Title: Ernie and the Evils of Insurance
Author: Brent Ayscough
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Ernie, an experienced logger from rural Washington State, loses his job when the logging operation he works for is shut down due to the spotted owl. When he goes in to apply for unemployment, Ernie is persuaded to take a job out of state as a temporary insurance adjuster in Los Angeles. While he knows that Los Angeles will be a lot different than Sedro Woolley, Washington, and insurance adjusting a lot different than logging, really, how hard can it be? And there are lots of downed trees in Southern California after the recent earthquake and storms they had there. So packing up his trusty chainsaw in his saddlebags, Ernie hops on his motorcycle and heads south. But to his dismay, Ernie discovers that LA is a lot farther from Washington in more than just miles. Unprepared for the corruption and callousness rampant in the insurance industry, Ernie soon finds himself not only in trouble with his job, but on the top of an assassin’s hit list. Still, although Ernie might be a hick from the sticks, he’s far from stupid. Blessed with an innate intelligence, an abundance of common sense, and a redneck sense of humor, Ernie will give his enemies a hilarious run for their money…if he can just survive long enough.
In Ernie and the Evils of Insurance, experienced logger Ernie loses his job when the operation he works for is shut down. He goes to apply for unemployment, but is persuaded to take an out of state job as a temporary insurance adjuster in Los Angeles.
Ernie, a simple, honest man, isn’t prepared for the corruption that runs in the insurance industry. Soon enough, Ernie finds himself in trouble with his job…And worse, on top of an assasisn’s hit list. It will take all of Ernie’s wits, humor and common sense to survive and give his enemies a run for their money.
The book is quite long, 440 pages, but it reads quite fast, and it’s an enjoyable, at times suspenseful, at times hilarious read. There are a lot of secondary characters that appear on scene, and most of them are fleshed out, and are three-dimensional. Ernie was my favorite character though, partly because we got to know him best since he’s the protaognist, but also because his sense of humor just cracked me up.
If you like mysteries with a humorous tone woven in admist the suspense, I would recommend this book.
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