Whale Season

by N.M. Kelby

One Christmas Eve, Whale Harbor is visited by a man who thinks he’s Jesus and claims to be looking for a game of poker. But, as usual, things are not quite what they seem. Having some version of the Lord in town for his birthday creates a strange effect on the unlikely couples are breaking up and making up and making out; a luxury mobile home that belonged to an elderly couple from New Jersey (until they disappeared after a run-in with “the Lord”) is won by a down-on-his-luck gambler in an unbelievable hand of poker; the area’s most well-known and long-forgotten tourist attraction is rising up from a hole in the ground; and a gun no one has used in years is suddenly in hot demand. In the steamy climes of southern Florida, you take your miracles where you can get them—and if that means being led to salvation by a schizophrenic with a rap sheet, so be it.

In the rollicking tradition of Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season , with the heart of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon , and peopled by the kind of colorful characters who would be quite at home in any Tom Robbins novel, N. M. Kelby’s Whale Season is a sharp and funny novel made up of equal parts comic adventure and serial-killer inspired mayhem.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Dr. Nicole Mary Kelby is the critically acclaimed international author of seven novels including THE PINK SUIT, WHITE TRUFFLES IN WINTER and the New York Times bestseller IN THE COMPANY OF ANGELS. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Bush Artist Fellowship in Literature, Florida Book Award, and both the Florida and Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship. She is toured and translated worldwide. Her forthcoming novel, A SMALL HISTORY OF THE KNOWN WORLD, is based on the lives of Mark Twain and his epileptic daughter Jean. Set the day before Christmas Eve, throughout the course of a meal, these two broken mercurial creatures inch towards love, disaster, and the tragic secret of the angels of Venice. Kelby lives with Irish sculptor Alan Milligan. With their wee dog in tow, they divide their time between their two countries.

Reviews

[Ginger Bensman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read by N. M. Kelby was her exquisite In the Company of Angels. What a discovery! So when I came across a used copy of Whale Season, I snapped it up, understanding, of course, that this would be a very different book, and it was. Whale Season is a tongue-in-cheek romp about a misnamed dead-end Florida town and the eccentric (sometimes deranged) characters who frequent the place. I found the writing in Whale Season less impressive than In the Company of Angels, but I’m giving this book four stars for originality and plenty of heart.

[Amber Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was wild, lol.

[Alex DeBlois · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this Florida Gonzo Fiction wannabe. Unfortunately, as a first time novelist, the author struggled with her characters, the story and transitions between threads. As a Florida Gonzo/Mystery aficianado, I was disappointed.

I read this in the paperback edition which is my preference but the "book group" discussion questions at the end were a complete turn-off.

I will hesitate to pursue the latest release, currently available only in hardback.

[Michelle Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like Frank Peretti’s The Visitation, except in a more humorous, brightly colored packaging. Great characters, fun situational comedy, a tense climax, and really solid writing!

[Lauren Shapiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

another plane speed run. I’m not sure if I’m take away religion murder or stay away from Florida

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read!

[Sheri S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. It was an original and interesting idea, I just thought it was going to be better than it was. It was a great premise of a story, but I don't know, it just seemed to be lacking something! It was full of wacky characters in a wacky town with a wacky storyline and the book jacket said it said it was "a laugh-out-loud read", but I wasn't laughing!!! I think maybe the serial killer, mental illness issues and down-and-out bad luck made it too dark to ever be really comedic!!! And this book was written very much along the lines of a Carl Hiassen story, and the author even states that she asked for his advice (and he has written his own review on the cover, too), yet I wouldn't actually compare this to his style, I think it was a rather weak imitation!!! But, that's just my opinion! Like I said, it wasn't a terrible book, just not one that I really got into or one that I'd tell my friends to go rush off to read!!

[Dy_goddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by NM Kelby, I heard about it through Dwight Yoakam's Fan Club message board.
This book made me laugh out loud so often, it was crazazy!
What can I say: you have to read it. NM Kelby has THE most interesting and different characters, just quirky and one-of-a-kind folks that we can all relate them to someone we know in real life. Love that!
Jesus shows up in a small town in Florida on Christmas Eve for a quick game of poker, he manages to meet Jimmy Ray the buddhist musician and the hilarious Leon, the guy you really want to dislike but just can't!
Bee-Jeesus, this book is wonderful and I highly recommend it.
Nicole's writing is so funny and ironic. Her use of metaphor within the framework of a humid, Florida carny atmosphere is nothing less than brilliant.
Read this book!

