Rating:  Summary: Original and funny Review: Alhough I love mysteries, I particularly enjoy funny mysteries, and Pipsqueak is a great one. Harlan Coben's blurb on the cover is no lie - it's wildly original, wacky and fun. When was the last time you could say that about a book you read? I can see why it won Left Coast Crime's "Lefty" award for the funniest mystery of the year, beating the likes of Janet Evanovich. I have not yet read his Swimming with the Fishes, but I'll certainly look for it now.
Rating:  Summary: Pipsqueak Review: Brian M. Wiprud has fast become one of my favorite writers! This author is hilarious - in much the same way I find books by Donald Westlake and Bill Fitzhugh over-the-top-laugh-out-loud funny. Why the hell aren't more people reading this guy?!I had wondered how he'd top Sleep with the Fishes (had hoped for a sequel, straightaway, but I 'll have to wait 'til 2003 for Dirt Nap, the next installment in the Sid Bilfulco tales), but I had to be be content with Pipsqueak this zany, smart comic caper. No way will I listen to Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights without a smile remembering this funny book. Read this book!
Rating:  Summary: No Pipsqueak - This is a muscular adventure! Review: Garth Carson is an ordinary guy with an unordinary interest in dead animals (he bills himself as a "Renter, Procurer, Broker and Vendor of Taxidermy"). He's minding his own business while hunting an "antiques" shop one day when he spots the Maltese Falcon of stuffed animals: Pipsqueak the Nutty Nut. This puppet made from a real squirrel's skin was a prominent fixture on the young Garth's favorite low-budget local television program: The General Buster Show. Summarizing the story is no small task, as it is a complicated one, involving zoot suiters, tuning forks, swing dancers, mind control, and a whole host of bizarre miscellanea. If at times a bit over-complicated, the plot doesn't matter that much anyway. The Pipsqueak puppet is only a MacGuffin, a largely meaningless device to further the story, not to matter in and of itself. The real meat of the book is the quirky characters and their interplay, along with the protagonist's wry observations on life. It's hard to imagine anyone whose work Wiprud's is similar to. His twisted sense of humor and fascination for odd minutiae are fairly unique. Admirers of Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard, especially, though, will find much here to enjoy. Wiprud is definitely a writer to watch. Reviewed by David Montgomer, Mystery Ink
Rating:  Summary: Wild! Review: His business card reads "Carson's Critters - Taxidermy - Renter, Procurer, Broker, and Vendor". Garth Carson was always looking to add to his animal collection. He mainly made his living by renting out his collection for movies, commercials, and the like. On the way home from some antique hunting he spied a small shop called "Tiny Timeless Treasures". On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Garth stopped and went inside. Garth spied Pipsqueak, a squirrel puppet that used to entertain him on televison when he was a kid. The next thing you know, Garth's bad luck acts up. Garth went to use the restroom and came out to see a dead body. Shortly thereafter, Garth's no-good, younger, trouble-making brother, Nicholas, showed up. Nicholas was NEVER one Garth could trust and nothing seemed to have changed. Nicholas, Garth, and Angie (Garth's girlfriend) were tossed into a mystery where they could easily end up dead - all over a squirrel puppet. ***** Fans of author Jeff Strand should stand up and take special notice! I have found another sick author that has the unusual talent of a warped imagination! His name is Brian M. Wiprud! This novel is as wacky as his last, "Sleep With The Fishes". A mystery filled with scenes of Murphy's Law: If Things Can Go Wrong, They Will. Fun, hilarious, and warped, this author ROCKS! Recommended to all who want a few laughs with their mystery! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch
Rating:  Summary: Your average run of the mill mystery book. Review: I found Pipsqueak to be a mediocre story. The main character Garth Carson seems rather stale and one dimensional, the plot moves rather sluggishly, but there are some moments.
Rating:  Summary: Only mediocre Review: I read this when it was self-published; bought it at a garage sale. A few months later the author got a deal with Dell. Kind of shocking considering the source material isn't spectacular.
The writing is a little too gimmicky for my tastes and there were some geographical error which detracted from the story. Only okay.
Rating:  Summary: Different! Review: I wasn't quite sure what to make of this book at first but I continued to read it (morbid curiosity?)and in the end I really did enjoy it. Very different from what I normally read. I like the author's sense of humor. I'm looking forward to the prequel. Hope I remember! It's not due out until Summer 2005!
Rating:  Summary: The Barnes & Noble Review Review: On the urging of a friend, I picked up this book to read over the holiday weekend, figuring I would leisurely pick it up and put it down between dips in the ocean and games of beach volleyball. My plans did not come to fruition. "Pipsqueak" starts a fast pace and does not slow up, basically turning the pages by itself. I could not put it down, ending up with a wasted day at the beach and an uneven sunburn to remind me of my sedentary status. I'm not usually one for mysteries, but the humor brightened up for me what is usually a stale genre. Definitely a delightful find.
Rating:  Summary: Fun and interesting read Review: Once you start reading this book you will be compelled to finish it. The story and the characters are really interesting.
I would have to agree with one of the other reviewers that the use of "dialects" in the writing is somewhat distracting. But overall I would say that this book is a fun and interesting read.
Rating:  Summary: BORING! Review: The only thing I could reccomend this book for is a cure for insomnia. The plot was flatter than the paper it was written on. Even though it was a cheap paperback it's content wasn't worth the price.
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