Book 46. Boo Hiss, by Rene
Gutteridge. Unabridged audio.
Rene Gutteridge stands out among
writers of religious fiction in that her books manage to be funny. And the “Boo”
series, of which this is the third novel, have consistently managed this “light”
tone. “Boo Hiss” is another fun, light read.
Like the prior two novels, this
book takes place in and around the small town of Skary, Indiana, where famed
horror novelist calls home. In this one, Boone is navigating his struggles as a
horror novelist who has recently found religious faith. He hasn’t had a good
idea since becoming a believer, and doesn’t even know if he’ll ever be able to
return to that life.
But even without the mystery
writer writing mystery, strange things still happen around the little town.
Like the soccer fields that appear overnight on the outskirts of town, and the
strange new coffee shop that opens. Throw in a missing two-headed snake and a
maniacal community theatre director, and you have the makings for true
shenanigans.
I am used to reading epic
adventures, novels where the stakes are incredibly high, and it was refreshing
to read a novel where the stakes were smaller, more personal. To the characters
involved, the implications of the events of the story certainly mattered. Just
because the fate of the world is not at stake,
Many of the funny moments in the
novel involve comments about the publishing industry, including a few swipes at
Christian publishing. Along with sly comments about modern suburbia and church
culture, Gutteridge tells a story that is both entertaining and strangely
self-aware.
