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Potboiler

by Jesse Kellerman, Kirby Heyborne (Reading)

2.82 of 5 stars 2.82 · rating details · 233 ratings · 85 reviews

Arthur Pfefferkorn is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was: a middle-aged college professor with long-dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer William de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallèe not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved. Pfefferkorn’s de...more

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Published July 5th 2012 by Penguin Audio (first published June 28th 2012)

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May 19, 2012 Sherri Huntley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

This is an interesting book. The story is an unusal mix of mystery with a bit of whimsey. I enjoyed reading the book although the plot is highly unlikely. This is the story of a professor with aspirations to write great novels like his childhood friend has done. When he gets the chance to do that, it is under strange circumstances and leads to international upheavel in the countries of West and East Zlabia. The Professor finds himself in the center of a secret plot to assasinae the president of...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Sandie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books, contemporary-lit

Exactly where does satire end and contempt begin? That is a question one could easily ask of POTBOILER by Jesse Kellerman. The author seems to be taking a few "cheap shots" at the success of some of those best selling authors whose works, while entertaining to the reader and financially rewarding to the writer, are not made of the stuff for which Pulitzers are awarded.

Part parody, part snide little digs at the plethora of action filled thrillers that line the shelves of local bookstores, Kellerm...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The reader has an inkling of what’s in store from the cover of Jesse Kellerman’s new book, which appears to show a typewriter keyboard of sorts, the various keys or buttons displaying words such as “assassinate,” “coup d’etat,” and “war.”

The first page of the book is filled with what appear to be blurbs by no less eminent writers than Stephen King, Lee Child, Robert Crais and various highly respected reviewers, which on closer inspection are very funny and relate to books written by one William...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Lisa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, fiction

Arthur Pfefferkorn is college professor who always dreamed of a writing career. His estranged best friend, famed thriller writer William de Vallee, seemed to live the life Pfefferkorn always wanted, even marrying Arthur’s sweetheart. When Bill is presumed dead at sea, Pfefferkorn seizes the chance to reconnect with his lost love, and possibly restart his career as well. When Arthur passes off his best friend’s unfinished novel as his own, he learns that being a blockbuster author comes at a cost...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Donna Riley-lein rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Potboiler

Jesse Kellerman

Take a well-worn genre, the thriller. Add plot and counter-plot, masked identities and (of course) a shadowy government organization.

Now, shake it up, add another well-known trope, the middle-aged nebbish, a failed writer (in this case Arthur Pfefferkorn) who longs for the fame and fortune (and wife) of a “hack” writer. Did we mention that the “hack” used to be Pfefferkorn’s best friend?

All this comes barreling down on Pfefferkorn when his friend, William de Vallèe, disap...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Joni Daniels rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It has a great beginning: disenchanted english professor who lost the girl of his dreams to his now Tom Clany-ish successful best frind, wallows in envy and judgeement. His sense of superiority over students, peers, and daughter alike mask his self-loathing and doubt. When the friend is lost at sea, he attends the memorial, re-claims his love, finds an almost finisihed manuscript that he steels and gets published and then , just as his as-yet unwritten book second book is due at the publishers -...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Janebbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anatomy of a thriller novel.... October 14, 2012

The author of this mystery/thriller is Jesse Kellerman, son of the the famous husband-and wife bestselling writers of series mysteries, Faye and Jonathan Kellerman. But son Jesse writes standalone novels...and in POTBOILER introduces a trio of characters:
...Arthur Pfefferkorn, an obscure adjunct professor of creative writing at a small obscure college;
...his longtime friend William de Valle, nee Bill Kowalczyk, writer of multiple thriller novels;
.....more

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Mar 28, 2013 Sheila Beaumont rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-and-adventure, adult-fiction, funny, mysteries-suspense-thrillers, books-about-books

If it's a conventional thriller you're expecting when you pick up this book, you'll most likely be disappointed. What it turns out to be is a very funny satire of writers, publishers, bestsellers, and serial thrillers.

