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Blast from the Past (Kinky Friedman Mystery #11)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 362 ratings · 11 reviews

Now, at last, it can be revealed! The TRUTH behind the legend! That Kinky Friedman... Where did he come from? How did he get that way? Shouldn't someone have called 911 long ago?

Now, in "Blast from the Past", nationally bestselling author Kinky Friedman has searched his failing memory and has come up with a novel about his early days in New York City and how Kinky Friedman...more Now, at last, it can be revealed! The TRUTH behind the legend! That Kinky Friedman... Where did he come from? How did he get that way? Shouldn't someone have called 911 long ago?

Now, in "Blast from the Past", nationally bestselling author Kinky Friedman has searched his failing memory and has come up with a novel about his early days in New York City and how Kinky Friedman, the down-and-out star-crossed country music performer, became Kinky Friedman, the down-and-out star-crossed ace detective.

In this prequel to his earlier novels, one which gives new meaning to the term "retro", Kinkster fans are given the definitive answer to two of literature's great burning questions: Where the hell did those weird characters come from anyway? And what about that puppet head?

Of course, it's not just Kinky himself who gets retroed, but all the Village Irregulars as well-- Ratso, Rambam, and McGovern-- who are glimpsed in the nascent stage, as is the ever-luscious Stephanie DuPont, who blasts upon the scene as a five-year-old nymphet in patent-leather spikes.

Imagine it's the '70s. Imagine the Lone Star Cafe is still alive and well. Imagine that it's still okay to do drugs, still okay to have unprotected sex, still okay to paddle a brat and spank a monkey. And imagine you are there, in the '70s, at the Lone Star, sipping a brew with the Kinkster, a much younger, even kinkier Kinky-- uncouth, unshaped, unrepentant, and frequently unconscious.

But lest you think that "Blast from the Past" is all nostalgia, be assured that Kinky has supplied a bang-up plot as well, much of which revolves around the mystery of who this guy Tim is who Judy exclaims about while being hosed by Kinky, and the question of whether or not the Feds have found Abbie Hoffman, who has been playing hide-and-seek in Ratso's apartment. Or something like that.

As always, it's great, unpredictable fun from a true original, whose "Irreverent, bawdy and often outrageous adventures are like no others," as says The San Diego Union-Tribune. In "Blast from the Past", you'll find the Kinkster in top form and at his most outrageous.(less)

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published September 15th 1998 by Simon & Schuster (first published 1998)

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Aug 22, 2010 Giovanni Gelati rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think that everyone has a set of novels they like to read on occasion that are just offbeat, a bit of a different flav, something that is going to shake up the usual mix to help keep everything fresh and provide added perspective. The Mighty Kinkster is just the thing. Kinky Freidman , a former Jewish Country music star, Texas Monthly columnist, and former candidate for the governship of the great state of Texas 2006, has written a series of novels that star, you guessed it, himself. Surprise!...more
I think that everyone has a set of novels they like to read on occasion that are just offbeat, a bit of a different flav, something that is going to shake up the usual mix to help keep everything fresh and provide added perspective. The Mighty Kinkster is just the thing. Kinky Freidman , a former Jewish Country music star, Texas Monthly columnist, and former candidate for the governship of the great state of Texas 2006, has written a series of novels that star, you guessed it, himself. Surprise!
The Kinkster has surrounded himself with a motley group of characters that call themselves “The Village Irregulars”. The setting for the novels has this group of lovable characters living in and around Greenwich Village in New York City. Where else could they be? The plotlines are insane; the dialogue is quick and funny. At times it’s just laugh out loud funny. I have read almost all of them in the series; it has taken awhile. Reading them back to back to back is not an easy thing. I would liken it to too much lemon in the lemonade; you just kind of pucker up and cringe. Taken in small doses, reading this on the beach or poolside, chuckling at the insanity of it all is fun. Caution and warning, these novels possess no social redeeming value, other than how strong friendship is. That is all I can gather from them, but hey, what else can you expect from a novel that has characters like Ratso, Rambam and Abbie Hoffman?
Looking for a departure, something that is going to make you laugh and tilt your head and say “No way, did I just read that”. This is that novel. Shake it up a bit, go backward to go forward, try to think like the Kinkster for a little bit, you may look at things differently for a little bit and laugh.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook and Shelfari. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page, also look for our posts on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and the Bucks County Library System . Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.

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Dec 02, 2008 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been absessively reading all the Kinky Friedman novels the past month and I've learned a few things: always have a shot of jameson before starting any day, try wearing a sarong around the house, consult your cat on all possible matters, and treat adults like children and children like adults.
Working pretty well for me so far.

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Apr 14, 2009 Caitlin rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a quite entertaining read. Kinky is unlike any author I have ever read. The way is brain works and the way he writes was more entertaining than the actual plot though. But if you want a quick, entertaining, and pretty funny read (like a beach book for example) I would recommend a Kinky Friedman book.

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Jul 08, 2012 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars

Great light reading from the Kinkstah. The ending of the framing sequence was spectacularly weak, though -- to the point that I'm almost certain I'm missing some context. But the main plot (a flashback to 1979) is a lot of fun, and as always, his voice is terrific.

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Sep 19, 2011 Bill Gusky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Goofy, fun read. Engaging protagonist with a locked-in-the-sixties worldview that plays well.

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Aug 05, 2011 Bigmuzz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the first book i read from kinky, and what made me a huge fan of his...

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Jan 31, 2012 katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

As much as I enjoy Kinky Friedman's whimsical wordplay, I just couldn't care about the story.

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Oct 23, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

funny and fun.

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Feb 03, 2008 Corrie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007-reads

Kinky Friedman is just a fun read. If you want the bizarre, the strange, the country, did I say strange? Read this book. It was hilarious and off-putting but a great introduction to such an unusual character. Some great quotes in this book too. What I love most I think is that my father-in-law recommended it to me.

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Jun 23, 2007 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another one that was different from my usual. Very funny. Funny as in bizarre and maybe you need to be high to get it funny...not ha ha funny. It was a little go back in time or not?, rockstar, and detective mystery all in one.

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May 20, 2008 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kinky's mysteries are fun mainly for their irreverance and eccentric characters. The mystery itself is usually not an intricate Ms. Marple-esque puzzle, but ride to solution is entertaining.

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May 19, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 15, 2013 Sunside Up rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 08, 2013 Virginia Boliek marked it as to-read

May 04, 2013 Michaela Mckinnon rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 03, 2013 Mary H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 03, 2013 Noah Egorin rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 01, 2013 Adam Carey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 29, 2013 Jonathan Dye rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 25, 2013 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 23, 2013 Edye marked it as to-read

Apr 06, 2013 Don Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 01, 2013 Alfred Smith added it · review of another edition

Mar 30, 2013 Roxanna marked it as to-read

Mar 25, 2013 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mar 23, 2013 Jeanine Lafond rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 10, 2013 Heath Alberts rated it 1 of 5 stars

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About Kinky Friedman

Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas. Receiving 12.6% of the vote, Friedman placed fourth in the six-person race.

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