Blog Tour: Jack Getze's 'Big Numbers' Review & Giveaway

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.

Goodreads | Amazon

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




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. 

Website | Goodreads

My Review:

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unlike anything I've ever read before. I have read a ton of mysteries in my life, but none quite like this one. This book manages to be both funny and witty, while still being a legitimate mystery. The main character, Austin Carr, made me laugh throughout the story, both with and at him. The plot takes you on twists and turns. This book is genuinely entertaining on multiple levels.

'Big Numbers' tells the story of Austin Carr. Carr is a down on his luck stockbroker who is both divorced and a father. Because of his financial troubles he is unable to pay his alimony and child support which means he isn't allowed to see his kids. The story centers around his attempts to get the money needed to see his children again. He embarks on a series of crazy misadventures in the form of a scheme to get fast cash and basically has the worst luck possible. The story escalates and madness ensues. I don't want to give away the story, but the bottom-line is: be glad you aren't Austin Carr.

First off I need to talk about Austin. He is hilarious and maybe just a touch delusional. He is in pretty much the worst position possible, but he genuinely believes that his charm and charisma will get him out of every situation. He's such an odd duck. He is so sure of himself and his ability to succeed, yet I wouldn't necessarily call him egotistical. He's kind of an enigma to me, but one I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

The story itself is beautifully written with interesting plot twists and well developed characters you can really sink your teeth into. It is action packed right from the get go and I literally couldn't stop reading until the very end. I ended up finishing the book in a number of hours in one sitting (and I'm not a crazy fast reader). I had a hard time figuring out who I, as a reader, should trust throughout the story and really had no idea where it was going to end up. I find it refreshing that I couldn't easily predict what would happen and who turned out to be evil and who turned out to be good. It's so easy for mysteries to be overly obvious and on the other end of the spectrum mysteries can go the other route and pull cheap tricks and omissions to make sure you don't figure out the end. This book didn't do either of those things. It was a genuinely well-written and intriguing mystery.

I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read with amazing characters and an unpredictable plot. It is not your everyday mystery novel and I love it for that. Jack Getze is clearly an incredible talent and I cannot wait to read the follow-up books to 'Big Numbers'. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 star rating.

Giveaway:

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