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Potboiler Audiobook
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(2.04) - 255 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Arthur Pfefferkorn is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was: a middle-aged college professor with long-dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer William de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallèe not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved.Pfefferkorn’s decision to reconnect with de Vallèe’s widow sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of double crosses and intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted--and nothing can be taken seriously.
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"Jesse Kellerman is an immensely talented author whose books I've devoured as soon as I get my hands on them. His newest, although a departure from his standard psychological thriller fare, is fascinating and mind-bogglingly odd. I enjoyed and puzzled over every page!"
— Lauren (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Seldom, if ever, have the cloak-and-dagger folk—of any stripe, ours or theirs—appeared so omniscient, so omnipotent and so perfectly awful as they do in Kellerman’s mordantly funny latest…Another brilliant performance. Kellerman has fun here, and so will his readers.”
— Kirkus (starred review) -
“Kellerman ruminates on the practice of writing, the experience of sudden literary success, the nature of friendship, and the contrasts between the lives of writers and spies. Potboiler is very funny—and insightful.”
— Booklist -
“Kellerman balances the line between thrills and satire in this unique reading experience filled with mysteries, conspiracies, double crosses and shadowy villains…Fun in completely unexpected ways. Only a great writer like Kellerman could make it work at all well.”
— RT Reviews (4 stars) -
“A tough, funny satire of the titled genre…Kellerman wants to have fun with thrillers…creating a niche for himself by focusing on characters who are never as smart as they think they are…a frequently hilarious Möbius strip of a novel.”
— Palm Beach (FL) Post -
“This satire heavy novel works well…There are truly funny observations about publishing, what merits good writing, and the excesses of the thriller genre.”
— Library Journal -
“Satire works best when served with subtlety and that’s just how narrator Kirby Heyborne handles it, letting the book’s humor stand on its own, while also deftly rendering moments of genuine suspense.”
— Publishers Weekly on the audiobook
Awards
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A 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Fiction
Potboiler Listener Reviews
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" Cleverly well written novel. I love the paraody of the thriller genre. Suspenseful and it still made me laugh out loud, which is hard to do. "
— Todd, 2/13/2014 -
" when will I learn that all Kellermans are not good reads??? "
— Marylee, 2/13/2014 -
" You are not your mother or your father. Too bad. Another wordy and not particularly funny book. Jesse of the Kellermans is rapidly losing his status on my 'must read' list of authors. "
— Ginny, 2/8/2014 -
" This was kind of a crazy story but interesting and a quick read. I recommend. "
— Andrew, 1/23/2014 -
" Showed promise but got a little lost at times. "
— Dawn, 1/14/2014 -
" Loved the authors previous books... And I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I'm finding it pretty disappointing. Guess I'm not into parodies. I'm three quarters of the way through. Still reading and still don't know if I'll finish it. "
— Karen, 1/12/2014 -
" As farcical as "A Confederacy of Dunces". Certainly doesn't follow in his parents' footsteps. "
— Julie, 1/8/2014 -
" Strange story - goes off on an interesting tangent. You think it is about a man stealing a manuscript but instead it becomes a much more complex spy espionage type thriller. "
— Donna, 1/2/2014 -
" A huge waste of my time! "
— Janie, 12/5/2013 -
" Too many slapstick, silly scenes. "
— Betsy, 12/5/2013 -
" Vert convoluted "
— Phillip, 11/18/2013 -
" I think Jesse Kellerman is an awesome writer. I appreciated the humor in this book. "
— Bonnie, 10/22/2013 -
" Quite frankly, I didn't "get" it. I have read all of his books, mainly because he is Jonathan Kellerman's son. In his books that I remember reading, he starts out with a good story, and then it seems to disintegrate. This one is no different. I am still trying to figure it out. "
— Namedoris, 9/25/2013 -
" I enjoyed the first half of this book. "
— EARNESTINE, 9/1/2013 -
" This one is mystery you will not want to miss. Great characters with quick moving mystery. "
— Jakenv, 5/25/2013 -
" I loved the unique premise and thought the writing was quirky and fun UNTIL the totally weird-for-no-apparent-reason ending. The ending changed my rating from a 3 to a 2 (maybe a 1 1/2). "
— Laura, 5/14/2013 -
" It was a decent book, just a little bit unrealistic for the type of book it aims to be. "
— Angela, 3/2/2013 -
" couldn't finish. satire/spy novel within novel. well written... "
— Joan, 2/3/2013 -
" I didn't finish this book. It started out pretty interesting, has some very funny lines, but I lost interest. I've enjoyed the authors other books and think he's a talented author, like his parents, but this one just did not appeal to me. "
— Kathryn, 12/4/2012 -
" another one that just didn't ring my chimes-I was trying to read a new author and it just didn't click for me with this book....snoozefest.. "
— Kat, 8/2/2012 -
" Dumbest ending ever. "
— Robyn, 7/18/2012 -
" not to my taste at all; read about a third of it, looked at the last couple of chapters, didn't finish it "
— Elaine, 7/16/2012
About Jesse Kellerman
Jesse Kellerman is the international bestselling author of The Executor, The Genius, Trouble, and Sunstroke. His books and plays have won several awards. He lives in La Jolla, California.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.