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Fun House: A John Ceepak Mystery (John Ceepak Mystery #7)
by
Chris Grabenstein (Goodreads Author)
What if a reality TV show like Jersey Shore set up production in the fictional seaside resort Sea Haven? What if hitting the gym, tanning, and doing a little laundry aren't the only things the contestants get into?
By-the-book officer John Ceepak and his wisecracking young partner, Danny Boyle, have to babysit the buff and boozy kids partying it up in a Jersey shore rental...more
By-the-book officer John Ceepak and his wisecracking young partner, Danny Boyle, have to babysit the buff and boozy kids partying it up in a Jersey shore rental...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Pegasus
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"'Sunny, funderful' Sea Haven, New Jersey, is having a great season, thanks in large part to Fun House, a reality TV show that borrows the worst parts of Jersey Shore and Survivor. Police officers John Ceepak and Danny Boyle have become accidental TV stars by arresting a drunken Paulie "The Thing" Braciole, a self-identified "Guido" from Staten Island whose signature move is twitching his massive, steroid- enhanced pecs. But then Paulie is murdered. Ceepak and Bo...more
"'Sunny, funderful' Sea Haven, New Jersey, is having a great season, thanks in large part to Fun House, a reality TV show that borrows the worst parts of Jersey Shore and Survivor. Police officers John Ceepak and Danny Boyle have become accidental TV stars by arresting a drunken Paulie "The Thing" Braciole, a self-identified "Guido" from Staten Island whose signature move is twitching his massive, steroid- enhanced pecs. But then Paulie is murdered. Ceepak and Bo...more
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#7 in the John Ceepak series. A saga of the Jersey shore as narrated by Ceepak's Boswell, Sea Haven Police Officer Danny Boyle. A reality based, sex and booze fueled, TV show has invaded the Jersey shore community of Sea Haven. Legal niceties are ordered to be overlooked by the town's commerce oriented mayor. Book is entertaining even as the plot is alternately transparent and far-fetched. Ceepak and Boyle are immensely likeable.
Police detective John Ceepak and his partner, Danny Boyle, are assi...more
Police detective John Ceepak and his partner, Danny Boyle, are assi...more
The return, after a short hiatus, of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle, the odd couple cops in Sea Haven, NJ,, combines satire and murder mystery. Ceepak, of course, is the straight arrow, do-it-by-the book character, while Boyle serves as his junior partner, asking questions and narrating the tale. And what a story it is.
It seems a TV production company chooses that fictional seaside town to house its reality show, “Fun House,” in which six contestants vie for a quarter of million dollar prize. Unfor...more
It seems a TV production company chooses that fictional seaside town to house its reality show, “Fun House,” in which six contestants vie for a quarter of million dollar prize. Unfor...more
Kind of a let down in the department of the normally fantastic, winding, original stories of Ceepak and Boyle by Grabenstein. I've always liked all of the Ceepak books, but this one is.. different.
I've gotta say- though the allusion to the real life, hyped up media of Jersey Shore was entertaining, I didn't like the loss of character originality that Grabenstein can normally so well craft. I'm sure it was all too tempting to tie in a famous show called "Jersey Shore" to the set in the books of t...more
I've gotta say- though the allusion to the real life, hyped up media of Jersey Shore was entertaining, I didn't like the loss of character originality that Grabenstein can normally so well craft. I'm sure it was all too tempting to tie in a famous show called "Jersey Shore" to the set in the books of t...more
The last thing police officers Danny Boyle and his partner wanted to be were some kind of celebrity jokes. However, thanks to the alcoholic fueled antics of contestants in a The Jersey Shore type reality show that is what they have become. Thanks to a recent widely publicized incident Ceepak and Boyle have not only been on television, but now also have the T-shirts to prove it.
It has also brought them to the attention of the show’s producer Marty Mandrake. Seeking to make his version of good TV...more
It has also brought them to the attention of the show’s producer Marty Mandrake. Seeking to make his version of good TV...more
I got home from work at 4:30 and began reading at 4:31 and started to have fun in minutes. What do politicians and reality TV show actors have in common? They live in fantasy land! And this is certainly the case for the typical denizens of a house in a New Jersey beach resort who are being manipulated in every way possible by a TV crew for a reality show called Fun House. This is done to bring out out the worst characteristics of these young people and to engage the emotions of the viewing audie...more
I love all of the various series that Chris Grabenstein writes but have to admit that my favorite is the Ceepak and Boyle series.
