A Quirky Book from a New-to-Me Author

 Venus Sings the Blues by Buck Storm 

Bones is a lost boy in Paradise, Arizona. He ends up at the Venus motel and lounge because his foster home has kicked him out. His life, and the lives of the customers and owner of the motel are changed when an unusual stranger rides up on his Harley and wrangles his way into a job playing piano in the lounge. Although Jimmy plays jazz like a pro, his real claim to fame is the metal box he brings with him. The box makes anything placed inside it disappear. The box becomes the center of controversy, attracting a world-class illusionist, a despairing cowboy, a comical pair of thieves and a drunken but famous author. 

I loved this story! It had so many pluses. It had a plot that was interesting but not easy to guess. The characters were realistic, quirky and flawed. The setting was unique. The writing was excellent. The dialog made me laugh at times. The message made me think. As a writer, Buck Storm reminded me of Billy Coffey and Tedd Dekker, two of my favorite authors. I plan to read Buck Storms’ other books now. 

I highly recommend this book. I think it would especially appeal to non-Christian readers as it is not preachy but gives the reader a lot to ponder. It has references to alcohol and cigarettes and affairs, so it is not sanitized but handles these realistically.  I am grateful to the publisher for a complimentary copy of the ARC in exchange for this, my honest review.