Reviews

Going Nowhere Fast by Gar Anthony Haywood

wyll's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

I like Joe and Dottie a little bit, but don't really care for the borderline child abuse in the way they treat their son. Danny's character was a whole mess. The plot feels like it was thrown together at the last minute, just very boring and not exactly the most put-together. But it's nice to see a couple that's been married for a long time who genuinely love each other.

liberrydude's review

3.0

A cozy mystery that tries at times too hard to be hilarious but was nevertheless entertaining and worth proceeding to the next one. Dottie Loudermilk is a force of nature. She’s a busybody. She’s retired and embarked on a new lifestyle with her Airstream trailer, Lucille. No sooner does she and her retired policeman husband, Joe, hit the great American open road and successfully flee from their five helpless adult children than a body is found in their bathroom at the Grand Canyon along with one of their hapless and helpless sons.

vesper1931's review

2.0

Joe and Dottie Loudermilk have retired and bought an Airstream. While visiting the Grand Canyon, they come back to find a dead man in their bathroom.

kat2112's review

4.0

First I want to thank whomever it was who first e-mailed me about this fledging mystery series by the author of the Aaron Gunner mysteries. The e-mailer (for the life of me I can't remember her name, sorry) was looking for the author of a hilarious series of books featuring a retired couple who traveled the country with an Airstream trailer and happened upon murders and such. A quick response from the Delphi mystery board told me Gar Haywood, and out of curiosity I picked up Going Nowhere Fast and was introduced to Joe and Dottie Loudermilk. While the mystery -- a dead man is found on the Loudermilks' chemical-flush toilet and their wayward son is found cowering in the closet -- has its moments of twists and intrigue, the true star of this novel is wise-cracking Dottie. Having forsaken the stagnant retired life of puttering around the garden and waiting to die, she and former cop husband Joe hit the road, much to the chagrin of mostly unseen children, affectionately known by their parents as "pains in the ass." Choosing Dottie to narrate this story not only uplifts the action with a quick wit, but it smooths together the rough patches of the story.

One might even forget that this is a mystery. Going Nowhere Fast does go somewhere, straight to the funny bone.