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Lucky Bastard [Hardcover]

S.G. Browne
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 17, 2012
Meet Nick Monday: a private detective who’s more Columbo than Sam Spade, more Magnum P.I. than Philip Marlowe. As San Francisco’s infamous luck poacher, Nick doesn’t know whether his ability to swipe other people’s fortunes with a simple handshake is a blessing or a curse. Ever since his youth, Nick has swallowed more than a few bitter truths when it comes to wheeling and dealing in destinies. Because whether the highest bidders of Nick’s serendipitous booty are celebrities, yuppies, or douche bag vegans, the unsavory fact remains: luck is the most powerful, addictive, and dangerous drug of them all. And no amount of cappuccinos, Lucky Charms, or apple fritters can sweeten the notion that Nick might be exactly what his father once claimed—as ambitious as a fart.

That is, until Tuesday Knight, the curvy brunette who also happens to be the mayor’s daughter, approaches Nick with an irresistible offer: $100,000 to retrieve her father’s stolen luck. Could this high-stakes deal let Nick do right? Or will kowtowing to another greedmonger’s demands simply fund Nick’s addiction to corporate coffee bars while his morality drains down the toilet? Before he downs his next mocha, Nick finds himself at the mercy of a Chinese mafia kingpin and with no choice but to scour the city for the purest kind of luck, a hunt more titillating than softcore porn. All he has to do to stay ahead of the game is remember that you can’t take something from someone without eventually paying like hell for it. . . .


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Lucky Bastard + I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus: A Breathers Christmas Carol + Fated
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Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR LUCKY BASTARD:

"Wickedly sharp and wildly entertaining. S.G. Browne is one of today's very best writers." —New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry

"Springboarding off a traditional noir framework, Browne delivers an insightful, intriguing tale....With twists aplenty, this fast-paced adventure succeeds as both a hard-boiled homage and a paranormal romp." —Publishers Weekly (starred review & Pick of the Week)

"Browne hits the funny bone hard....Smartly constructed fiction...that sets it apart from the crowd." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Full of witty writing and hilarious adventures...I laughed out loud many times. Read the book: it will be your good fortune." —New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson

"Lucky Bastard is wonderful San Francisco noir, full of humor, irony, hot women, and cranial trauma. What more could you ask for in a book? The titular bastard may be in for a very bad day, but Browne's readers are the lucky ones." —New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden

"A very clever novel....Nick [Monday] is a likable narrator...and the story’s lightly noirish feel gives the proceedings an evocatively gritty texture. This one will appeal equally to readers of mysteries and fantasies." —Booklist

About the Author

S.G. Browne is the author of Breathers, Fated, and Lucky Bastard, and the Breathers sequel I Saw Zombies Eating Santa Claus, as well as the eBook story collection Shooting Monkeys in a Barrel. He lives in San Francisco. Follow the author on Twitter and Facebook, or visit SGBrowne.com. 

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition first Printing edition (April 17, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1451657196
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451657197
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

S.G. Browne is the author of the novels BREATHERS, FATED, and LUCKY BASTARD - dark comedies and social satires with a supernatural edge. His short story collection SHOOTING MONKEYS IN A BARREL contains ten twisted tales and is available as an eBook.

Scott's writing has been influenced by Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, Christopher Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, and the films of Charlie Kaufman and Wes Anderson, among others.

You can learn more about S.G. Browne and his books at www.sgbrowne.com.

Customer Reviews

The rest of the characters I found just ok. Cheryl Koch  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
It is a fast-paced story that is easy and quick to read, and it has plenty of chuckles on the way. Layers of Thought  |  2 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars New Favorite Day Of The Week May 1, 2012
Format:Hardcover
Monday is my new favorite day of the week. If you consolidated all the good luck in the world and placed it in a warehouse the size of California, a chunk the size of Connecticut would be relegated for this novel. While these references may not mean as much to you now, they'll certainly hold more meaning when you purchase your own copy of this novel. And if you want to get lost in the world of Nick Monday, who has nearly as much wit, charm, and charisma as the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser, then it's exactly what you should do.

Finding the perfect book is like connecting with the right lover. It doesn't happen very often, and you don't always know what you're looking for, but when it does, you feel like one lucky bastard, like the universe opened up just for you and swallowed you whole. And no matter how many good, or not so good, books you read in-between, you keep seeking out the one connection that brings meaning and fulfillment to your life. For me, this was one of those books.

Why? It all started with the main character, the heart and soul of this novel. Nick Monday might as well be my alter ego. Sure, he's a man that poaches luck for a living, and other than some good luck and good fortune in my life, I haven't been able to poach so much as a four leaf clover. But S.G. Browne is too good of an author to focus solely on Nick and let the other characters waltz on top of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. And instead of creating yet another PI, he adds an interesting twist to the genre by having his PI poach luck for a living and work as a PI on the side.

