Customer Reviews

Salty: A Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought my favorite book of all time, "Boy Wonder" by James Robert Baker because someone described it as "Citizen Kane meets Blue Velvet." I'm a sucker for the one-line Hollywood pitch, and bought this book because of the quote on the cover: "Graham Greene meets the Marx Brothers." I was not disappointed, although, having just read it, I might say: "Carl Hiassen meets Bangkok 8."

As in a Hiassen novel, I loved the quirky characters. Turk Henry, the second-fiddle bass player in a wildly successful, recently defunct heavy-metal band fumbles through a mid-life crisis on the beaches of Thailand, determined to rescue his super-model wife from the clutches of kidnappers. His wife finds the kidnapping a perfect opportunity to deal with some of her own issues.

As in Bangkok 8, we are treated to a wonderful portrayal of the sensuality of Thailand, from the stunning food and smells to the rich depths and variety of the sex industry. Graham Greene is brought to mind by expatriate government agents acting on their own behalf, and actually trying to undermine the rescue effort. As for the Marx Brothers, well, I suppose they ate some Duck Soup, among the many mouth-watering meals.

I had a great time with this book, and put it down with a big smile on my face. I am certainly looking forward to reading Smith's previous books.

Another fantastic read by Mark Haskell Smith. Similar in style to Moist and Delicious, but more refined. Where Delicious and Moist are character driven Salty is somewhat less so.

Pardon me if this doesn't make complete sense. What I mean is that the story doesn't take as many crazy turns as Smith's previous two novels. The plot is fairly simple: Kidnapping for ransom. The story is spiced up a bit with some interesting characters, but they don't really turn things on their head as much as in Delicious. The chapters are still divided into several small episodes, as if reading a movie transcript and Smith does a terrific job of creating a fantastic picture of the seedy side of Thailand with sarcastic glances by way of an American tourist. I have enjoyed his sense of humor across all of his books. I was quite nervous about this book when I read the description that the fact that the main character, Turk, is the bass player for a heavy metal band. I was nervous because I hoped that it would not turn out to be some cheesy, over the top and stereotypical look at a bass player, from someone that doesn't really get the scene but Smith has definitely done his research and never goes over the top with the music references.

To sum up this somewhat incoherent review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. More than Delicious and a little bit less than Moist. I can not wait until his next novel, Baked, is released in August. Also, apparently Salty, is going to be made into a movie, so I will look forward to that as well.

I hadn't enjoyed a book this much in a really long time. It may sound trite, but I couldn't put it down. It was hilarious and as soon as I finished it I went online to see what other books by this author were available. Like others have mentioned, it reminded me of a Carl Hiaasen novel and maybe a little of Maarten Troost thrown in.

Could not put book down. Aging rock star implants himself in your heart. Evil kidnapper evolves into sensitive caring man thanks to powers of love. Sexy, spicy and constantly drawing you in. Read it on plane trip to Hawaii, and read it again on trip home to JFK, NYC. This guy Smith really knows how to write a tantalizing story!

More fun than a frozen margarita on the beach! Salty is hilarious, raunchy, and continuously entertaining! I read it all in one sitting, and couldn't put it down. Take a fun trip to Thailand with an aging rock star, oh and be careful of pirates and FBI agents along the way. Seriously, what could be more fun than that?

I'm a big fan of the novels of Mark Haskell Smith. His screwball plots are entertaining and his writing style is deft and accessible. On the surface, his novels are thrillers. But, if you look beneath the surface, the books are really biting social satires - Rabelaisian if you will. The way Smith skewers the ludicrous people and situations in today's society makes me laugh out loud. Dear reader, if you are looking for a smart, screwball take on sex, violence, politics, international affairs, popular culture, or food - Mark Haskell Smith's your man. Smith is an seriously underrated novelist, grab the first editions while they're still available.

I stumbled upon Haskell Smith's second novel Delicious around two months ago, loved it and eagerly tracked down his other novels. Although Salty is Smith's third novel, it is the last of the four he's written so far that I tracked down. All four novels are independent storylines, you can read them in any order, they have completely separate characters and are set in different places. They are all slightly different in style, but all include Carl Hiaasen, Bill Fitzhugh, Dave Barry type characters. Characters which aren't the brightest people in the world, but there's always the lead nice guy type one you hope comes out on top (in this case an ageing ex heavy metal supergroup guitarist), the dim-witted greedy villain types (in this case an ICE agent) you hope will get their comeuppance by the final pages, and a heap of interesting locals and side characters to not only keep the novel interesting, but put a big smile on your face while you enjoy the adventure.
Haskell's signature if you like to this genre is that he also includes plenty of bedroom action or thinking about bedroom action for his characters. The scenes aren't too graphic to put off anyone though and they are always lots of fun.

Of Smith's other novels Salty is closest to Delicious in its writing style. It doesn't have the lecturing you vibe that Smith's next novel Baked does which is refreshing as it's just a simple, sit back, turn the pages and enjoy read. If you're a fan of eccentric character driven humorous fiction, then you've got to check out Haskell Smith, especially his first three novels.

Basic plot of Salty, is celebrity couple Turk Henry, an ex highly successful guitarist in one of the world's biggest rock bands and his ex supermodel wife are holidaying in Phuket, Thailand. This isn't the type of place Turk is into, but it's where his wife wanted to holiday. In fact Turk is a recovering sex addict and since most tourists on the beach are topless at best this place is actually a bit of a challenge for him, plus the heat is something else. Sheila his wife is obsessed with elephants. She's collected many figurines and even though Turk refuses to go with her she's determined to enjoy an elephant riding safari through the jungle. Problem is the other American and British tourists who have no respect for their hosts and the country they are in. Oh and a group of pirates who plan on kidnapping these elephant riding Westerners for ransom. Throw in a desk bound US ICE agent who sees the kidnapping as a way to make a name for himself, and later to enhance his own life and you've got a pretty funny kidnapping novel.

mark haskel smith makes writing fun. gotta love the guy. this was his first novel, i believe. after finishing it i rushed out to get his next two. he reminds me a bit of christopher moore, minus the gools.

good times. thanks mark

i dont ever recall a book that was so perfectly titled. this book was most definitely salty. i love it. a sexy and fun read. couldn't put it down

Great setting, great on the details, and a great read. You'll be happy with the love angles and triangles, the premise and the plot. For some reason I'm reminded of "Sick Puppy" by Hiaasen, in the very best way.

Light and satisfying. Enjoy!