Customer Reviews

Stuff to Spy For

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an easy to read, light story where even though you find out a couple of people have been killed early on, you know nothing too graphic is ever going to occur in the pages ahead. What is isn't though is plausible, nor is it funny. The back cover of the book mentions Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey each a couple of times. This book is nothing like the eccentric character filled humorous genre which those authors and others such as Bill Fitzhugh have mastered. The two main characters and best friends Skip Moore and James Lessor in this book just aren't believable at any time in the novel. Skip has a hot rich girlfriend and James soon gets the interest of a hot security guard. It doesn't really seem plausible that these women would be in relationships with these bumbling through life dim-witted guys and its never explained why they are. I haven't read the previous novels in this series as I didn't know this book was part of one. Maybe it's explained why the hot rich educated Emily with completely different morals would date Skip, it just didn't seem plausible to me. Nor was the fact Skip would be put in charge of a $75 000 dollar project, or that he would be able to appoint his unqualified roommate and the neighbour who at first seems like he belongs as an extra in a My Name is Earl trailer park scene, as the two supervisors. You would have thought he would have been quickly dismissed especially after the work had begun and he still hadn't gotten the deposit which would be the first thing anyone would do.

All these things have to be ignored for the plot to work. Basic plot of a couple of doped out type characters (although they don't do any drugs in this novel) land the contract to install a $75 000 security system in a highly security sensitive company with its own client that is insisting on the upgrade. The receptionist at the company is a hot classmate Skip went to school with so of course he doesn't mention his girlfriend. She offers him another $10 000 to pretend to be her girlfriend so the wife of her boss can't allege she is having an affair with him. Shortly after, that wife offers Skip another $10 000 to get some evidence in the office to prove someone is trying to kill her. Skip of course accepts both jobs but isn't bright enough to ask for any money up front.

Even though the two main characters are dim-witted and likeable, they just don't have the comedic presence that these sort of characters need to make the story funny or even memorable such as say Bill and Ted, or Harold and Kumar, Shrek and Donkey, Wayne and Garth, Forrest Gump, or any Adam Sandler character. And if comparing this book to an Hiaasen or Dorsey novel, there just aren't any other eccentric characters in this book and those other characters are what make those books work and a genre of their own! Plus the lack of humour is also a big factor.

Stuff to Spy for is a book that will pass the time but it's nothing great.

A fun read from talented author Don Bruns about the adventures of Skip Moore and his pal James Lessor when they get involed with former schoolmate Sarah Crumbly who proves to be something other than she says.

Skip is merely supposed to sell a security system to the company Sarah works for but finds he has opened a can of worms when complications get out of hand. Not only is he selling security but he has some romantic problems of an unusual sort, and death takes a hand in the story.

Nothing is as it seems to be and that makes for an interesting adventure for the reader as well as the characters. You'll have no trouble following all that is going on however, and will enjoy the tale. This author writes with a good deal of understanding of how people are influenced by friends and the promise of money.

I'm pleased to recommend this story to any reader as a very satisfying read who is looking for some laughs along the way. A fun blending of comedy, satire, wit and mystery to be enjoyed with those complications that add up to a good time had by all.

Enjoy. I sure did.

I'm a sucker for a good comedic mystery. Alas, "Stuff to Spy For" pales by comparison to anything by Lawrence Block, Gregory McDonald, or Donald Westlake. This book was agony to read.

First, the plot. (Mild spoiler alert, but as you'll see, there's little to "spoil".) The plot centers around espionage at Synco Systems, a defense contractor. Evidently a few people at Synco have figured out how to steal "the codes" that will reveal all secrets of the DoD. This is ludicrous at its core, and to his credit the author never tries to put together technical mumbo-jumbo to justify it. But it's ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the idea that the two hapless protagonists could ferret all this out using cheap spy gadgets. (Yes, I recognize that the story is supposed to be absurd, and I would have cut this conceit some serious slack if the execution were remotely funny. But it wasn't.)

Second, the structure. The writing is incredibly redundant. Yes, we get it. Skip's girlfriend is "out of his league." Do we really have to read that exact quote in every chapter? Do we really have to hear two different characters use the same characterization for beer within pages of each other? Do we need to have the identical internal monologue about whether Skip should confide in his girlfriend? The author was clearly stretching to fill pages; this quickly became tedious to read.

