HEADS YOU LOSE is an innovative and hilarious new crime novel written collaboratively. The formula is simple: the authors write alternating chapter...
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Aug 13, 2011
Wendy
rated it: 
I'm the lucky Penguin (Putnam) sales rep that gets to sell in this new novel to booksellers in the Bay area, early next year. I had never read Lisa Lutz before (and her Spellman series). Happy to finally discover such a funny, snarky, readable author. This non-Spellman book is about two orphan siblings--pot growers--in Northern Calif. who discover a headless body in their front yard one night. Told in alternating chapters between Lisa and her co-author (ex boyfriend?), this is one of the most
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Apr 28, 2011
Lisa
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I laughed out loud more than I have with a book in ages!
Comic genius! Very clever! It’s a gimmick and I absolutely love it and admire the result, book title included.
Hilarious! Absolutely the funniest collaboration imaginable, funny ha ha, not funny peculiar, although it’s delightfully peculiar too.
I thought I’d miss the Spellmans but I need not have worried; Lacey & Paul, and especially Lisa & David/Dave are equally entertaining in their own ways.
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Comic genius! Very clever! It’s a gimmick and I absolutely love it and admire the result, book title included.
Hilarious! Absolutely the funniest collaboration imaginable, funny ha ha, not funny peculiar, although it’s delightfully peculiar too.
I thought I’d miss the Spellmans but I need not have worried; Lacey & Paul, and especially Lisa & David/Dave are equally entertaining in their own ways.
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Apr 19, 2011
Susie
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I love Lisa Lutz, and whenever she writes anything, I'll always be the first in line to get my hands on the new material. And I respect her going out on a limb and trying her "writing experiment," in which she and David Hayward wrote alternating chapters to piece together a contemporary mystery. Neither author could collaborate on plot, but had to write blindly, ......nor could they change the others work, and had to move forward no matter what the other author threw their way. Meanin
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Jul 04, 2011
Phloe
rated it: 
Okay, so I really wanted to hate this book, but it's just too hilarious. I won't rehash what everyone else say, but I will say the "story" itself isn't that fantastic. However, when you wonder-twin activate it with the fact the two (ex-lover) authors writing the alternate chapters effing can't stand each other, it makes for one exquisite corpse of a book - I sped through every chapter just so I could read how catty they would be towards each other at the end. Fun!
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Dec 04, 2011
Cindy
rated it: 
Heads You Lose is an experiment between Lisa Lutz and her ex-boyfriend David Hayward. In this murder mystery, each author wrote a chapter building on the previous one. According to The Editor the authors did not work together to make revisions on the novel. It was published in its original form complete with notes to each other either praising (rarely) or condemning (often) the other s work. Lisa and David work their way through several murders as the main characters, brother and siste
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Jan 01, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
Heads You Losestarts with a very clever idea: crime novelist Lisa Lutz asks ex-boyfriend David Hayward, a published poet, to collaborate on a mystery novel with her. Lisa writes the first chapter and sends it to David; he writes the second chapter and sends it back. They alternate, odd and even chapters, and manage to write a funny, interesting crime novel with some great twists and turns. The story is good, but the interaction between the two co-authors (their footnotes on each other’s chapters
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May 14, 2011
Jonathan
rated it:
In concept the idea of Head You Lose was a good one, but in the end expecting this book to be as good or witty as any of Lisa Lutz's Spellman series means that we lose. Lutz's chapters seemed to hold there own, but Hayward seemed to significantly miss out on her sartorial wit. Perhaps the best parts of the book were the notes between the ex-es. Hopefully this will teach other great writers who have a strong style not to dilute their work by splitting the writing with others.
BTW- Jam More...
BTW- Jam More...
