Bye Bye Bertie [Paperback]

Rick Dewhurst (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2005

Bye Bye, Bertie  Author: Rick Dewhurst

Joe LaFlam is a private detective, a Christian—a single Christian that is, and a desperate-to-mate single Christian at that. One fine day a potential prospect . . . er . . . client walks through his office door and drops an intriguing case on his desk. The lovely (soon-to-be-found-out heiress) prospect’s . . . um . . . client’s sister is missing. "Bertie’s joined a cult."

Everyman Joe sets off to solve what will become not one but two kidnapping cases, to save the day, and get the girl (but not necessarily in that order). After twist upon twist (and some providential sleuthing), the ending may not turn out as Joe planned. It just might be better than he ever dreamed . . . or worse.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this strange tongue-in-cheek mystery for the Christian market, a peculiar plot and apparently intentionally odd prose combine in a parody that fails to come off. Private detective Joe LaFlam is a Perry Mason wannabe on evangelical Christian steroids, who lives with his mother and drives a taxi at night. When the toothsome Brittany Morgan arrives in his office ("a lovely female head attached to a svelte body in a trim peach suit"), LaFlam agrees to find Brittany's sister, Bertie, who has apparently joined the cult of the Latter-Day Druids. "Oh Joe... if the Druids sacrifice Bertie to Allah, I'll die. I'll just die," wails Brittany. To complicated matters, Joe discovers a plot by the Grand Royal Order of the Spelunkers Global, a secret society "clandestinely erecting mini-pyramids in the sewer systems of every major city in the world for the insidious purpose of creating an underground power matrix." In the midst of this, Joe decides to embark on a "spiritual" fast, which is the subject of endless asides about bad breath and junk food. Some will get a few guffaws out of the author's jibes at Christian subculture (Left Behind is the butt of at least one joke), but most of the humor strangles in the mishmash of rambling dialogue and bizarre plot lines.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

From Library Journal

Joe LaFlam, a 33-year-old, self-professed, second-rate detective, feels that his spiritual life as well as his social life could use a boost. So he decides to fast for 21 days in the hopes that his sacrifice will secure a certain blonde client as his wife. That beauty, Brittany Mulligan, has asked Joe to find her sister, Bertie, who has been kidnapped by a cult that is demanding a $100,000 ransom. Brittany tearfully reports that her mother can only raise $80,000, and Joe, even though his instinct tells him not to, contributes his $20,000 inheritance that he has been saving to move out of his mother's house. He soon realizes he has been scammed and is determined to get the money back. But when the other Mulligan sisters hire him to help rescue more missing relatives, Joe finds himself in even more trouble. This tongue-in-cheek satire is a welcome entry in a genre not known for humor. Recommended for most collections. Dewhurst trained in journalism but has been a pastor in British Columbia for the past 10 years. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: B&H Fiction (January 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805431829
• ISBN-13: 978-0805431827
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,953,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About the author:
Rick Dewhurst tried his hand at a variety of jobs, including home improvements salesman, bartender, fish-boat deckhand, and taxi driver, before earning his B.A. in English literature from the University of Victoria, with training in journalism. He then worked as a newspaper sports editor before answering the call to start City Gate Church, where he has served as pastor since 1995. Rick enjoys a good game of Nine-ball. His first novel, Bye Bye Bertie, introduced readers to the lovable and offbeat P.I. Joe LaFlam. Rick lives in Duncan, British Columbia, with his wife Jane. They have three adult children. http://rickdewhurst.blogspot.com/ www.rickdewhurst.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bust your guts, January 20, 2005

By 

Chloe Appleton (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bye Bye Bertie (Paperback)

It's comedy. It's detective mystery. It's good-natured satire rolled into one. It has the potential to become a cult classic, except it's written by a Christian pastor, but don't let that fool you. Bye Bye Bertie is like nothing you've read before. In fact, if you're somewhat religious, you might be offended by it. This book and its characters are a refreshing departure from cliched and stereotypical Christianity, and Dewhurst refuses to present an all too perfect image of Christians or the Christian church. The hero of the tale is a bit of a dolt. Not too swift, but trying. Not all togther lovely, but lovable. People will identify with Joe. Poor Joe, literally he's got no dough, lives with his mother and is an aspiring Christian detective, but finds himself somewhat witless-- clueless in Seattle...at least he likes to pretend he's in Seattle...except he lives in Vancouver. Marriage antennae up, he's in search of a wife, but his methods are alarming, and his personal and professional life, which are both in shambles, become confused when his first client becomes prospective mate. This book is at once bizarre and intensely human. It provides an opportunity for Christians to laugh at the stupidity and superficiality that often plague the contemporary church while allowing the world an honest glimpse inside its walls. If you like books that provide enough laughs for a decent ab workout, then Bye Bye Bertie is for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!! Make Room For A New Classic, March 3, 2011

By 

Steve Taylor (Only visiting this planet) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bye Bye Bertie: A Joe LaFlam Mystery (Paperback)

The following review was first posted on March 26th 2006. This version of "Bye Bye Bertie" is through a new publisher and the old reviews did not copy over to the new release.

I'm an avid reader. Hundreds of books have traveled through my brain, some good, some great and a few have been failures. I try to pick books that I believe I'll enjoy and learn something in the process. With this said I must say that "Bye Bye Bertie" is one of the best books I have ever read. Hands down. It should be passed down through the generations as one of the best pieces of Christian literature ever written. It is incredibly clever, laugh-out-loud funny (every sentence of every page is a riot), satire at its finest, interesting characters, whacked-out storyline, but most of all it's a compelling look into the heart of the Christian...our struggles, thoughts, cultural influences and idiosyncrasies. This book is a MUST for every believer. If you're a one-dimensional thinker, trapped in the bonds of the typical mega-church you may find it offensive but if you think on your own and know the Word of God you'll love this book.
Now for the bad part; it's too short. 168 pages is not enough. And I feel really bad for Rick Dewhurst. How is he ever going to top this...his first book? If you read this Rick, get to work. I'm waiting for your second attempt.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!! Make room for a new classic!!, March 26, 2006

By 

Steve Taylor (Only visiting this planet) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bye Bye Bertie (Paperback)

I'm an avid reader. Hundreds of books have traveled through my brain, some good, some great and a few have been failures. I try to pick books that I believe I'll enjoy and learn something in the process. With this said I must say that "Bye Bye Bertie" is one of the best books I have ever read. Hands down. It should be passed down through the generations as one of the best pieces of Christian literature ever written. It is incredibly clever, laugh-out-loud funny (every sentence of every page is a riot), satire at its finest, interesting characters, whacked-out storyline, but most of all it's a compelling look into the heart of the Christian...our struggles, thoughts, cultural influences and idiosyncrasies. This book is a MUST for every believer. If you're a one-dimensional thinker, trapped in the bonds of the typical mega-church you may find it offensive but if you think on your own and know the Word of God you'll love this book.
Now for the bad part; it's too short. 168 pages is not enough. And I feel really bad for Rick Dewhurst. How is he ever going to top this...his first book? If you read this Rick, get to work. I'm waiting for your second attempt.