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)

Love it

I’ve yet to listen to a Christopher Moore book that I didn’t love. So funny

Another great funny great work by Moore

The wit of any of Moore’s books is undeniable. If you want to be entertained and laugh, some time out loud, this should do it.

Dirty Job Fun

Laugh out loud funny!! This is keeping my spirits up while husband is in hospital with broken back...not an easy task. Great characters and a wonderful reader. I would give it 5 stars except it has too many "f" words for my taste.
Don't miss this winner!!

A hilarious romp through the Underworld

This book was hilarious! Moore's characterizations were wonderful and his sarcastic wit had me laughing out loud. Fisher Stevens is simply a FANTASTIC narrator. I wish he would do more. He portrayed the different characters so skillfully that one might mistake them for different actors. Highly recommend.

Man, did I laugh

I am not an easy mark for humor, but I could not resist laughing out loud (while I was in some odd places too) while listening to this book. The narrator was superb, which elevated the audiobook experience up a notch. Well done!

Dark Comedy Gold

This book is brilliant in so many ways. Not only is it unique in a "Dead Like Me" sort of way, but the array of quirky characters really make for an amazing story. The narration was not only incredibly visual and interesting, but also down right hysterical. I caught myself laughing out loud alone in my car. This is one of the few books I would gladly listen to again, I'll share with a friend next time.

The best Moore book of them all!

There is something about this book over all the others...sometimes Moore's books try too hard to be comical. Not this one, it's dead on with its humor. And it IS hilarious! One to listen to more than once, it's well worth the credit or money you pay for it. And Fisher Stevens does a great job with the narration. Now, on to "Secondhand Souls"!

My favorite audio book.

I am a big Christopher Moore fan and this book is my favorite. It is funny, sad, and scary all at once. This is my number one recommend to date.

Fast moving adventure

Imaginative story, great speaker but lots of swear words if you might be offended.

I wasn't prepared to laugh this much!

Previous reviewers had said this book was funny. Maybe I underestimated them. From page one to the end of the epilogue, author Christopher Moore has smothered and covered his book in hijinks and hilarity. You gotta have a sense of humor about death, religion, kids, and world cultures to truly appreciate the genius of Moore's comic perspective. Or any sense of humor will suffice, really!

Fisher Stevens is absolutely perfect as narrator for this story. The voice, the emotions, and the distinctions between characters were exquisitely performed. I'm so glad I took a chance on this title! I'm excitedly looking forward to reading/hearing more from this author and narrator in the future.