Wake up, this Little Sleep is four stars

I finished a mystery on my plane travels called The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay. It seems like interviews and blogs are always asking authors five questions. Since I rarely have the opportunity to speak directly to the author, I’ve decided to interview myself and based on the number of questions give my rating of the book. For example, one  *question ranks, I’ve got to find something else to read; 2 **questions, questionable choice, plot weak or characters not developed but not a complete waste of time; 3 ***questions, enjoyable but not earth-shattering, more  candy than substance; 4 ****questions, minor problems with plot or character, good read, would recommend ; 5 *****questions, GREAT read.

OK, Ms Pittman here we go.

1. Why did you pick this book off the new book shelf to begin with?

Yellow stands out, amid lots of litte guns. Any book cover that talks about Raymond Chandler and Jonathan Lethem is worth a go, Stewart O’Nan is quoted, and he lived in Oklahoma and taught at the University of Central Oklahoma. Always good to have an endorsement by a hometown author.  The main character is a narcoleptic private investigator from South Boston. That’s a fresh approach to the PI tale.

2. Does the book take off?

Absolutely, the dialog is funny and fast. Some very Chandleresque comments, “Hope is a desperate man’s currency.” “A Book. Ever seen one before?”  Mark Genevich survived a serious car accident and suffers narcolepsy as a result. His mom and his relationship are symbiotic. She arrives in clown pants, yells frequently that he is going to set the sofa on fire and mothers him while he tries to make a life for himself with his disability.  She is quite a character in her own right. The action starts with a visit from Jennifer Times, American Star personality and daughter of the DA, showing up with missing fingers and scary photos. Or did she really come calling at all? The author takes us into the nightmare of narcoleptic sleep events and hypnogogic hallucinations.

3. Were there some problems with the book?

I did have some difficulty sorting out the real and imagined. Still not entirely clear why there was a resemblence between Jennifer Times and the photos, or maybe there wasn’t? The bad guys were obvious, and I may have to agree with Mel Odom’s review in Bookhound that the reader may get to the big reveal before Mark does.  

4. So, what’s your conclusion.

Our author created a fresh new take on the PI story. His characters are likeable, especially Mark, who I would like to see  solve more mysteries and deal with the obstacles life has thrown him. Plenty of action for a guy who spends lots of time asleep. Pick up this one for a good, quick summer read. It held my attention amid airplane chaos.  Paul Tremblay gets a star for asking his readers to blog about the book, so glad to oblige.

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