I didn't know what I was buying when I got this book, I just read the back and it caught my eyes. So I took it home and ended up finishing it in less than a week. I'd get tired of reading, then something would happen that made me keep it in my hands. Pick this one up for sure.

Jack Flippo has seen better days, but he seems on his way back up when former cop Eddie "Bent" Nickles sends him in search of a missing piece of film. A film shot November 22, 1963 in Dallas. Soon Flippo is bounced from his new job with a tony law firm, leaving behind its plush carpets and mahogany credenzas.

Sylvan Dufrain, the film's photographer was shot and then burned in his Cadillac a month after the Kennedy assassination...or was he? Dufrain's wife and brother are now operating a shop that specializes in whoopie cushions and fake vomit.

Lola (aka Jennifer), Jack Flippos "artistician" girlfriend is putting together a show using blowup dolls from the local porn shop. Her plans are deflated by bullets shot through the living room window of the home she shares with Flippo.

Weldon Chaney is a disabled hitman saddled with the sons-in-law from hell. His efforts to make competent criminals of them are doomed to failure.

Treena Watts is a bail agent with a heart of gold. She is searching for answers about the death of her brother Mineola. She is leery of Jack Flippo's help since it was Jack who sent Mineola to prison.

This loopy cast of characters collide in a wickedly funny morality tale. Swanson expertly juggles the subplots that come together to a satifying ending that leaves Jack back in his linoleum-floored office with its metal desk.

Watch out Kinky Friedman, Doug Swanson's breathing down your neck!

If you like like them funny with lots of action with a macho male hero and convoluted double-double cross plots this is for you. Elmore Leonard comes to mind - although the dialog is not quite up to his standards. Flippo is not quite as rounded a character as Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, and the prose is not quite as good as Sue Grafton's but this is up there in that league. Kennedy assasination buffs might love it or hate it, but you don't have to be one to enjoy it. Dense Dallas atmosphere.

Jack Flippo's 3rd adventure is another energetic romp through Big D. More sex & violence this go round, both for the good and bad. Great believable but crazy characters including the return of gangsta and neat freak Teddy N. Tunstra. If you can find it, you will like it.

Swanson hits his stride with this third Jack Flippo novel: good characters, good plot twist, good language. Recommended if you like this genre; this book will hold your attention and there are no "down" moments. Swanson keeps you -- and Jack -- moving. Buy it for someone you love, then borrow it.

Jack Flippo owes his mentor Wesley Joy and when Wesley asks for his help, Jack has to respond. Except Wesley is in jail and suspected of murder--and Jack isn't quite sure whether Wesley is really as innocent as he claims. Wesley claims his wife, Angelique, can provide an alibi, and Jack sets off to find her-- with a bit of self-interest in mind.

Jack's confusion only gets worse when he poisons himself on raw oysters. This food poisoning limits Jack for half the book and puts a bit of a damper on the entire novel. Throughout, Jack seems more driven by others than driving the story himself. The rain of murdered bodies that seem to crop up wherever Jack goes mystifies him, but never really drives him to wonder what is going on.

Doug Swanson is a good writer and moves the story forward. Despite Jack's anti-heroics, the reader will still want to find out what is going on and will find themselves, like Jack, wavering on who, if anyone, really is innocent.

In Galveston, Wesley Joy calls his old protégé Jack Flippo for help. The police busted Wesley in a drug bust that went bad with two dealers dead. Wesley insists he is innocent, as he was the stool pigeon to the cops. He swears his missing wife Angelique knows he is not guilty.

For old time sake, Jack leaves Dallas to try to find Angelique. He starts by looking into Wesley's life only to find a worse cesspool than his own. The straightforward case turns twisted as Jack soon finds a shaky Fed and a washed up reporter hoping to further their career off of Wesley's back.

HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS is the typical insane Jack Flippo novel that brings joy to his fans. The story line is a wild ride into the underbelly of East Texas wrapped inside a not so simple mystery. Jack remains a miserable anti-hero who the audience will relish for his humorous look at the dregs of society. The support cast add depth to the fifth tale, especially Jack's mentor Wesley. Doug Swanson has written another jocular frantic tale that turns the Lone Star State into Flippo,s personal asylum.

Harriet Klausner

This second book by Doug Swanson did not suffer from a "sophomore slump." It is as funny as his first book (Big Town), but a little darker. The only fault I can find is a funny, but extraneous subplot with a couple of rather inept filmmakers. An enjoyable read!

There's a laid-back mood that characterises this book and courtesy Swanson's unique style ,it's quite infectious.

Although it was a tad bit exaggerated, I absolutely loved the character of Teddy Deuce.But this book never hit the heights of being "thoroughly enjoyable" or absorbing and it was dissapointingly easy to put it down to do something else whenever I felt like it.

It also ended a bit abruptly- i'm not quite sure whether or not that was the idea- and that didn't rub off right on me.

Ultimately it was better than mediocre but WAY off excellent.

Meet Jack, the kind of detective character you'll enjoy coming back to time and time again. Jack is real, the setting is real and the plot if wholly believable. Nothing plastic, or insincere. If you like the genre, you'll really like Jack.

This book is great, even better when you consider it is the author's 1st published work. Like my title states, fans of Carl Hiassen will probably like this book. Further proof is that Hiaasen himself compliments the book on the front cover.

"Big Town" shares Hiaasen trademarks: eccentric but believable characters, a brisk pace, snappy dialogue, and more twists than a pretzel factory. To my astonishment, I may even like this Swanson book BETTER than most of Hiaasen's work for one main reason: ambiguity. In most Hiaasen books, the good guys and bad guys are pretty clear cut while in Big Town I did not know literally until the last page who was zooming who.

It is a real shame Swanson's earlier books are out of print. As I have discovered, they are definitely worth seeking out.