Review: Over the Curb by Bo Barber & George McClelland

Original Title: Over the Curb

Authors: Bo Barber & George McClelland

Publisher: Mountain Meadow

Published Date: February 21st 2012

Genre: Fiction

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

There’s a dead guy in the trunk of a car parked on the back row of an automobile dealership. He’s been dead for quite a while, and the circumstances surrounding the death are strange.

That’s not the only strangeness that police detective Gabe Lozano finds when he arrives at the Alamo Tuahtsing dealership to investigate the death. The dealership is the first in town to offer a new line of Chinese–made cars. Tuahtsing— unfortunately pronounced “twot-sing” to the great glee of the late night comedians—is a newcomer on the automotive scene.

A goofy, circus-like atmosphere greets the investigators. A rocking-chair marathon is underway, with contestants competing for the new-car prize that awaits the survivor. An ambulance is just carrying away one of the recently fallen.

Sales manager John Peacock struggles to keep a veneer of order, but with a sales force comprised of a collection of scoundrels, misfits, drunks, slackers and all-around odd-ducks, it is a task he compares to “riding herd on a gang of amphetamine-crazed rodents.” The only thing they all have in common is that none of them wants to be here, doing this job.

Over the Curb is a funny and irreverent romp, and while the sham and hucksterism and skullduggery are on full display, the story surprises with moments of poignancy and goodness that defy stereotype.

So the investigation into the death of the man in the trunk takes place in this most unlikely of bizarre settings. But, without warning, another grisly, violent death is looming. And this one will hit a lot closer to home.

REVIEW

*** I got this book from the author for review purposes. ***

I thought this is a mystery, after reading the description, but it was a total mistake. Someone should tell that blurb writer, that he totally misunderstood the plot. Okay, that sounds weird, considering I myself still have trouble understanding it.

This is something about car business..describing various categories of people who work in those stores and the difficulty that they have with their clients and business rivals. And, oh yeah, there is a death. This is how I felt about the plot.

It was written well, no doubt about it. But, what is it about basically? This, I have a lot of doubt with. But, I enjoyed it and that is the primary purpose.

Pick it up, if you want to know how one day in a car showroom would be like.