Customer Reviews

Headlock

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Having read every book by Burl Barer, I was not suprised that Headlock (his most recent novel) was well written and funny. I was, however, suprised by just how wonderful this book is, it made me laugh until my belly ached, it made me get all misty with nostalgia, it even made me miss my papa! An amazingly strong opener for what i expect to be a wonderful series. Jeff Reynolds, the main character, is both likable and human. Barer takes the reader down many roads as this mystery unfolds, all of which are worthwhile. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, a good laugh, sleazy bars or pro-wrestling. I can't wait for the next installment!

Jeff Reynolds is a true-crime author who lives in Walla Walla, Washington, and does a little private investigation on the side. In Headlock, he is hired by a reclusive and paranoid ex-professional wrestler to find out "if it's over." Jeff's first challenge is to figure out what his client is talking about, and the second is to decide what he's lying about. Meanwhile, he drops in on a local Mystery Writers of America fan night (where he chats with a few authors we all know and love), and he becomes involved with a beautiful young woman who may not be what she seems.

Jeff is the most appealing private eye since Archie Goodwin. In addition to laugh-out-loud snappy patter, he offers his thoughts on spiritual topics seldom discussed in mystery novels, such as the question of whether there are dogs in heaven. He doesn't immediately fall into bed with the luscious Randy Nussbaum -- not just because of health risks, but because he wants a serious relationship. And to add still another dimension to his character, he has some psychic abilities, which he avoids acknowledging because they are confusing and distressing rather than helpful.

The other characters are also highly individual, from a feeble old wrestler who beats Jeff up with his crutch, to the heavy-metal granny owner of a vintage record store, to an assortment of hookers, crooked cops, and other low-lifes who hang out at McFeely's tavern and the Pastime family restaurant. The plot is a twisty roller-coaster ride that includes a "black widow" with five or six dead husbands, white supremacists, and two kilos of cocaine, but don't worry if you can't figure it out--it's not that kind of book. It's the kind of book where you enjoy spending time with a fascinating and funny guy, having some extremely colorful adventures, and wishing there were more books in the series already...

Headlock is amazing. This is going to be one of those "cult classic" novels that becomes part of our culture. The private eye, Jeff Reynolds is 100% unique -- he is hysterically funny, but not a parody. The guy just gets off the best lines ever, and they are so darn deadpan that you can't help laugh out loud. The plot and characters are so well crafted that I found myself really caring about these people. most of whom are not in my social circle for sure! If you want to read a mystery that will keep you laughing and guessing, and ultimately wanting to read it again and again, I can't think of any book of this type better than HEADLOCK. In fact, I think I'll go read it again right now!

Of all the reviews of HEADLOCK, this is my favorite. It was written by Gerry Graber and submitted here with her approval. BB

I need to confess that for almost a decade I mourned the loss of Georges Simenon so intensely that I never read another mystery. I never expected to savor another detail, marvel at the accuracy of another metaphor, or care about another protagonist the way I did for Inspector Maigret. Burl Barer has succeeded in enticing me back to fictional crime with the debut of Jeff Reynolds, P.I., in Headlock.

Jeff Reynolds, the novel's protagonist, barely makes a living as a mid-list mystery writer. To augment his income, he has a Walla Walla, Washington private investigator's license. Reynolds takes small cases for small cash. His main interests lie in finding justice for the oppressed, retribution for the criminals, and a plot for his next novel.

Despite his acknowledged but suppressed gift of extrasensory perception, Reynolds is not another quirky yet unbelievable hero. His intuition enhances his intelligence; it does not replace it. He never allows the reader to forget that he is more than capable of error. When Columbo played the role of a bumbling, less-than-bright police detective, we knew he was acting. When Jeff Reynolds bumbles, he does it seriously.

In the tradition of himself, Burl Barer gives his audience the usual romping read of little history lessons and big belly laughs. Readers familiar with the witty asides of the writer, as well as the humorous situations he devises for his characters, will love the humor in Headlock. His fictional characters soar in the sublimity of their truth and nonsense.

Jeff Reynold's truth, however, is evasive. The "private eye" narrates his story in the first person, present tense, giving us the impression that he is confiding in us, yet he hides as much, or more, than he reveals. We are "outside" while the characters are "inside". Reynolds allows us into his mind, an honor denied his co-characters, yet he remains essentially isolated. His "close friends" are only a phone call away -- and only a phone call. He says he listens to anything from anybody, but is his listening an exercise in detached observation rather than real communication? He carries private eye identification to legitimize his forays into crime, but he says he is not a real private eye; he is a mystery writer. If he is not a real private eye, is HEADLOCK a real private eye mystery novel? Maybe, maybe not. I think Barer is up to something

At one point, fellow mystery author G. M. Ford teases Reynolds about "hiding out." It is also Ford who directs Reynolds to an important piece of the plot's intricate puzzle. Barer, using Ford as the touchstone of authenticity, bestows upon him the honor of ultimate expositor. It is G. M. Ford, a real author of highly praised private eye novels, appearing "as himself" in a work of fiction, who provides the primary clue that HEADLOCK is a novel "beyond the genre" - a daring, original piece of contemporary fiction "hiding out" as a private eye mystery.

