Muffin Man

By: Brad Whittington

   John Lawson, sheriff of the quiet Hill Country town of Bolero, Texas, attempts to quell a feud between the local megachurch and a construction contractor, but it escalates from picketing to vandalism to arson.
The case is derailed by the unwelcome return of John's free-wheeling bipolar father, who arrives in the same red Mustang he drove away twenty-four years ago when he abandoned the family.
But ultimately it is the muffin that his overzealous deputy bags as evidence that threatens John's ordered life, possibly beyond repair.

This is an AMAZING book! Perhaps it is just that I am coming off of two horrible books into this one, but I doubt it. Whittington has written a fine example of what books are supposed to be: witty, engaging, and a story that compels you to turn the page. Granted, Whittington is no DekKer, but this book makes me want to search out more of his work.

The story: Sheriff John Lawson finds himself in the midst of several crises - arson, familial issues, relationship issues, and a muffin that won't shut up. He must solve the crime while not damaging his chances of re-election, fix the relationship issues while dealing with a sudden resurgence of familial problems, and all the while, a muffin is giving him advice.
Yes, I said that correctly - a muffin. . . Giving advice. . . To a Sheriff. . .

Trust me when I say that this is a GREAT plot!

Muffin Man is incredibly well written. Whittington has obviously been at this for a while and his mastery of the written word is evident, as is his subtle wit. There were many times I laughed out loud during this read, so be warned: your friends and family might think you strange. You may want to read this one alone.
The characters are well thought out and developed. The plot is solid, and the resolve is believable. Again, this is a textbook example of what a quality novel should be.

I have to admit, throughout most of my reading of Muffin Man I was reminded of an old friend of mine. He used to tell a really lame (yet hilarious) joke about a muffin. Please allow me to re-tell it here:
So, two muffins are in an oven. One turns to the other and says "AAHH!! WE'RE IN AN OVEN!" The other muffin turn and says " AAHH!! A TALKING MUFFIN!" - the end. His nickname on a particular message board was 'iamanevilmuffin'. Yes, this book took me down memory lane. I don't expect it to do that for you, but now you have a joke to wow your friends with.

Back to Muffin Man.

If you are a fan of quality fiction, get Muffin Man. I managed to score it for free via Amazon Kindle, but it is WELL worth the price ($13 paperback, $5something Kindle)!