Frequent Flyer [Paperback]

Kinky Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1990

Kinky Friedman--the New York-based, wisecracking, hard-living, cigar-smoking, reluctant sleuth--stumbles upon adventure once again in his search for an apparently dead friend from the past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A country singer turned amateur detective stumbles upon a case of mistaken identity and finds himself the target of a band of Nazis. "The style is marked by constant wisecracks, strained metaphors and decidedly offbeat slang," PW reported. "All is eventually resolved (sort of), but nothing is quite as funny as intended."
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Series narrator Kinky Friedman--eccentric, cigar-smoking, not noticeably employed--returns as a Greenwich Village amateur investigator ( When the Cat's Away ). While attending a former co-worker's funeral, Kinky cannot help but notice that the casket inhabitant is not Peace Corps buddy John. Back in New York, Kinky and vaguely disreputable friends (Rambam, Ratso, et al.) rescue John's fiancee from neo-Nazis, scuffle with skinheads, and unravel the puzzle connecting Borneo with Austrian Nazis. Jaunty style, lively wit, and many diversions complete this amusing exercise.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (November 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425123456
• ISBN-13: 978-0425123454
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,109,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kinky vs. the Nazis, November 14, 2001

By 

William Fare (Cedar Rapids, IA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frequent Flyer (Paperback)

Frequent Flyer, Kinky Friedman's fourth novel starring himself and his outlandish New York crew, takes as its subject matter the time he spent in Borneo as a member of the peace corp as well as the lingering remnants of Nazis tucked away in jungles around the globe. Kinky has always drawn heavily from his experiences as a cat-loving country singer, but Frequent Flyer is appropriately dark and personal as it sifts through the hatred that's uncovered on each page.

Kinky receives a mysterious call to inform him that an old buddy from the peace corp days has passed away, but the open-casket funeral belies the first ominous clue in a string of them...he's never seen the corpse before in his life. Thus begins the task of finding out where the switcharoo took place and what his friend had stumbled onto before disappearing without a trace. Not to mention all of the old Nazis that keep popping up.

I didn't enjoy this addition to the Kinky saga as much as his first two (Greenwich Killing Time and A Case Of Lone Star), but it's notable for its intriguing subject matter. Plot has never been the key to a Friedman novel, anyway, as long as our hero keeps popping off life lessons like shots from his bull horn full of Jameson's. Eavesdropping on his internal dialogue regarding his past is worth the price of admission, and there are many nostalgic passages about his younger days that reveal more about the author than ever before.

It's a short book, but unfortunately it's even shorter on character development. The emphasis here is on the past and Kinky's own thoughts (he even goes to a psychiatrist!). This was probably a necessary stop along the path to developing what's become one of my favorite sleuths, but it wasn't the most enjoyable by a long shot. With all of the ruminating going on, there's not much room for developing the storyline, and I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An espresso, an Epicure and Kinky - life is life, May 2, 1998

By 

Carey Miller (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frequent Flyer (Paperback)

Kinky Friedman was recommended to me by a fellow at a cigar lounge. He had just discovered Freidman and had devoured all his books. So as one cigar smoking Jew recommended to another cigar smoking Jew a book by a cigar smoking Jew, I bought Elvis, Jesus and Coca Cola.

The next day, I bought Frequent Flyer. Now I will buy the rest.

This story is interesting on its own - a dead man who is not, a beating and Nazis. But the key to its impact is the series of references and philosophies that intermingle within the context of the story. The world is both complex and simple - often at the same time. Kinky's stories bring this forth.

I liked Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola better. But I enjoyed Frequent Flyer a lot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first "Kinky experience" was just plain fun!, November 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Frequent Flyer (Paperback)

I had heard of him ever since my college days years ago. But it wasn't until I picked up Frequent Flyer in the sale bin at the store last week that I knew anything about his writing. With his unique (OK - sometimes cliche) turn of a phrase, and a collection of wonderful cameo characters, Kinky Friedman will hook you from the first chapter on. I found myself having trouble putting it down, NOT because the story was so intriguing (though it wasn't bad), but because Kinky's way of conveying a scene are so engrossing that I couldn't wait to read what he "said" next! I now look forward to my next "Kinky experience".