Enigmatic, captivating, amusing, and, in the final analysis, sweetly sad, HEADLOCK is a novel that inspires reflection. It's also a novel you'll read more than once and enjoy for different reasons each time. Burl Barer's HEADLOCK is a one-hundred percent dazzling debut of what could be the best new series in mystery fiction.

Headlock is, in my opinion, the best private eye novel of the year -- or at least my favorite one. The real cool thing about this book is that it is like layers and layers of glass, each layer on top of the other, and you can't see that your seeing things through all those layers until they are pulled apart -- does that make sense?? The book makes plenty of sense, and is fun to read . I mean laugh out loud funny, and the main guy is a kick and a half -- he is an author and PI but not a "real one" it's more a gimmick. Anyway, the book isn't that much about the plot or the conspiracy or whatever, but it is about...well, I don't want to give away the ending, but I'll give you a clue: the very last line of the novel hit me about 30 seconds after I closed the book. BAM! All of a sudden I realized that the author had done something I had never seen before. It was/is something that made me go back and read the whole book again, and this time it was A DIFFERENT BOOK, but just as good as it was when it was THE FIRST BOOK. Hard to explain, but I bet some of you will have the same experience. Buy it.

After meeting the author, Burl Barer, at a writer's conference and hearing him read aloud from this book, I had to have it. It is uproariously funny with enough twists and turns to keep your attention riveted and your body shaking with laughter. The only thing that could be better than reading this book would be to have Burl himself read it to you. His characters are total breakthroughs from many stereotypes you'll find in other books. Blond bimbos suddenly have intelligence, hookers have feelings and families, even the bad guys have a human touch. But the real hero, Jeff Reynolds, is someone you'd want to know personally - and you get the chance when you delve into his story. HEADLOCK is the first of a new series, and one can only wait with bated breath for its upcoming sequel.
Burl Barer is a unique author who isn't afraid to let his own personality shine through his hero. If you don't have the opportunity to meet Burl in person, the next best thing is reading his tale as told by Jeff Reynolds.

Jeff Reynolds is a private investigator, a P.I. in the parlance. Hes also an author.
Readers may decide there are autobiographical connections between Mr. Reynolds and
Mr. Barer. They would not be mistaken. Reynolds is sarcastic, casts a widely jaundiced
eye, and has an interestingly skewed attitude toward several common aspects of the world
we live in.

Jeff Reynolds is not exactly the P.I. I would hire to solve a mystery for me. But Jeff
Reynolds is certainly a guy Id spend some quality time hanging out with. Particularly at
McFeelys Tavern in, of all places, Walla Walla.

The gist of the story is that this paranoid fellow who rarely ventures beyond his front door
may--or may not--know something material about a murder. A murder that happened a
while ago. Feeling threatened, he, one Richard Tibbits, now wants Jeff Reynolds to find
out why no one was prosecuted and why people are again pestering Richard. If, in fact,
they are. The way he picked Reynolds is interesting. Tibbits read about Reynolds in the
local newspaper on the occasion of a bookstore signing for one of Reynolds books. By
the way, Tibbits is a former pro-wrestler, which should tell you something about this
book.

Part of the difficulty with this action novel that just lopes right along page after page is
that its complicated and a little hard to read because your eyes keep tearing up with
laughter. There are truly only a few writers working today who can sustain such a
consistent level of fine writing, complexities of plot, great imagination, and humor.

I just hope he doesnt write too many of them. My stomach muscles are still sore from
laughing.

Barer has done it again! I re-read this book recently because I loved the smart-sharp style and affable lead. I kept wanting to pull up a stool at McFeely's and hang out with Jeff...then again, maybe I HAVE. And I'd love to get randy with Randy Nussbaum! Hope there are more adventures in Jeff's future.

Having been born and raised in "Wally World" (what the locals call it) I could not wait to dive into this novel. Burl presents a protagonist with the coolness of Bond yet too cerebral too follow any formula or plan. Instead of phony villains we see characters that are all too human in a town that is very average.

This is the first book I have read by Burl. I found him very funny and entertaining. His character Jeff Reynolds reminds me of the Elvis Cole character by Robert Crais. I also enjoyed the quips about mystery conventions. Having attended quite a few cons myself the humor was great. I love a hero that is far from perfect and fun to read about.