Let There Be Linda by Rich Leder

3.5 Stars

I was contacted by Leder's personal assistant, Shannon, about a review for Leder's upcoming book. I was obviously very happy to do so. Shannon has described Leder's new book as Monty Python meets Quentin Tarantino and all hell breaks loose. 

The black comedy style tale tells the story of two estranged brothers, Mike (an accountant) and Danny (a talent agent con-man) who become mixed up with a woman who can breathe life back into death and then manage to lose seventy-five grand. There are numerous characters here, such as the loan shark dwarf, Harvey, and his side-kick, Omar; a zombie real estate agent and a comedian cope who is now on the case of Mike and Danny. Mike and Danny then decide to bring their mother, Linda, back from the dead to help deal with their problems - a somewhat hilarious idea. 

I'm not overly sure where to start with this review. I haven't read any of Leder's previous books and wasn't sure what to expect or how this book would go. It started off a little confusing when I began reading this. There was a lot of characters and I was wondering how they would all wind up together in the story. Once the story did get into a higher gear and I began understanding what was going on, the story felt much better to me. The writing style is of a really good standard and can definitely see how Leder has gone on to publish a number of books. I wouldn't say I really loved any of the characters but they did work within the storyline and I did enjoy how they played off each other. 

There wasn't anything that I didn't particularly like as such here. My only real reason for giving this review 3.5 stars was that this book wasn't really for me. There would definitely be people out there who enjoy this genre and would love this book. I also assume that readers of Leder's previous books will find this a good addition to their collection. This is a strong piece of work and there were some pretty good hilarious parts for me. 

Overall, a really good book that wouldn't disappoint those looking for something new in the dark comedy genre with a twist of Tarantino. 

Happy reading :)