Steppin' on a Rainbow

Rating:
Summary: Kinky Nails Another Winner
Review: Kinky Friedman has to be the most entertaining and insightful author on the scene today. If you like to be tickled, engrossed, and superbly entertained then Steppin' On A Rainbow is right for you. What's not to like? It is an especially high brand of just what Kinky has become known for:
-unparalleled wit
-Kinkified philosophy
-an amusement park funride of a read

Get this one, read it, be a fine American and do a friend a favor and tell them to buy it too!

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but a slow starter
Review: Let me start out by saying that I own every book Kinky Friedman has written. My husband even got me McGovern's "Eat, Drink and Be Kinky" as an anniversary gift this year. That being said, I found that this latest effort from the Kinkster wasn't up to his usual high standards. Maybe it was the lack of most of the Village Irregulars. (My God, does that mean I missed Ratso? Whoa...) The last half to last third of the book kicks into true Kinky mode, but there was a bit of traveling before we got there. If you're new to Kinky, start with another one of his books first.

Rating:
Summary: I hope Mr. Friedman's other books are better
Review: Not only did I think Rainbow wasn't Friedman's best; I wondered if it's really Friedman's. What happened to Ratso? Why is Stephanie without any personality traits except annoyance? Why are there fewer of those precious Kinky gems (literary road apples?) I enjoy so much? While the plot is as good if not better than most of Kinky's books, I read his books for the characters and the charm of his warped wit. Either Kinky needs a sabbatical or a better quality ghost writer. Nevertheless, it won't stop me from seeking his books; he's one of a kind, and even a mediocre Kinky Friedman book is better than many, many other writers'.

Rating:
Summary: Not His Best
Review: Not only did I think Rainbow wasn't Friedman's best; I wondered if it's really Friedman's. What happened to Ratso? Why is Stephanie without any personality traits except annoyance? Why are there fewer of those precious Kinky gems (literary road apples?) I enjoy so much? While the plot is as good if not better than most of Kinky's books, I read his books for the characters and the charm of his warped wit. Either Kinky needs a sabbatical or a better quality ghost writer. Nevertheless, it won't stop me from seeking his books; he's one of a kind, and even a mediocre Kinky Friedman book is better than many, many other writers'.

Rating:
Summary: Da Kinkstah Rides (Flies) Again!
Review: Okay - I am a fan. Else why would I put up with this? You either love him or leave him. Nobody waffles when it comes to Kinky. While this may not be the tightest plot line - hey, you don't get Shakespeare from this guy. Closer to Madd Magazine, eh? Bawdy - yes. Clever - in parts. witty - I'd say mostly. But I really read it to get my hit of really rude analogies and metaphors - none of which I will quote here for fear that young persons may be reading this. Kinky's friend McGovern dissapears into the Pacific Ocean - highjinx ensue. After you read it, give it to somebody with a dry sense of humor.

Rating:
Summary: Da Kinkstah Rides (Flies) Again!
Review: Okay - I am a fan. Else why would I put up with this? You either love him or leave him. Nobody waffles when it comes to Kinky. While this may not be the tightest plot line - hey, you don't get Shakespeare from this guy. Closer to Madd Magazine, eh? Bawdy - yes. Clever - in parts. witty - I'd say mostly. But I really read it to get my hit of really rude analogies and metaphors - none of which I will quote here for fear that young persons may be reading this. Kinky's friend McGovern dissapears into the Pacific Ocean - highjinx ensue. After you read it, give it to somebody with a dry sense of humor.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner
Review: The entire borough of Manhattan must be on vacation except for Kinky Friedman and his silent feline. Things look boring from every perspective until reporter Will Hoover calls to inform Kinky that one of his Village Irregulars Mike McGovern has vanished. Knowing the importance of taking care of your own kind, Kinky prefers boredom and ignoring Mike’s disappearance.

However, that maniac Stephanie DuPont has to come home to bury her...mutt. In her delicate bull in a crowded midtown bar approach to life, Stephanie puts the pressure on Kinky to travel to that Pacific Island Hawaii where Mike disappeared while on a beach stroll. Joined by other friends, Kinky and Stephanie head to Hawaii only to be caught up in island folklore with Don Ho as their guide, but those are not Tiny Bubbles trying to sacrifice the New York mob.

The latest Kinky Friedman investigative tale is as wild, irreverent, and amusing as ever as the Kinkster gives Manhattan a break and takes out his charm on Hawaii. The change of scenery shows that Kinky can be placed in the middle of Wall St. or inside a volcano and still act the same. As usual in a Kinky tale, it is the characters and their facetious actions, reactions, and antics that light up an offbeat investigation. No question that the Islanders (that is Hawaiians) would want to not only deport Kinky and company back to that other island, but also keep him persona non grata for at least five lifetimes as this crowd is no Gidget Takes Hawaii crowd.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Classic Kinky with a Hitch
Review: This book will feel familiar to Kinky Friedman fans, with the usual cast of characters included. The themes of loyalty and loneliness are well drawn. This book is a classically enjoyable Kinky-style mystery; however, I must downgrade my rating of this tale to a 3-star rating. The character of Stephanie DuPont is so irritating and unlikeable that it is distracting from the whole. Unfortunately, she plays a large role in this mystery, so you cannot skim past her appearances. I hope Kinky's next mystery will be investigating her death.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Kinky with a Hitch
Review: This book will feel familiar to Kinky Friedman fans, with the usual cast of characters included. The themes of loyalty and loneliness are well drawn. This book is a classically enjoyable Kinky-style mystery; however, I must downgrade my rating of this tale to a 3-star rating. The character of Stephanie DuPont is so irritating and unlikeable that it is distracting from the whole. Unfortunately, she plays a large role in this mystery, so you cannot skim past her appearances. I hope Kinky's next mystery will be investigating her death.

Rating:
Summary: Hawaiian Kinksterisms
Review: While I sometimes feel like the Kinky mysteries have worn thin, I still have to read every one. In (author) Friedman's quest to keep things fresh he yet again moves the locale from (character) Friedman's NYC home. This time it's Hawaii and it lends the story a supernatural flair that didn't particularly sit well with me.

Nonetheless, it's still the same 'ole Kinster. This time lovable journalist/teddy bear McGovern is MIA on the islands and the whole crew (minus the glaringly absent Ratso) has to come to the rescue. That rescue seems to consist mainly of drinking, sunbathing, drinking, and a new bit that involves Kinky's friend Hoover and his passion for limericks.

The plotline is so thin that I get the impression Friedman uses them simply as a vehicle for his often hilarious vulgar lessons and stories. Any reader not familiar with earlier entries won't get too far. However, for the faithful it's still a treat to read about our beloved Jewish cowboy.