May 12, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
I liked this book more for the stuff in between the chapters, rather than the actual mystery itself. I'm a big fan of Lisa Lutz's Spellman novels, they are so fun and quirky. The premise of this book is that she and an ex boyfriend took turns writing each chapter. At the end of each chapter they left notes to each other. It was fun to see the twists they did to each other, killing off each other's prime suspects, and particularly one character's girlfriend who Lisa had as a dumb blonde strip
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Apr 29, 2011
Cheryl
rated it:
Paul and Lacey Hansen are brother and sister. They live in Mercer. Population 1, 280. Paul and Lacey were flipping a coin to see who would be taking out the trash. Lacey lost. While taking out the trash, Lacey stumbles upon a headless body. Usually in this type of situation, someone would call the police but there is just one problem…Lacey and Paul are the main marijuana suppliers in town. So this leaves only one other option…dump the body. Things are fine until the body reappears. Paul and Lace
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Apr 14, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The Good Stuff
One of the most truly unique ideas for a book
Unusual and quirky storyline
Love the notes from each of the author's after each chapter
Tons of twists and turns, you really have no idea what is going to happen next
Hilarious dialogue
The Not so Good Stuff
Overly quirky at times and it was like they were trying to hard for this
At times I thought the gimmicky idea for the authors letters back and forth saved a less than stellar a More...
One of the most truly unique ideas for a book
Unusual and quirky storyline
Love the notes from each of the author's after each chapter
Tons of twists and turns, you really have no idea what is going to happen next
Hilarious dialogue
The Not so Good Stuff
Overly quirky at times and it was like they were trying to hard for this
At times I thought the gimmicky idea for the authors letters back and forth saved a less than stellar a More...
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Apr 11, 2011
Luanne
rated it:
I often recommend Lisa Lutz's The Spellmans series to readers who have finished the Stephanie Plum books and are looking for another light hearted fun mystery series.
Heads You Lose is a stand alone book and is a collaboration with David Hayward....who just happens to be Lisa's ex-boyfriend. And it is this connection that makes this book so much fun to read.
So, in the novel, we meet brother and sister Lacey and Paul. They're twenty somethings living in a small town in Cali More...
Heads You Lose is a stand alone book and is a collaboration with David Hayward....who just happens to be Lisa's ex-boyfriend. And it is this connection that makes this book so much fun to read.
So, in the novel, we meet brother and sister Lacey and Paul. They're twenty somethings living in a small town in Cali More...
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Apr 10, 2011
Mary
rated it:
I have to start my review by saying first that I received this book from Library Thing so the version I have is an uncorrected proof and second that I had to read this book twice. I'm having a love-hate relationship and I blame it entirely on the authors who I think also have a love-hate relationship going on.
The story is about a pot-growing brother and sister team who discover a body, and then discover it again after moving it off their property. What happens afterwards is a serious o More...
The story is about a pot-growing brother and sister team who discover a body, and then discover it again after moving it off their property. What happens afterwards is a serious o More...
Apr 05, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
About The Book, Part 1
This book is about Paul and Lacey Hansen, pot-dealing sibling orphans in their 20s who are barely making a living in the rural Northern California town of Mercer. When a headless body shows up on their front lawn, they decide to deal with the problem themselves. After all, why invite law enforcement into your home when you’re growing illegal plants in the basement? Of course, when the corpse reappears a few days later, they realize that maybe they can’t make the p More...
This book is about Paul and Lacey Hansen, pot-dealing sibling orphans in their 20s who are barely making a living in the rural Northern California town of Mercer. When a headless body shows up on their front lawn, they decide to deal with the problem themselves. After all, why invite law enforcement into your home when you’re growing illegal plants in the basement? Of course, when the corpse reappears a few days later, they realize that maybe they can’t make the p More...
Mar 20, 2011
Becky
rated it:
Once upon a time Lisa and David were an item. A thing. A couple. Now they're not. But they are still friends, mostly. One day Lisa has an idea: Why don't I send David this first chapter of a crime novel and propose a collaboration? He's a poet, so he could certainly use the money he'd make by collaborating with me, the bestselling author of the Spellman Files novels.
So she did, and they did, and Heads You Lose is the result. There were a few ground rules. They would communicate only More...
So she did, and they did, and Heads You Lose is the result. There were a few ground rules. They would communicate only More...
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Mar 12, 2011
Jackie
rated it:
This is Lutz's first stand alone since The Spellman files, and it's certainly a lot different. It's an experiment of sorts--she's written half the chapters and a poet and ex-boyfriend of hers David Hayward has written the other half. The deal was that they write "blind", not making an outline or even speaking to each other directly about the project. They allowed them on short note to each other at the end of every chapters as well as some commentary footnotes, but they couldn't edi
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May 12, 2011
Mickey
rated it:
See this review on my blog
This gets three stars because it wasn't totally lame.
