Customer Reviews

Bye Bye Bertie

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I found this an amusing satire of a well-meaning but dim and self-righteous Christian detective named Joe LaFlam. Anyone who has grown up in a Christian church can recognize the humor of some of the silly stuff Christians say and do. The book helps Christians to laugh at how we sometimes try to impress God or other people with how good we think we are, when in fact we're pulling a "LaFlam". At the same time, the satire never becomes mean-spirited or divisive. It's welcome to see this kind of humor in the Christian fiction market. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does next.

"Bye Bye Bertie" is far more comedy than mystery, loaded with Christian living observations which call for a grain of salt. I enjoyed it and look forward to Dewhurst's next book.

In this one, Joe LaFlam is nut-case. A thirty-something self-declared private detective, whose biggest case is the one he gave himself probably more than a decade ago, that of finding a wife. Of course, if the Lord wills, he would follow the call to become an itinerate preacher so that he wouldn't have to work anymore. Until then, he's a P.I. by day, reluctant taxi driver by night, and despondently single.

Of course, the single part may change if his latest client-babe can be persuaded into casting her lot with a fruit loop who is constantly running down mental tangents silently voiced with 1940s detective lingo, probably in a Bogart accent. "Things are never so bad they can't be made worse."

Which may be the reason I wanted to slap Joe a few times while reading Rick Dewhurst's hilarious account of about one week of his life. Joe is a Christian. I don't doubt his sincerity; but every time someone asks if he is Joe LaFlam, he replies, "In the flesh," and that's how operates throughout the book. "I had the money. I would get the girl." Unless the conspirators get him first.

Some books are just meant to be fun. This was fun! The cover even suggests that this is going to be a blast, and the message within is straight from the heart. So, what's it all about? Let's see... a detective, a taxi cab, women here and there, a cult, 21 days of fasting (but not like Daniel), a king, and the Word of God. That's "Bye Bye Bertie" for you in a nutshell. If you are looking for some satire, you've come to the right place!

I think Rick Dewhurst took a chance by writing this in the first person, and it paid off. He takes Joe LaFlam, private detective, and just rolls with it! And he had fun with it, which is obvious. And you know that this will probably be the type of book that is "too immature" for some people. Oh well! Hey, we as Christians need to laugh at ourselves sometimes and just roll with the punches! Don't worry about what might go wrong. And as Abner remarked when he encountered Joe LaFlam, "Maybe you private eyes ain't the same after all."

This book also has a lesson in it amidst the so-called turmoil. It simply teaches us that God might call us for bigger and better things. With that said, I hope there are people out there willing to take a chance on Rick Dewhurst. He's earned it, and the message is worth it. You'll get something out of this, trust me. You might even dance on the edge of your seat a time or two. Just don't sweat the small stuff!

Mixed-up, fasting, Christian Cab Driving Private Eye Dude experiences trials, tribulations &, oh yeah, the rapture, all while trying to match -- I mean CATCH -- 3 kidnapped Christian Heiress Chicks.

"Bye Bye Bertie" is a kooky, silly, neurotic, satirical parody that pokes a lot of good-natured fun at what it's like to be a down-trodden Christian in these up-tight, Post-Modern, end-time days.

It has been a couple years since I read this and I'm now looking for some new reading and came across this author and am sad to not be finding any new writing. I loved this book. It was light and fun. Very short read. I loved the off the wall comedy. It was a great way to get my mind off the heaviness of life and delve into some light, carefree reading where I didn't have to worry about running into more of the world inside a book. Highly recommended.

Absurdist Fiction doesn't necessarily need to make sense, and this book doesn't even try. But it's absurdly funny in all the right places.

I enjoyed the stream of consciousness narrative. Maybe it's because I can relate to Joe LaFlam's constant discovery of truths only to follow the discovery up by questioning said truth. I think Mr. Dewhurst might have spent some time in my brain.

If you like comedy of the absurd, you should enjoy this book.

Great read,darn near as exciting as a few Wilbur Smith novels I've read,although a little short,more book would be better.............Jim Wright