I especially enjoyed the first part of the novel, in which a commercially unsuccessful literary writer, Arthur Pfefferkorn, discovers an unfinished manuscript left by an old friend of his who's gone missing, William de Vallée, who's a wildly successful author of bestselling thrille...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Olga Porterfield rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, this was a big surprise. I am a fan of all Kellermans: Jonathan, Faye and, most of all, Jesse, whom I consider the most creative and original writer of the family. Or maybe, just younger, less jaded, less formulaic.So far each of his novels felt fresh, unexpected and very engaging. So I was totally taken in by this latest book, but now, that I am done, I have very mixed emotions (even changed my rating from 4 to 3 stars :(.
Hard to review a thriller/mystery without giving away spoilers, so...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Arthur Pfefferkorn and Bill de Vallee have been best friends—and rivals—for many years. In many ways, they could be two sides to the same coin.

What affects one replenishes or diminishes the other.

But Art has always known his place as a writer: he is the TRUE writer. So imagine his surprise to find that Bill is the one producing one bestseller after another, while Art's one literary novel languishes on very few shelves and his efforts to produce even one more fall far short.

So when Bill is report...more Arthur Pfefferkorn and Bill de Vallee have been best friends—and rivals—for many years. In many ways, they could be two sides to the same coin.

What affects one replenishes or diminishes the other.

But Art has always known his place as a writer: he is the TRUE writer. So imagine his surprise to find that Bill is the one producing one bestseller after another, while Art's one literary novel languishes on very few shelves and his efforts to produce even one more fall far short.

So when Bill is reportedly lost at sea and presumed dead, and while visiting Carlotta, Bill's wife and the love of Art's life, Art stumbles upon another of Bill's manuscripts. Unfinished, unpublished. And ripe for the picking.

What will happen when Art takes the manuscript, changes some of the details, and sends it to his agent? And when the book hits the bookseller lists, what will then turn his world into something he never believed possible? How could he have even imagined what would transpire next?

A surreal trip into "Zlabia" and the world of spies, double agents, and intrigue turns what looked like a novel about writing, rivalry, friendship, and lust into something more. And just when you think you've figured out what will happen next, you will be surprised again. Who can Art trust? Is anything at all the way you thought it was?

To say that the treacherous world of spies is the stuff of this novel would be a bizarre understatement.

By the time I reached the final page, I knew that reality and fantasy had merged and I would not be surprised by anything at all. "Potboiler" was artfully crafted, with wonderful language and suspensefully short chapters that pushed me ahead very rapidly. But the moment the events started turning extremely bizarre, I didn't really care much about any of the characters, as nothing seemed to matter. After all, none of it was real. Right? For that reason, and because my enjoyment dropped markedly the moment the "Zlabian world" took center stage, I am granting this book four stars.

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Nov 28, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I listened to Jesse Kellerman’s novel Potboiler as an audiobook and often wonder how that affects one’s response. The reader (Kirby Heyborne) was fantastic and the story completely addictive. Kellerman is described on the cover of the book as a ‘thriller writer’ but he is clearly much more than that. This book is a parody of the form, far more satirical than literal, the ‘hero’ poorly prepared for the twists and turns of international intrigue, the antagonists more clownish than threatening (tho...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Jonna Doughty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Twice this week I've read a book in one sitting, and both were written by a Kellerman. Jesse Kellerman is as talented as both of his parents, authors Faye and Jonathan, but has a unique bent to his writing.
This novel, 'Potboiler,' is a strange twist on a post-Cold War spy novel, combining the intrigue of conspiracy theory and fancy techno-gadgets with the annoying literary babble of academia. With character names I can't spell, let alone pronounce, a fictional communist country divided over the...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Potboiler is several books in one: a spoof of international spy thrillers, a meditation on a writer's life, a plot so absurd in its complication you almost cease to care about it, a hilarious gloss on communism vs. capitalism in the contemporary world...It's a read with hilarious inside jokes, sometimes several, on every page. Jesse Kellerman, the son of two successful mystery novelists, has great fun with telling us how such novels as Faye and Jonathan write might be produced: by a committee wh...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Allison Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies

