Customer Reviews

A Farewell to Legs: An Aaron Tucker Mystery

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Aaron Tucker is reuniting with people at his 25th high school reunion, including Stephanie, who can still make men drool with her drop dead gorgeous looks. But part way through the party, she gets a call that her husband, conservative political activist Louis Gibson, has been murdered in his current mistress's apartment. Stephanie insists that Aaron investigate, even getting him a lucrative article deal with a high profile magazine if he does so. But Aaron hardly knows where to start.

Meanwhile, the principal of his kids' school has come to him for help. Someone has set off three stink bombs, and the parents are putting pressure on her to find the culprit. Only problem is, she has no clue where to start. As if that weren't enough, the Tuckers are also experiencing the joys of pet ownership. There's certainly never a dull moment in Aaron's life. But can he juggle it all and solve the mysteries?

There's certainly never a dull moment in the book either. Narrated first person with plenty of sarcasm and puns, I grinned, chuckled, and laughed my way through the entire book. You can't help but fall in love with the Tuckers. They are a wonderful, warm family who face life with a twinkle in their eye. The relationship between Aaron and his wife Abby is especially enjoyable. The plot starts a little slow, but gains speed the further you go in the book and has a few nice surprises before you reach the end. Being a conservative, I was a little put out by the "Liberal good, conservative bad" characterizations that popped up every so often, but I was able to shrug that off.

My real problem with the book was the timeline. Entire days seemed to drop off the face of the earth with no explanation. Characters agree to meet one day, then meet another and act like it's what the plans were all along. I kept flipping back in the book to make sure I hadn't missed something. It doesn't affect the plot, but it sure is annoying. A final edit for these things and a few paragraphs scattered throughout to fill in missing time would have fix the problem.

With that issue in mind, this is still an enjoyable book anyone will love. I will certainly be spending more time with Aaron and his family and friends.

Like his protagonist, Aaron Tucker, Jeffrey Cohen has a "photographic ear" and eye for people and their quirks. This book is funny from front to back, without missing a beat.

Aaron Tucker is a happily married freelance reporter with something of a reputation for solving murders. The object of Aaron's teenage unrequited lust -- still a dish after 25 years -- asks him to investigate the murder of her husband. Known to Aaron and his buddies as Crazy Legs, the victim was a philandering and much-despised Washington lobbyist.

Snapdragon, a magazine that's "tired of being thought of as Rolling Stone's slow-witted cousin" offers to pay Aaron ten grand for a story on the murder. It's too good to pass up, even though he doesn't have a clue. He's watching the funeral on TV like everyone else.

Meantime, his daughter wants a pet lizard, someone is stalking his gorgeous wife, he's getting ominous phone calls, and the principal at Buzbee School wants him to find out who threw stink bombs into the girls' locker room, the boys' bathroom, and the gym.

Here's Cohen's description of the gym teacher: "Hester, the prototype for all gym teachers, was roughly 400 years old, and could still put me through a cinder block wall if the spirit moved her. She stood about six-foot-three, had triceps Arnold Schwarzenegger would find intimidating, and spoke in a voice high enough to qualify as a dog whistle."

The gym teacher I remember was short, wiry, and limber enough to be folded into a duffel bag, but Hester sounds familiar. That's the thing about the characters who make this story so funny -- either you know someone just like them, or you think you do.

I thought I had the murder mystery figured out. When Cohen sprung his surprise, I said, "Aw, gee," put the book down, and started laughing again. Then I got my can of deluxe mixed nuts out of the cupboard and finished reading the last few pages. Highly recommended!

-- Pat Browning, author of Absinthe of Malice, a Penny Mackenzie mystery.

This is the second novel featuring screenwriter and stay-at-home dad Aaron Tucker, and it's wonderfully witty and smart. Tucker is charged with investigating two crimes, one being the unfortunate death of a former classmate's husband, who's discovered in his mistress's bedroom with a knife through his chest; the other crime being who left two stink bombs in his daughter's school. Oh, and there's the matter of a former client who's stalking his wife.

The joy in reading this book is watching uber-procrastinator Aaron do actual investigating work when he'd rather be watching television. Aaron's classmates/friends aid him in his invesigation, as do the local police. The characters are very realistically drawn; they could be your neighbors or co-workers, assuming that you have very droll co-workers.

In film parlance, a sleeper is something that achieves unexpected recognition or success, and that's what Jeffrey Cohen's series is: a witty mystery series that absolutely deserves a bigger audience.