Orphaned siblings Paul and Lacey Hansen live together and work together growing and selling pot in their small town. When a decapitated corpse shows up on their property, they both realize how much they need to get out of said small town. But now there is a mystery to solve, since the police cannot be snooping around on their property. Who is this headless dead guy? Who killed him? Why? They both More...
This gets three stars because it wasn't totally lame.
Orphaned siblings Paul and Lacey Hansen live together and work together growing and selling pot in their small town. When a decapitated corpse shows up on their property, they both realize how much they need to get out of said small town. But now there is a mystery to solve, since the police cannot be snooping around on their property. Who is this headless dead guy? Who killed him? Why? They both More...
Apr 18, 2011
Paul
rated it:
Liza Lutz is best known for her books on the Spellman family, that take a light hearted look at a family of private investigators that are dysfunctional at best. A little bit of mystery and a lot of comedy.
Liza has teamed up with David Hayward in a book that not only is a great mystery but is also a great comedy. The idea is that Liza will write the first chapter and then David will write the next one until the final chapter. At the end of each chapter, Liza and David exchange lette More...
Liza has teamed up with David Hayward in a book that not only is a great mystery but is also a great comedy. The idea is that Liza will write the first chapter and then David will write the next one until the final chapter. At the end of each chapter, Liza and David exchange lette More...
Dec 13, 2011
Michael
rated it:
This is a tour de force on why you shouldn't spend much time talking to your ex. The collaboration premise was intriguing every other chapter with no changes by the other author was potentially good fun. Unfortunately, the other writer she chose David Hayward comes off as petty, insecure and pompous.
Hayward is the really smart guy you know with a ton of talent who is very bright, knowledgeable in arcane information, but never gets anything done. He does proudly point out that he had a More...
Hayward is the really smart guy you know with a ton of talent who is very bright, knowledgeable in arcane information, but never gets anything done. He does proudly point out that he had a More...
Dec 05, 2011
Yellowoasis
rated it:
Aargh, this book! I picked it up on impulse at the library when collecting some other books. The plot seemed intriguing, and the fact that each chapter was written alternately by two different people. The plot moves on very quickly, lots of satisfying twists and turns. The dialogue is snappy and fun. But what drove me nuts were the notes in between each chapter which were the correspondence between the writers. The notes are not necessary. It’s like watching Downton Abbey. Yes, I am interested i
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May 16, 2011
Heads You Lose is unlike any other book I have read before. Every other chapter is written by the award-winning author of the Spellman books (1), Lisa Lutz. In this crime caper novel, Lutz partners with a former romantic partner, David Hayward, who joins in to write the even chapters. The two agree to go with whatever plot developments the other has put forward and to not make any edits other than proofreading. At the end of each chapter, they discuss the project, while also analyzing their fail
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Apr 28, 2011
Jaime
rated it:
This was kind of a crazy book. I loved the back-and-forth format, which was only enhanced by the bickering between the two authors. Paul and Lacey are unlikely heroes, but when someone dumps a dead body on their property, they’re left with little choice.
As a seasoned mystery reader, it’s difficult to guess where the story is ultimately going, because the authors themselves don’t really have any idea. Promising clues turn into dead ends, and red herrings abound. People die, then come ba More...
As a seasoned mystery reader, it’s difficult to guess where the story is ultimately going, because the authors themselves don’t really have any idea. Promising clues turn into dead ends, and red herrings abound. People die, then come ba More...
Oct 11, 2011
Glenn
rated it:
I read a good review of this by one of my Goodreads friends, decided to give it a go, and am very glad I did.
This was a mad romp, very funny, and although the concept of having multiple authors write different chapters is not original, it's original (as far as I know) to have former romantic partners collaborate on an every other chapter type book, and it worked well. An added bonus were the notes that Lisa (author) and David (poet) wrote to each other between chapters and some footn More...
This was a mad romp, very funny, and although the concept of having multiple authors write different chapters is not original, it's original (as far as I know) to have former romantic partners collaborate on an every other chapter type book, and it worked well. An added bonus were the notes that Lisa (author) and David (poet) wrote to each other between chapters and some footn More...
