More Better Deals

By: Joe R. Lansdale

Narrated by: Brad Sanders

From the Edgar Award-winning author of the Hap and Leonard series, a hard-boiled novel set in 1960s Texas in which a no-nonsense car salesman faces a tempting decision, a dangerous deal, and an alluring affair.

Ed Edwards is in the used car business, a business built on adjusted odometers, extra-fine print, and the belief that "buyers better beware." Burdened by an aging, alcoholic mother constantly on his case to do something worthier of his lighter skin tone and dreaming of a brighter future for himself and his plucky little sister, Ed is ready to get out of the game.
When Dave, his lazy, grease-stained boss at the eponymous dealership Smiling Dave's sends him to repossess a Cadillac, Ed finally gets the chance to escape his miserable life.
The Cadillac in question was purchased by Frank Craig and his beautiful wife Nancy, owners of a local drive-in and pet cemetery. Fed up with her deadbeat husband and with unfulfilled desires of her own, Nancy suggests to Ed -- in the throes of their salacious affair -- that they kill Frank and claim his insurance policy. It is a tantalizing offer: the girl, the car, and not one, but two businesses. Ed could finally say goodbye to Smiling Dave's, and maybe even send his sister to college. But does he have what it takes to see the plan through?
Told with Joe Lansdale's trademark grit, wit, and dark humor, More Better Deals is a gripping tale of the strange characters and odd dealings that define 1960s East Texas.

Critic reviews

"Highly enjoyable . . . Populated with an admirable array of laughable miscreants, this droll, savage novel is vintage Lansdale. The author's storytelling powers remain as strong as ever."—Publishers Weekly

"He's genre dextrous, moving fleetly between westerns, mysteries, thrillers, horror, sci-fi, literary fiction, and nonfiction, and doing it all extremely well."—Publishers Weekly

"Lansdale really makes this used car purr."—Booklist (starred review)

"Southern crime legend Joe Lansdale channels his best James M. Cain world vision...Readers can expect to be transported in the usual Lansdale fashion, as nobody does those East Texas period details quite like Lansdale, who always delivers with a finely-crafted, engaging, compulsive crime story in his home terrain."—Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads

Praise for The Elephant of Surprise
"The Elephant of Surprise is the read of the year thus far for adrenaline junkies, action-hero aficionados and, as is always the case with Lansdale's novels, fans of clever and unexpected similes and metaphors."-- BookPage "Hap and Leonard remain two of the most likable characters in crime fiction."--- Kirkus Reviews
"Lansdale's narrative voice is as wonderful as ever, as is the banter between the mismatched best friends as they punctuate the violence with drolly mundane observations. ..It's always a pleasure to spend time with Hap and Leonard."--- Booklist

Great start, then weakens

At first I thought this was a delicious cross between Raymond Chandler and SA Crosby -- fun banter and good writing -- but then this turned into a kind of dirtbag romp. Still fun, but could have been more, especially with better riffs on class and race. Excellent reader. Recommended.

I’m more of a happy ending person…

And this didn’t have one. I guess it was fitting, but it was a bit too depressing for me. As the book progressed and the characters kept getting deeper and deeper into their holes, I confess to feeling a bit anxious. Otherwise, not a bad book overall. Terrific narrator.

Another great East Texas tale from the master

Joe Lansdale writes in myriad genres and his stuff is always good. I've never been to the place he writes about most, Texas, yet his characters always ring true, as do his plots. More Better Deals is a short novel whose characters suck you right in and the story keeps moving yet never sacrifices quality characterization. The narration is good enough though not excellent. While I prefer Lansdale as horror stories, his more realistic fare like this is still great.

Try it.

Brad Sanders ... my new favorite narrator. Fabulous job delivering an engaging story. Glad I listened although I didn't love the ending.

Good stuff, if a bit overdone

This was enjoyable, mostly wild fast moving fun, a bit of Charles Willeford style here, but somehow was not entirely satisfying. Very good narrator voice, but a bit hard to differentiate amongst the characters at times.