A Dirty Job

By: Christopher Moore

Narrated by: Fisher Stevens

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, sort of a hypochondriac. He's what's known as a Beta Male: the kind of fellow who makes his way through life by being careful and constant, you know, the one who's always there to pick up the pieces when the girl gets dumped by the bigger/taller/stronger Alpha Male.

But Charlie's been lucky. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a secondhand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child.

Yes, Charlie's doing okay for a Beta. That is, until the day his daughter, Sophie, is born. Just as Charlie, exhausted from the birth, turns to go home, he sees a strange man in mint-green golf wear at Rachel's hospital bedside, a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird.

People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yup, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, somebody's gotta do it.

©2006 Christopher Moore (P)2006 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

• 2006 Quill Award Nominee

"Moore's enthusiasm and skill make it convincing, and his affection for the cast of weirdos gives the book an unexpected poignancy." (Publishers Weekly)

Very quirky, quite enjoyable!

I wasn't to sure of this story when I first started listening, but Charlie is an interesting fellow and so was his story.

Pretty Good, Pretty Good

Had I not read Lamb and Stupidest Angel and Bloodsucking Fiends, etc., I would have enjoyed this more. Dirty Job is good, but lacks some of the essence, the consistent humorous edge common to much of Moore’s other work. But it’s still pretty good. Like McCartney’s Flowers in the Dirt. Worth listening to but not his best.

high class entertainment!

could do without the random musical interludes.
ended a little abruptly, like oh shit I have 20pages to end this *massive battle* okay. looks good. byyyeee.
but take it as it is, kinda a fluff novel.

Great story paired with the best narrator for it

Always love Christopher moore, but this performance really put it over the top. Fisher Stevens and Christopher Moore are the perfect team!

Beautifully funny!

I laughed the whole way through this book, but forgot that the language was a little salty when listening on speaker with my grandkids in the house ... oh, well. The narrator was so talented when changing character that it was seamless, until I thought about how difficult that must have been performing. This is my first Christopher Moore book, but it won’t be my last. I just bought three more Moore!

Non-stop laughs.

Absolutely funny! This was a great read. It kept you going the whole time. The topic might not be for everyone but it made me and my husband laugh alot. I enjoyed this book and I would listen to it again.

entertaining

I laughed so many times. this is a great book and story. I recommend it.

A great dark laugh

I've rated these in reverse and I don't think there would be a better way. The sequel, Secondhand Souls, is not second best. These two books compliment each other well. Laughing audibly to an Audible selection is entertaining to all. Holding in the laughs is not as fun. Grab this pair and make use of your ear holes.

great beginning, got too silly toward the end

Narrator was terrific. I was always able to tell which character was talking, and they were all well understood and sympathetic. The story was very funny and interesting initially. I was very surprised to find myself laughing at such dark humor.

Unfortunately, somewhere in the last third of the story, the book seemed to lose its way and became fantastical, silly, and predictable. In the first half, I was already shopping for the sequel, but if it's based on the end of this one I think I'll give it a miss. What a shame!

fun read!

in the beginning I had low expectations on the story line, But the more I read the more I couldn't wait to get in the car and listen to more. Most if my listening to on the way to work and back. This story in addition to be being funny, also touched a little of life-death realities, romance, sci-fi, mystery, action, family-friends relationships. Overall great Listen!