When Pigs Fly

Bob Sanchez
iUniverse (2006)
ISBN 9780595407705
Reviewed by Lisa Bullert for Reader Views (3/06)

Mack Durgin is a retired, widowed cop from Lowell Massachusetts who has been living in Pincushion, Arizona since shortly after his beloved wife, Mary, passed away. He was enjoying his peaceful, if rather mundane, existence -- life without complications. That is until the ashes of his old friend and disgraced ex-cop, George Ashe, arrived at his door via friendly FedEx man one hot July day. That is when his life became quite exciting again! As he and George try to find their way to the Grand Canyon, which is George’s choice for his final resting spot, Mack finds that an unruly group of misfits and criminals is stalking him.

Diet Cola is a large, greasy, bully of a criminal who is in search of a treasure that has been placed inside George’s urn, unbeknownst to Mack, by Mack’s dear, forgetful, mother, Brodie Durgin. Along the way, Diet hooks up with Frosty and Ace, the brothers who burglarize with consciences, a bad Elvis impersonator who is tracking the love of his life, Calliope Vrattos, with a GPS system he has attached to her car, and a drug addict with low self-esteem. This unlikely group of men has all been recruited by Diet Cola along the way and have all been told they will be able to share in the fortune that this treasure is worth. All they have to do is help him get that urn. Mack and his folks have other ideas for the urn.

While Mack and Calliope travel through the state of Arizona searching for the place to lay George at rest they learn a lot about themselves and life along the way. They also learn that pigs really do fly.

I highly recommend this book for readers of any genre. This is an action packed, fun-filled ride for all young and old alike. When I started to read “When Pigs Fly” I was of skeptical mind, but just a few pages into it, I was hooked. Once you start reading “When Pigs Fly,” you will not want to put it down until the last page. Bob Sanchez has written, “When Pigs Fly” in a way that makes you feel you are going on this journey with Mack Durgin and the others.

Bob Sanchez offers a fresh and comical way of storytelling. He reels you in and hooks you on for the ride. You will feel like you know these loony characters and understand each of them, even feeling sorry for the criminals at times, and cheering for Mack all the time. He can even make you understand the feelings of the flying javelina in this wonderfully zany, fun, action packed book “When Pigs Fly.”

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