Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
by Jenners • 04/05/2011 • 4.5 Stars, Fiction, H Authors, H Titles, Humor, L Authors, Mystery/Thriller • 48 Comments
Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David HaywardPublisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, April 2011
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Where I Got It: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program
My Rating: 4.5 stars
About The Book, Part 1
This book is about Paul and Lacey Hansen, pot-dealing sibling orphans in their 20s who are barely making a living in the rural Northern California town of Mercer. When a headless body shows up on their front lawn, they decide to deal with the problem themselves. After all, why invite law enforcement into your home when you’re growing illegal plants in the basement? Of course, when the corpse reappears a few days later, they realize that maybe they can’t make the problem disappear quite so easily. Yet neither one shies away from a little amateur sleuthing.
About The Book, Part 2
This book is about when Lisa Lutz (author of the comedic Spellman crime series) and her ex-romantic partner David Hayward (poet … who was published in Harper’s once) write a book together—alternating the writing of chapters. The initial discussion about the “ground rules” and the between chapter commentary (as well as the reading author’s footnotes on chapters) are all included for our reading pleasure. For me, the interchange between the authors was the best part the book. I never grew tired of hearing Lisa and David settle past scores, argue over plot points and exact revenge for artistic decisions made in previous chapters. From Lisa’s repeated “assassinations” of David’s most loved characters to the ongoing refusal of both authors to deal with the mysterious plane crash that takes place early on in the book, I was rolling in laughter at the interchange between the two authors and could not wait to find out what each chapter would bring and how each would deal with the various plot points they threw at each other.
One of my favorite parts was Lisa’s ongoing criticism of David’s use of “10 cent” vocabulary words and overly esoteric plot developments—prompting him to write an entire chapter in what Lutz terms “Dick and Jane nonsense.” As the characters of Paul and Lacey increasingly begin to represent our authors, we see various nonsensical character traits emerge for the various supporting players. For example, Lisa gives Paul a stripper girlfriend who limps after experiencing a pole-dancing accident. David retaliates by making the stripper (Brandy Chester) have a genius IQ. Another favorite moment was when David introduces a doppelganger cousin to replace a favorite character that Lisa has killed. Lisa fights back by offing the cousin, who David then revives at the hospital, and who is then killed again by Lisa.
In short, the book is a whole bunch of fun. Forget about the mystery part (although, despite all odds, I think they managed to tie everything up fairly well), which is a bit of mess. The real pleasure of this book is the collaborative (and often combative) approach that authors took while writing it. The give and take between the authors is hilarious, witty and endlessly amusing. I found myself on pins and needles between each chapter—not so much for the “suspense” of the mystery—but for the suspense of how each author was going to screw over the other.
It is fun to to see two obviously intelligent and funny people spar in a creative way, and Heads You Lose is a true gift to readers everywhere. (And you can be sure I’m going to check out Lutz’s Spellman series.) Highly recommended! Go and get it now (it is being released today, April 5)… you won’t be sorry!
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Yeah, that sounds fun.
Oh it is.
I am so jealous that you’ve already read this. It’s not available at my library…
…Catch you later, I gotta go find a book store!
I hope you can snag it…it is so so fun!
This sounds like a fun read, I like the premise.
Oh this sounds like so much fun! I’m sure I’d love the back and forth between the authors better than anything else, but I’m willing to give it a try. I’ll have to see if our library has it.
It was so fun to see how they messed with each other. It took reading to a whole other level!
Love the review – thanks!
You must read the Spellman series. After figuring out Lutzes style of writing it is a fun and refreshing series – laugh out loud reading!
I have it ready to go. It was recommended to me almost a year ago and I just never got around to it. Now I’ve so excited.
You had me at “pot dealing sibling orphans”.
That is an attention-getter, isn’t it? You’d LOVE this I think.
Now you’ve got me all excited about this book….I just put a hold on it at the library (I’m number 12, yay!).
You will LOVE it, I’m sure. Hope the 12 ahead of you read fast!
From all the great things I’ve heard about this book, fun sounds like a perfect way to describe it. Thanks for the review!
It is really fun. Probably one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had all year.
That kind of sparring in print does sound good to me. Great review Jenners.
It is so much fun. I want them to spar more!
i’m in love with your review–you sold me on this one! i’m in the mood for something light and fun and paul and lacey sound quirky! and ‘brandy chester’? hilarious.
Hey girl…consider my copy to be your copy! I would be happy to send it to you!
I just added this to my reading list yesterday!
Wise move! It is so fun!
This sounds like a really fun book, one I think I’d like to read!
Yes…it is a must read! So so fun.
This sounds like delicious hilarity!
That is a perfect description.
the book does sound fun, especially with the info about the authors.
It is fun. It makes me wish for more collaborative books like this. Maybe it will start a trend.
Everyone is loving this book! I can’t wait to read it – I could use some laughs right about now.
It will provide you with plenty of laughs. There is a reason everyone is loving it … it is fresh and funny and original. I just can’t recommend it enough. (Would you like my copy??)
This looks great! I love the idea of co-authors screwing with each other. It sounds like it makes for a really crazy but entertaining plot.
The interplay between the two is just so darn fun. I couldn’t get enough of it. I hope they continue collaborating … even if means the end of their relationship some day! : )
Since I often think “what was the author thinking?” while I’m reading, this book sounds like it would be perfect to me!
Oh, I’m currently listening to The Big Over Easy – it’s a hoot. The narrator, Simon Prebble, is excellent. Even The Boy is interested in the story. Thanks for reviewing it!
Oh I’m so glad you are enjoying The Big Over Easy! I could see it working very well on audio. And this book is a must read. I think you’d get a real kick out of it.
I grew up in rural Ca so I’ll definitely have to check this one out. Sounds like fun.
It is all kinds of fun. And reading the book led me to believe that growing up in rural CA would make you do anything you could to leave rural CA.
Now it is this kind of cleverness that is so damned exciting to see. When I saw the review at Devourer of Books yesterday (was it yesterday?) I immediately knew that this one had your name all over it. I sure hope they continue this venture.
I’m hoping so too! It was so darned funny and a kick to read. I think it will be one of my favorites for the year.
I think this one sounds great. I’ll share the news about it with my mystery group tomorrow night. We read THE SPELLMAN FILES a while back and several of our members became big, big Lutz fans. Thanks for highlighting it!
Oh this will be quite the treat for the Lutz fans, I suspect … and everyone else.
Lead me not into temptation. Just as I was beginning to make some headway with my tbr mountain you go and mention this – oh well, Amazon here I come.
Well, you can’t ignore a gem like this one!
Jenners! You always make me rush out and buy books because your reviews are so fantastic! I admit that this book sounds like a whole lot of fun, and wonder what your source of ever-entertaining and weird books is. The idea that this is a story that grew from two authors in a playful way has me enticed, but the fact that the book exposes all of this to it’s readers has me buying. Great review! I am off to find this now!
I just naturally gravitate to the weird and odd! : ) And this book was such a treat … I think you will just love it.
Great review. This sounds like a fun read!
It is very very fun. I’m sure it will be one of my top reads for the year.