Name: Suburban Dicks
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
ISBN: 9780593191286

Fabian Nicieza

Suburban Dicks

A finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel From the cocreator of Deadpool comes a highly entertaining debut featuring two unlikely and unforgettable amateur sleuths. An engrossing murder mystery full of skewering social commentary, Suburban Dicks examines the racial tensions exposed in a New Jersey suburb after the murder of a gas station attendant. Andie Stern thought she'd solved her final homicide. Once a budding FBI profiler, she gave up her career to raise her four (soon to be five) children in West Windsor, New Jersey. But one day, between soccer games, recitals, and trips to the local pool, a very pregnant Andie pulls into a gas station--and stumbles across a murder scene. An attendant has been killed, and the local cops are in over their heads. Suddenly, Andie is obsessed with the case, and back on the trail of a killer, this time with kids in tow. She soon crosses paths with disgraced local journalist Kenneth Lee, who also has everything to prove in solving the case. A string of unusual occurrences--and, eventually, body parts--surface around town, and Andie and Kenneth uncover simmering racial tensions and a decades-old conspiracy. Hilarious, insightful, and a killer whodunit, Suburban Dicks is the one-of-a-kind mystery that readers will not be able to stop talking about.

When an Indian gas station clerk is murdered, everyone thinks it was a robbery gone wrong until Andrea Stern accidentally stumbles into the crime scene with her toddler who needs the bathroom.  Andie quickly picks up on problems due to her natural instincts as well as her training to be an FBI profiler when she was in college.  She contacts disgraced reporter and old friend, Kenneth Lee, when it becomes clear that the police aren't doing what is necessary to solve the case.  The two of them embark on an investigation that leads to institutionalized racism and a long standing cover up, but the fact that Andie has four young children and is seven months pregnant makes this task seem almost impossible.

What if Stephanie Plum was married, pregnant, and had four kids?  That's the comparison I made as I read about smart, snarky, and sarcastic, Andie Stern.  The other protagonist, Kenny Lee is an ambiguous character with self-serving motives, but somehow comes across as likable.  These two make a great pair as they investigate the mystery from two completely different angles but somehow end up working well together.  I'm not sure why more people aren't taking about this book because it is an extremely enjoyable procedural that is funny, while making some very serious statements about our modern society.  Overall, Suburban Dicks is a laugh-out-loud mystery laced with significant themes and keen observations.

Lynn Braden

When an Indian gas station clerk is murdered, everyone thinks it was a robbery gone wrong until Andrea Stern accidentally stumbles into the crime scene with her toddler who needs the bathroom.  Andie quickly picks up on problems due to her natural instincts as well as her training to be an FBI profiler when she was in college.  She contacts disgraced reporter and old friend, Kenneth Lee, when it becomes clear that the police aren't doing what is necessary to solve the case.  The two of them embark on an investigation that leads to institutionalized racism and a long standing cover up, but the fact that Andie has four young children and is seven months pregnant makes this task seem almost impossible.

What if Stephanie Plum was married, pregnant, and had four kids?  That's the comparison I made as I read about smart, snarky, and sarcastic, Andie Stern.  The other protagonist, Kenny Lee is an ambiguous character with self-serving motives, but somehow comes across as likable.  These two make a great pair as they investigate the mystery from two completely different angles but somehow end up working well together.  I'm not sure why more people aren't taking about this book because it is an extremely enjoyable procedural that is funny, while making some very serious statements about our modern society.  Overall, Suburban Dicks is a laugh-out-loud mystery laced with significant themes and keen observations.

A fast-paced murder mystery, perfect for fans of Tom Perrotta, from the co-creator of DEADPOOL. New Jersey, US. Andie Stern thought she’d solved her final homicide. Once a budding FBI profiler, she gave up her career to raise her four (soon to be five) children in West Windsor, New Jersey. But one day, a very-pregnant Andie pulls into a gas station–and stumbles across a murder scene. An attendant has been killed, and the bumbling local cops are in way over their heads. Suddenly, Andie is obsessed with the case, and back on the trail of a killer, this time with kids in tow. She soon crosses paths with disgraced local journalist Kenneth Lee, who also has everything to prove in solving the case. A string of unusual occurrences–and eventually, body parts–surface around town, and Andie and Kenneth uncover simmering racial tensions and a decades-old conspiracy.

I loved this so much! Adrian is a strong female character who actually feel like a real woman. She both loves and hates her kids and her relationship isn't perfect, but it also isn't riddled with body descriptions or constantly trying to thrust her into triangle romances. I liked Kenny a lot too, another realistic feeling character with his own fleshed out story, which doesn't distract from the main plot and tends to add to it.

The narration is very direct, but it keeps the plot moving and doesn't get lost in side trips. If something is there, it's there for a reason, and that's so refreshing in murder mysteries.

I see someone calling this "men's humor." No idea what they're talking about, there is definitely some dry humor but I didn't think it was overly focused on bodily humor or anything like that.

My biggest complaint is that the ending felt like it wandered a bit. I think it could have been tightened up for the same effect, but overall it is still pretty concise.

One day, between soccer games, recitals, and trips to the local pool, a very pregnant Andie pulls into a gas station - and stumbles across a murder scene. Suddenly, former FBI profiler Andie is obsessed with the case, and back on the trail of a killer, this time with kids in tow. She soon crosses paths with disgraced local journalist Kenneth Lee, who also has everything to prove in solving the case. A string of unusual occurrences - and, eventually, body parts - surface around town, and Andie uncovers simmering racial tensions and a decades-old conspiracy.

Suburban Dicks

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