Heads You Lose tells the story of Paul and Lacey Hansen. They are pot grower who find a headless body in their yard and are afraid to call the police. So they move the body, but it turns up again. They begin their investigation involving some odd characters in a small town.
The characters personalities change from chapter to chapter, events happen out of the blue, and it is otherwise a disappointing mystery.
But that isn’t what the book is about.
The book is about the authors. Formerly a couple, who decided to co-auther a book. They are strictly hands-off for what the other person creates, well, sort of. The rules are they alternate chapters and do not undo or strongly change what the other has written. But they threaten each other, they mess with each other’s characters, and the banter makes the book!
Each chapter indicates which author wrote that chapter, a saving grace! I constantly referred to the header to see whose chapter this was, the writing author was in a normal font, the other was slightly grayed.
Each chapter ends with a letter from the chapter author and a return from the other. The authors leave footnote comments on the other’s work. This is what drives the book. This is the real plot. It is funny, occasionally laugh-out-lout hilarious. The book is worth the read and is time well spent.
Ironically, it also feels like the book could have been a lot more. After finishing, I don’t feel like these authors have much more to offer, the material was covered and its done.
Heads You Lose is still a good book and well worth the read.
I was just going to look for “Win you Lose.” That’s what I thought you told me at our last lunch. At least that’s what I had written. After reading your critique I’m not sure it’s worth the time and effort. Although I do enjoy “behind the scenes” information. I’ll think about it. I recently finished “A Country of Vast Designs.” A presidential bio of James K Polk. Interesting background about Texas and the Mexican-American war. I’m still plodding through “John Brown, Abolitionist.” Both books deal the different mind-sets leading up to the Civil War. Scary how some of the same attitudes are still with us.
Comment by tom bryan — June 2, 2011 @ 3:21 pm
I enjoy Lisa Lutz’s writing, in general. She has a very good sense of humor. I can loan you this one, you can get a lot out of it without reading it very closely.
I strongly suggest you read the Spellman Files, the first in her Spellman series. You’ll enjoy it from page 1.
https://books.randolphking.com/?p=216
Comment by Randolph — June 2, 2011 @ 6:30 pm