PlasterCity (A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco)

Author: Johnny Shaw

Plaster City combusts with characters that burn into the page.  Shaw has written his second novel fronting and Jimmy Veeder, farmer, husband, father and all around good guy and his best friend the iconic Bobby Maves.  Bobby cannot avoid chaos.  In fact, chaos chases him and remains his best friend.  As Bobby drags Jimmy into mavescapade after mavescapade, Jimmy tries to keep his head above water, and his life, intact.

Best friends since childhood, Jimmy and Bobby are constantly getting in trouble.  Bobby instigates as he loves a good brawl, loves the violence of justice given, and is an all around maniac.  Jimmy is now in a stable relationship with a young son, but when Bobby’s 16 year old daughter Julie goes missing, Jimmy stands by his friend as they go off to discover her whereabouts.  As usual, the “whereabouts” involve a tough Mexican motorcycle gang, a tougher ex-childhood friend of Jimmy’s who is now a gang boss, and some weird action on Julie’s part, who is now a part of the Mexican gang.  When Julie deliberately shoots her father, the action revs up into a battle that even Jimmy can’t imagine.  Should Jimmy leave his young son and girlfriend to save Julie?  Even as Jimmy walks out on the action, he knows he has to help Bobby.  He has to show his son that loyalty to friends is essential.

With a wham bang cast of odd and maniacal characters, and a plot that delivers the most fun two “dumbass” desert owls can conjure up, Shaw ramps up the action in this amazingly entertaining novel.  Funny and yet emotionally raw, Shaw presents Jimmy Veeder, unwanted hero, who struggles daily with his alcoholic and annealing friend Bobby Maves.

Absolutely original and absolutely un-put-down-able, Plaster City creates a tension with characters that we simply drop into our hearts.  As Bobby, with one arm in plaster and the other holding his pistol tries one lunatic plan after another to save Julie, and with Jimmy trying to come up with sensible plans as the two attempt to rescue Julie from herself and her ganger operation of teenage girls, they both realize that family is family no matter what.

Plenty of action, amazingly brilliant and funny, Shaw has outdone himself as Plaster City ignites into one of the best reads of the year.

Ratings are based on a 5-star scale

Overall: 5

Review by Broad “A” – Ava

We received a copy of this title for our book review. All opinions are our own

Plaster City (Jimmy Veeder Fiasco) is available on Amazon.com and booksellers nationwide