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Meanwhile Back at the Ranch: A Novel
 
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Meanwhile Back at the Ranch: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

by Kinky Friedman (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Consistently irreverent, politically incorrect and more than a little outrageous, the Kinkster's 15th effort (after 2001's Steppin' on a Rainbow), while it may please his fans, is unlikely to win any new ones, as it's just a bit thin in the telling. Reading a Friedman novel is like listening to a hip monologue where some of the jokes work, some don't. Reading a Friedman novel is like being thrust into a hellzapoppin' world where reality is the only uncertainty. The ultimate effect, however, is amiable. The author's compassion for the underdog and love of animals are clear. Kinky has three cases to handle and he has catalogued them with the names of the Three Stooges. "Larry" involves a missing autistic boy, 11-year-old Dylan Weinberg, who speaks only one word, "Schnay," which is the clue to the mystery that surrounds him. "Moe" concerns a serial killer, whom Kinky and his buddy, Rambam, stake out. And finally there's "Curly," which focuses on the disappearance of a three-legged cat named Lucky. Lucky is of great sentimental value to Kinky's cousin Nancy, who helps run the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch (a real place), where unwanted animals are allowed to live out their lives. One of the cases comes to nothing, while another produces an unexpected corpse. It takes Friedman half the book to build a momentum, but once begun it moves well to a credible conclusion. The cat, incidentally, says nothing.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From Library Journal

Kinky has his hands full he must track down an autistic child and his wayward cat, Lucky.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect gift for the Jewish animal-lover on your list, April 7 2004
By A Customer
Not my favorite Kinky Friedman book, but still pretty humorous.
Perfect gift for the Jewish animal-lover on your list - a
fun Mother's Day present, maybe.
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4.0 out of 5 stars If this book were food, it would be a Kinky salad, Jan 2 2003
By Kaleidoscope K (Worcester, MA) - See all my reviews
Private detective Kinky Friedman enjoys a bushel of bafflement slogging through two different cases, pulling him hither and yon between two different cases as he works to find both a missing cat (Texas) and an autistic child (New York). I have been, still am and will continue to be a Kinky fan, and given this I must say it was a great book, but not the pinnacle of Kinky-dom. Other reviews I've read were very positive and the bit of negative criticism questioned whether he had abused his characteristic sayings, such as "cradled the blower" or "left the cat in charge." To me these were welcome, worn-in witticisms, but I did feel the amount of name dropping seemed a bit awkward if not possibly forced. I was also disappointed to find out that his reference to Asperger's Sydrome, the specific form of autism which the missing child had, was lacking - his account was historically correct, but the child supposedly having this syndrome had a vocabulary of a single word, though I have read a paper from psychology referring to the same syndrome as a form of autism which leaves verbal skills mostly unaffected and is manifest primarily through behavior. My last concern was how much the story was used as a platform for the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch (the missing cat thread to the story.) Any Kinky fan knows that he has strong political opinions and thankfully does not refrain from expressing them and admittedly the Rescue Ranch is a worthy cause, but there were isolated moments when the story felt almost didactic to me. That said, I immediately acknowledge it to be specific, nit-picky criticism, but worth the words since I'm the sort of girl who waits with bated breath as the villain is revealed on Scooby Doo - if these occurred to me, of all people, I'm pretty sure I won't be alone. All in all, I would read it again and it only makes me more anxious for the next Kinky installment - I have my fingers crossed for an entrée this time.
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4.0 out of 5 stars More Kinky views of life and the strange folks who live it, Nov 8 2002
Private detective (and former musician) Kinky Friedman finds himself torn between a missing three-legged cat in Texas and a missing autistic child in New York. The cat comes first and Kinky heads down to Utopia, Texas for some good-ole-boy moments, but his duty calls him back to New York where his recurring pal Rambam demands to be made part of the case (Rambam also thinks he might have found his future bride--the sister of the missing child and an obvious suspect). Using visions, both his own and others', and some clever detecting Kinky strips away some of the confusion--but can either a three-legged cat or an autistic child survive for long on their own--either in the wilds of Texas or those of New York?

Fans of the Kinky Friedman series will find a lot to enjoy in MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH. Kinky's observations about life in general, his descriptions of the customs and people he meets, and his insights into human nature ring true. Kinky's strange similies will bring a smile to even the most jaded reader (maybe especially to the jaded reader). And Friedman goes out of his way to be an equal opportunity offender, slinging insults at all religions and ways of life.

Kinky Friedman books are not for everyone but MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH is one of the better ones.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Kinky's Ranch-Flavored Manhatten Mystery
God bless Kinky Friedman, member of the country-freak outfit the Jewboys and author of 15 novels. There've been stalls in the series, poorly executed plotlines, and inexcusable... Read more
Published on Oct 9 2002 by William Fare

4.0 out of 5 stars not kinky's best, but good
this book is the latest in the adventures of country star turned best selling author kinky friedman. Read more
Published on Sep 26 2002 by Txiab

3.0 out of 5 stars KINKY DOESN"T "TAKE A NIXON"
This good Friedman.If you read his books, then you already plan to read this one. If you haven't, then start with the first"GREENWICH KILLING TIME" or"Jesu,etc"It's fun, and... Read more
Published on Sep 16 2002 by Plastic Larry

5.0 out of 5 stars irreverent and wild as ever
For private sleuth Kinky Friedman working on more than one case at a time is just too much work. Yet now he is stuck with two distinct investigations in different parts of the... Read more
Published on Sep 14 2002 by Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars This is Kinky alright.
This time around, Kinky has to find a missing three-legged cat who resides down in Texas, and a missing autistic child in NYC. Read more
Published on Sep 5 2002 by Konrad Kern

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