Actually, that makes for a good segue to the third issue, the editing. This book was in dire need of an editor. Consider Chapter Forty-Four. James "popped the top on his [beer] and took a long swallow. 'Warm, cold, it's still better than water.' " On the facing page, J.J. enters. James offers him a beer. J.J. says "[b]etter than water." Skip thinks, "I couldn't believe it. Better than water?" This was extremely odd. Skip loves beer so much he drinks it in every chapter. James has just used this formulation without incident. But when J.J. says it Skip wonders why anyone would like beer so much? This isn't even the worst example. The book is packed with misspellings that any halfway decent editor could have fixed. "It's" where the proper construction is "its". A character who invites someone to "take a peak" at something. Or referring to the musical group "Flight of the Concords". I noticed at least a half-dozen of these, all of them jarring.

I cannot recommend this book.

This is not your usual spy story but Don Bruns has written characters that are entertaining and likeable. I had not read the first two books in the series but Bruns does a good job of introducing Skip Moore and his best friend James, rommates who have dead-end jobs. James is always thinking of ways they can make money though these sceems often backfire. Skip works for a company that installs security systems and has just landed a huge job to put an entire new system in Synco System. Unfortunately, a cute girl from Skip's past, who works at Synco, is also offering Skip extra money to pretend she is his girlfriend. The problem, Skip has a girlfriend and this girl is having an affair with the married boss of Synco Systems who is married. Skip accepts but does tell his girlfriend.

Things become more complicated when James comes to help install the equipment. You see, James is one of those guys who has "bright" ideas and manages to get Skip in other his head. They rent surveillance equipment and soon realize they are being followed by a GPS system, that Synco is involved in secret government contracts, and nothing is as it appears. Can Skip and James manage to install the equipment, get the bonuses and manage not get killed?

Bruns keeps the action moving with plenty of danger and intrigue along with humor. You are rooting for these two unlikely spies and you keep guessing until the very end. Burns has written a book with quirky amateur detectives and I plan on going back and reading the first two in this series.

In Carol City, Florida, Skip Moore begins work as security at Synco Systems, a firm that designs software systems to protect information technology networks. He is greeted on his first day on the job by Sarah Crumbly, who he dated back in high school a few times and she is still the STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF. They dine together and she persuades Skip to work for her by pretending to be her boyfriend. Though he fears his Em will find out the money is too good for this underachiever to pass so he agrees.

Sarah, who in high school was the most likely to succeed, has done so as the mistress of Sandy Conroy, Synco's CEO. They plan to leave the country but need a front to hide their affair from his vengeful wife Carol who would go to her father to destroy her husband. However, security takes a nasty spin when the company's vice president Ralph Walter apparently commits suicide in his office. When Carol offers him money to uncover what is going on at Synco, Skip with the help of Em and his best friend and fellow slacker James Lesser begin an undercover operation that would make James Bond proud (not to be part of it).

STUFF TO SPY FOR is an out of control insane South Florida investigative thriller that will have readers laughing throughout with the antics of the super espionage team and their spy truck. The story line is fast-paced from the onset and never takes a breather as the two slackers and Em work the case more like "double-naught spy" Jethro Bodine of The Beverly Hillbillies than James Bond

Harriet Klausner

Don Brun's characters come into the story fully fledged, at least they appear to be, although from the Prologue it would suggest the story is being told by a dead man. Nevertheless, the characters at the beginning are definitely like comfy socks, well-worn and comfortable, and so they should, this is the third book in the "Stuff" series.

Still acting in their high school personae, these two bumbling lifelong friends are still chasing the American Dream. Even with Skip's Business School training he is still floundering in the security business he is now working for, while James works for Cap'n Crab.

An underachiever, Skip is put in charge of installing security for a government department (a big secret everyone seems to know), the Department of Defense, and it begins to look like they may finally be getting somewhere in life. He hires his crew, including James, and as an afterthought he also hires their neighbour who has not particularly been of interest to them, but seemed to have some knowledge of the equipment.

Skip's first order of business though is to play the part of boyfriend to the boss' girl-friend to throw his wife off the scent of infidelity. The plot is complicated and fun, I loved the interaction of all the characters, including those who have made their first appearance in this book. I am at a slight loss because I have not read the first two, but this works just as well as a stand-alone and is a very enjoyable and fast read.

