BIG NUMBERS
by Jack Getze
It’s a good, funny story filled with suspense and adventure.
~Socrates Book Reviews
~Socrates Book Reviews
…quite a bit of action, drama and intrigue to balance out all the hilarious trouble Austin seems to bring with him wherever he goes.
~Turning The Pages
~Turning The Pages
If you like your mysteries with plenty of thrills with a side of crazy these pages will be flying.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
I was definitely surprised at some of the twists that occurred.
~Storeybook Reviews
~Storeybook Reviews
I love the character that is Austin Carr…
~Shelley’s Book Case
~Shelley’s Book Case
Big Numbers was a great read.
~Kaisy Daisy’s Corner
~Kaisy Daisy’s Corner
Series: An Austin Carr Mystery
The author calls the Genre: A SCREWBALL MYSTERY
First in Series
Paperback: 204 pages
Publisher: Down & Out Books (June 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193749554X
ISBN-13: 978-1937495541
E-Book File Size: 457 KB
ASIN: B00D3DJMJQ
Synopsis
Root for divorced dad Austin Carr, a funny, oversexed scamp who’ll use anything and everything to get his kids back.
Root for divorced dad Austin Carr, a funny, oversexed scamp who’ll use anything and everything to get his kids back.
Divorced father 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? Find out if Austin can redeem himself and win back his children.
Praise:
“Darkly comic, with an engaging protagonist.”
– T.J. MacGregor, Edgar Winner, Author of The Tango Key Mysteries
“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
– Liz Clifford at Reviewed by Liz
“Wonderful characters…well-written, entertaining…a good read.”
–Connie Anderson for Armchair Interviews
–Connie Anderson for Armchair Interviews
“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
–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. Through the Los Angeles Times/Washington Post News Syndicate, his news and feature stories were published in over five-hundred newspapers and periodicals worldwide. His two screwball mysteries, BIG NUMBERS and BIG MONEY, are being reissued by DOWN & OUT BOOKS, with the new BIG MOJO to follow. His short stories have appeared in A Twist of Noir and Beat to a Pulp. Getze is an Active Member of Mystery Writers of America’s New York Chapter.
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. Through the Los Angeles Times/Washington Post News Syndicate, his news and feature stories were published in over five-hundred newspapers and periodicals worldwide. His two screwball mysteries, BIG NUMBERS and BIG MONEY, are being reissued by DOWN & OUT BOOKS, with the new BIG MOJO to follow. His short stories have appeared in A Twist of Noir and Beat to a Pulp. Getze is an Active Member of Mystery Writers of America’s New York Chapter.
Author Links:
A Book Excerpt
My name’s Austin Carr. I’m a stockbroker. The slick expensive business cards in my wallet say I’m a Senior Financial Consultant for Shore Securities, Inc., Members of the American Association of Securities Dealers, but I’m really just a salesman and I work for myself. Straight commission. If I don’t sell, I don’t eat.
“Another margarita, Luis.”
A lot of people in my line of work call themselves investment counselors. They wear two-thousand-dollar Italian suits, carry alligator attaché cases, think and talk about themselves as professionals like doctors and lawyers. In truth, we’re closer kin to used car dealers, only more dangerous because losing your life savings is a tad worse than getting stuck with a leaky transmission.
It’s hard to sport illusions about yourself when you live in a camper. And I’ve always treated my clients with honesty, to the point of aggravating every sales manager I’ve ever had. Even so, keeping my self respect, I have not been thinking about this job in a favorable light. In fact, in the years since the market crashed, ruining my sales numbers, my finances, and more recently, any chance of being with my two children, Ryan and Beth, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying desperately to figure another way to earn a living.
“Another double?” Luis says.
“Por favor.”
Although no solution to my dilemma has yet presented itself, I’ve discovered it helps to ruminate in a positive setting: Luis’s Mexican Grill on Broad Street in Branchtown. The decor reminds me of home, Los Angeles, and Luis has an authentico Mexican chef, Cruz. Best of all, Luis works the bar himself every day.
“You are not going to work today?” Luis says.
“Careful, Luis. Your query borders on insult. In fact, I have already called work, only to discover that my monster client delayed our scheduled discourse until this afternoon. I stayed here this morning to spend some quality time with you and Cruz.”
“I recommend this be your final cocktail,” Luis says.
Dealing with numbers all the time is an ache in the ass, definitely, but my biggest problem with being a stockbroker is having to spend all day on the money machine, dialing for dollars, calling busy people at the wrong time, apologizing because the back office screwed up a check, downplaying the risks of an investment to exaggerate the benefits, dancing investors from one asset to another so I can take part of their principal as commission. To be a successful stockbroker, you have to be slightly larcenous.
I lick the wet salt from the rim of my still empty margarita glass. Of course I never worried about little things like morality while I was netting five- to ten-thousand dollars a month. It’s only been since my income dropped by more than half, and mainly since I lost physical contact with my children that I search for the social significance of securities sales.
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October 1 – Turning the Pages – Review
October 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review, Giveaway
October 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review, Giveaway
October 9 – fundinmental Review, Giveaway
October 10 – fuonlyknew – Guest Post
October 11 – Reviews By Karen – Review, Giveaway
October 12 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Giveaway
October 13 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – Review, Giveaway
October 14 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway
October 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – Review
October 16 – Brooke Blogs – Review
October 17 – Turning the Pages – Review
October 18 – Rose & Beps Blog – Guest Post
October 18 – Queen of all She Reads – Review, Giveaway
October 19 - Books and Needlepoint - Review, Giveaway
October 21 – Omnimystery - Interview
October 22 – Darla King Series – Review, Giveaway
October 24 – Community Bookstop – Review
October 26 - readalot – Review, Giveaway
October 27 – Jane Reads – Review, Giveaway
October 28 – THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK – Review, Giveaway
My Thoughts
Big Numbers is the story of Austen Carr, stock broker with the worst luck. He has an angry ex wife who will not let him see his kids unless he pays her back support, he lives in a beat up camper parked in the parking lot of his favorite restaurant. He has a boss, who is a real jerk, who would love to see him fired but the owner of the brokerage does not want to do that because Austen is able to play golf successfully and help him with his own golf game. Austen also loves to have a few drinks at his favorite watering hole, where he parks his "home" and he really loves to have sex, lots of it and with the girlfriend of one of his big clients. He is relatively happy in spite of his circumstances but it all goes downhill when an investment goes wrong and a client wants his $50,000 back and he will do whatever it takes to get it back, including beating Austen senseless and sending hi to the emergency room, not once but three times in four days.
The book is full of nonstop humor, lots of violence, sex and enough bad guys and other quirky characters to keep the pages turning. The story only takes place over a few days in Austen's life but what a crazy few days it is for sure, starting and ending on a fishing boat, with the reader wondering exactly how he ends up on the boat to begin with. The ending was a surprise, didn't see it coming. I enjoyed the book and recommend it for the mystery lover!!
I received the book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.
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