Jack Hopkins, an ill-fated real-estate agent with an unhappy past, doesn’t like what he does for a living. Luckily, though, he has two new job offers: Darlene Hunt wants to pay him ten million dollars to kill her husband, and her husband wants to hire him to kill Darlene Hunt. Before he can figure out who to work for, though, or how a private island off the coast of Mexico fits into it all, the dead bodies have already started piling up. The second novel from Millard Kaufman—nonagenarian author, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and World War II Marine—Misadventure is a serpentine murder mystery set against a backdrop of LA real-estate schemes, ruby-wearing femmes fatale, and more love triangles than any one man should attempt to get into. Written with a style and flair that’s reminiscent of Chinatown by way of the Coen Brothers, it’s an unforgettable addition to the genre—a noir par excellence, with wit to match.
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About the Author
Born in 1917, Millard Kaufman plunged into World War II on Guadalcanal as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, then made D-Day landings on Guam and Okinawa. He co-created the beloved Mr. Magoo and was twice nominated for screenwriting Oscars—in 1954 for Take the High Ground! and in 1956 for the legendary Bad Day at Black Rock. His first novel, Bowl of Cherries, was published by McSweeney’s in 2007.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly entertaining,
By Ella Hill (Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Misadventure (Hardcover)
This was the second (and last, as he died before it was published) book by Kaufman, who wrote Bowl of Cherries in his nineties. Liked Bowl of Cherries better -- I found it's craziness a little more entertaining and the vocabulary/word choice was just fantastic (in a $10 word kind of way). That, said, this was still a very enjoyable book (and unlike Bowl of Cherries, had a good second half). Whereas Bowl of Cherries was more Vonnegut, this is more Coen brothers.
Noir genre, ambiguously set in the 80s in LA, murder mystery: Jack Hopkins is a real estate agent with a checkered past, an obnoxious boss, whiny girlfriend, and what seems to be a life of a hit man in front of him. A real estate mogul wants Jack to kill his wife, while his wife (our femme fatale) has offered to pay Jack $10 million to kill her husband. But then she turns up dead. Add in private islands, monkeys, illicit affairs, murder, rubies, backstabbing and dealmaking and it's an interesting, fast-paced read. This is more than just a murder mystery -- the characters are great in and of themselves and the ending is more than a "voila the murderer is revealed" type of ending (it's deeper). I'd give this a B+. It's a rare combination of a quick read with actual substance, the characters are great, and I was entertained. It's a pleasant weekend read, but not life-altering or going to stick with you for years to come. Kaufman is such a great storyteller, you wonder what he would've done with an A+ plot.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hated To See This End,
By W. Ravenel "yellow-dog democrat" (living with Maggie in Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: Misadventure (Hardcover)
A dark tale for the 21st century. Suspenseful, sexy, and beautifully-written homage to the 1940s noir novels of James M. Cain. A mind-blowing achievement by a gifted writer.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Noir fans should take a chance...,
By Mej (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Misadventure (Hardcover)
Solid Noir from Millard Kaufman. I didn't really have any knowledge of him prior to this novel and I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The plot was well thought out and the web of characters are is weaved in a manner that sheds light on the peculiar nature of each person.Kaufman is a damn wordy writer. I meant this in good way. His choice of syntax is elegant but often had me reaching for a dictionary. He reminds me of Chabon in some ways. I liked this book a good bit. The ending was a bit meh, but I'd still recommend this to book pals.
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