Book Review: The Mile High Club

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Mile High Club     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Kinky Friedman
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Humorous   Private Investigator
Series: Kinky Friedman # 13
Simon and Schuster, Sept 2000, $23.00, 224 pp.

Needing a vacation, private investigator Kinky Friedman flies to the old Texas homestead to relax. On the return trip to the Big Apple, Kinky attempts to speak to his beautiful row mate. She brushes him off until she asks him to hold her pretty, pink suitcase while she goes to the ladies room. The plane lands but there is no sight of Khadija Kejela anywhere. The Kinkster is not worried because she has his business card while her name and address is on the luggage.

Kinky receives strange telephone calls including one from the airlines and one from the State Department both claiming Khadija’s bag. The parties want Kinky to call them when she gets in touch with him. Inside the suitcase, Kinky finds thirty passports with the names and faces of Middle Eastern men and women. Khadija seems Middle Eastern and Kinky immediately thinks she has something to do with terrorism. Kinky being the nosy person he is decides to investigate the situation and hides the passports at the bottom of his cat’s filled litterbox. He and his friends (dubbed the Village Irregulars) find themselves involved in a situation that has deadly international ramifications.

The Kinkster is an irresistible, sexist, vulgar and uncouth fifty-three year old man who has a raunchy appeal to fans of Lenny Bruce. In THE MILE HIGH CLUB, the audience is treated to Kinky’s view on life, women, happiness and politics told as the pseudo-serious story line unfolds. The supporting cast, being friends with Kinky, naturally have the same philosophy. The dialogue is funny, suspenseful and fast paced, making THE MILE HIGH CLUB one of Kinky Friedman’s best works to date.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner