Endless Road and Other Stories (Five Star First Edition Mystery) [Hardcover]

John Lutz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lou Roebuck, in "The Truth of the Matter," seemingly has it all: cushy, high-paying advertising job, beautiful trophy wife, and stellar war record. But it's all a house of cards. Roebuck is a pathological liar. The war record is a lie, the job history that landed him a job is a lie, and the devoted wife will jump ship when the lifestyle disappears. When the house of cards collapses, Lou robs the company safe of petty cash and hits the road, where his instinctual ability to deceive, under the pressure of flight, begins to affect Lou's own sense of what's real and what's not. This superb story showcases Lutz at his suspenseful, nightmarish best. Four other fine stories round out this excellent collection by a modern master. The title story--about a military advisor who makes a potentially history altering choice based only on events from his youth--seems especially timely at a point when many citizens are pondering what prompts various world leaders to make their decisions. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME); 1 edition (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786254424
• ISBN-13: 978-0786254422
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,827,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars strong novella and four shorts, October 1, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Endless Road and Other Stories (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

This anthology consists of one full-length novel and four short stories. All five tales are well written thrillers with an emphasis on the personalities of the lead characters. Though the title at first seems odd, as it is the same as one of the shorts, once the audience reads this deep collection, they will understand the apropos traveling down the seemingly endless road of life.

The novel THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER is simply superb. Lou Roebuck is a pathological liar who when caught either closes down that life and starts a new one or fibs even further. He loses his job at Construction Supply Company when his past catches up with him. Bob Ingrahm and Ben Gripp, guys he knew in the army, visited him at his place of business and discussed his less than glorious military career among other fabrications with his boss. Angry, Lou runs over Bob in the parking lot, deserts his wife, and flees into the night, also knowing that Ben will pursue him endlessly. This is a strong tale that digs deep in the soul of a professional bull artist.

The four short stories are also cleverly designed so that the audience can observe what makes individuals take the paths they choose with some consequences not expected.

Harriet Klausner