Aaron Tucker is a freelance writer and house husband who helps take care of two kids while working. He also gets involved with solving fascinating mysteries. In this book, Aaron is asked to solve the murder of a major political figure by that individual's wife who happens to be an old schoolmate of Aaron's; he is also asked to find out who is flinging stink bombs at the school that his kids go to; his wife is apparently being threatened by a client who lost a case while being represented by her; and then there all the normal everyday events in this family's life.

That is quite a lot to pile into one mystery novel but Jeffrey Cohen manages to put all of that together along with the quirky character that Aaron Tucker is. Aaron has the tendency to fling witticisms and zingers with abandon at everyone. Most of the fun in this book is to try and keep up with those zingers and the inevitable puns and funny situations that develop.

Of course, since this is a murder mystery, one of the things that the reader tries to do is to solve the mystery. In that realm, all the various threads that go around the book tend to keep you hopping and guessing about one red herring or another. The fun of Mr. Cohen's writing style is that you are sometimes too busy laughing to recognize the importance of a clue!

If you have had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series "For Whom the Mini-Van Rolls", this book is quite similar. The same main characters are players in this one and most of the minor characters reappear including the police chief and his chief of detectives.

At the end of the book all the threads are closed off neatly and all the mysteries are solved. While two of them are logical and easily believed, two others are predicated on some very dubious connections including the discovery of the DNA of a man that was dead for 7 years before these events - that DNA being found at the scene of the crime.

It does not matter though, the laughs, the interactions, and the ridiculous situations that Aaron Tucker gets himself into and out of are good enough to make me want to get the next one in this series.

Not a book for those who seek to plumb the depths of Dostoievskian despair or penetrate into the soul of an urban dysfunctional driven to maso-sadistic depredations on humanity, this is simply a successful attempt to lighten the load of daily problems. Jeffrey Cohen has, as of this date, 2010, completed a mini-series of three Aaron Tucker books, of which this is the second, completed another series of three books, starring the bachelor owner of a movie house showing only comedies, and now has begun a new series, with one book published, another promised for early 2011, in which there is a ghostly hue to the detectival efforts. No doubt, in an effort to throw old readers off his track or lead new readers to believe he is the newest enfant terrible of American literature (now that Norman Mailer has departed), the latest series opener appears as " Night of the Living Deed by E J Copperman/Jeffrey Cohen". Never fear, it is the same good humored, congenial, amateur detective story for we turn to Mr. Cohen to provide.
In this book, Aaron Tucker, freelance writer, faces a triple barrel challenge: who killed his one-time classmate, Legs; who threw a rock through his window and has been making threatening phone calls; and, who threw stink bombs in various locations in the school attended by his son and daughter. In pursuit of solutions, Aaron manages to stumble around in his usual wise-cracking fashion and, perhaps, may accidentally solve one or more of these challenges. Meantime the reader is allowed to join his wife and kids in benign neglect or fear for his life, as he moves uncertainly to complete his work on deadline.
I have had pleasure from this and other books by Mr. Cohen and look forward to each new one with anticipatory gratification. My guess is that many potential readers will find equally pleasant escape by reading this book.

A Farewell to Legs is a delightful book, both fun and funny. The plot has just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, with a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Of course, there's lots of humor along the way. What I like best about this series is the strong relationship between Aaron and his wife Abby. Throw in two interesting kids and an accident-prone dog, and what comes out is a family that the reader wants to spend time with and get to know even better. Highly recommended.

What does a lizard, a stink bomb and a blonde `blast from the past' have in common? They're all part of a typical day in the life of freelance writer Aaron Tucker. Tucker and his best buddy Mahoney head back to school for their 25th reunion, when Tucker comes face to face with his high school `crush' Stephanie Jacobs (who still happens to be in possession of her unbelievable body). Stephanie, it seems, has done very well for herself marrying Louis "Legs" Gibson, the head of a big political foundation called People for American Values. During the reunion Stephanie finds she's just become a widow and enlists Aaron's aid to help her track down her husband's murderer, luring him in with the promise of big bucks to do the story for a major magazine.

Ever the news hound (aka `needing the money'), Tucker reluctantly accepts the job and with his sidekick, Mahoney, becomes embroiled in murder, mayhem and stink bombs most foul. While the police believe that the murder of the adulterous "Legs" was a crime of passion, Stephanie points out "you can't have a crime of passion, if you don't have the passion."