However, Skip is no sooner introduced to the project than the first body turns up his feet under his desk and is found laid out behind said desk, very dead. Then they learn that other people on the government project have gradually gone missing. To complicate matters more, there are some very strange characters populating the book, and more spy intelligence equipment is soon purchased, or borrowed in order to get to the bottom of things. Skip is overwhelmed with women wanting his attention, not a common state. James is the Hardy Boys fan who is the catalyst to getting the equipment, but who to spy on? There are so many possibilities, not to mention that they are being tracked themselves.

Overall, this is definitely an entertaining book, complete with espionage, mystery, murder, spies spying on spies, and a romp that kept me reading. It was hard to put the book down. I most certainly will read the first two in the series.Stuff Dreams Are Made Of

Don Bruns continues his successful comedic mystery series with this third book starring bumbling spys James Lessor and Skip Moore. The two come up with a scheme that seems doable when Skip becomes employed at Synco Systems installing a state-of-the-art security system. Along with a huge bonus comes the side job of pretending to be the boyfriend of Sarah, a company employee who is having an affair with Synco's president.

The two use their spymobile, a rattle-trap box truck, to keep tabs on the dirty details at Synco as they also field additional income from the wife of the company's president to also provide her with info as to what is going on in her husband's personal life.

This novel is full of intrigue, twisted relationships, danger and deception. It is also a great read that will provide more than one laugh out loud moment.


Stuff to Spy For

The spy game is not for everyone. "Stuff to Spy For" tells the story of James and Skip as they are pulled into the spy game, formerly being wage slaves with nothing to look forward to. Originally welcoming the change of pace, James and Skip soon find that the spy business is a tougher call than they would hope for. "Stuff to Spy For" is a entertaining and fun read of espionage, sure to please fans of spy thrillers.

The only funny word I could devise for this story. It is quite interesting how it is constructed. I find the outline of two buddys and a girl out of school without any real financial backing. They stumble into a deal that looks as though they hit the lottery. The plot thickens and leads you in a corn maze of directions. Between comedy,drama,and espionage page after page it surely keeps your attention. I found this to be a lighter read than most I have been with lately but in effect a nice change. I would recommend this book highly.

Friends James Lessor and Skip Moore may live in a run down apartment in Carol City, Florida but they dream big. When Skip starts work installing the newest security system for Synco Systems, the huge commission seems too good to be true. Sarah Crumbly, a heart throb from high school and now mistress of Sandler Conroy, Synco's president, approaches Skip with an unusual request. If he will only pretend to be her boyfriend, the payout for this job will be even bigger. How can he resist? When he calls in his best friend James to assist, suddenly the job gets more complex. Sandler's wife offers Skip even more money to find out exactly what is going on at Synco. With a little prodding from James, suddenly Skip finds himself shopping for all kinds of expensive spy gear. In the blink of an eye, Skip has moved from security installer to spy! Will Skip and James be able to accomplish all these conflicting jobs? The more they investigate, the crazier the schemes become and the more dangerous the possible consequences. Will Skip and James be able to unravel all the intrigue going on behind the doors of Synco or will a loose end come back to snag their big dreams? Who is playing whom?

STUFF TO SPY FOR, the third wacky novel featuring friends Skip and James after STUFF TO DIE FOR and STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF, is one fun, crazy ride from start to finish. James and Skip may be slackers and even losers by some standards, hoping to make it to the big time, but one just can't help love them for their enthusiasm, their honorable intentions and the friendship they share. No matter what crazy antic James plots and no matter to what zany situation James' imagination leads, Skip remains a true friend. Zany does not even begin to describe the capers in which these two buddies find themselves! A reader just can't help but root for them or want to say, "Stop. Don't do it!" These two are headed for trouble but no one can foresee all the twists and turns that will keep one on the edge of the seat and laughing at the same time. This book can easily be read as a stand alone.

Don Bruns' STUFF TO SPY FOR is a natural choice for lovers of Carl Hiaasen or Tim Dorsey. Fast-paced and suspenseful, STUFF TO SPY FOR is a wacky mystery with laugh out loud infectious humor. Be forewarned --- I do mean infectious. My husband heard my laughs as I read this book. He snagged the book from me as soon as I finished the last page! Don Bruns' STUFF TO SPY FOR is the perfect remedy for the winter doldrums or any other time a reader just needs to lose themselves in zany, humorous fun!

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