This was the second (and last, as he died before it was published) book by Kaufman, who wrote Bowl of Cherries in his nineties. I liked Bowl of Cherries better -- I found it's craziness a little more entertaining and the vocabulary/word choice was just fantastic (in a $10 word kind of way). That, said, this was still a very enjoyable book (and unlike Bowl of Cherries, had a good second half). Whereas Bowl of Cherries was more Vonnegut, this is more Coen brothers.

Noir genre, ambiguously set in the 80s in LA, murder mystery: Jack Hopkins is a real estate agent with a checkered past, an obnoxious boss, whiny girlfriend, and what seems to be a life of a hit man in front of him. A real estate mogul wants Jack to kill his wife, while his wife (our femme fatale) has offered to pay Jack $10 million to kill her husband. But then she turns up dead. Add in private islands, monkeys, illicit affairs, murder, rubies, backstabbing and dealmaking and it's an interesting, fast-paced read. This is more than just a murder mystery -- the characters are great in and of themselves and the ending is more than a "voila the murderer is revealed" type of ending (it's deeper).

I'd give this a B+. It's a rare combination of a quick read with actual substance, the characters are great, and I was entertained. It's a pleasant weekend read, but not life-altering or going to stick with you for years to come. Kaufman is such a great storyteller, you wonder what he would've done with an A+ plot. ( )

Comic noir about a real estate agent entangled in a very messy domestic menage-a-trois leading to several murders and other shenanigans. Stylishly written with a cast of eccentrics and losers, it's like GlenGarry Glen Ross crossed with Fargo. Fun from the cocreator of Mister Magoo. See my full review at my blog here: http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2010/12/review-misadventure-by-millard-kaufman.... ( )