POTBOILER by Jesse Kellerman: I haven't read Jesse Kellerman's previous novels, which appear to be complex thrillers, but based on the cleverness he demonstrates in POTBOILER, I'm very interested in reading more of his work. POTBOILER cannot be easily categorized. It's an affectionate parody of the thriller genre, but it functions equally well as a thriller in its own right. However ridiculous and implausible the twists and turns, this novel kept me chuckling at Kellerman's gentle mocking of his...more POTBOILER by Jesse Kellerman: I haven't read Jesse Kellerman's previous novels, which appear to be complex thrillers, but based on the cleverness he demonstrates in POTBOILER, I'm very interested in reading more of his work. POTBOILER cannot be easily categorized. It's an affectionate parody of the thriller genre, but it functions equally well as a thriller in its own right. However ridiculous and implausible the twists and turns, this novel kept me chuckling at Kellerman's gentle mocking of his own genre while at the same time biting my nails in anticipation. I couldn't help but laugh at myself and how swept up in the absurd action I became.

Arthur Pfefferkorn is a college professor with one critically acclaimed novel far, far in his past. He's avoided his oldest friend, William de Vallee, for years, jealous of his wife and his bestselling oeuvre of thrillers while contemptuous of the non-literary genre. When de Vallee disappears and is declared dead, Pfefferkorn takes a reckless step that pulls him into a world of international intrigue, conspiracy, and double crosses. To rescue de Vallee's widow (with whom he is still in love), he takes on a shadowy assignment from a questionable government agency and ventures into Zlabia, an utterly absurd nation divided into two entirely different cultures. Zlabia is a hoot, and it's to Kellerman's credit that I remained engaged in the action despite the ridiculous aspects of Zlabian politics.

To point out the cleverest twists would be to spoil the unfolding plot. This is a book I will recommend to everyone I know just so I can talk about it with someone and say, "Wasn't it perfect when Pfefferkorn said X and then Y happened later?!" A devoted thriller fan who sees nothing amusing in the conventions of the genre will not enjoy this book, but anyone who read, say, THE DA VINCI CODE and rolled her eyes at the stilted prose and pat descriptions (while frantically turning the pages to see what happens next) will adore POTBOILER. I am even willing to confess my secret addiction to Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels to illustrate my qualifications in making this recommendation. The over-the-top writing drives me a little crazy and the stereotypes and predictable elements required of the genre make me roll my eyes; yet, I can't not read them.

When Pfefferkorn finally reads a de Vallee novel, he is contemptuous:

"The thirty-third installment in a series, the novel featured special agent Richard "Dick" Stapp, a brilliant, physically invincible figure formerly in the employ of a shadowy but never-named government arm whose apparent sole purpose was to furnish story lines for thrillers. Pfefferkorn recognized the formula easily enough. Stapp, supposedly in retirement, finds himself drawn into an elaborate conspiracy involving one or more of the following: an assassination, a terrorist strike, a missing child, or the theft of highly sensitive documents that, if made public, could lead to full-blown nuclear engagement. His involvement in the case often begins against his will. I've had it with this rotten business he is fond of avowing. Who in real life, Pfefferkorn wondered, avowed anything?"
This over-the-top language turns up in elements of POTBOILER that highlight its absurdity, as in the fabulous description of a character's mustache: "Pfefferkorn could not tell his age, due to a full eighty percent of his face being hidden behind the largest, bushiest, most aggressively expansionist moustache Pfefferkorn had ever seen. It was a a with submoustaches that in turn had sub-submoustaches, each of which might be said to be deserving of its own area code. It was a moustache that vexed profoundly questions of waxing, a moustache the merest glimpse of which might spur female musk oxen to ovulate. It was a moustache that would have driven Nietzsche mad with envy, had he not been mad already. If the three most copiously flowing waterfalls in the world, Niagara, Victoria, and Iguazu Falls, were somehow united, and their combined outputs rendered in facial hair, this man's moustache would not have been an inaccurate model, save that this man's moustache also challenged traditional notions of gravity by growing outward, upward, and laterally. It was an impressive moustache and Pfefferkorn was impressed."

