Review: Beware Of The Noise Police
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2014
For the last three months, for about three days a month, for Robert Weston Smith, objects have been showing up in the toilet after the daily “sit-down.” Stones, bits of cloth, buttons and earrings, even a dog’s ID tag – these are just not the normal objects one would find “there.” So Weston decides that a trip to the doctor is in order. Thus begins a cute, tongue-in-cheek story about an average guy seeking help when he unknowingly becomes a werewolf.Having seen Konrath’s books promoted heavily recently, I decided to preview his style when this non-series short story was offered free. And I was not disappointed. The story is quite funny, with a giggle or an outright guffaw inhabiting nearly every page. Weston’s characterization is just deep enough to make the situations in which he finds himself believable. And the dialog is crisp, filled with puns and double entendre and quick repartee.I have only two minor issues with the story and length is NOT one of them. While the actual story occupies only 80% of the Kindle download, the story has a definitive beginning and ending with a logical progression of plot in between. However, the final status of one supporting character is not cleared up in the end, even though all others are specifically mentioned. I would imagine the omission to be an oversight by the author or else that paragraph became an accidental victim of the delete key. Either way, it was noticeable.The other issue is that the promotional blurb does not indicate that this is a Christmas story. Reading it at the end of February is all right, but it would have made more of an impression (translate that as incentive to purchase other books by Konrath) had it been promoted during Christmas.Nevertheless, I will probably never hear the words to the song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” without thinking of this story. And I certainly will never look at a donation kettle the same way again.