Noir

Noir by Christopher Moore         Audio Book: 10 hrs., 35 mins         Hardback Book:  352 pages                   

I love this book.   I hated to see it come to an end.    The story is a riot – set in 1947, just after WWII in San Francisco, California with references to Roswell, New Mexico, too.    A couple of real entrepreneurs purchase a black mamba (named Petey) from a South African guy off a merchant ship, I don’t want to spoil what all is entailed, but it is a riot.   I so want anyone reading this book to be as surprised and delighted by it as I am and there is so much good stuff within these pages, let me tell you.    Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin has an Irish background but rumor has it he is Italian.   Sammy is a bar tender.   One night a dame walks in to Sal’s Bar where he works and his life is never the same again.   He has many friends he has made along the way all bringing special personalities and skills to the story.   Chinese Uncles, a fowl mouthed kid, men in black and a moon man all bring their flair to this rich broth of a story.    Flavored like a five-spice rat ( you will get the reference when you read it or listen to it on CD like I did),  this savory stew of terrific characters and extraordinary situations will have you guffawing!  I’m not kidding!    I laughed so much and I must highly recommend the audio book here because narrator, Johnny Heller is worth his weight in gold!   He has the 1940s banter down so pat I can’t praise his work enough – the man is a gem on the hatband of this great fedora wearing tale.   Please do give this book a read I think you will be so wrapped up in the story rolling with laughter you won’t ever want it to stop like I feel.    Edward G. Robinson meets Jimmy Cagney with a little Carol Lombard thrown in, Benjamin Buford Blue (“Bubba” from Forest Gump), Ken Jeong (from “the Hangover”) and every Bowery Boy and Stooge from Leo Gorcey to Curley Howard and you have got this masterpiece of goodtimes and good time chatter.   Christopher Moore, I applaud your writing, your dialogue is straight out of the mouths of the Guys and Dolls of 1940s history.   Rosie the Riviter hasnothing on you!  I love it!   Can’t recommend this book highly enough to the universe!

 - Shirley J.