book review: Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman
The backstory: Don't Ever Get Old , the first mystery novel by Daniel Friedman, was one of my book club's July picks. The basics: Buck Schatz is 88 and a retired Memphis cop. When one of his old war friends dies, he learns his enemy from the war may have escaped Germany with a significant amount of gold. He and his grandson set off to find the man and steal the gold. My thoughts: Buck is a unique character. He's getting old, as he tells the reader frequently. He lacks a filter, which made this novel amusing, if sometimes crass.Initially, I appreciated and enjoyed Buck's perspective: "I’ve been around eighty-eight years, Detective, and I’ve found that it’s always a good time to be a wiseass." As the novel went on, however, his memory problems, aversion to technology and medical ailments became trite and annoying. I'm of two minds about this novel, as I did enjoy the experience of reading most of it. Hearing Buck's stories about the war were in...