Don’t Ever Get Old

By: Daniel Friedman

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

This is the first in a one-of-a-kind, spectacularly well-written mystery series featuring Buck Schatz, an eighty-seven-year-old retired Memphis cop with a know-it-all, plugged-in grandson as his sidekick.

When Buck learns that an old adversary may have escaped Germany with a fortune in stolen gold, he decides to hunt down the fugitive and claim the loot. But lots of people want a piece of the stolen treasure, and Buck’s investigation quickly attracts unfriendly attention from a Mississippi loan shark, a seven-foot-tall Hasidic Jew, and a bloodthirsty maniac hell-bent on rubbing out everybody who knows anything about the stolen gold.

Readers who love Elmore Leonard, Walter Mosley, early Jonathan Lethem, and superlative detective fiction in general will not want to miss Don’t Ever Get Old.

Daniel Friedman is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the NYU School of Law. He lives in New York City.

©2012 Daniel Friedman (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Once you start reading this wonderfully original and totally engrossing story, you’ll do what I did: keep reading…When I’m eighty-seven, I want to be Buck Schatz." (Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author)

"Excellent…Friedman makes his limited lead plausible and bolsters the story line with wickedly funny dialogue." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Crackling dialog and memorable characters make this a standout debut. With his curmudgeonly lead, Friedman ensures his intergenerational detective story maintains a pitch-perfect tone. The underlying theme of revenge balances a wacky plot that evokes Elmore Leonard. This has a direct topical connection with P. J. Tracy’s Live Bait, too." ( Library Journal)

Very Good

Very good. Didn't get interesting till around middle of the book. Nick Sullivan did an outstanding narrative.

Super Cool

Funny as hell and refreshing. Highly recommended. The main guy is just super funny. A+

Excellent

Funny, touching and insightful. I enjoyed is so much that it encouraged me to get extra exercise.

Great.

One of the best books I’ve listen to in a long time. Highly recommended to anyone.

Loved it!

Such an unusual protagonist. Great reality of dealing w getting old, cranky and authentic. But also a smart guy. Really good story.

The best book in a while.

I absolutely loved this book. I worked over 30 years in a nursing home and met some memorable characters . I could see many of these people in Buck Shots.

Grumpy old man vs old nazi and crooked cop.

If you know a grumpy old man this will make you laugh. Easy listening

Entertaining...

Love me a curmudgeon. Couldn't listen fast enough. Loved the writing style.

Nick Sullivan did a fab job.

Annoying!

okay I very very rarely write a review. but I just have to say this nasty cranky old man doesn't deserve any air time whatsoever! he is so mean and nasty to his own grandson who seems to be like a sensitive nice guy. and is at grandpa's beck and call throughout this entire book Even though Grandpa doesn't deserve it. he comes right out and says he can't stand his own grandson except it's all he has left of his son. I don't need all my characters to be completely lovable and likable. but I do not want to waste my time with this nastiness. I had high hopes of a new series to listen to. I will not be listening to one single more book of this series. Life is too short for this! Arthur needs to go back to writing school and learn how to develop characters for sure!

Very enjoyable.

Have you seen the movie “Dirty Harry” with Clint Eastwood? This book’s main character (Buck) is Dirty Harry when he gets old. He’s growly, grumpy, and insults others. He doesn’t play nice with authority. Yet he still has his moral compass against those who do harm. (The Dirty Harry comparison is my interpretation, but I believe the author was inspired by him. The character’s name in the book is Buck Schatz.)

I was surprised at how often I was chuckling. A sample of the kind of humor follows. There might be a treasure of Nazi gold bars. Buck has nothing to do with it and wants nothing to do with it. But people keep coming to him because they think he’ll be able to find it. He doesn’t care.

I think the best stories start with unusual and intriguing characters. This book has that. It’s a treasure hunt, mystery, and murder. And it has an excellent ending for the good guys.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
The narrator Nick Sullivan was good. But I was iffy about a couple of his voices. I would have preferred Clint Eastwood narrating because he is Dirty Harry - and he’s in his 80s - or a narrator who sounds like Clint Eastwood. I was thinking of Dirty Harry throughout the book.

Genre: mystery suspense