All the Little Birdies [Paperback]

Dan Allison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2001

Jake Murdock takes plenty of wild rides with customers in his taxi on Floridas humid Gulf Coast. When Murdock is befriended by millionaire Robin Bayliss, they spend their days watching the bikinis and sunsets at Noras Beach Bar on Treasure Island. But when extortionists target Bayliss and the dead bodies start showing up, Murdock finds hes in for the ride of his lifemaybe his final ride.In a fractured landscape where loyalties mean nothing and nature itself has spun haywire, Jake Murdock and Robin Bayliss meet All the Little Birdies.Combining the madcap zaniness of Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey with the lyrical poignancy of James W. Hall and Randy Wayne White, All the Little Birdies is evocative Florida noir.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dan Allison is a graduate of the University of South Florida. He is a taxi driver who resides in the Tampa Bay area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (November 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595202985
• ISBN-13: 978-0595202980
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,555,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A compelling case for a "zero star" option, December 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: All the Little Birdies (Paperback)

Back about twenty years ago, Richard Pryor had a sketch about prisons, about how it always bothered him that it was mainly black folk inside. Until he actually visited one and talked to some of the inmates. Then his view was: Thank God for prisons!

So it is with the stodgy New York publishing industry. As we aspiring writers know, the business can be brutally hard to crack. New names are automatically behind the eight ball. No one even wants to read our submissions, as publishers would rather stick with known quantities. We complain about it all the time. But now, after reading ALL THE LITTLE BIRDIES, my new view is: Thank God for the stodgy New York publishing industry!

If they keep cliche-infested drivel like this from being inflicted upon innocent book buyers, then all those risk-averse editors serve a vital role in Creation, indeed!

Perhaps the only saving grace of this book is that it IS published "on demand," so that no more trees have to lose their lives than is made necessary by foolish buyers.

Mr. Allison flatters himself with comparisons to Hiaasen and Hall. Few others will be able to make this leap of faith.

Please think twice before shelling out fifteen perfectly good dollars for this; you will only encourage him to write more. If you insist on reading it, here: have mine....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Whatever the 5-star reviewers are smoking, I want some, December 27, 2001

By 

Farber (Carrollwood, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Little Birdies (Paperback)

This was given to me as a Christmas present. To be charitable, I guess it's the thought that counts.

An earlier reviewer had the word exactly: drivel, is what this is. If you take away all the pointless dialogue and the self-indulgent musings, you're left with a trite plot and a bunch of self-parodying characters. There's plenty of really good Florida fiction out there without having to waste time on marginal, not-ready-for-prime-time writers.

Mr. Allison would be well advised to keep the day job.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Author shows promise, however, work is a little pretentious., January 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: All the Little Birdies (Paperback)

Now that Dan Allison has his first novel out of his system, it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next. I actually enjoyed many parts of this first work and am hoping Mr. Allison's next book won't be quite so pretentious. I would actually like to see more of Jake Murdock and his adventures. Albeit, a little more planning in the area of overall plot would be in order. A good idea...just needs refining!