maybe he needs to go back, save the daughter he’s let down a million times.

Only the devil would allow such a transgression against laws of order, nature and time. So, Donny goes to meet the devil.

I absolutely loved this book, and read it in one sitting.

For no particular reason, I’ll end the review with song lyrics:

“If man is five, if man is five, if man is five
Then the devil is six, then the devil is six
The devil is six, the devil is six and if the devil is six
Then God is seven, then God is seven, the God is seven”
—The Pixies

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modern take on Dante’s comedy

I really dislike books about people having adventures in the afterlife, but when the description for this book mentioned a man in purgatory wanting to get his daughter into heaven it sounded different enough that I was willing to give it a go.

I really liked the author’s nods to The Divine Comedy, with the set up of purgatory, the levels of trial, and of course the characters of Virgil and Beatriz as Donny’s guides.

Donny is a very unlikable character, and I thought the flash backs to his time on earth were interesting. It showed how selfish he was, the choices he had made and the people he had hurt.

The sins of the father, so to speak, that have led to Donny’s daughter falling into a downward spiral of addiction and abuse were well shown and suitably heart wrenching.

I liked the idea of the prayers of the living offering solace to those in purgatory.

Unfortunately, despite all the good things about this book, it suffers from the same problems that turn me against other books in this sub genre. There is no spiritual side to the afterlife, with existence still requiring sleep, food, work and even the only worthy male female relationship being depicted as sexual! God is absent. Despite taking the Catholic concept of purgatory, the idea of sin and atonement is so nebulous that I’ve no idea why anyone would want to get to heaven. Ultimately, the plucky behavior of a human trumps everything else.

I’m hopeful that Donny will take responsibility for his actions in the second book, that he will show remorse for his sins and how they have negatively impacted upon others, and that he will long to be in the presence of goodness. The author has intrigued me sufficiently that I’m looking forward to reading another book.

[Hayleigh Sol · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about SA Adams’s writing is that I never know what to expect. Each of his books are so different: characters, setting, themes. This one was definitely dark humor with an anti-hero and some triggers (alcohol and drug abuse, suggestion of rape, etc). While dark humor and anti-heroes may not be my go-to, this book was well written, engaging, and the themes are ones the reader can identify with. Donny alternately had me throwing my hands up in disgust, and crossing my fingers in fervent hope for his redemption. He’s human.

Though Donny may seem, at first, to have no redeeming qualities, we see examples of his potential for decency throughout. From his relationship with his brother to the choices he made for his daughter, thinking they were best, even if they kept him out of her life, we see that Donny’s life was not so black-and-white. In Purgatory, he tries to avoid hurting others, but the odds are stacked against him (as in life, Donny would say). He forces himself to do the horrendous task he’s assigned and endure the guilt and torment. The character of Beatriz and the change in her relationship with Donny really brings home the message of redemption. All is not hopeless for Donny, or, more importantly, for his daughter.

When I got to the end of Book 1, I literally said out loud, “There’s a Book 2?!” That’s how wrapped up in the story I was - I didn’t even notice that I’d made it to the 90% range. So, here I go, picking up Book 2 right this minute so I can follow the rest of Donny’s twisted journey.

[Dereese Reids · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bleak picture of the here-after.

Plot: A washed-up stand-up comedian discovers that, not only are Heaven and Hell very real, but you can’t opt-out of judgment through atheism. Sentenced to serve a ridiculously long time in Purgatory, and thereby freed from his alcoholism and habitual self-absorption, Donny finally gets his priorities straight: his delinquent teenage daughter is on a crooked path and he is determined to set her straight, even if it means throwing away his one shot at redemption. As the novel progresses and Donny becomes more and more disillusioned with heaven and its angels, he turns to darker allies in his desperation.

Prose: Knock’em Dead is well written and at times witty. Not as drop-dead humorous as one might hope, having a celebrity stand-up comedian as the narrator, but that does not take away from the well-crafted prose. For an indie novel, it has done a remarkable job of buffing out editing errors.

