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Heads You Lose Lisa Lutz David Hayward Books

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Heads You Lose Lisa Lutz David Hayward Books

This book came about as a collaboration between Lisa Lutz and David Hayward. While their prior collaborations, both professionally and personally had not gone well, Lisa Lutz thought this might be a perfect opportunity to start again. Lisa came up with the initial plot elements/characters and the plan was to alternate chapters to drive the story along. The book gives the unique perspective of the story along with the authors comments to each other at the end of each chapter, with some parenthetical remarks from the non-writer sprinkled within each chapter. The story involves two siblings in their 20's, Paul and Lacey, who grow pot in rural N. California. When a headless corpse lands on their property, they decide to move the body to a public location so it can be discovered without the police finding out about their illegal activities. The plot begins to get a little wild as the relationship between the authors begins to fray, with such interesting twists as a limping Mensa IQ level stripper, a plane crash that is never explained, characters that die and are then resurrected, and other craziness. While the mystery is somewhat interesting, it is the repartee and sniping between the authors that makes this a fun book to read.


Tags : Amazon.com: Heads You Lose (9780399157400): Lisa Lutz, David Hayward: Books,Lisa Lutz, David Hayward,Heads You Lose,G.P. Putnam's Sons,0399157409,Humorous - General,Authorship;Fiction.,Brothers and sisters;Fiction.,Novelists;Fiction.,Authorship,Brothers and sisters,Fiction,Fiction - Mystery Detective,Fiction Humorous General,Fiction Mystery & Detective General,Fiction-Mystery & Detective,GENERAL,General Adult,Humorous,MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE FICTION,Mystery & Detective - General,MysterySuspense,Novelists,United States

Heads You Lose Lisa Lutz David Hayward Books Reviews

This is a fun read. It might have been even better if David Hayward were NOT a real person; if, instead, Lisa Lutz had created him to "help" her write a mystery novel. Lutz has the talent and humor to pull that off, and it would have been a great idea. Subfusc, even.

But, alas, DH is (apparently) a real person, and that's ok too. Because he is pretty funny in his own way. His role is playing the slightly petty, "no-name" writer whose main function is to make Lutz work harder and harder to keep a continuous plot going. For her part, Lutz gets back at Hayward by deliberately, and with delightful malice, killing off a few of his characters. In fact, she kills one of them twice. Though PETA will be happy that (Spoiler Alert!) Irving makes it out alive.

The bickering that goes on between the two authors is - I think - deliberate. It's what makes the book so much fun to read. The alternating chapter format gives each author a chance to play his/her role to a tee. Lutz/Lacey is the responsible, somewhat sarcastic, active investigator, who is critical of Paul's lack of drive (and of Hayward's lack of drive to move the plot along). Hayward/Paul is the slacker-ish, somewhat sarcastic, passive investigator, who would actually rather criticize (Lacey AND Lutz) than investigate (or, it seems, write a fast-moving plot). Together, they throw enough obstacles at each other to make one wonder how on earth this book ever got finished. Either they meant it that way from the start, or they have a really, really good editor.

There is a lot of Izzy Spellman in Lacey, despite her inexperience in detective work. Though the dialogue is not as hilarious as the Spellman books, Lacey brings more than enough humor and bite to the table. Paul less so, but I think that's by design - his character veers towards laconic, as a contrast to Lacey. Lacey, like Lutz, is often pressing, moving forward. Paul, like Hayward, is often reclining on the sofa - literally and figuratively - working out his next move. It's Passion vs. Passive.

I'm not going to go into the plot, which - maybe by design, or maybe because LL and DH often go off in their own direction - contains more red herrings than a large lake in Minsk (assuming that is where herrings come from). Suffice to say the twisty-path plot works fine, as long as you realize that it is there to direct you towards the bickering authors and the premise of the book, rather than the other way around.

Oh, and can anyone tell me WHY that plane crashed?

One more opinion In this book, along with the Spellman books, Lisa Lutz has singlehandedly freed the footnote from its dull imprisonment in college term papers, and made it an interesting, um, footnote, again. Viva le note de pied!
I have mixed feelings about this book. The chapter by chapter feud between the two authors was fun but distracted from the story. But then, it mirrors the conflict between the main protagonists, the brother and sister.
Overall this book concept was very attractive, and started off as a very engaging story. However, as the story progressed, the two authors seemed to be working on two different books, and the snide remarks by characters within the story and the footnotes, while funny at times, were distracting and annoying. The book seemed more like a medium for the authors to jab each other at every turn. The story had some holes, too

***spoiler alert***

such as Lacey not knowing Paul had a girlfriend in Tulac throughout the story, but when the two women meet later in the book at the wake, Lacey seems to be fully aware of the relationship, as does every one of the townspeople. There were many other plot holes and inconsistencies, but I don't need to mention them all here. The last few chapters feel extremely rushed, as the siblings start to cross out suspects and the body count begins to mount at an incredible pace. It was a good concept, though, and an interesting story.
I love Lisa Lutz - her Spellman books are so funny and clever - especially the footnotes- yes she uses footnotes.

This new novel is a break from the Spellmans. She and co-writer, David Hayward (ex-boyfriend and now friend) each take a chapter with some rules- they cannot undo the plot or characters of each other. Comments by each author are exchanged at the end of each chapter including occasional suggestions as to what might be needed in the future chapters - but these may be ignored or added to the story with hysterical results.

The story is of Paul and Lacey - pot growing/selling sibs who discover a body (sans head) in their yard. They move the body and it returns to their yard - clearly someone has a message for the Paul and Lacey. Mayhem and fun ensue as each tackle the problem in their own way.

But it's like reading two books in one - the author's comments to each other are laugh-out-loud funny to deeply sarcastic. The response to comments/criticism/suggestions take place in future chapters resulting in characters going from dead - back alive - to dead again, from hard core grouches to softies, dumb to smart, etc. Plot lines are introduced in defiance,anger, or in the spirit of fun and adventure (the plane crash!). Yet it is all tied up by the end of the novel.

I am going to read it again -and ignore the comments then go back and just read the comments because both sections are worth it. Get this book!
This book came about as a collaboration between Lisa Lutz and David Hayward. While their prior collaborations, both professionally and personally had not gone well, Lisa Lutz thought this might be a perfect opportunity to start again. Lisa came up with the initial plot elements/characters and the plan was to alternate chapters to drive the story along. The book gives the unique perspective of the story along with the authors comments to each other at the end of each chapter, with some parenthetical remarks from the non-writer sprinkled within each chapter. The story involves two siblings in their 20's, Paul and Lacey, who grow pot in rural N. California. When a headless corpse lands on their property, they decide to move the body to a public location so it can be discovered without the police finding out about their illegal activities. The plot begins to get a little wild as the relationship between the authors begins to fray, with such interesting twists as a limping Mensa IQ level stripper, a plane crash that is never explained, characters that die and are then resurrected, and other craziness. While the mystery is somewhat interesting, it is the repartee and sniping between the authors that makes this a fun book to read.