Pfefferkorn is fond of coming up with outlandish ideas and wondering if they might be good premises for a novel. Naturally, these wild plot developments turn up in the Zlabian intrigue. Throughout commentary on the Zlabian hit show The Poem, It Is Bad! and the magical disguising power of mustaches, the overly complicated plot unfolds with precision in ways that are both predictable and unexpected. This is a masterful satire of the thriller genre, but at the same time, a fantastic thriller. It might be the ultimate beach read.

Source disclosure: I received an uncorrected proof of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 KarenC rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to KarenC by: Edgar nominee

Shelves: edgar_nominees_2013, spies

I would give this book another half star if I could. It was a true "potboiler" and I hope that young Kellerman makes money from it. At least the title was honest. I only finished it because it is an Edgar Best Novel nominee and I really still don't know why. It's obvious that there are a lot of folks out there with a very different sense of humor and approach to their spy novels.

As others here have mentioned, the first third or so of the novel was standard and got me interested. But then it sl

...more

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May 19, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, mysteries

What a very strange book this is. I think I'm going to have to read it again soon, for there are stories within stories and tricks within tricks and what starts as a sort of pellucid Updikian tale (yes, Updikian is a word, a nice word that should rhyme with rabbits)...twists and twists again. And again. And what is real? What what is written? And wait, how did we wake up here? And...um, who was dead, again? And what is literature? And what is reality? And quick, dodge that bullet!

And who would l...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Very funny spoof of thrillers. If you've ever laughed to yourself at the implausibility of Jason Bourne or any other Action Hero's adventures, here's the book for you. Pfefferkorn and Tom were friends and writers. Pfefferkorn wrote one mildly successful book in the 60s and has since taught creative writing at an obscure college. Tom has become a mult-millionaire churning out best-selling thrillers. Then Tom dies...and adventures ensue.

It is silly. Laugh-out-loud silly, and towards the end you ca...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: penguin, library

Yes, he is the scion of the crime/suspense pair of Faye and Johnathan Kellerman but this novel feels as if he is struggling to break free from his parents' writing genre and influence and be his own man/author.

The plot is deceptively simple and does the meta-physical leap of imagination that Paul Auster is well known for, and to a lesser extent, Ian McEwan. One cannot help but think of Kiss of the Spiderwoman or even the movie, Moon over Parador for similar sense of imagination/farce cross polli...more

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Jul 14, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

This is a really fun book.

The balance it strikes (successfully, for this reader) is between parodying stock-thriller language an conventions in a humorous way, while still actually being an engaging adventure story. There is a loose freedom to the plot that is really fun to participate in. It is also warm and human in many parts, in a way that sort of exceeds the expectations a reader might have for a "comedy-thriller".

It's a quick read, more thought-provoking and affecting than you might expect...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So this book was listed as one of the books that you should definitely read. I loved parts of it. Other parts were confusing and because of that seemed slow.
It is the story of Arthur Pfefferkorn a middle-aged college professor. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer is lost at sea, he is torn between envy and grief. Part of the envy is his being in love with his friends widow forever. An interesting story of intrique follows this event. I'm glad I read it and will probably try anoth...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Denise Hlavka rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Jesse Kellerman I have read, so when I saw it available at the library as a 'lucky fine' offer, I was excited to read it. Initially, and about 1/3 into the book, it was full of surprises and REALLY funny. It took a turn when the setting went overseas, and seemed to be kindof
'Tom Robinsonish' in tone. It took such a direct turn that it caused me not to appreciate the remainder as much as I had the beginning. I will definitely seek out another of his books though, because the dry...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, thriller

From reading the summary, I thought this book would be a thriller, but in reality it’s a satire of a thriller, mocking the genre and using every known cliché and plot device to intentionally create an awful novel. The photo of the typewriter keys on the book cover should have given me a clue, but I managed to miss that hint.