Originality: Rather than embarking on a romp of badassery, such as an episode of Supernatural might, Knock’em Dead takes the reader along on a psychologically tortured scenic route. It injects our modern sensibilities into something that smacks of Dante’s Inferno, complete with guest appearances by Darth Vader and many other 80s pop-culture references.

Character: Written in the first-person, Donny is the singular character of the story and is thoroughly unlikeable. Other characters suffer in comparison, providing aims or obstacles or crisis as needed, but never striding the stage themselves. This is in keeping with the idea of a parable or allegory, such as Dante’s Inferno, which clearly provided a lot of inspiration.

Overall: It kept my attention until the end. And, while I can’t say I was actually rooting for Donny, I suspect that was (partly) the point.

[Aubrey Cleeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seen other books by S.A. Adams around and have always been interested in them just by the unique premise alone. I picked up Knock Em Dead Donny (a rapid departure from the author’s previous books) because my intrigue was more than piqued, and what I found did not disappoint.

Knock Em Dead Donny pulls a lot of inspiration from The Divine Comedy and there are subtle nods to the work, such as the mention of Dante’s Bar and the appearance of Virgil. The iconic imagery is emulated here, and after Donny’s death we are pulled straight into the afterlife with some very vivid imagery and a terrifying hierarchy of power. I loved how this afterlife was structured and the fear that accompanied Purgatory.

Donny is not a likable character, but I think that is a requirement for the book to work - we must dislike him if we want to follow this character’s journey and development. I soon realised that he is more complex and less shallow than I first thought, and his development is really good in that he only realises what is important in life after his death. There was some uncomfortable content, a great deal of humour, and some great characters like Derek, Beatriz and Michael. I loved the creativity of the barman and the vengeful angels too.

The book ends too soon and leads into the second one. It is a short book but it works well being split as it ends in a natural break in the story. I look forward to seeing the rest of Donny’s adventure soon.

[Elle Sie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun romp through the afterlife for the book's antihero, Donny. We find him at the start less than satisfied with his life trying to make good of his relationship with his teenage daughter Jeannie and manage complaints of bigotry against him while a radio DJ for taking jokes with telephone callers too far. After crashing his corvette and dying, he is whisked to heaven by Saint Michael, a rather free-spirited fanboy of Donny, and I appreciated the nod to 'Bill and Ted's Bogus journey' when Michael said "all we are is dust in the wiiiiiind", which gave me a chuckle. I thought this was a witty take on Dante's The Divine Comedy and I liked how Saint Michael and Lucifer, among others, were fans on Donny since he had once been a huge celebrity. It was also interesting how the author chose to censor the 'f' word throughout, using **** as an omission, except in the chapter where Lucifer was introduced, making me wonder if the profanity was to highlight the 'bad' aspect of the fallen Saint?

One of my favourite aspects of this story was how Donny's redemption arc was handled: he was effectively 'promoted' up through the levels of purgatory by reassessing painful memories from his past, involving his daughter Jeannie and also more tragic figures such as his brother, Robbie. It also showed a mature side of Donny's character that was capable of growth, ironically while dead: his desire to save his daughter's soul from a fate like his own made him more likeable and redeemable than the person he started out as. I liked his relationship with his guide in purgatory, Beatriz and the build up to the ending, which was satisfying as a standalone, but also sets up the sequel for Donny's journey through the afterlife.

[Pippa Hoover · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it difficult to rate this book, because so much of the writing left me with a “what did I just read” feeling, in both good and bad ways.

Based on the synopsis from the author (which described the book as “literary” and as a story of redemption), I was expecting it to be more on the serious side. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a comedic thread throughout the book. The protagonist is a stand-up comic, and his interactions with the angels often had a zany tone that reminded me of The Good Place.

More times than I could count, I found myself stopping to read a hilarious sentence aloud to my boyfriend, usually an off-beat metaphor. The humor made the story entertaining, and helped make the character’s profession more believable.

