Book review: “Bring Me The Head of El Monte Slim!”
Posted February 4, 2013 at 5:07 am by Ian Byington
Dave Ryan
It’s always cool to know the author of a book when you read it, and I love it when our friends crank out a good book….that’s what Dave Ryan has done with Bring Me The Head Of El Monte Slim: The Order of Chaos (Volume 1).
If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Dave is the airport manager here in Friday Harbor, and he tells a good tale.
El Monte Slim reminds me of a mix of Don Quixote & the Confederacy of Dunces, with a little Tom Robbins thrown in. All of which means whatever he does next is going to be noble, well-thought out (possibly overthought), quirky, and part of what holds a cast of characters together – his companions & opponents really prove Dave has a heckuva imagination & can tie a pretty complex plot together, while creating characters the reader cares about.
The book itself…
And there’s the small matter of taking down a conspiracy to take over the world….
It’s a fun book!
It’s awesome to read a book which grabs ya by about a third of the way in. Dave’s wry wit, grasp of the way things work (and don’t work), mixed in with a clever mix of plot-turns, memorable characters, and people making the kinds of mistakes you would make too, if you were on the run from the law, your past, and your demons…..brilliant stuff.
I told some 10-12 friends about this just as soon as I was done, so I guess I want to tell you, too. Don’t miss this one!
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Categories: Around Here
One comment:
One comment...
I, totally, agree with Ian Byington’s review of “Bring Me The Head Of El Monte Slim”. David Ryan has written a book that is wonderfully whacky, thoughtful and fun!
He has developed characters that are flawed and very human. By the end of the book I was cheering on his “band of colorful misfits” to prevail over the rich and powerful who want to control the world.
El Monte Slim is a modern day “Don Quixote”. David Ryan has written a book about today’s world using characters that I truly care about.
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