Hauling Ash by Tonia Brown has got to be one of the cleverest comedy of errors I think I’ve ever happened upon! An interesting and diverse cast of characters bring the storyline to life on every page. There are moments of all sorts throughout the book that one could classify as adventurous, dark, side-splitting, and hysterical; you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat wondering what’s coming next.
Otto Waldorf, our main character and the center of this wacky tale, is visited by the ghost of his Uncle Walter. Without the will that Aunt Betty sneezed on and threw away, Walter must tell Otto where he hid his fortune…and oh yeah, gangster crime-boss Maloney and his goons are looking for it too. Thus begins our crazy tale.
Otto will not only encounter Maloney and his hit men, but he’ll also meet two FBI agents named Larry and Frank. Are you curious yet? Well imagine this whole crew of character plus Otto’s dog trapped on a “bring along your pet” cruise to the Bahamas where Otto plans to spread Uncle Walter’s ashes. Ha! It just can’t get any better than this. Yeah, I’m sure I’ve confused the heck out of you, but please do me the favor of reading this book and finding out for yourself where this whole ingenious tale will take you.
Aside for some sexual content, this book is amazing! Oh I forgot to mention Penny Lane, who steals Otto’s heart but has her own tale to tell. I simply love when Brown gives us this line, “The kiss united them in body; the passion behind it joined them by souls.” My, oh my I truly enjoyed this book. Hauling Ash is certainly worthy of my highest marks and my hope is that you’ll give it a chance as well.