Sep 10, 2011
Tracy B. (personal account)
rated it:
I think most readers will either really like this book or really hate it (clearly, I'm not most readers, as I gave it an average three stars). The novel is written by Lisa and Dave, who alternate chapters back and forth. The basic plot tells the story of Lacey and Paul, brother and sister pot growers, who find a headless body left in their yard one night. Can't exactly call the cops, now can you? But the reader quickly realizes that Lisa and Dave's story may be just as interesting. The editor ex
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Jun 02, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Although I'm not usually a fan of the murder mystery, I picked up this book because of its comedic promise and the unusual story-within-a-story created by the two authors supposedly battling it out over plot and character. I'm just a sucker for meta.
The brother-sister amateur sleuth team, mirroring the co-authors and their sensibilities, was snarkily delightful. The Northern California pot farming setting was a nice surprise for anyone expecting a Cabot Cove-like, typical cozy myster More...
The brother-sister amateur sleuth team, mirroring the co-authors and their sensibilities, was snarkily delightful. The Northern California pot farming setting was a nice surprise for anyone expecting a Cabot Cove-like, typical cozy myster More...
Oct 24, 2011
cat
rated it:
2011 Book 105/100
Hilarious! Laugh out loud! Seriously, after listening to my wife laugh out loud every few pages while reading this experimental mystery novel co-written by a pair of ex-lovers, I had to read it despite the fact that it is far out of my usual genre. And I laughed just as hard as she did as the two authors went back and forth - each writing one chapter (she the odds and he the evens) with few rules other than you aren't allowed to undo the other's plot developments. Th More...
Hilarious! Laugh out loud! Seriously, after listening to my wife laugh out loud every few pages while reading this experimental mystery novel co-written by a pair of ex-lovers, I had to read it despite the fact that it is far out of my usual genre. And I laughed just as hard as she did as the two authors went back and forth - each writing one chapter (she the odds and he the evens) with few rules other than you aren't allowed to undo the other's plot developments. Th More...
Sep 23, 2011
Jacqueline
rated it:
I have really enjoyed Lisa Lutz novels in the past. She is fun, fast and ferocious in her writing.So, picking up this novel was a no brainer. I also loved the premise - as any wannabe writer would love. She picks an old friend to write every other chapter and they include their edits, ideas and comments throughout the book. What a great find, I thought, Lutz, a cool way to write a book, and a mystery... how wrong I was.
I found myself lost when they switched chapters because the writi More...
I found myself lost when they switched chapters because the writi More...
May 16, 2011
Sfdreams
rated it:
I loved the Spellman series by this author, and wasn't sure if I would like this as well when I began. I ended up liking it a lot, mostly because of the notes that the two authors wrote to each other. (The notes did make it hard to keep track of the plot, however.)
The bickering between these two authors was entertaining. At one point, it reminded me of a song called Railroad Bill performed by Greg Tamblyn (and written by a friend of his, I believe,) where Railroad Bill refuses to get t More...
The bickering between these two authors was entertaining. At one point, it reminded me of a song called Railroad Bill performed by Greg Tamblyn (and written by a friend of his, I believe,) where Railroad Bill refuses to get t More...
May 09, 2011
Annie-Rose
rated it:
A fun concept, and the dialog between the two authors was the part I found myself looking most forward to. I think writing a mystery without having a plan, however, is a pretty bad idea. It makes for a haphazard story and didn't have the slow reveal of the perpetrator as a well-planned novel does. Perhaps this shared style of writing would have been better without the mystery component. The authors also seemed to make up characters for their own fun - rather than developing the characters they h
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Sep 27, 2011
Michele
rated it:
This little mystery novel is easily going to make my top ten favorite books of the year. Written by Lisa Lutz and her ex-boyfriend, poet David Hayward, this unique novel has a fun premise. You see, Lisa and David decided to write this together: each writing alternating chapters of the book. The idea was that neither of them knew where the story was going. When one of them finished their chapter, they would forward it on to the other who would then write their own chapter based on that.
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Jun 14, 2011
Khaya
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When I told my husband about the idea of this book he said, "You know, it only has to work a little for it to be good." I actually agree. I'm giving it three stars because it worked a little, not a lot, but the concept was very cute and I did laugh out loud at moments.
Lisa Lutz and an ex-boyfriend collaborated to write alternating chapters of a murder mystery, so that what you have here is a mystery novel serving as a springboard for Lisa and David to work out their vario More...
Lisa Lutz and an ex-boyfriend collaborated to write alternating chapters of a murder mystery, so that what you have here is a mystery novel serving as a springboard for Lisa and David to work out their vario More...
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