In this episode a "Reality Show" has invaded the Jersey Shore. Ceepak and Danny are assigned to manage local security for the crazies who star on this wacky show. The cast consists of a bunch of 20-somethings who drink lots of beer, throw up said beer, and run around having sex with each other or anyone else they can get their hooks into. When one of the stars is found...more
In this episode a "Reality Show" has invaded the Jersey Shore. Ceepak and Danny are assigned to manage local security for the crazies who star on this wacky show. The cast consists of a bunch of 20-somethings who drink lots of beer, throw up said beer, and run around having sex with each other or anyone else they can get their hooks into. When one of the stars is found...more
May 17, 2012
Elizabeth A.
added it
The seaside resort of Sea Haven, NJ has seen more than its fair share of murder and mayhem over the course of author Chris Grabenstein’s John Ceepak mystery series, but nothing officer John Ceepak and his partner Danny Boyle have experienced in their careers could have prepared them for the horror they must confront in Fun House… babysitting the contestants of a Jersey Shore style reality show.
Indeed, when “Fun House” (“Think Jersey Shore meets Big Brother meets Survivor.”) sets up shop in sunny...more
Indeed, when “Fun House” (“Think Jersey Shore meets Big Brother meets Survivor.”) sets up shop in sunny...more
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was good-- young, Jersey-accented but very subtly.
I enjoyed this because I love to see reality TV as a plotting device. The contrast between the fake and the real is explored here, where murder is appreciated as leading to higher ratings.
I especially liked how the final scene (in a Fun House, of course) was set up throughout the book, so that when it happens, it's clearly just the right place, and the motif of "fake/reality" is enhanced by the fun h...more
I enjoyed this because I love to see reality TV as a plotting device. The contrast between the fake and the real is explored here, where murder is appreciated as leading to higher ratings.
I especially liked how the final scene (in a Fun House, of course) was set up throughout the book, so that when it happens, it's clearly just the right place, and the motif of "fake/reality" is enhanced by the fun h...more
I really like this series...wise-cracking local boy Danny and his by the book serious partner John Ceepak are a perfect combination. But his book was just too much of a rip-off of Jersey Shore for me to enjoy.
"What if a reality TV show like Jersey Shore set up production in the fictional seaside resort Sea Haven? What if hitting the gym, tanning, and doing a little laundry aren't the only things the contestants get into? By-the-book officer John Ceepak and his wisecracking young partner, Danny B...more
"What if a reality TV show like Jersey Shore set up production in the fictional seaside resort Sea Haven? What if hitting the gym, tanning, and doing a little laundry aren't the only things the contestants get into? By-the-book officer John Ceepak and his wisecracking young partner, Danny B...more
I love this book. I am very happy to say I have never seen "Jersey Shore", so I don't have the same criticisms as many of the other reviewers. I just know this book was very funny, I actually laughed out-loud quite a few times. Danny is just the right combination of youthful exuberance and snarky commentator. His views and editorial comments about the "reality show" contestants are not only right-on, but funny and illuminating too. This was a fun read, and I'm very glad I took the time to read i...more
I am a huge fan of Chris Grabenstein’s “John Ceepak” mystery series. Since the very beginning in TILT A WHIRL, I have been following Danny Boyle, your average 20-Something working a summer gig as an auxiliary cop, and his honest, dignified and unshakeable military trained mentor/partner, John Ceepak.
With each book in the series, we return to Sea Haven, New Jersey: the place to be when summer rolls around. Sea Haven has it all: the beach, the restaurants, the amusement park and of course, murder...more
With each book in the series, we return to Sea Haven, New Jersey: the place to be when summer rolls around. Sea Haven has it all: the beach, the restaurants, the amusement park and of course, murder...more
The book fun house takes place on the sunny beaches of New Jersey. Where a tv show is taking place what the director call Survivor meets the bachelorette meets the Jersey Shore. Soon things get out of hand on the show where the kids have to be followed around by cops this is where are main character come in, Ceepac. One day when they are off duty a murder happens and they have to find out who did it. The story has many twist and lots of funny parts. I enjoy a good funny mystery book and this is...more
I did not think this story was a strong as some of the others but I still liked it. They were spoofing Jersey Shore, the tv show and in a way trying to dispel the misconceptions that show has provided about the jersey shore. I like the fact that many of the storylines in the series are rooted, at least a little bit, in what is taking place in NJ when they are written. I thought the mystery was well written and I had no idea who the actual killer was going to be until the end of the book.
It was inevitable that Jersey Shore would mar our funtastic days. No way could the author avoid it. Thankfully, he didn't subject us to lengthy contacts with the characters--still it was not quite as delightful as the previous Ceepak mysteries. My favorite part of these books is Ceepak being Ceepak. He was Ceepak in this, of course, but I felt we were a tad short on Ceepakian moments. Note to author: we will gladly forgive you if Hurricane Sandy completely skips our beloved Sea Haven.
Chris Grabenstein has created a remarkably fun series with John Ceepak patrolling the Jersey shore. This is the seventh book in the series and while each of them stand alone quite well, I recommend reading them from book one (Tilt-A-Whirl) all the way through for more enjoyment and the pleasure of watching the characters develop. In the current installment a reality television show is being filmed in the little beach town of Sea Haven and pandemonium (and murder) ensues. Highly recommended.
