Book Review: Doohickey

Reviewed By: Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM

Doohickey     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Pete Hautman
Class/Genre:   Mystery
October 2002, Simon and Schuster 277 pages/$24.00

Nick Fashon has a very strange Grandfather named Caleb. Caleb is a bit of a hermit, living on a compound out in the desert of Arizona. He’s also an inventor who’s never really sold much, except for caskets for pets. But that didn’t stop him from inventing a whole slew of different things. When Caleb dies, he leaves it all to Nick. But Nick is perfectly happy running his clothing store, Love and Fashion, with his partner, Vince Love.

But then Nick’s whole life changes. The store burns down, taking his apartment with it, leaving him with nothing. Well, nothing but Caleb’s inventions; all the watchamacalits and doohickeys. Being the entrepreneur that he is, he tries to salvage his life using an invention of his Grandfather’s called the Handy Mate as a means to start over. But due to his Grandfather’s strangeness, nothing is as simple as it looks. Before he knows it, Nick is quickly losing control. He’s getting advice from a Cable TV cooking show host, a very weird lawyer, and his girlfriend’s ex- cop Father. Plus the insurance company thinks he started the fire. But, who really did? And who can he trust?

This is a great book, and it kept me up damn late reading! The characters are wonderful and keep you guessing. I would say you really couldn’t go wrong with this book!

Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jon Jordan - Crime Spree Magazine - RAM