Big Numbers [Hardcover]

Jack Getze (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2007

Who is killing Austin Carr? About to be murdered-snatched off a private fishing yacht by a six-hundred-pound giant bluefin tuna-a down-on-his-luck stockbroker recalls the collection of events, miscalculations, and character flaws that led to his current dire predicament: Living in a truck-mounted camper on the Jersey Shore, struggling to keep up with alimony and child-support payments that no longer reflect his shrinking income, the big-smiling, wise-cracking Austin Carr has been searching for a way out of the stock and bond business. So when his richest client tells Austin he's dying, and the future widow-a redheaded knock-out-offers tender consolation, Austin's increasingly desperate financial situation draws him deeper and deeper into a barbed web of bad behavior and deceit. Austin's would-be killer, whom he dubs Mr. Blabbermouth, could be any one of several suspects, as Austin's words and deeds have attracted the wrath of many in recent weeks. The potential murderers include a wacked-out professional wrestler angry over Austin's poor investment recommendations, a jealous sales manager who Austin regularly belittles, and even Austin's greedy employer whose personality traits include a nasty, violent temper. Or could there be another suspect Austin overlooked entirely until he stepped on board that private yacht?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

An early and avid reader of the Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes, Jack Getze wrote his first mystery stories for the high school newspaper and creative writing magazine. He earned his first professional byline as a nineteen-year-old copyboy for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. He later moved to the Los Angeles Times where as a Staff Writer and Reporter he covered national economic issues for nearly a decade. Through the Los Angeles Times/Washington Post news syndicate, his news and feature stories have been published in over five-hundred newspapers and periodicals worldwide. During a second career as a retail bond salesman and stockbroker on the New Jersey Shore he learned about financial and economic issues from the investment community's perspective. His hobbies include reading, gardening, an occasional hike, and swimming at the beach. He lives not far from the beach in New Jersey with his wife, two of his three children, a dog, a cat, and a fish. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hilliard & Harris Publishers; 1st edition (February 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591331935
• ISBN-13: 978-1591331933
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,539,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the old L.A. Herald-Examiner, author Jack Getze writes the Austin Carr Mystery Series, some short fiction, and is also the Fiction Editor for Spinetingler Magazine, one of the internet's oldest websites for noir, crime, and horror short stories.

If you like long sentences and flowery language, skip Jack's novels. As a former newsman, and a fan of Hammett, Cain, Chandler, and MacDonald, Jack likes short and punchy. You should probably also leave Jack's work alone if you've had any recent operations. Not everybody laughs at his sense of humor, but ... well, try a free sample at his character's website, www.austincarrscrimediary.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outrageous characters and situations in a gritty, sexy, violent, and funny book!, April 1, 2007

By 

Liz at reviewedbyliz.com "Because life is too... (Cedar Springs, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Numbers (Paperback)

One of the basic rules of story telling is that everybody loves the good guy and hates the bad guy. This provides conflict, moves the story, and tells us who to cheer for. But there is a grey area in between the good guys and the bad guys where some characters thrive. We watch them choose between good and evil and wonder if they will ultimately be redeemed or slip away completely. Getze chose to make one of those middle ground guys, Austin Carr, the main character in his first book, Big Numbers.

Austin Carr is a man whose life has changed drastically in a short period of time. His marriage has fallen apart, his income as a stock broker has fallen off sharply, he has been evicted from his apartment and is now living in a truck camper, he is drinking too much, and he has been banned from seeing his kids until he pays his back child support. And it is the last thing that is killing him - he is desperate to see his children. So when he is presented with the opportunity to do something shady to get $58,000 to pay off his ex-wife and see his kids again... you get the idea.

Big Numbers is both a caper and a mystery story. And it starts off with a bang as Carr is about to be killed by an unknown man in an unusual fashion - by being dragged off a fishing boat and down to a watery grave by a giant bluefin. The story then rewinds three weeks as Carr tells the reader how he got into this predicament. We spend the book trying to guess the identity of the unknown man on the fishing boat as Carr's scam becomes more complicated and he manages to alienate just about everyone he knows.

Big Numbers is a gritty, sexy, violent, and funny book. And yes, you end up cheering for the bad guy because there is a whole lot of grey in this book filled with outrageous characters and situations.

Favorite character? I could tell you, but that might give away the ending. Did I guess it? No. Will I read another? Yes.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Numbers is big entertainment., May 31, 2007

By 

Kimberly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Numbers (Hardcover)

This novel perfectly balances light and darkness; it is gripping and funny. Just when the main character Austin Carr thinks he's caught a break, a way out of his troubles, well things aren't what they seem. He's got to navigate his way around the curves, which are never-ending. Everyone I've recommended this book to has loved it. If you like humorous mysteries with a dark edge, this story is for you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read!, August 10, 2007

By 

T. L. Cooper "T. L. Cooper" (Albany, Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Big Numbers (Paperback)

The ups and downs of the stock market are nothing compared to the downs of stock broker, Austin Carr in Jack Getze's Big Numbers. Austin's life is ready for a takeover and his biggest client's wife is prepared to use all her assets to get her to invest everything, including his life, in her future. Getze invested just the right words to keep the reader entertained in this fun, action filled read.