Review: Double Trouble is double the hilarity
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2013
In Too Good to Be Truman, the main character, Harry, takes full advantage of his presidential name while investigating news stories and criminal cases. He adopts several personas and disguises while "undercover". But even as the consummate bumbler, he somehow manages to pull off his deceptions and gain insightful information, often accidentally. He slips and slides from scene to scene, getting himself into trouble with the IRS, the FBI and the local police. How he stumbles into each situation and manages to extricate himself is what makes this character so loveable and at the same time make the readers cringe in discomfort at hiscluelessness. There are times when you can't help but empathize with Harry's ex-wives.In the first book's case of mishaps and slip-ups, a prank call from Harry's arch enemy reporter Carlin to the IRS begins the series of domino events. They discover a large deposit of money in his account and want an explanation. Harry is baffled because themoney came and went without his knowledge until the IRS agent shows up at his door. Harry launches into an investigation that eventually involves the kidnapping of a young country music starlet, a rescue shelter for the homeless, some of Harry's past contacts with the criminal element of society, the theft of a valuable artifact, a record recording label scam and and an FBI agent who assumes Harry is guilt before being proven innocent.The second book is neither a sequel nor part 2. It is a stand alone book with the same character, Harry Truman. Trouble seems to fall all over Truman and offer distractions to his desire to write the Great American Novel. In this case, a crime boss wants his memoir written, and he wants Truman to write it. After his meeting with his old friend, Harry is aware of being followed. When he collars his pursuer, the man wants to hire him to kill the man's wife. Truman doesn't turn the job down, but he has no intention of killing anyone. Still, he launches into an investigation that quickly becomes a series of stumbles, bumbles and fumbles that eventually solve the mysteries that crop up along the way. But he had to do it while being pursued by the police. Only his friend, Mike takes him seriously.My hat is off in respect for author Chris Well's ability to create a hilarious tangle of events that keeps the reader in stitches and suspense at the same time. If you enjoy a light-hearted treatment of crime investigation, tongue-in-cheek humor and a hapless bumbling lead character who somehow manages to come out on top of a situation ahead of other investigators, then I recommend reading the Harry Truman stories by Chris Well.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this ebook from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”