I finished Loser Baby quite a few days ago, but I’ve had trouble coming up with my review. Why? Because there’s absolutely no way I could adequately explain, summarize, or expound intelligently about this story without ruining it for you. I’ll do my best, but geez-o-pete you really need to read it for yourself.
Mr. Bovberg has created a story that’s very complex and yet at the same time very simple. The premise is simple – there’s a party, a robbery, and a chase. Where it gets complex is the characters – your opinion of who’s the “good guy” and who’s the “bad guy” in this story changes often. You’ll need to take notes and keep up (or do like I did and read the whole thing in 2 days).
What a refreshing surprise that this mystery doesn’t have a “white hat” main character trying to get the evil dude. Each and every character has their good and bad, and you’re simply along for the ride. Even the secondary characters pull you in.
The book changes points of view each chapter. I adore this, and Mr. Bovberg pulls it off beautifully. The ability to change points of view within the book was so well done it makes for a well rounded view of what was happening to each character. This makes you care about each character while also making you question if you want them to achieve their goals. You’ll have lots of feelings about these people, I promise.
I won’t give it away, but I guarantee you that the ending is nothing like you’re expecting. It’s very satisfying, but completely out of left field!
I highly recommend this book if you like mysteries, noir, surprise endings, or simply well-told tales.
Pre-order your copy here.
Back Cover Copy of Loser Baby:
Jasmine Frank is missing.
It’s a humid summer morning in Santa Ana, California, and her twin brother Jordan abruptly finds himself on a desperate search—fearing the worst. The party last night got way out of hand, and his brain is still chemically fried. But this is Jasmine’s story. She’s awakened far from home to her own mystery: She’s unwittingly stolen something from the most dangerous person she’s ever known. Tommy Strafe. And now Tommy is raging through the sunbaked streets, gathering illicit forces to seek brutal retribution. But all Jasmine really wants is to get out of Orange County, escape her past, and find a measure of redemption.
Loser Baby is a propulsive blast through the streets of the SoCal melting pot, a breakneck dark-comic neo-noir populated by misfits and malefactors, criminals and innocents, down-and-outers and spun-out dreamers. Prepare yourself for an adrenaline blast of rat-a-tat he-said-she-said narrative twists—all in service of a giddily slam-bang shock ending.
About Jason Bovberg:
About Jason Bovberg:Jason Bovberg is the author of Loser Baby, the Blood trilogy—Blood Red, Draw Blood, and Blood Dawn—and The Naked Dame. His forthcoming books include Tessa Goes Down, a border noir, and A Small Poisonous Act, a suburban crime novel. He is editor/publisher of Dark Highway Press, which published the controversial, erotic fairy tale Santa Steps Out and the weird western anthology Skull Full of Spurs. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife Barb, his daughters Harper and Sophie, and his canines Rocky and Rango.
Visit his website at: https://www.jasonbovberg.com/