[Beth Peninger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huh. Really, that's all I can come up with in regards to this book. I don't get it.
I kept reading the book in hopes that at some point I would connect with the characters, the story, anything at all. It never happened. It's not badly written just poorly executed, in my opinion.
I never did care about the characters, I never cared about the story, I had no feelings either way about Jesus - this book was a very uninteresting, dull read for me.
I don't feel like Kelby developed the characters enough for me, the reader, to care. It was a random story line that was disjointed and chaotic at best. I just didn't see the "brilliance" in it at all.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I needed. This is an easy read, but it's thoughtful and hilarious too. Basically it's a bunch of off-beat characters thrown together in a wacky circumstance. The author digs just deep enough into each character to allow you to connect with them, but I found myself with enough room to vaguely attach the characters to people I know in real life.

The setting is perfect. Dinky beach towns in Florida fascinate me. This book is exactly how I picture them. (No offense, Floridians!)

The story is quick. It's funny. Definitely worth a read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Kelby book I have read - the first was Murder at the Bad Girl's Bar and Grill and I love them!! Whale Harbor is a small town in Florida where there have never been any whales. There is, however, a Jesus who shows up on his birthday, a Las Vegas card dealer with a mysterious scar, and a Buddhist blues man.

[Megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book still makes me laugh. I love the fact that on the cover it shows a picture of Jesus with the thumbs up recommending this book. This mystery has humor, romance, intrigue, murder, mystery and a kick butt surprise ending

[Hannah Holborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whale Season is a kalidescope of heart-warming craziness. A kind-hearted serial killer offers his new buddy the Hallmark card of death, honey bees swarm a comotose used RV salesman, a boy bonds with a hat wearing aligator and so, so much more. Nicole Kelby writes southern-fried Monty Python.

[Frances Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book filled with colorful, quirky characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it prompted me to search out more of Nicole Kelby's works. They're not all like Whale Season, but they are all excellent. Ms. Kelby writes in quite a range of "tones." Fascinating.

[Sarah H · Rating 3 out of 5]

N.M. Kelby presents a little slice of Carl Hiaasen country--lots of weird Floridians, and a hundred different plots. She writes wonderfully vivid descriptions, and despite the rampant dysfunction and a vague undertone of menace, it's actually kind of charming. Good summer read!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining, not really funny or all that believable, unless crazy is your thing. This author was unknown to me before I happened to pick up this book. Probably will stay that way

[Priya K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sitting in my closet for song time (a year? Maybe 2?) and I decided to read it finally before donating it. It's decent. Not sure what made people laugh out loud, but I did really enjoy the characterizations of Dagmar, Jimmy Ray, and Trot. Kelby also definitely has a flair for description. Wouldn't read it again but was an interesting few hours.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good, easy read. It was a charming story of a quirky town with some quirky characters. There was some interesting social commentary weaved within an otherwise one dimensional story. There was some interesting characters whose personal backgrounds had depth, they weren’t as one dimensional which I appreciated.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whale meat again

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book at my local library because I like the premise and the cover. It sounded quirky. I love quirky books. And I have a goal. I have to read 50 books by the end of the year and I'm 4 away and this might so fine.

So I started. And since I'm a new author, I was looking especially at the style and choices the author made. I want to give this book a lot of stars. I root for the underdog that way.

On the premise alone, I gave it four stars. But then I found the super short sentences. Like the ones in this review. Very annoying.

Then the point of view went from head to head without any explanation. I'm taking away a star for this. Shoot.

Now the complicated plot is a little too quirky and there were some unnecessary characters. And I was a little offended at the "you deserve salvation" bit. I can see why a serial killer Jesus sounds interesting, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Now we're down to 2 stars.

Then I read chapter 32 and almost threw the book across the room.

Then I read chapter 35 and said "OH!!" So the book gets a star back, but I'm not dazzled.

If I get to the last three chapters and I catch myself thinking, "At least this gets me closer to my reading goal", then I should take away a star.

Sigh. My quirky, marginally interesting journey into a format Florida tourist trap town at Christmastime is over. I had a forgettable time.

I don't wish you were here.

[✩Anna✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, a lot of people are comparing N.M. Kelby to Carl Hiaasen. I’ve never read anything by Hiaasen, so to me, this book didn’t really seem like a cheap imitation of anyone. I thoroughly enjoyed Whale Season. I thought the characters and setting were all original and captivating to read about. And although the plot seemed to be a little out there at times, I found that it was unrealistic in the way that the “Weird News” section of your local newspaper is also rather unrealistic.

Some have also complained about the length of the book as well, but I thought it was just fine. A quick read during the busy holiday season is fine by me. In fact, I wouldn’t mind reading more about the characters and what their lives were like after the events of Whale Season. Which is not to say that the novel ended abruptly or anything; I just found myself very attached to all of the characters.