In Potboiler, the initial premise was clever: Pfefferkorn steals an unpublished manuscript from his recently deceased writer friend and publishes it under his name, the book...more From reading the summary, I thought this book would be a thriller, but in reality it’s a satire of a thriller, mocking the genre and using every known cliché and plot device to intentionally create an awful novel. The photo of the typewriter keys on the book cover should have given me a clue, but I managed to miss that hint.

In Potboiler, the initial premise was clever: Pfefferkorn steals an unpublished manuscript from his recently deceased writer friend and publishes it under his name, the book is a hit, he becomes famous, and then finds out the friend was really working for a covert agency coding secret messages in the text. Initially it was worth sticking with it and there were a few humorous moments.

About halfway in the story went downhill, totally off the cliff. The plot became convoluted and more and more ridiculous, bordering on just plain stupid. I suppose it was supposed to be a little absurd, but a successful satire needs to be smart and clever while it is mocking the overused plots and archetypal characters; this was neither. It read as awful as the very books it was poking fun at.

So why did I continue listening? When I don’t like a book, it’s abandoned after about 50 pages or an hour or two of listening, but I knew that this book had been selected as a 2013 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel by The Mystery Writers of America. Perhaps I was missing something and the story would pick up. It didn’t. However, the narration was good and Kirby Heyborne did a nice job with the various character’s voices, which kept me listening long after I would have thrown the book at the wall. But even with decent narration, after a while I became weary of listening to the clichéd bad guys with eastern European accents.

With a plot that was impossible to follow, unlikable characters and humor that fell flat for me, I have little to recommend. Possibly fans of the genre that read a lot of thriller and spy novels will discover what I was missing and enjoy the story. (less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Kari Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Arthur Pfefferkorn has always lived in the shadows of his best friend William de Vallèe. Pfefferkorn may have gotten his book published first, but Vallee upped him a little when he became one of the world’s best selling thriller authors. Now Pfefferkorn is a professor, watching his best friend’s books hit the shelves.

When Vallee goes missing at sea, Pfefferkorn puts away his jealousy toward his friend in his back pocket and attends his funeral, not knowing his life is about to change….drastical...more

Arthur Pfefferkorn has always lived in the shadows of his best friend William de Vallèe. Pfefferkorn may have gotten his book published first, but Vallee upped him a little when he became one of the world’s best selling thriller authors. Now Pfefferkorn is a professor, watching his best friend’s books hit the shelves.

When Vallee goes missing at sea, Pfefferkorn puts away his jealousy toward his friend in his back pocket and attends his funeral, not knowing his life is about to change….drastically.

It starts with an evening with Vallee’s wife, who Pfefferkorn loved from the first time they met (before William started dating her of course) then quickly spirals out of his control. Pfefferkorn may or may not take the next bookVallee is working on and put his own name on the cover and he may or may not lose his life over it.

This is a page turning story of life, death and the little decisions that can impact you in life changing ways.

I have heard a lot of great things about Jesse Kellerman and when I was given the opportunity to review his latest book, I pounced on it. I was so drawn to this book because of the whole author aspect. I love books where authors are the main characters. Even though they are fiction, I like to think the author puts a bit of his or herself in the characters. I feel like I learn more about the author through their author characters.

