Mallory's Manly Methods
by Thomas Keech
Narrated by John Hampden
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Pub Date 15 Apr 2022 | Archive Date 19 Apr 2022
Real Nice Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks
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Description
Kevin Mallory is so good at lying he has convinced himself he has an almost average life. He tries to use his exceptional skill at prevarication to hang onto his job without doing any work, win the love of his co-worker without recognizing who she really is, take advantage of the young Black man who moves in next door, and manipulate the police and the courts into accepting his warped idea of justice.
Mallory pursues Nell even as his supervisor begins the process of firing him for cutting off customers’ calls. He joins Nell’s dysfunctional Employee Cheer Committee as it plans a holiday party. He even agrees to cat sit for Nell while she goes to a series of girls’ nights out. He buys a rifle for protection from imaginary hoodlums, although he cannot get the box of ammunition open. When Thomas is assaulted for Running While Black, Mallory impersonates a lawyer and represents him in court.
“Love or hate Kevin (and the reader may find themselves doing both at the same time) this quest for maturity becomes oddly endearing. An exceedingly kooky protagonist drives this touching, silly adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A Note From the Publisher
Hardback 9781735593845
Paperback 9781735593852
ebook 9781735593869
Hardback 9781735593845
Paperback 9781735593852
ebook 9781735593869
Advance Praise
"Keech presents a comedic novel about a blundering young professional.
Kevin Mallory doesn’t have a lot going for him. He can’t hold a job for long, he is useless around a firearm, his dating prospects are bleak, and he certainly can’t cook. When the reader meets Kevin, he at least has his own efficiency apartment and people that want to get to know him. He works in the call center for a company called UniCast Cable and spends most of his day doing everything he can to not help customers.
Although his poor performance verges on getting him fired, something makes him rethink his future. After developing an interest in his co-worker Nell, Kevin joins Nell’s beloved company ‘Cheer Committee,’ but he still has a long way to go to melt her heart. Meanwhile, he strikes up a friendship with his neighbor Thomas, a budding track star who, unlike Kevin, comes from a stable and caring family. When Thomas winds up in trouble, Kevin wants to help him even if it requires him to make some unethical – if downright ludicrous – decisions.
At the outset, Kevin can seem a little too fantastical even for such a free-wheeling story – he hates people who walk fast, owns a pet ferret for dubious reasons, and wears colored beads on his facial hair. Yet, as the story progresses, he manages to become someone worth rooting for. Even if he does, at one point, steal someone’s cat, he goes out of his way to care for the ‘beautiful’ creature. And he is not without his hard-won realizations. After he takes to wearing a suit, he comes to realize, ‘an old, worn suit was worse than no suit at all.’ So how will this individual who is “a lifelong avoider of consequences, a violator of common standards of decency” ever manage to grow? The narrative hits on some tough topics like police brutality, yet it maintains a fun tone throughout. Love or hate Kevin (and the reader may find themselves doing both at the same time), this quest for maturity becomes oddly endearing.
An exceedingly kooky protagonist drives this touching, silly adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Available Editions
EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
ISBN | 9781735593890 |
PRICE | US$15.99 (USD) |
DURATION | 11 Hours, 9 Minutes, 32 Seconds |