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The California Roll: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.20) - 121 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
What do the Merlin Game, the Penny Skim, the Doolally Snadoodle, and the Afterparty Snuke have in common? They're all the work of world-class con artist and master bafflegabber Radar Hoverlander. Radar's been "on the snuke" since childhood, but he's still looking for his California Roll, the one big scam that'll set him up in sushi for life.
Trouble arrives in the stunning, sassy package of Allie Quinn—either the last true innocent or a con artist so slick she makes Radar look like a Quaker. Radar's hapless sidekick, Vic Mirplo, a lovable loser who couldn't con a kid out of a candy cane, thinks Radar is being played. But if love is blind, it's also deaf, dumb, and stupid, and before Radar knows it, he's sucked into a vortex of double-, triple-, and quadruple-crosses that'll either net him his precious California Roll or put him in a hole in the ground.
As timeless as a perpetual motion machine, as timely as a Madoff arraignment, The California Roll brings you deep inside the world of con artistry, where every fact is fiction and the second liar never has a chance.
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"This is a short novel that has some meat too it. The story is of a con man that gets made by another con artist. And than him and his friend, another con artist, are put through a real flim flam involving another con artist and several law enforcement individuals. I was very surprised by this one as I had no prior knowledge of the author. He writes in a very clear easy to follow style lacing his story throughout with plenty of action and humor. At a total length of just under three hundred pages this one goes by fairly quickly but still leaves the reader feeling as if they have read a story of greater breadth."
— Robert (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“John Vorhaus sure knows his stuff—a little too well, if you ask me. The California Roll is a hilarious and highly suspicious ride into the world of grift. It’s an immensely enjoyable read and an excellent primer if you’re looking for a career change.”
— Lisa Lutz, New York Times bestselling author of Revenge of the Spellmans -
“Whether you’re a mook or a snuke, The California Roll is more than entertainment, it’s an education. Buyer beware: John Vorhaus will steal your money and hours of your life, giving you nothing in return but a great read—fast, funny, and very, very smart.”
— Harley Jane Kozak, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity award-winning author of A Date You Can’t Refuse -
“I loved this comic caper with its twisty pretzel plot, clever invented language, and an attitude that’s Carl Hiaasen channeling Dane Cook.”
— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -
“The writing is tight and wonderfully glib, and Vorhaus slyly, shrewdly hints that he’s snuking the reader. No caper-novel fan should miss this one.”
— Booklist -
“[An] amusing thriller.”
— Publishers Weekly
The California Roll Listener Reviews
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" Rolling with the grift, John Vorhaus does it best! Grreat book! "
— Gregory, 11/17/2013 -
" Fast paced, entertaining tale of grifters doing their thing. A Big Fun read. "
— Doc, 10/11/2013 -
" I'm a sucker for a good con -- and who isn't? THE CALIFORNIA ROLL by John Vorhaus is a doozy. Radar Hoverlander has been scamming folks all his life. From the moment he meets Allie Quinn, through, it's not clear whether he's on the snuke or if he's the mook. "Snuke?" "Mook?" No worries! They're both fabricats. Part of the fun is in Vorhaus' colorful bafflegab, which evokes Damon Runyon's colorful characters. The rest is in working through this elaborate con alongside Radar. It's a great ride. "
— Jim, 9/15/2013 -
" This is a light read that can be finished in a few days. I enjoyed the dry humor. Had me laughing out loud many times. The vocabulary was more advanced than the fluff I've been reading recently and I appreciate the challenge of that. I didn't finish the book feeling like I'd been a educated, but I had been sufficiently entertained!! "
— KJ, 9/4/2013 -
" so-so ending, but a great, fun read. "
— Pranav, 5/12/2013 -
" A modern version of 'The Sting' and an easy read. Perfect beach fare. "
— Robert, 3/26/2013 -
" A fun caper set in a side of LA I can't say I know, although in a neighborhood I know quite well. Vorhaus's wordplay reminds me of Bruce Kimmel, so friends who love Bruce's work should check this out. (You too, Bruce.) "
— David, 1/30/2013 -
" I really loved this book. It was funny and entertaining while also really well written. You can tell the author really loves the English language with all the little-used words he threw around. "
— The, 1/28/2013 -
" VERY fun book. Exciting and... well you get to learn a lot about the grift scene :) "
— Joel, 1/20/2013 -
" Happy I read it, even if it was after the 2nd book ! "
— Mary, 1/3/2013 -
" A little boring. "
— Chella, 12/28/2012 -
" Loved this book. I could not put it down, so I didn't! I story is interesting and keeps you on the ride. "
— Tina, 12/26/2012 -
" Witty and funny and interesting. I'm sad to see that John Vorhaus has not written much more fiction, but I'll read what he's got. "
— Shaula, 10/23/2012 -
" Charming for the gift of gab/vocab alone. I liked the first two thirds better than the end but ends are hard. I pulled this off the shelf because I saw the next one in the series: The Albuquerque Turkey. Kinda have to get that one. "
— Jenine, 7/2/2012 -
" This is not something I would have been likely to read on my own, but I really enjoyed it. An interesting look into the world of scam artists, with enough action, romance & puzzle aspect to keep you hooked. "
— Christine, 11/2/2011 -
" Loved this book! Easy, quick, put off other stuff I should be doing to finish. Can't wait for the next Radar novel. "
— Annie, 8/4/2011 -
" weakest book of my vacation read-a-palooza. fun use of grifter construct & lingo, but it just did not hang together for me "
— Bob, 6/7/2011 -
" Not something I would have likely picked up on my own but I really enjoyed it. It's a very fun and easy read with all sorts of twists and turns and a great use of language. Entertaining for sure! "
— Charlotte, 5/16/2011 -
" A modern version of 'The Sting' and an easy read. Perfect beach fare. "
— Robert, 5/1/2011 -
" so-so ending, but a great, fun read. "
— Pranav, 3/16/2011 -
" VERY fun book. Exciting and... well you get to learn a lot about the grift scene :) "
— Joel, 9/13/2010 -
" weakest book of my vacation read-a-palooza. fun use of grifter construct & lingo, but it just did not hang together for me "
— Bob, 8/7/2010 -
" Loved this book. I could not put it down, so I didn't! I story is interesting and keeps you on the ride. "
— Tina, 6/27/2010 -
" This is not something I would have been likely to read on my own, but I really enjoyed it. An interesting look into the world of scam artists, with enough action, romance & puzzle aspect to keep you hooked. "
— Christine, 6/17/2010 -
" Loved this book! Easy, quick, put off other stuff I should be doing to finish. Can't wait for the next Radar novel. "
— Annie, 4/20/2010 -
" A fun caper set in a side of LA I can't say I know, although in a neighborhood I know quite well. Vorhaus's wordplay reminds me of Bruce Kimmel, so friends who love Bruce's work should check this out. (You too, Bruce.) "
— David, 4/10/2010
About John Vorhaus
John Vorhaus is best known as the author of The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even if You’re Not. An international consultant in television and film script development, Vorhaus has worked for television networks, film schools, and production companies in thirty countries on four continents. His own screenwriting credits include Married … with Children, Head of the Class, The Sentinel, and The Flash. He is also the author of the six-volume Killer Poker series, plus miscellaneous other books on the subject, including the novel Under the Gun.
About William Dufris
William Dufris attended the University of Southern Maine in Portland-Gorham before pursuing a career in voice work in London and then the United States. He has won more than twenty AudioFile Earphones Awards, was voted one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century by AudioFile magazine, and won the prestigious Audie Award in 2012 for best nonfiction narration. He lives with his family in Maine.