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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
A solid 3 1/2 stars a very good first novel.
I really enjoyed the characters in this not only the main ones but also the small supporting ones, each were fleshed out very well without dragging the story down. Plot could have been more interesting in terms of the actual mystery of who dunnit but then really this book is less of a mystery or crime book and more about the journey and relationships, that's not to say theres no action because there is :)
I love the sub-title on this book A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco perfectly chosen just when you think they couldn't get any deeper in trouble they start digging some more.
I say it again I was really impressed by the characterizations and look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
I really enjoyed the characters in this not only the main ones but also the small supporting ones, each were fleshed out very well without dragging the story down. Plot could have been more interesting in terms of the actual mystery of who dunnit but then really this book is less of a mystery or crime book and more about the journey and relationships, that's not to say theres no action because there is :)
I love the sub-title on this book A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco perfectly chosen just when you think they couldn't get any deeper in trouble they start digging some more.
I say it again I was really impressed by the characterizations and look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
This is, if nothing else , a classic border book. Southern border noir. Growing up close enough to this edge to have made teenage TJ runs, much of this book strikes home. While my exploits pale in comparison, the basic feel and vibes ring so true. Good book of a very real place. This is a unique and almost otherworldly area that to this day remains wildly fun, slightly scary, at times depressingly and distressingly brutal and violent, while at the same time highly intoxicating. Solid 4 star book!!
In the first of (and hopefully a grip of) the “Jimmy Veeder Fiasco’s”, Jimmy is called back to his home town when his father announces he has terminal cancer and no further options. He travels back to the 100+ degree heat to spend time with “Pop” and help get things in order.
Jimmy has been away from the Imperial Valley of California over a decade. He went to college, traveled the world, and planned no further into the future than a week. He was generically content with his life, even if he was not what people would call happy. It doesn’t matter though. Desert folk can move to a city, travel the world , or settle down with a chica up north, but will always have the desert inside them.
Jimmy finds out very quickly that nothing has changed since he left El Centro and the Imperial area. The border is still malleable, Mexicali is still someplace that should cause a grown man to stay out of the shadows, and even though he thought he left his life behind, it was waiting or him when he came back.
As described on the back of the book, things get a bit upside down when Pop asks Jimmy to locate him a Mexicali prostitute by the name of Yolanda. Respecting his privacy on the issue, Veeder does not ask questions. Instead he enlists the help of long time friend Bobby to head south of the boarder and track down Yolanda.. If a dying man wants a prostitute found, you find her, regardless of the specifics… Regardless of the lengths a person must go to or the consequences of ones actions…
Johnny Shaw’s title for this book is fantastically metaphoric. Dove Season is the time of year when small game hunters break out the guns en-masse and kill the universally recognized “bird of peace” by the tens of thousands. Peace is sometimes more like a flying rodent than an innocent (and often naive) ideal. This novel chronicles Veeder’s own “Dove Season” as he re-immerses in desert life and puts the hurt on his inner peace (and a few assholes) for the betterment of himself and everyone he knows.
People who enjoy excellent fight scenes, a reasonable amount of manly introspection, and booze should check this out. It is like being sucker punched in the tentative tequila-queasy stomach while you sit on the back porch having one of those alcohol driven “honest talks” with a best friend.
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xpost RawBlurb.com
Jimmy has been away from the Imperial Valley of California over a decade. He went to college, traveled the world, and planned no further into the future than a week. He was generically content with his life, even if he was not what people would call happy. It doesn’t matter though. Desert folk can move to a city, travel the world , or settle down with a chica up north, but will always have the desert inside them.
Jimmy finds out very quickly that nothing has changed since he left El Centro and the Imperial area. The border is still malleable, Mexicali is still someplace that should cause a grown man to stay out of the shadows, and even though he thought he left his life behind, it was waiting or him when he came back.
As described on the back of the book, things get a bit upside down when Pop asks Jimmy to locate him a Mexicali prostitute by the name of Yolanda. Respecting his privacy on the issue, Veeder does not ask questions. Instead he enlists the help of long time friend Bobby to head south of the boarder and track down Yolanda.. If a dying man wants a prostitute found, you find her, regardless of the specifics… Regardless of the lengths a person must go to or the consequences of ones actions…
Johnny Shaw’s title for this book is fantastically metaphoric. Dove Season is the time of year when small game hunters break out the guns en-masse and kill the universally recognized “bird of peace” by the tens of thousands. Peace is sometimes more like a flying rodent than an innocent (and often naive) ideal. This novel chronicles Veeder’s own “Dove Season” as he re-immerses in desert life and puts the hurt on his inner peace (and a few assholes) for the betterment of himself and everyone he knows.
People who enjoy excellent fight scenes, a reasonable amount of manly introspection, and booze should check this out. It is like being sucker punched in the tentative tequila-queasy stomach while you sit on the back porch having one of those alcohol driven “honest talks” with a best friend.