I’m looking forward to reading more of N.M. Kelby’s work!

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in less than three hours. I would consider it is a novella rather than a full-fledged novel. I hate when books have huge print and big margins and are 300 pages long when they should have been 150. It seems like false advertising.

This book is in that quirky South Florida genre done so well by Carl Hiaasen. This definitely suffers by comparison. That may seem unfair, but if you're going to write a book like Carl Hiaasen, you have to expect to be compared to Carl Hiaasen.. The story itself is not bad. There is the usual ragtag bag of small town losers and semi-losers. A guy who thinks he is Jesus wanders into town and the story goes from there.

The problem for me was that the story was just so thin. There were plot lines that didn't seem to go anywhere and others that didn't seem necessary. It feels like a book that needs to be finished.

[Traummachine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Whale Season is the story of a serial killer who thinks he's Jesus, and what happens when he wanders into a small, dried up tourist town. He has crazy card games with the natives, makes friends with an old Southern gentlemen who's gone Buddhist, and is distrusted by the owner of the local brothel. Good times, good times. This makes the 4th author I like who sets stories of murder and crazy characters in Florida. I may or may not be scared of this state now.

N.M. Kelby's written 3 books, but this is the only comedic one. Just as the online reviews said, this reminded me of Carl Hiaasen...actually, I'd say her characters are Hiaasen, but her story is a little closer to Christopher Moore. Not quite as good as either, but definitely fun and worth the read if you like these authors.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a quirky mash up of Garrison Keillor and Christopher Moore. The story takes place in a small Florida town, which was probably a large part of the appeal for me as the Floridian in me could totally picture the various off the wall characters (Florida is just weird in many ways). The characters lend the Keillor feel as each is dysfunctional and offbeat in their own way and yet they don’t come across as “characters”. The idea of Jesus coming to town on Christmas in a RV, setting into play a whole series of events, lends the Moore feeling to the book. Kelby doesn’t quite pull off Moore’s writing ability, but she still has a strong grasp of utilizing sarcasm and irony.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dark comedy is a quick breezy read. It's quirky, odd, silly, and totally unrealistic, but that's what makes it fun and entertaining. It takes place in a small town in Florida called Whale Harbor, although there are no whales, and the citizens of the town comprise the characters, which although not fully developed in the plot are still weird enough to enjoy reading about as their lives are interrupted by a Jesus impersonator/serial killer who throws the town for a loop during the Christmas season. It's no Pulitzer Prize winner, but it's different enough to make the few hours it takes to read worth your time. (I own this book so if you want to borrow it, let me know.)

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a quick read - large print, large margins, and largely lacking. I felt like it would have worked better as a short story... there wasn't enough substance for a novel. I didn't buy the characters or the plot. I also felt like it was trying too hard to be quirky. I'm a big fan of quirky, but something about this book bugged me. Maybe. It. Was. All. The. One. Word. Sentences. I feel like I should have enjoyed this book more than I did. Maybe I was just in the wrong kind of mood for it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a very quick read--I finished it in a matter of hours. It certainly had a very interesting plot (I can't say I have ever found work of fiction about a schizophrenic sociopath "trapped" in Jesus' body), and I enjoyed it while reading it. I found myself caring for the characters, and got caught up in the twists and turns. The ending left something to be desired, and there were several avenues that were alluded to but never explored, including information from the past about several characters, but it was overall a good read.

[Chrisiant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt like Dave Barry's novels but less predictable jokes, Christopher Moore's novels but with a little more heart and a little less zany (just a little) and some of the flavor of Carl Hiassen with I'm not sure what missing because I've only read a little Carl Hiassen so far. All that to say, charming and amusing with plenty of plot twists and not a few chuckle-out-loud moments. It must be something about South Florida, but that location plus a bunch of hapless misfits and a Jesus serial killer add up to quite a good time.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good, light novel to read in a day. I picked this one up when I was near the end of Henry and Clara and things were getting ominous. This was set in a small Florida town and is peopled with a lot of quirky characters. Not overly quirky, so they are annoying, but just unique. Jesus comes to town at Christmas time in a fancy RV. His method of bringing salvation is a bit suspect and the people in the town deal with Jesus and their own problems.

[Erin Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I don't know how official any of my rankings really are.

This book would have gotten four stars if it had been better. :) It took a really long time to get started and seemed to drag a bit in the middle, but it finished fairly strong and I enjoyed the ending. Not sure how well it will go over in book group, especially the image of a grisly homicidal jesus holding a dead body in one hand and a bloody machete in the other.