Plugged

This first foray into adult fiction by the author of ARTEMIS FOWL is quite a jolt. Daniel McEvoy, formerly a peacekeeper in Lebanon, now uses his military skills as a club bouncer in suburban New Jersey. Narrator John Keating captures McEvoy's Irish accent and produces a plethora of accents for the international characters in this zany crime caper. The story becomes increasingly convoluted as the action and violence escalate. Keating's best character, hands down, is Dr. Zeb, a former acquaintance who acts as McEvoy's conscience by speaking in his head, sometimes at the most inopportune moments. As for the title--Daniel is very sensitive about his balding pate and has just added hair plugs, which he continually mentions. His vulnerability about his hair increases the humor and humanity of this crazy story. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 6, 2011
Irish author Colfer, best known for his middle-grade Artemis Fowl series, makes his much anticipated crime novel debut with this pitch-perfect comic noir. Daniel McEvoy, an Irish army veteran turned doorman at a sleazy New Jersey casino, lives alone in an apartment (underneath a psychotic woman with a penchant for foul-mouthed tirades) and consumes copious amounts of Jameson. Obsessed with his thinning hair, he secretly undergoes hair transplant treatments. Then Connie, a cocktail hostess with whom McEvoy once had a romantic fling, is shot dead in the casino parking lot, and he suddenly finds himself on the run from the cops, a local mob boss, and a smitten psychopath with a thing for casseroles. In a typical display of mordant wit, Colfer describes a thug with a burst kidney as "writhing on the ground like an ageing break-dancer." Outrageous characters (McEvoy's boss is "a cross between Al Pacino, P. Diddy and Elmer Fudd"), uproariously funny plot twists, and brutal, nonstop action make this a sure-fire winner. 10-city author tour.

Starred review from October 31, 2011
The mixture of Colfer’s amusing prose and narrator John Keating’s comedic timing makes this audio production a thoroughly entertaining listening experience. Bouncer Daniel McEvoy just wants to work at a shady casino, detach from his past, and tend to his newly attached hair plugs. However, a missing surgeon and a murdered dancer means McEvoy must rely on his military experience and charm to set things right. Unfortunately for McEvoy, this leads to increasingly ridiculous situations and an ever-accumulating pile of bodies and felonies. Keating’s narration is masterful. He lends McEvoy a personable tone and an authentic Irish accent. His rendition of the character is so good that listeners will feel as if McEvoy is sitting at a local bar and telling them his tale. Additionally, Keating provides the rest of the cast with a fine range of voices that, although cartoonish, represent Colfer’s extreme and goofy characters. An Overlook hardcover.