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xpost RawBlurb.com
DOVE SEASON is the winner of the Stan Johnson Outstanding Debut Mystery award and was nominated for a Spinetingler Award.
Surprisingly, I liked this book. It's a debut novel by an author who lives in Portland. A more anti-hero than hero, Jimmy Veeder is still appealing.
Surprisingly, I liked this book. It's a debut novel by an author who lives in Portland. A more anti-hero than hero, Jimmy Veeder is still appealing.
I received "Plaster City" as a freebie from the Kindle First program, and I really liked that one! So, when I saw another "Jimmy Veeder fiasco" (this one is actually the first book, but it doesn't matter), I immediately bought it. I was not let down!
Johnny Shaw does a wonderful job of painting realistic and entertaining characters in this series (which I guess is partly based on experiences from his life). I wouldn't necessarily hang out with Jimmy and Bobby, but they do have a lot of heart, are funny as hell, honest to each other, and extremely loyal guys.
As a side note, Chapter 12 is one of the probably the only chapter I have ever read in a book that nearly made me cry. You know what's coming when you get to that one, but the way it plays out is heart-wrenching yet funny at the same time. It is odd to put it that way, but you'll be sucked right into it. Just outstanding writing to pull that chapter off!
Johnny Shaw does a wonderful job of painting realistic and entertaining characters in this series (which I guess is partly based on experiences from his life). I wouldn't necessarily hang out with Jimmy and Bobby, but they do have a lot of heart, are funny as hell, honest to each other, and extremely loyal guys.
As a side note, Chapter 12 is one of the probably the only chapter I have ever read in a book that nearly made me cry. You know what's coming when you get to that one, but the way it plays out is heart-wrenching yet funny at the same time. It is odd to put it that way, but you'll be sucked right into it. Just outstanding writing to pull that chapter off!
“Is it better to have responsibility and fail or to choose to remain irresponsible?”
Dove Season is a hell of a debut novel, and might be the most twisted coming of age story you’re likely to read. Jimmy Veeder returns to his hometown in the Imperial Valley of California, a bleak, blistering hot farming region near the Mexican Border. Jimmy has spent his life avoiding responsibility, taking menial jobs that are easy to quit, despite a college education. He’s returning home after many years to care for his dying father. His father’s last wish is to have a Mexican prostitute. Not just any hooker, but a specific woman named Yolanda, who he must find somewhere across the border. Jimmy teams up with an old high school buddy and they take up the quest.
I thought I knew where this story was going with that set-up, but things go in a few dramatically different directions. The cast of characters is from Jimmy’s childhood, and when he returns, some of them have hardly changed, and others are remarkably different. As the situation escalates, the rose-colored glasses are lost, and Jimmy is blind-sided with plenty of harsh realities and tough decisions. It's a unforgettable transformation from an adolescent in denial to a responsible grown man. Hilarious, poignant and violent, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Shaw’s second novel, Big Maria.
Dove Season is a hell of a debut novel, and might be the most twisted coming of age story you’re likely to read. Jimmy Veeder returns to his hometown in the Imperial Valley of California, a bleak, blistering hot farming region near the Mexican Border. Jimmy has spent his life avoiding responsibility, taking menial jobs that are easy to quit, despite a college education. He’s returning home after many years to care for his dying father. His father’s last wish is to have a Mexican prostitute. Not just any hooker, but a specific woman named Yolanda, who he must find somewhere across the border. Jimmy teams up with an old high school buddy and they take up the quest.
I thought I knew where this story was going with that set-up, but things go in a few dramatically different directions. The cast of characters is from Jimmy’s childhood, and when he returns, some of them have hardly changed, and others are remarkably different. As the situation escalates, the rose-colored glasses are lost, and Jimmy is blind-sided with plenty of harsh realities and tough decisions. It's a unforgettable transformation from an adolescent in denial to a responsible grown man. Hilarious, poignant and violent, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Shaw’s second novel, Big Maria.
I purchased this book nearly a year ago for $1.99 as a Kindle deal. Why I waited so long to read it, I have no idea! I was surprised that once I began, it was almost impossible to put down. I found myself laughing out loud at the realtively dark humor that often came about after shenanigans and hijinks. The book was very enjoyable to read. I hope there are more Jimmy Veeder Fiascos yet to come.
Now I've read (and thoroughly enjoyed) all 3 of Shaw's novels. Should have read this 1 before Plaster City (if you have the choice, do it that way), but that's OK. Very much along the lines of Plaster City.
A narrative voice that was a breath of fresh air, plenty of funny, quirky characters and one liners that made me laugh out loud. Light on the actual "mystery" but lots of themes that are currently relevant.
An easy read that at times had witty moments and some suspense.