Mysterious, threatening phone calls and a rock hurled through his front window have Tucker realizing he's getting closer to exposing...the stink bomber? No! The real murderer! And just where did that lizard go?!
A Farewell to Legs is total entertainment. A fast-paced and forward-moving story with witty dialog and three-dimensional characters, Jeffrey Cohen's Aaron Tucker is a happily married, lovable, family man and concerned citizen trying to deal with the issues that face all parents and wage earners while trying to beat a deadline and face their mid-life crisis head on. Cohen's characters and dialog are so real, you'll feel like you're spending the day with old friends--after getting past your first encounter with the sleazy "Legs" Gibson, that is.

The ending wraps up nice and neat with a twist you won't see coming and I was still laughing, long after Tucker solved the crime.
--Small Press Review

A friend handed me Jeffrey Cohen's "For Whom the Minivan Rolls" and "A Farewell to Legs," telling me they were the sleeper mystery series of the year. I agree! These books are even more of an enjoyable read than Janet Evanovich's series because the humor never lets up! Cohen is a masterful writer.

Bob Pailet, Denver

In this sequel to "For Whom The Minivan Rolls," Aaron Tucker is once again called on to investigate a death. Louis Gibson, head of a right wing conservative group that stridently preached family values has been found dead in the bed of his mistress, Cheri Bratton. His wife, who was the dream of every guy she knew in high school when she was known as Stephanie Jacobs is still an attractive knockout twenty-five years later. Now known as Stephanie Jacobs Gibson, the new widow gets the news of her husband's death at the twenty-five year High School Reunion. What better setting for an alibi is there than being in front of your old classmates when you find out?

Because of his previous history detailed in the first book, Stephanie gets it in her head just hours after the murder to have Aaron investigate the crime and write about it for the editor she knows of a large and prestigious publication. After confirming with the editor how much the publication will pay, freelance writer Aaron Tucker reluctantly aggress and begins digging into the case.

At the same time, he deals with other storylines involving his activities as a stay at home Dad, the joys and perils of pet ownership when kids are involved, stink bombs at school, embezzlement and politics. Some of it is a very nasty business indeed and combined with the murder case, makes him a target. Before long, Aaron begins to wonder which party is just furious with him and which wants him removed permanently.

Everyone that was in the first book makes a repeat appearance here and very little new ground is covered in terms of character development. What also isn't covered is a detailed description of the first book. Unlike many sequels, this sequel can be safely read and enjoyed out of order with the first book. In short, one can safely read this book and go back later and hunt down the first book.

While not nearly as funny as the first book, this novel provides another very enjoyable read. For fellow stay at home Dads, Jeffrey Cohen writes with the clear authority of someone who has lived in the trenches. His characters, regardless of occupation are real people and come alive for the reader in every sense of the word. That fact, coupled with his creation of another mystery within a mystery that features a few sudden twists at the end, make this novel another very worthwhile read from him.


Book Facts:

A Farewell To Legs: An Aaron Tucker Mystery
By Jeffrey Cohen
Bancroft Press
2003
ISBN # 1-890862-29-0
Hardback



Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

When he attended Bloomfield High School Aaron Tucker did not fit in any of the accepted groups. He therefore cannot understand why he is going to attend the twenty-fifth anniversary reunion bash though his pal from those days think it is because he still has the hots for Stephanie Jacobs. Aaron is in denial as he is happily married to Abby the attorney.

Stephanie is as sexy as ever as she swivels her hips and puts on her Marilyn Monroe Academy Award smile. She says to Aaron that she heard he solves mysteries so would he look into the murder of her powerful DC lobbyist husband as the police believe she killed him over his extramarital affairs. Feeling like a time traveler back to his teen years when the school's sex siren gave him a hickey that was his only claim to fame and knowing that he is a writer Aaron fumblingly agrees. Soon he finds he is under assault to butt out or face the consequences, but he refuses and even expands his inquiries when side threats target his wife and a friend.

The sequel to the amusing FOR WHOM THE MINIVAN ROLLS, A FAREWELL TO ARMS, is as humorous as the first tale as the story line never takes itself seriously. The fine investigation is filled with twists and a few sidebar inquiries though all that jocularity takes away from the main mystery. Aaron remains a delight and the regulars add depth to his personality, but in this story sexy Stephanie provides the added oomph for a fun time for fans of jocular amateur sleuth tales.

Harriet Klausner