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Two Thursdays

TWO THURSDAYS By C. Martin Stepp. Amazon: 146 pages; $9.95.

     C. Martin Stepp’s “Two Thursdays” is the follow-up novel to his first book “Walking Backwards.”  Both books feature private investigator Hitchcock Brown.  While I am generally a fan of detective stories, I can’t remember the last time I read one quite like this.  Author Stepp’s humor is so dry, you almost have to re-read some passages before you realize how funny it is.  Like a fine wine, it might take two or three servings before the effects start to kick in.
     I’ve read a lot of books that go out of their way to hook you in after a few sentences.  “Two Thursdays” takes a decidedly different approach.  Stepp almost seems to go out of his way to tell you that you are reading a boring story.  While the day to day life of the main character Hitchcock Brown is not all that interesting, it does lead to a story that would not be possible without the rich character development.  The private investigator has the almost obligatory friend in the police department.  In this case, it is the Chief of Police Derrick C. Guildford.  Most people call him “Grildpork” due to his obvious affinity for barbeque.  The relationship between Brown and his friend Grildpork is humorously developed throughout the novel.
     Just as he manages to lull you into a false sense of normality, Brown takes a hard left turn and reinvents himself as a struggling record producer.  His friend Grildpork thinks his friend has lost his mind and Brown finds himself in some situations he couldn’t possibly imagine.  The story starts to veer off in numerous directions.  I started to wonder how Stepp could possibly bring the disparate elements together without spinning off numerous sequels.  New characters are introduced, new story lines are developed and some of them spin off as if they never existed at all.  As I started to think that the book would self-destruct into some vision of an impossible future, Stepp brings it all back together for a fantastic conclusion.
     I don’t want to spoil the ending for anybody that has not yet read the book.  For a story that seems to start with a mundane dialogue, it certainly finishes up with a bang.  On it’s own “Two Thursdays” stands out as a breakthrough novel.  I would recommend reading “Walking Backwards” first.  I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

-Mark Dylan

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