There were parts of this book I loved, like when secrets that Vallee were keeping were revealed and when Pfefforkorn gets thrown into a life he never expected. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. The twists and turns of the plot are unmatched. They may be a little lot far fetched, but it’s fiction and you can do whatever you want! I’m interested to see what his others books are like. I am reading other reviews and seeing this isn’t his normal style.

But there were also parts that seemed to drag along for me. These included bits and pieces about government and history. Granted these weren’t completely overwhelming, but I think when I hit them, they felt like I was never going to get past them.

I give Potboiler 4 of 5 bookmarks.

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Jun 09, 2012 Yz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

A literary “potboiler” is bad fiction. It is fiction written hastily to earn money, at the cost of literary “worth.” Unfortunately, many modern novels are potboilers, especially thrillers. Most new thrillers are written entirely for entertainment purposes, as distractions. They feature cliché-ridden writing, unbelievable plot twists, weak and “flat” characters…

There seems to be no hope for the thriller genre. And then Jesse Kellerman writes a pseudo-thriller that is thought-provoking, satirical,...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I admit that I had to check, numerous times, to see if this was a Jesse Kellerman novel, or whether Christopher Buckley was writing under a different name. This was completely not like any other Junior Kellerman I have read up to now. I can admit that I am not a fan of the 'new' Kellerman's sillier writing, when I have been teased with such great thriller/suspense writing up to now. While there is a time and place for the new type of writing, I usually like to put my brain into that mindset when...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews

Having been a huge fan of Jesse's parents (Jonathon and Faye Kellerman) work for a long time I read his first few novels, Double Homicide, Sunstroke and Trouble, all psychological thrillers, where Jesse proved to have inherited his parent's talents. However, Jesse's latter novels have shown a bent for irreverence, combining psychological thriller with quirky and unusual elements.

Potboiler was not anything like what I was expecting. It's a satirical novel, mocking popular fiction and I'm not enti...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faye-jonathan-jesse-kellerman

This book started out interesting for me, then more and more enjoyable. It kind of reminded me of the old movie (and the remake) of "The In-laws". This became laugh-out-loud, couldn't put down funny. There is twist after twist, each one crazier than the last, and I thought the ending was perfect. It starts out with the funeral of a man's long-time friend. Their friendship had become complicated over the years, but after the funeral, becomes waaaaaaaaaay more complicated and complex.

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Sep 04, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Entertaining satire about the publishing industry and spy novels. And kudos to the author for creating a fake ""praise" page for one of the author characters in the book. It's hilarious and right on target.

I adored the first half of the book and almost missed my stop on the subway a few times because I was so engrossed. The second half didn't capture my interest as much and I found it a bit muddled.

Definitely recommended for those who find spy novels formulaic!

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Feb 21, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was looking for something new, so I picked this up because I enjoy his parents' series. Started out strongly as a spoof on cold war thrillers and a contemplation of the dilemma between art and the love of a craft vs being popular/successful, but went on a little too long into the ridiculous and nonsensical. I really enjoyed many parts of it (bonus points for a character named Sockdolager) but it ultimately didn't satisfy at the end.

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Jun 22, 2012 PopcornReads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jesse-kellerman, award-winning-author, bestselling-author, contemporary-fiction, family, fiction, giveaway, humorous, mysteries-thrillers, politics, relationships, romance, satire, suspense, spy

ARC Giveaway & Book Review: Jesse Kellerman lives in California and is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author. His parents, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, are also bestselling authors. Hmmm, wonder if there’s an author gene we don’t know about. Given this family’s track record, I had to check out Potboiler, Jesse Kellerman’s new novel. Potboiler teems with satire and can be summed up with the tag line: “Be careful what you wish for.” Read the rest of my review & enter our...more

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About Jesse Kellerman

Jesse Kellerman was born in Los Angeles in 1978. His award-winning plays have been produced throughout the United States and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Most recently, he received the Princess Grace Award, given to America’s most promising young playwright. He lives with his wife in New York City.

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