However, I also thought the narration was a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it seemed stilted, with overly fancy vocabulary that I didn’t think fit the character, and at other times the narrator was cursing and using slang. I also found it very strange that the author completely censored some curse words while fully printing female slurs.

I also wasn’t a fan of how women were incorporated into this book. The main female characters were the daughter Jeannie, who the protagonist was trying to save, and Beatriz, an attractive woman that he meets and befriends in purgatory who is at one point described as childlike. We barely learn anything about these women as people beyond how they relate to the protagonist, and their pain is used mainly as a plot device to help him grow or to prompt him to action.

Overall, the story was easy to read, though not really my taste, and there were some very funny moments that I appreciated.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donny Dombrowski had it all. He rose from an underprivileged childhood to make his name as a stand-up comic, gained fame, fortune and his own show on the radio. Same old story though, too much drink and too many drugs,  plus too much focus on himself, means that Donny's wife is now his ex and his young daughter doesn't want to know.

As Donny D bought into the myth of his own celebrity, the Knock 'Em Dead show turned into the Knock Donny Down movement, with outraged and offended former fans attempting to cancel the far-too-outspoken bigot that Donny has become.

His downfall is swift, as one too many acts of overreaching himself leaves Donny dead, serving a lengthy sentence in Purgatory, where the tasks he's required to perform are, well, purgatory, and his ascension to Heaven seems doubtful. A dead loss in life, a no-hoper in death, Donny has no purpose. Until, that is, the daughter who he disappointed calls on him as her difficult teenage years take a wrong turn down a bad road.

Desperate to return and help her, to make amends for the unthinking neglect to which he subjected her, Donny seeks a way back to Jeanie. The saints who run his days in Purgatory offering no hope however, Donny sets his sights lower. Is a deal with the Devil the way forward?

A well-written and thought-provoking story from author S.A.Adams, Knock 'Em Dead Donny forms the first text in the Infernal Parable series.

[Wolffy Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put it down. Knock 'Em Dead Donny hooked me in the first chapter. There was absolutely no time wasted getting into the meat of the story and no wasted words either. I dug the imagery throughout (purgatory, hell, etc...) and rooted for Donny from the get-go. As a matter of fact, I'm still rooting for him; I will definitely be starting book two, Give 'Em Hell Donny, very soon to find out what happens next. And I'll probably check out anything else this author writes as well. This story is fast-paced fun with wickedly (pun intended) interesting characters (angels, demons, tormented souls, the Devil himself) and it's a good reminder that your children will not always want to spend time with you. So don't squander it while they do. Or you may have to fight your way through mean spirited angels and meaner spirited demons to make up for lost time.

[Speciesamused · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donny is a washed up comedian who has a talk show on the radio. He gets into
a car accident and dies. A fan angel comes and takes him to the pearly gates but he
has to do time in hell first, 100 thousand years. In Purgatory Donny is like a cop in purgatory
and he goes around punishing people with a whip when he is telepathically told to.
The people in purgatory get a fresh fruit and hear the person who says a prayer for them.
Donny has a daughter and she is big trouble as he hears and sees her in her prayer. He mus find a way to go back to help her. A great story out of the mind
of this author. I am on to the second book.

[readit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Donny, a selfish, obnoxious radio host who, through only his own faults, finds himself dead and in Purgatory. And shocker – he doesn’t want to be there! He has things to do, his daughter’s soul to save. So begins his journey into the afterlife and how to survive it.

I should hate Donny because of the way he led his life (and afterlife), and the way he treats other people, but I can’t help rooting for him. Maybe because of his daughter, his one redeeming grace. I want to her safe, so therefore, I must want Donny to win.

I love books by S. A. Adams. His stories never disappoint me. They’re always filled with humour, either the dark kind or the kind that make you laugh out loud. This book is cleverly written from the main character’s point of view. The writing is polished, and the action flows constantly. The story kept me riveted throughout wanting to see how Donny was going to make it out of purgatory. I was upset when I reached the end because I wanted more. Fortunately, there’s a sequel!