Written Out

by Howard Mittelmark Narrated by John Rubinstein

Overview

Roger Olivetti's novels never set the world on fire as he had once hoped, but he's contented himself with a comfortable living as an editor, an apartment in downtown Manhattan, and a lovely and bestselling novelist wife. Then the bottom falls out of the publishing industry and his marriage simultaneously, and Roger finds himself living in the basement of his mother's house, in the Long Island town where he grew up.

While he attempts his comeback, old romances are rekindled and old friendships renewed. Things are beginning to look up, but choices that at first seem reasonable lead to preposterously catastrophic consequences, until Roger finds himself looking down at the body of a woman he's just murdered. Soon he's scrambling to stay a step ahead of the local mafia and his mother's book club, as they slowly puzzle out the identity of the killer.

Written Out is a comic thriller in the mold of Carl Hiaasen that deals with questions of class, free will, and whether it's possible to move back to the suburbs without losing your soul.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 09/30/2019

Fans of the TV series Fargo will welcome this witty black comedy from Mittelmark (Age of Consent). New York book editor Roger Olivetti seems to have hit bottom after an affair with a colleague ends his marriage to a bestselling novelist. Homeless and broke, Roger squats in the basement of his mother’s Long Island house while she winters in Florida. His situation worsens after a chance encounter at a gym with an old friend, real estate broker Lisa Capitano, with whom he soon starts having sex. Lisa complains that she’s burdened with the care of her elderly mother, who’s suffering from dementia; she persuades Roger that not only is euthanasia justified but he should do the deed. The murder doesn’t lead to Lisa asking Roger to move in with her, as he expected, but to a request to put another woman’s infirm parent out of her misery, in exchange for $8,000. The hapless Roger only finds himself getting even more over his head. This darkly funny book, with its jaundiced view of the world of books and publishing, deserves a wide readership. (Nov.)

MARCH 2020 - AudioFile

When an audiobook makes you laugh out loud repeatedly, you know that the book and the narrator, here John Rubinstein, are exceptional. This dark comedy focuses on moderately successful editor/writer Roger Olivetti, whose marriage to a successful writer is on the rocks because of his own poor decisions. As a result, Roger goes to extremes to try to improve his plight and reunite with his wife, who has fallen under the spell of an actor known primarily for his endowment. Rubinstein captures every nuance of Roger’s torments and is especially effective when Roger takes on criminal tasks. Through moments of levity, incredulity, and fear, Rubinstein captures every emotion. His most memorable scenes involve Roger’s wife’s new lover and the mob characters Roger must face. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177977416
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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