May 04, 2012
Susan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Janet Ingraham-Dwyer
Shelves:
mystery-new-jersey
Although this may not be as suspenseful--or as violent--as some of the earlier novels about John Ceepak, it's still an enjoyable trip back to Sea Haven, a summer resort which is currently hosting a reality television show (sound familiar?) with obnoxious young people being filmed virtually 24/7 in a rented house. When Ceepak arrests one of the men for a few minor offenses, the producer decides there's ratings gold in adding a police element to the show. But death intervenes.
This was fun. It was one of the John Ceepak mysteries loosely based on carnival rides and features. I've read (listened to) the other 6, and I get a true kick out of them. I don't know how to indicate a book that I've message to (unabridged, of course :-)) versus 1 that I am actually reading (The Good Lawyer). It being that I can only actually read about one book a month (I read slowly, and after about an hour, my eyes don't focus anymore). Anyway, I recommend the John Ceepak books by Chris Grab...more
This was a pleasant novel and the first I have read in Grabenstein's John Ceepak mystery series. I can see why it is popular. Ceepak is a likeable character...true blue ex Marine type, but the narrator, Ceepak's sidekick, is also likeable as a humorous (but not buffoonish) slacker type. In this installment, they continue their patrol of the Jersey shore babysitting an insane cast of reality show dumbheads (that really are buffoonish).
John Ceepak and his partner Danny Boyle take on the stars of a reality show set in their town of Sea Haven. This book was a fun read and as expected the stars of the reality show were self-centered and egotistical, making me want to give them a good smack most of the time. It was funny watching "by-the-book" Ceepak trying to communicate with the reality stars and their producer. Danny has come a long way since the first book in this series.
I found out about this one from Marilyn Stasio's "Crime" column in the Sunday NY Times Book Review. John Ceepak is great. A wonderful protagonist with a great sidekick narrator. Tongue in cheek and having fun all the way this story is good stuff. I may even investigate some of the earlier stories to see if they are as worthy as this one. A perfect summer read.
I love this series and was delighted to spend time again with Danny and Ceepak. The satire of reality TV is spot on and the writing is funny. I grew up spending time down the shore, and these books bring back all those memories of sunshine, sand and salt water (though my childhood didn't involve the criminal elements of these books.)
The last book I read was pretty intense do when I saw the word fun in the title I grabbed this one. After I started reading it I realized that it was in a series. I like to read "series" books in order but I finished it. It was in the crime fiction genre bit light and amusing. I liked the characters and I would read another book in this series.
I wanted to like the story more than I did. The main characters are likeable. The setting is interesting. The premise was good. Maybe because I figured out whodunnit too early? Maybe the "like 'Jersey Shore'" characters were too much like "Jersey Shore"? I'd read another in this series, but not right away.
As always, Chris Grabenstein delivers. While this book moved a bit slower than the others, it is still very enjoyable, and you like the good guys. To have a very straight-laced detective paired with a young smart-alec (who is willing to learn) was a great idea. Here's hoping there's more to come.
I love John Ceepak and Danny Boyle, keping the Jersey Shore safe for vacationers. In this episode, a reality television show is causing all kinds of trouble, and when the real life police officers get involved, the ratings go skyrocketing. Could murder possibly be good for ratings? Highly recommened.
May 03, 2012
Debra
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
mystery-thriller-suspense
Maybe it helps to watch "reality " Tv but I didn't think this was my fsvorite Ceepak and Danny adventure. seems that as Danny matures he loses his sense of humor, part of what endears the series to me. That said it is still better than most books. and Jeff Woodmsn's narration makes the audiobook well worth the listen.
At first I was let down by this latest John Ceepak novel because it was so JERSEY SHORE-ish, but then, these books are set at the Jersey shore. And by the end, it was another satisfying tale of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle. (So glad I discovered this series through NOOK books!)
I've so far read about 5 books in the danny boyle mystery series, in all i find this book the least entertaining. Frankly there's simply too much cussing for my taste. Also has anyone ever notice how people close to danny tends to end up dead?
Hmm.
Hmm.
OK, but not nearly as good as the others in the series -- this one was a bit too predictable and a bit too dumbed down (The narrator explains a fair number of familiar things -- Skeeball, for example -- that readers could have easily looked up if they didn't know what they were.)
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Chris Grabenstein is an award-winning author of books for children and adults, a playwright, screenwriter, and former advertising executive and improvisational comedian.
Winner of two Anthony and three Agatha Awards, he is also the co-author with James Patterson of The New York Times bestseller I FUNNY.
A former writer for Jim Henson's Muppets and past president of the New York Chapter of the M...more
More about Chris Grabenstein...
Winner of two Anthony and three Agatha Awards, he is also the co-author with James Patterson of The New York Times bestseller I FUNNY.
A former writer for Jim Henson's Muppets and past president of the New York Chapter of the M...more
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