AIN’T NOBODY
NOBODY
NOBODY
by
HEATHER HARPER ELLETT
Genre: Murder Mystery / Southern Noir / Dark Humor
Publisher: Polis Books
Date of Publication: September 24, 2019
Number of Pages: 336
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Named a Best Debut of Fall/Winter 2019 by Library Journal, Ain’t Nobody Nobody is the story of a disgraced East Texas sheriff, his dead best friend’s surly teenage daughter, and a naive ranch hand who find unlikely redemption in a murdered hog hunter on a fence.
Part Breaking Bad and part Faulkner, this tragi-comic mystery is perfect for readers who enjoy dark humor (think Fargo) and like their crime fiction with a literary flare.
The metaphors are strong with this novel! It is chockablock full of so many visual examples that I loved! The writing reminds me of why I love books by authors like Laini Taylor or Michael Chabon. Based on her debut novel, I’m putting Ms. Ellett on the list of authors I’d read if they wrote a dictionary. Some examples that I really enjoyed including:
“The vest had stood stiffly in his closet like a decapitated torso”
Who doesn’t picture that vest in the closet!
And
And
“The reverend and Onie bobbed their tea bags feverishly in their cups as if they were stabbing something to death at the bottom of them”
As a tea drinker, that quote is hilarious. I brew loose leaf, but remember my grandmother using the same brewing technique!
There is also a very dry humor\wit in this novel. I for one am always appreciative of a dry sense of humor. (I made copious highlights for reference!) The names of the dogs include Pat Sajak and Vanna White. Grammar in the local newspaper is routinely criticized. The coffee at the feed store is horrible. I chuckled out loud on more than one occasion while reading.
I don’t want to spoil the plot or central mystery in Ain’t Nobody Nobody. Let’s call the main storyline character redemption. Clues to the many plot puzzles are layered throughout the novel. I saw some of the twists coming, but others came out of nowhere. As much as I hate when I finish reading a great book, I loved the ending here. It was very unexpected yet satisfying.
I did not grow up in Texas, so I can’t really say how accurate the small-town Texas setting is. But I did grow up in a small town and I like to imagine that many small towns are similar. The multiple Jimmy characters in the feed store may not be named Jimmy in every small town, but they are there nonetheless, gossiping like hens, shunning people who disappoint them. Ms. Ellett does a fantastic job with the setting and characters.
The novel is told from multiple points of view. My only real complaint is the POV switches were not always clear. I would need to backtrack occasionally to determine which character is speaking.
Ain’t Nobody Nobody is very unique, enjoyable, and highly recommended!
There is also a very dry humor\wit in this novel. I for one am always appreciative of a dry sense of humor. (I made copious highlights for reference!) The names of the dogs include Pat Sajak and Vanna White. Grammar in the local newspaper is routinely criticized. The coffee at the feed store is horrible. I chuckled out loud on more than one occasion while reading.
I don’t want to spoil the plot or central mystery in Ain’t Nobody Nobody. Let’s call the main storyline character redemption. Clues to the many plot puzzles are layered throughout the novel. I saw some of the twists coming, but others came out of nowhere. As much as I hate when I finish reading a great book, I loved the ending here. It was very unexpected yet satisfying.
I did not grow up in Texas, so I can’t really say how accurate the small-town Texas setting is. But I did grow up in a small town and I like to imagine that many small towns are similar. The multiple Jimmy characters in the feed store may not be named Jimmy in every small town, but they are there nonetheless, gossiping like hens, shunning people who disappoint them. Ms. Ellett does a fantastic job with the setting and characters.
The novel is told from multiple points of view. My only real complaint is the POV switches were not always clear. I would need to backtrack occasionally to determine which character is speaking.
Ain’t Nobody Nobody is very unique, enjoyable, and highly recommended!
Born and raised in East Texas, Heather Harper Ellett is a graduate of SMU and a therapist in private practice. She lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
◆ GOODREADS ◆
—————————————
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January 2-12, 2020
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Great review! I also loved the descriptions peppered throughout this novel. Ellet has such a way of blending words I would have never put together and in the most enjoyable ways 😀
Thanks, Jennifer. And yes – I tried to make up some metaphors for my review. It was a complete disaster!
FABULOUS review. I couldn’t agree more about the writing. I will definitely anything else this author writes.
Thanks, Kristine!
Nice review. I was pleased to see mention of some of the things I really liked in the book, too. The humor was pitch perfect.
Maryann recently posted…Book Review – Ain’t Nobody Nobody by Heather Harper Ellett
Thanks, Maryann. Glad to see I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed this book!