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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
“If only I were 30 years younger. If only a lot of things,” muses Reid Franco, the protagonist of Scoundrels and Cocktails, a novel by Joe Newell. Reid isn’t 30 years younger; in fact, he’s not many things, including successful in life. What he is, though, is a good-natured, middle-aged has-been who enjoys his drinks a bit too much. Retired from a flash-in-the-pan career in major league baseball and after a brief stint as a Hollywood stuntman, Reid now lives in South Carolina and spends his time as an unlicensed private investigator, trying to make a difference in a chaotic world. As Reid navigates his peculiar life filled with capers and misadventures, he lacks any long-term goal except one: to be a good man.
Unexpectedly charming and highly entertaining, Scoundrels and Cocktails by Joe Newell is an excellent example of contemporary American fiction. The novel presents as a series of anecdotes told by the protagonist, Reid. Some of these stories are serious, some take unexpected turns, and others are downright funny. Despite the lack of a dominant plot, the central theme revolves around a man striving to better himself and mature within society, which makes it easy to root for him. The character development is outstanding, featuring a cast of lovable yet quirky barflies. The pacing is brisk, and the easy-to-read prose, along with a clean writing style, elevates the tale as a whole. Overall, Scoundrels and Cocktails is a delightful and amusing story that will appeal to fans of contemporary fiction and well-crafted narratives.
