Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Review: Big Numbers by Jack Getze (Tour Stop)



Synopsis 
Laugh at divorced dad Austin Carr, a funny, oversexed scamp who'll do anything to get his kids back. Think Bugs Bunny with guns and a penis.
             Divorced dad Austin Carr wakes up every day in a beat-up camper, parked on someone else’s private property. Why? Because his alimony and child support payments were established by New Jersey’s family court system when his income was double, and for the last two years he has failed to earn the legally mandated monthly nut. He’s had his savings drained, his Maxima repossessed, his salary attached, and his visiting rights suspended. He bought the twelve-year-old Chevy pick-up with the rusty camper for $800 last month because another landlord tossed his butt in the street. Will stretching the rules, his own morals, and the boundaries of common sense raise the cash needed to get his kids back? Or will his big mouth and bad behavior set him up for a nasty double-cross? See if Austin can redeem himself and win back his children.
PRAISE FOR BIG NUMBERS:
“Darkly comic, with an engaging protagonist.”
-- T.J. MacGregor, Edgar Winner, Author of The Tango Key Mysteries

“Big Numbers is a gritty, sexy, violent, and funny book.”
-- Liz Clifford at Reviewed by Liz

“Wonderful characters…well-written, entertaining…a good read.”
--Connie Anderson for Armchair Interviews

“Indiana Jones has his whip and Luke Skywalker has his light saber, but for Austin Carr, his full-boat grin is the weapon of choice.”
--Melissa for Lou Reads

“Jack Getze started his career as a newspaper reporter. As a result, BIG NUMBERS is lean and mean, with not a word wasted. A truly fun, genuinely funny read.”
--Lisa Guidarini for Bluestalking Reader


My Rating: 4

My Review:

I didn't know what to expect when first reading Big Numbers. It isn't my usual cup of tea, as I normally feel like I need a safety net whenever I consider branching out of the world of YA fiction. However, I really enjoyed reading Big Numbers. The quick chapters and fast pacing allow the reader to tear through the novel relatively quickly, which is a breath of fresh air when you have a to-do list as long as mine. Big Numbers has enough drama and bedroom action to be made into a Lifetime movie, while also having enough suspense and real action to keep everyone else invested.

Austin Carr is definitely not an average hero. In fact, he is hardly a likeable person. Of course, that just makes me like him even more. Anyone with a sarcastic or dark sense of humor is good in my book. Add that to his "full boat" smile and who cares what crappy decisions he made. If I wanted to read about obscenely perfect men, I'd read some cheesy romantic fan fiction. I'll take the a sarcastic son-of-a-bitch over a sensitive 'dreamboat' any day.

The plot of Big Numbers kept me at the edge of my seat. Not only do all of the issues and aspects involve real world problems, but there are continuous twists throughout the writing. Unlike a bad Lifetime movie, I could not easily foresee the end. Not to mention, the action scenes really kept the story going. Nothing gets a reader excited like near death experiences. (Or, once they lose enough favorite characters to reach a level of heartlessness, actual death experiences.) Fortunately, Big Numbers has both. 

Whether you are a fan of crime, mystery, suspense, or simply cocky guys (in all sense of the word) with a fast tongue and a nice smile, then you will definitely enjoy reading Austin Carr's story in Big Numbers. With excellent writing, witty dialogue, and plenty of action and suspense, I enjoyed every page.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Former Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Getze is Fiction Editor for Anthony-nominated Spinetingler Magazine, one of the internet's oldest websites for noir, crime, and horror short stories. His screwball Austin Carr mysteries, BIG NUMBERS and BIG MONEY, are being reissued in 2013 by Down and Out Books, with the new BIG MOJO set for 2014. His short stories have appeared online at A Twist of Noir, Beat to a Pulp, and next month The Big Adios. Getze is an Active Member of Mystery Writers of America. 
Visit Jack online at:

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2 comments:

  1. Appreciate your giving Austin a boost, Ms. Chick lit. He's a strange duck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This book is free on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, iTunes, and Kobo. 1/15/2018

    ReplyDelete