When a book starts with that type of title, you know that there is going to be something absolutely absurd in this book. Brace yourself – it’s all true. How a family gets into all the shenanigans author G.S. Gerry regales readers with can only be described as “a series of unfortunate events.” Yeah, this book would make Lemony Snicket proud. It is easy to say that whatever you believe in: God, the Universe, Fate or something else entirely one fact is true. Someone somewhere out there in the ether… has an epic sense of humor.
Meth Murder and Amazon is the debut novel by G.S. Gerry, and the author really pulls out all the stops. As you read this book you are honestly going to think – “there is no way that some of these scenarios are actually true. It just can’t be!” Well, sometimes…life is stranger than fiction, and this story will strive to remind us all of that particular point.
Let’s preface this review with this little bit of food for thought – put your expectations aside. The author is going to take an unorthodox approach to telling this tale. The approach is to apply as much humor as possible to the tale. Is this an attempt to downplay some of the drama and “horror”? Not at all! It will simply go to better highlight some of the absurdity of some of the situations this family finds themselves dealing with.
As this family embarks on the “daunting” task of selling their home they are going to be faced with shady real estate agents, ridiculously ridiculous real estate agents, and then there are the ones that are more than tolerant of this family’s, especially Mr. Grake’s, shenanigans. Yeah, they go through quite a few real estate agents, but as you read – you’re going to understand exactly why.
This book’s disclaimer truly sets the stage for what you can expect moving forward into this book. Every single one of the people, businesses, and locations (yes, that includes states) is changed. The names that the author comes up with for each one – are hilarious. You’re sure to have your favorite by the end of the book, but my personal favorite was – Slashosaurus Max.
As this book proceeds, author G.S. Gerry gives readers a quick glimpse as to the “starting line-up” i.e. the family. Life seems good. Grake has a good job, a great family, now it’s time to accomplish that real estate dream of “buy low, sell high.” Take a moment and wish them luck, because they’re going to need it. LOL! What should have been a relatively simple process (with the right people it usually is) turns into a maelstrom of chaos. But honestly, none of this could have been known when they started.
Scattered throughout this book are a collection of photographs. Each photo contributes to the storyline by imparting more of what the author wants readers to better understand. Exactly what they are working with or dealing with depending on the situation. Either you’re getting a lovely view of the house, or getting an “insider glimpse” at the infamous “scene of the crime.”
This book packs it on heavily when it comes to hilarity and humor. There are going to be scenes that will see your brows dropping along with your jaw. The scene in the Titan with the police pulling them over? OMG! The way that they (the police) describe what they witnessed – will literally have you flabbergasted and then howling with laughter. It would take a stretch of the imagination to make up what they claimed they saw. Odds are that is probably the most hilarious moment in this entire book.
You’re wondering about the murder though, right? Let’s be real. That WHOLE situation from beginning to end is bizarre, hilarious, and just downright ridiculous. The individuals involved…you’d think that it was some sort of skit gone wrong the way it all plays out. This family gets accused of murder!!! Murder!?! But who they are accused of murdering is what throws it all out the window into “Absurd-ville.”
Meth Murder and Amazon are guaranteed to have you laughing more often than not. The drawback of this book, and how you know it’s not a work of fiction is the entire meth situation. It ends up coming off as over-hyped. You try to tamp down your expectation of what’s coming. However, that in and of itself is difficult to do when the author keeps dropping “meth-tastic” cue words. LOL! The expectation builds that while the family has been out of the house someone has come along, taken advantage, and done something truly heinous. No such luck…or misfortune. Granted, that’s honestly a good thing because it would have only made matters 100x worse for them.
The meth aspect of the story isn’t as loaded as the “murder” situation. It’s a nothing burger. While this is disappointing, it emphasizes that this is not a work of fiction. Because what author would refuse to take THAT situation and not make something more of it?? None! Any and every author would think “I need to make this more dramatic, so let’s embellish it.” So, we can applaud the author for keeping it real and not “meth”-ing around too much with the truth. LOL!
Of course, it doesn’t end there. The crazy goes on for six months. Six months of hoping, being disappointed, making plans, worrying that something worse is going to happen, and unintentionally adding more drama to their plates. You will wonder how they managed to make it through all of this with their sanity intact. We all know not everyone would be capable of that.
It’s not every day that someone can take what should have been a simple task of selling a house, and find themselves embroiled in a real-life Lemony Snicket story, but G.S. Gerry managed exactly that.
Pros:
- Hilarious
- Page-turner
- Engaging writing style
- Dramatic
- Puny
Cons:
- The meth and Amazon angles come off as over-hyped.
Lesson of the story: A simple “buy low, sell high” story of real estate becomes – just keep hanging in there! It can only get better from here. Right? Right?!
Cover Score: 8.4/10
Overall Book Score: 8.7/10
Get your copy Amazon De / US || Goodreads || Scribd
This review was made by Bunny. More here
Scribble's Worth 
Leave a comment