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)

Darkly hysterical

What a great book! Charlie, an unlikely hero and unwitting saviour of the world, is the kind of guy you usually ignore. His job as a second-hand junk merchant dovetails nicely with his unasked for avocation as a death merchant.

Set realistically in San Francisco, this book is just flat out funny. I've always suspected there were demons in the Trans Bay BART tunnel, and this book just confirms it.

The first few chapters were a little slow, but stick with it. They introduce the characters and set the scene for a great story.

Appeals to the teenage boy in me.

A story of an unlikely hero that reads like a comic book. Entertaining, however not very clever or deep. It's an adventure story that takes pride in its city. It has a steady arc up and does well to build energy in the final chapters. If your a fan of fun books, slight perversions, or dark comedies, then this would be a good choice. Honestly, I wanted it to be edgier and more horrific, but enjoyed the last quarter of the book. I would recommend to gothics, teenage boys, anyone with an immature sense of humor ;)

Awesome

I have read this book twice already but really wanted to hear it narrated. Fisher Stevens does a wonderful job!

extremely funny

this book made me laugh out loud a number of times. I think it was a great read and I was thoroughly entertained.

Engaging!

I really hated to see this book end. Although the premise seemed absurd to me at first, the narrator and the author made it all totally believable. I loved the characters, the dialogue, and the settings. I was engrossed from beginning to end and look forward to more Audible entries from this author.

Dark, funny, with plenty of heart

Very relatable lead, memorable characters, some witty writing and an outstanding performance make for an immensely listenable (if too short) audiobook.

Incredible!

Though the story isn't entirely new, bits and pieces have been used before, the presentation was definitely unique. The depth and detail added so much fun. Fisher Stevens, though he started out at a frantic pace, found his rhythm, and I couldn't imagine anyone else reading this story. I will read more by this author.

One of my Favs!

The first book i've ever read that made me laugh out loud. Had to get the audio. just as funny and just as entertaining.

as good as everyone said

This was a great read/listen...I found myself forsaking podcasts b/c I couldn't stop listening to it. This may replace "King Dork" as my new favorite book...had great humor and some geek/sci-fi appeal. I hope his other books are as good...

Good pick

Can’t go wrong with this one whether using a credit or buying its a good pick. It’s funny, interesting and the characters are likeable. Well done Mr Moore.