Reviewed by Taylor
TITLE: Rat Bastard
SERIES: Pop Goes the Weasel #2
AUTHOR: Stephen Osborne
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 pages
BLURB:
Sequel to Pop Goes the Weasel
Patrick “Weasel” Weasley is worried he’s not spending enough time with his new boyfriend Tony, now that they are living and working in different towns. He decides the best way to cement the relationship is to buy Tony a ring for Christmas. Unfortunately, Weasel’s evil stepfather–a rat bastard if ever there was one–has cut him off without a cent, and he is left with no other choice. He must (gasp!) get a job!
Weasel wouldn’t mind working at the Phantom Lady Inn if it wasn’t for Tony’s ex-boyfriend Gates Stumpenhorst, who wants to beat the stuffing out of him, or Cicely Talbot, a writer who believes she can prove to Weasel that he’s not really gay. As if that wasn’t enough, the deputy sheriff thinks Weasel is the local arsonist. Adding to their troubles is a rumored Phantom Lady haunting the inn and pilfering trinkets. With all this going on, Weasel might not live to survive Christmas, much less find time to go on a date with Tony!
REVIEW:
I’ve been a fan of this author’s other series, the Duncan Andrews Thriller. What worked for me in all of those books seems to have had a similar formula but the dial has gone towards too much of everything.
The main character, Weasel, is extremely unlikable to me, and the whole book read as if some spoiled, lazy brat was talking to me about the people in his life, what he thought of them, and why things weren’t fair. He’s got a very frenetic air to him, and the kid rambles and switches topics and thoughts like a buzzing bug around you. I think if readers like Tj Klune’s main characters then they might really like Weasel and this series. Even the humor. This author is funny and like I said, his other series cracks me up, but all of the humor in this felt slapstick and forced, and because it was so frantic it was hard letting some jokes settle in and be appreciated because Weasel continuously threw out verbal jabs left and right.
As for the conflict, it was a bit jumbled and really this is all about Weasel and his supposedly endearing self landing in one weird situation after the other. There’s his stepfather that he hates, his new boyfriend Tony, his friend Jake, the girl that’s after him Cicely, etc. and his experiences at his new job. But everyone felt like caricatures and rather than amuse me, I just found it all tedious.
But, again, I’d hate to dissuade readers from checking this author out and even this series. He’s talented, and this kind of humor might be exactly what you love. I’d read the sample and see if it’s for you, but for me, I’m going to call it quits with this series, and stick to the Duncan Andrews Thriller books.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Amazon