All in all, I can't recommend this book highly enough, and by being handed this book, I felt like I had my own four leaf clover placed in my palm. I do hope S.G. Browne considers a sequel, because Nick is a character I'd like to revisit.

I was lucky enough to receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Robert Downs
Author of Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. Clever. My New Favorite Author. April 27, 2012
By AMN
Format:Hardcover
Lucky Bastard rocks. I can't say enough good things about this book. Mostly, S.G. Browne has a made a fan for life.He's one of the most clever and insightful authors out there. His writing is brilliant.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One fun novel April 22, 2012
Format:Hardcover
Meet Nick Monday. He's a private investigator and a luck poacher. Luck poacher? Nick Monday can steal a person's luck from them, good or bad, just by shaking their hand. He then processes it in a rather disgusting manner and sells it to people. I never fully understood why he wouldn't just take the luck and go to Vegas or buy a bunch of lottery tickets, but it apparently doesn't work well doing it that way.

Lucky Bastard is 355 pages of sheer brilliance. It's the type of novel that just flies by as your reading it. It's light, it's fun, the pacing is great and the characters are both memorable and likeable. Nick Monday is a well crafted character who wears sarcasm like a badge of honor and is loaded with flaws, yet still remains likeable. There is Tommy Wong, the Hugh Hefner like Asian gangster who is forcing our brave hero to poach luck for him or face a gruesome death. There is Nick's assistant Doug, a.k.a Bow Wow who is a wannabe gangsta rapper. You have scooter girl, a maybe luck poacher who Nick has the hots for, and a woman pretending to be the daughter of San Francisco's mayor, whose luck got poached by Nick. But my favorite is Alex, the irritating vegan driver working for Tommy Wong. His back and forth insults with Nick are absolutely priceless. Undoubtedly these characters will be staying with me for a while.

The book takes place in one day. As the day progresses, things just keep getting worse for our brave hero, and the by the end of it, all hell has broken loose, and Nick's life has spiraled out of control. Nick has to keep himself alive as well as his sister and a little boy who has pure, the highest grade of good luck there is. Mixed in with all of the humor is a good deal of poignancy . Nick develops into a character the reader can root for, despite all of his flaws. Lucky Bastard is loaded with quirks that keep things interesting, such as the fact that due to his condition any barista Nick comes into contact with falls for him, or the federal agent who Nick calls Barry Manilow, who is forcing Nick to try to bring down Tommy Wong. Lucky Bastard is a lot of fun, very well written, and loads of entertainment. Get yourself a copy of this book. You will not regret it.

Carl Alves - author of Two for Eternity
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Strange but compelling
A guy who steals luck? This is a weird tale of a vampire kind of guy who steals luck from the lucky and sells it to the highest bidder on the black market. I'm not kidding. Read more
Published 25 days ago by LA Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars If it weren't for bad luck, he wouldn't have any ...
In S. G. Browne's novel LUCKY BASTARD, a luck poacher finds himself engaged by a Chinese gangster who is buying up all the luck he can find while protecting himself against two... Read more
Published 1 month ago by katherine tomlinson
4.0 out of 5 stars I just got it today.
I have only read the first couple of chapters but I can already tell that it is going to be a great book. I recommend it.
Published 2 months ago by Jennifer Mora
5.0 out of 5 stars S.G. Browne is the Lucky Bastard
I began reading S.G. Browne's work with "Breathers," which was definitely a great read. "Lucky Bastard" is just as good. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jessi
4.0 out of 5 stars "Lucky Bastard" by S. G. Browne
The bestselling author of Breathers and Fate returns with another entertaining and funny book that is well keeping in the style of one S. G. Browne. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alexandro C. Telander
4.0 out of 5 stars A fantasy noir comedy thriller about a private investigator who is...
A fantasy noir comedy thriller about a private investigator who is also a poacher and seller of luck. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Layers of Thought
3.0 out of 5 stars This book was middle of the road for me but not always a bad thing.
Nick Monday is a private detective. Nick is not just your run of the mill detective either. Nick has a knack for taking people's luck. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Cheryl Koch
4.0 out of 5 stars Banter-y, bouncy, sarcastic fun
This is one of those books I fell in love with at the first line, and my breathless passion for it lasted through to the very final line. Ours is a timeless affair. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Unabridged Chick
3.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to like it, but...
After flying through Browne's first two novels (Breathers, Fated) I could not wait to get my hands on his third. Read more
Published 8 months ago by D. Buda
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
As a huge fan of mysteries featuring private investigators, I was eager to read this story. I dived into it thinking that it would be a traditional read but was pleasantly... Read more
Published 8 months ago by LAS Reviewer
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