“When Elves Attack,” by Tim Dorsey

FM's ratings:

1. Premise 6
2. Prose 8
3. Plot 8
4. Characters 8
5. Overall 8

Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)

I will admit, I checked out this book because I like the title, it looked like a fast read, and I wanted to include it in a Christmas-themed group for December. It was a pleasant surprise to find a "lark" style novel with some interesting meat on its bones. The style hits me like a cross between Christopher Moore and Dave Berry. Not everyone's shot of scotch. But I liked it enough to immediately go to the library and check out another one in the series (which, if I'm not mistaken, is the only series he writes). The main protagonist (his sidekick is an important ingredient to the recipe) is essentially a criminally insane wild man who means well. Whenever he snuffs someone, it's because they had it coming in his view - he's just doing the rest of us a favor. The prose is simplistic - contributing to that "fast read" I wanted - but peppered with great lines such as the ones found in the "finest" sitcoms. The "situation" aspect of sitcoms is here also, with slightly complex setups that you don't see coming. This style may turn out to be a little thin for my tastes in the long run, but I want to explore it while it's fresh to me.

Here’s the January line-up!

"Dead Ever After," by Charlaine Harris [1-6-18]

"Tripwire," by Lee Child [1-13-18]

"Imajica," by Clive Barker [1-20-18]
"Death of Yesterday," by M. C. Beaton [1-27-18]