Snitch Jacket [Kindle Edition]

That Christopher Goffard could suck me into a tale this outlandish and have me laughing my (posterior) off at the same time is a testament to his skill as a novelist. Incredibly, a debut novelist.

I'd heard that this book was published to acclaim in the UK last year, but I could never find a copy. So I was pleased to see Overlook/Rookery publish it this summer in the US. I preordered.

Goffard does not waste your reading time or book budget. His roots as a newspaper reporter are evident here. His fabrications are woven seamlessly with the real-life absurdities that surface under small headlines in the best newspapers. Research and meticulous anthropological observations underlie the story and characters. The characters -- including a barfly protagonist with a vocabulary that would shame a Harvard English prof -- are gigantic, and the noir is over-the-top. This book's the perfect vacation from life in your middle-class cubicle. In this way, the book made me think of Fight Club.

I get the comparisons to Charlie Huston, but I have to say, Goffard does this kind of book better, striking the right tone, keeping it all just believable and bringing us profound observations while we take his entertaining ride. So go ahead; press buy. You won't be sorry.

To be nominated for an Edgar, a first time writer has to have a book that offers the reader an outrageous tale filled with humor, intelligence and characters that are definitely out of the ordinary. With Snitch Jacket, author Christopher Goffard gives us a book that, in this readers opinion, ranks among the best in unconventional crime fiction replete with a couple unusual characters in the persons of Benny Bunt the consumate anti-hero, and Gus "Mad Dog" Miller - Vietnam Vet with more war stories than General Patton. The question is are the stories true or the result of a psychotic personality?

Benny, our narrator, is a 41 year old dishwasher with an extensive resume covering several incarnations, both past and present, as a meth user, barfly, cop wannabe, police informant, and runaway husband. Most of his leisure hours are spent "socializing" at a Southern California dive known as Greasy Tuesday, whose other patrons Benny occasionally rats out (for their own good) to a local detective named Munoz.

When Gus approaches Benny seeking assistance with a contract killing, the fun really begins. Not wanting to spoil your enjoyment of this little jewel I will not divulge any further plot points so if your find yourself like Oliver Twist, wanting "more please", you will have to buy Goffard's book.

Just know that if you are a fan of the dark humor of Carl Hiaasen, or a movie buff who enjoys movies like the Coen brothers Blood Simple, this book is an A-ticket to a ride your sure to enjoy.

One of the best crime novels I've ever read. Certainly the most entertaining. Think of a noir-Cheers, and you get the idea of the tone for the numerous bar scenes depicted in the book. For as accurate a picture of the underbelly of any given community this book paints, it provides a surprising amount of laughs. Yet, the story is totally engrossing, and dangerous, in true crime story fashion. It keeps you guessing until the final five pages. Yet, the story is different in a totally refreshing way. Even the choice of the "first person" puts a different twist on the typical novel. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to enjoy an intelligent, well told story.