Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Great main characters; twisty plot
Cons: Language choice
at times; some twists not well set up
The Bottom Line:
A fun twisty plot
With intriguing characters
And that's no con job
In This Con, Who Is the Real Turkey?
When I found out one of my ultimate Frisbee friends had
written a caper novel last year, I had to give it a try. Since I enjoyed it, I made a point of buying
the sequel, The Albuquerque Turkey, when it was released this year.
Both books star Radar Hoverlander, a drifting con man who is
well versed in all kinds of scams from the simple that net a little money to
the major that require some serious set up and risk but can net you lots of
money. This books opens a few months
after the last one ended, and it finds Radar, his new girlfriend Allie, and his
friend Mirplo in Santa Fe enjoying the fruits of their ill-gotten gain.
At Allie’s insistence, Radar has sworn to settle down and go
straight. Their last con has netted them
more than enough to live comfortably until they figure out just what they want
to do now that they’ve gone straight.
But their plans go crooked when Radar’s father reenters his
life. He hasn’t seen the man in over 20
years, and now Woody is claiming that is life is on the line from a casino
manager in Vegas. Since Woody is a con
man in his own right, should Radar trust him, or is he being set up?
My biggest hesitation with the first book had been Radar
himself. How would I feel rooting for a con
man? The author has made him very
sympathetic. And, while I find his
chosen “profession” repulsive, I can’t help but root for him to get a happy
ending. Likewise, I love Allie and
Mirplo. Mirplo has a funny sub-plot
involving becoming a flash in the pan modern artist, and the skewering of the
art world, while familiar, is still sharp and funny.
The other characters in the novel are just as sharply drawn
as the three leads. I felt like I knew
them even if I didn’t always know their true motives.
While the plot made sense in the end, the reader is left in
the dark about some of the twists and turns.
I found this frustrating, especially since the book is narrated by
Radar. It feels like cheating. Still, I enjoyed the wild ride which had many
twists to keep me wondering just how everything was going to work out.
The author has a real way with words, which is a blessing
and a curse for the book. At times, he
inserts words he’s created and finds fun.
Usually, it’s easy to figure out what he means, but occasionally, it’s
almost a hindrance to figuring out what he means. Most of the time, however, the writing is
wonderful with some creative turns of phrase that you can’t help but stop and
savor. The book isn’t the fast read I
normally pick up, but it was certainly worth it.
Overall, I did enjoy The Albuquerque Turkey. Radar makes a fascinating main character,
although I’d hate to know anyone like him in real life.
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