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The title of this little gem is a reference to gambling. It has little to do with the reality of this novel, second for the author. The title is analogous to a reference to an individual as being "a few bricks short of a full load", which has everything to do with the reality of this novel. Consider our protagonist. Joe Crow. His wife is zoning out on New Age crystals and philosobabble. His career as as small-town cop somewhere in a cyberspace frequently known as central Minnesota, is at an end. Joe Crow snorts a few lines and considers whether to chase the speeders roaring by his police cruiser. (He doesn't). What he does do is chase a rubber-check dentist from Minneapolis who drives a pink Jaguar. This dentist also shoots big game for a hobby. So wouldn't you know, here in central Minnesota Dr. Bellweather, our dentist-shooter finds the Murphy clan and their Talking Lake Ranch. Joe Crow, abruptly relieved of his cop duties, is factored to a dubious job as bodyguard to this same dentist, because, of course, Bellweather hasn't paid for the last several "hunts" at Talking Lake. The Murphy's will fix you up with a hunt for almost anything, including zebra. (The one thing you won't find in this hilarious book is moose, some critics notwithstanding! Not even on the dustjacket) There is, however, a big elk. A prize rack, apparently. Unfortunately, none of the city's nimrods can manage to bag the beast--not until after it dies in an unfortunate hunting accident. Not to be done out of a big fee for this hunt, George Murphy maneuvers Dr. Bellweather into shooting the dead elk. Bellweather, far from paying for the hunt, tries to duck out on this debt, too. Does all this come together? You bet. "Short Money" is a very funny book. Not exactly a mystery, not exactly a P.I. story, neither hard nor soft-boiled) It isn't exactly a comedy, either. I'd call it unclassified and urge you to read it--unless you don't care to laugh at characters you've probably encountered in life. Is it perfect? Perfectly outrageous, perhaps. And let us not forget George Murphy's 600 pound Bengal tiger. Nice kitty! -- The reviewer is the author of INNER PASSAGES: A SUPERIOR MYSTERY. This is a review of the out of print hardcover edition.
Reviewed by Carl Brookins
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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