Indie Author MCM - Fission Chips

When I read the blurb for Fission Chips from 1889 Labs I expected a serious PI story with a lot of tension. (I don't know what I was thinking!) What I ended up with was hilarity and ridiculous pseudo-tension.  These were not bad things, but they were not on my list of expectations.

Gare Marx is having one hell of a first day.  He and his partner are trying to open their own PI firm, but nothing seems to be going right, and they haven’t even opened for the day, yet.  Marx is battling with a worker who is putting  his and his partner’s names on the outside of the office.  When Marx loses this first battle, he runs downstairs to try and yell at the man on his way out of the building.  He never gets his chance, but he does manage to run into (yes, literally) a woman with three large, hot coffees.  Guess who she is, yep, his new secretary.

Things go downhill for Marx from here.  His partner, the only person in this operation with detective experience, Matt Richardson, is no where to be found, and Marx’s day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.  He encounters mob bosses, police who want to arrest him for murder, a tiny Asian woman who kicks his ass repeatedly, an ewok, and a mischievous dog, among other crazy things.  He also gets beaten up periodically throughout the day.

This book didn’t get the reader thinking any deep, profound thoughts, but it was good for a laugh.

The only drawback that I found to the entire book, and this is purely personal, is the heavy use of comments regarding all things ‘retarded’ and even one regarding a ‘severely autistic person’.  I do realize that the main character is meant to be a class one jackass, so I understand the use of these terms, but that doesn’t mean I like, or approve, of it.  Unfortunately, by making these jokes, it only perpetuates the stereotype and makes it harder for those individuals with disabilities.  Now, I will get off of my soapbox.

I’m going to end this review with my favorite line in the entire book: “It’s like a fucking Hallmark moment.  From the Fight Club aisle.  I’m all teary, honest.”