The Adventures of Jonny Law - Steve Samsel

Summary: Least likely to succeed, J.L. Hoover, alias Jonny Law, always dreamed of getting into the FBI. When a little physical ailment (spastic colon) appears to have thwarted his dream of joining the elite group, he doesn't just throw in the towel and give up - instead he forms his own agency - the S.A.A.O.A. (Secret Agent Association of America). In this zany comedy/adventure Jonny teams up with his old high school buddy and recovering alcoholic, Frank Miller. Together they are two of the wackiest secret agents on the planet. And when Frank's new neighbors are a little more than suspicious, the two quickly find themselves on the biggest case of their lives that involves saving the President of the United States and perhaps the whole world if the evildoers of Sphere aren't stopped.
(Summary and cover photo from http://www.theadventuresofjonnylaw.com/)

My Review: While perusing one of my favorite bookstore a few weeks ago I came across Steve Samsel doing a book signing. When he compared his book to Dumb & Dumber I knew I had to pick it up. We all need a good laugh here and there. And Jonny Law is sure to leave one chuckling.

Jonny Law is the typical clueless, clumsy, nice guy protagonist. He has always had the dream of becoming an FBI agent but his general persona, as well as a minor health ailment, makes this aspiration highly unlikely. As the book begins, Jonny is selling insurance out of his inspector gadget-like home on wheels. Unfortunately Jonny is not especially talented at this profession and is dismissed rather quickly.

What Jonny seems to have a knack for is getting himself into (and out of) sticky situations. When he runs across a group planning to kidnap the President he finds himself in just such a bind. Fearlessly he takes charge in bringing these bad guys down, with the help of an old high school buddy, Frank. Together they set to stopping this crime and along the way find themselves in some ludicrous, yet hilarious, predicaments.

This book will have you laughing out loud at Jonny's clumsy attempts to become a hero. Rounding out the book is a bit of an unlikely, yet sweet, romance composed of awkward moments. Jonny's motivational talks to both himself and Frank are pitch-perfect and especially good for a snicker, as is the banter between these two characters. The story builds a surprising amount of suspense and will have you flying through the pages only to enter another hilarious scene.

As the novel concluded I found myself missing the main character. This was originally written as a screen-play and I saw the movie version playing in my head during the entire read. I can just picture the special effects and the stunt men performing in the film. Although this book stands well on it's own, I can imagine a squeal would be a sure hit. Either way, I'm hoping this is not the last we have seen of Jonny Law.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

**For the sensitive reader, this book would be rated PG-13. For a book of this type the language is surprisingly clean, with just a few choice words and a bit of adult humor.

To sum it up in one phrase: A rip-roaring good time.