I’ve really enjoyed the past few books that I have read by Nick Spalding; they have been a lot of fun, with some really hard-hitting seriousness mixed in there, too. Spalding has an ability to go there, making a heavy statement of a book, while at the same time keeping it light and fun. I expected no less from Dead Happy.
As I started into this one, I found myself wondering where this was going, what was the point. We get introduced to Alex Lowrey, he’s got some stuff going on: an ex-wife, a daughter who is holding herself back and his answer to this is to do some stupid shit that a man our age should not be doing. It was all light and fun, but where is the meat and potatoes?
Well, don’t you worry, the extra dose of seriousness was not too far away. Spalding hit me hard, Dead Happy is bit of a gut wrencher. There are a few clues along the way but not enough to see it before the mask is torn away.
This is a fantastic story of overcoming loss. In classic Nick Spalding style, I had a fun time, until I didn’t. But I enjoyed this book tremendously. Nick Spalding is a remarkable author, who can put so many layers into his stories that I keep coming back for more.
*5 Stars
