Customer Reviews

Skinny Annie Blues (Wiley Moss Mystery)

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

 

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and Neal Barrett is certainly not for everyone, but this, and the other books in the "Blues" series, are top-notch writing and storytelling. Few do it better than Neal Barrett, and frankly Carl Hiassen does not even compete in the same league as Barrett (although fans of Hiassen might find a new friend in Barrett). As evidenced by the previous reviewers who did not like the book, this is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who do not appreciate the bizzare and the off-color.

This was the worst book I've read in ages. I gave it 2 stars just because the storyline was so goofy I had to finish the book to find out how things ended. Except they didn't end! Wiley's questions about his father and all the wackos he ran into during the storyline were left up to the reader's imagination. I'm sorry, there is no way I could imagine one guy getting himself into so much touble, with so many bizarre characters. I realize there may by men out there in the world who think like Wiley, I'm just happy I don't know any.

Don't bother with this one unless you're a fan of truly bizarre, illogically constructed, yet somehow random plot lines. The wild characters and the occasional poetic turn of phrase serve to (somewhat)redeem the randomness. Perhaps the author's most insteresting device is his use of a first person protagonist who is entirely unsympathetic--but the interest doesn't last. I frankly didn't care what happened to the guy and was glad when he got out of my life.

It is a while ago since I read this book. I had a lot of fun reading it and the book did not last me a week. I felt like I have to cheer in to compensate for the dissapointed readers!

Yes, the charakters are overdrawn and nothing in Barretts book happens just normal. But this is what makes the story so exciting! The author describes things very visual and for example I really felt that Texas heat! This book is something that you either like or dislike. Don't we say that about many great books or movies?

I highly recommend all books in Barretts "blues" series!

Neal Barrett Jr. has crafted another fun and quirky mystery. Wiley Moss is the latest in Barrett's line of poor schlep protagonists who seems to end up causing more problems for himself than he actually solves. This is a theme begun in Barrett's excellent novel "Pink Vodka Blues" and has served him well ever since. "Skinny Annie Blues" is well plotted and at times very, very funny. You may have to reread the ending twice to realize who really committed Moss' father's murder. My favorite character: the local mob boss' hired muscle who loves to disgust people by eating dead birds like popsicles. My only real problems with the book is that Barrett piles on one or two too many subplots. One subplot about a beautiful redhead Moss keeps bumping into (at least once in the Biblical sense) doesn't really work for me. Another subplot featuring the title character is briefly mentioned, then strangely dropped and we never hear more about Skinny Annie after that. Fans of Joe Lansdale would be well served to give Barrett a try. He's just that good.

Barrett tries to go for the Carl Hiassen-esque quirkiness and fails big time. The main character,Wiley Moss, was so cold-hearted that I was rooting for the bad guys! And what's with the super-strange characters? A blind woman who drives a truck with the help of her son? Puh-leeze! I couldn't wait to finish this book so I could get rid of it and try to put the whole painful experience behind me.