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apostrophen's review
5.0
Ever since I first picked up THE NIGHT WE MET by Rob Byrnes - more years ago than I care to admit - I've known I was about to make a complete fool of myself in public. THE NIGHT WE MET got me thrown out of a pizza joint for laughing too often (and too loud), and thus began my love affair with all books Byrnes.
HOLY ROLLERS is the second book to feature Grant Lambert and Chase LaMarca - partners in crime and life both - con men who come up with foolproof and simple plans to score big, and then start to bump into bigger and better fools. In the first book, STRAIGHT LIES, they decided to blackmail a "brave" gay actor who - it turned out - was actually straight. In HOLY ROLLERS, their target is a crooked - and incredibly wealthy - right-wing mega-church. 7 million dollars in a barely guarded safe? Easy money.
Except, of course, when the caper starts the stumbling blocks start to line themselves up. Soon our con men - and the crew they pull together to make the job work - come across one hitch after another. If it's not an ex-gay conference, it's the suburban homeowners association. But not even a "cleverly" re-written even-more-religious version of "The Sound of Music" is going to stop this gang from making a play for the money.
For fans of this series - and for those who've read and loved all of the Byrnes books - there are cameos aplenty that bring a sense of extra reward for the long-time fan. For those who haven't tried Byrnes before, though I'd suggest you try STRAIGHT LIES first because I'm the sort to read everything in order, you could easily jump in here with HOLY ROLLERS and not be at all lost.
It's fun. It's funny. It's a crime caper as worthy as Westlake or Ocean's 11. Just remember: if you're reading in public, prepare to feel foolish when you burst out laughing. Maybe order the pizza in.
HOLY ROLLERS is the second book to feature Grant Lambert and Chase LaMarca - partners in crime and life both - con men who come up with foolproof and simple plans to score big, and then start to bump into bigger and better fools. In the first book, STRAIGHT LIES, they decided to blackmail a "brave" gay actor who - it turned out - was actually straight. In HOLY ROLLERS, their target is a crooked - and incredibly wealthy - right-wing mega-church. 7 million dollars in a barely guarded safe? Easy money.
Except, of course, when the caper starts the stumbling blocks start to line themselves up. Soon our con men - and the crew they pull together to make the job work - come across one hitch after another. If it's not an ex-gay conference, it's the suburban homeowners association. But not even a "cleverly" re-written even-more-religious version of "The Sound of Music" is going to stop this gang from making a play for the money.
For fans of this series - and for those who've read and loved all of the Byrnes books - there are cameos aplenty that bring a sense of extra reward for the long-time fan. For those who haven't tried Byrnes before, though I'd suggest you try STRAIGHT LIES first because I'm the sort to read everything in order, you could easily jump in here with HOLY ROLLERS and not be at all lost.
It's fun. It's funny. It's a crime caper as worthy as Westlake or Ocean's 11. Just remember: if you're reading in public, prepare to feel foolish when you burst out laughing. Maybe order the pizza in.
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