Guy Adams wrote one of my favourite books to date (Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Doctor Moreau), he’s got a distinct voice when it comes to his writing, there’s a helluva lot of talent present, and yet I’m a bit in two about Deadbeat: Makes You Stronger. Yes, it’s a lot different to what I expected, but Deadbeat: Makes You Stronger does have its charm. It’s a mystery that will keep you guessing, there’s a wee bit of horror that will give you a good chill and there’s a good twist in the plot too.

The characters are likeable, albeit Max and Tom sometimes are indistinguishable from one another. These main characters are alike in so many ways, yet they are so different in others, it’s easy to get them mixed up. That being said, I have to admit that I kind of liked these two characters. Anyway, as for the pace of the book… At some points the reading of the novel was fast and without any hiccups, at other points I had to put down the book and do something else, especially where the backstory of the characters come into play. In my opinion, that’s just a bit of lazy editing from the editor’s side, because he/she was supposed to see that there are hindrances in the flow of the actual plot. Nevertheless, it’s not the end of the world. Deadbeat: Makes You Stronger is still a wonderfully written book and Guy Adams is going to become a household name in the not too distant future (though I so wish he’d try a sci-fi/horror novel that’s 900 pages long).

All in all, I liked the book. Deadbeat: Makes You Stronger definitely had its charm, but will probably not appeal to all readers. If you like mystery novels with quirky dialogue and sarcastic characters, you’re going to love this book. For folks who aren’t keen on mysteries though, I’ll have to warn you to rather not pick this one up. It’s good, but it’s got too many flaws to go unnoticed by someone who isn’t partial on the genre.

(review originally posted on www.killeraphrodite.com) ( )

A bright, witty, 1st person narrative by this author keeps the pace up and the interest aroused through the entire length of this seemingly uniquely conventional work of fiction.
Introducing us to an array of characters (this is the first of a series all bearing the label “Deadbeat”) we follow a local semi-employed former actor and his more senior counterpart who owns a local jazz-club. they get in and out of trouble several times while playing amatuer detectives on the trail of a funeral parlour in town that seems to provide more than the usual after-sales service.
They not only bury you, they'll happily dig you back-up again in the middle of the following night.
Now why would anyone want that?
By the end of the story you've not only had that answered, you've had a great time in the process, due in no small part to the style of Mr. Adams: funny, quick story-telling that knowns how to bounce from pathos to mirth and keep things rolling all the while.
Filled with ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’, you never have your world view challenged by _Deadbeats_, but who says you have to read Marcel Proust everyday? Sometimes you just want a good piece of intelligent, rip-snorting, action-packed, entertaining fluff. This fits the bill perfectly to shove into the bag for the cottage, the business flight, the week-end. or any other time you want to get away from it all between the covers.
The one problem with this book is its shortness. The next volume cannot come soon enough from the author's fevered mind. ( )