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Cube Sleuth
Bobby Pinker hates his humdrum corporate job. He only has one friend at work, a comedian named Ron. Just as their friendship starts to blossom, Ron is found dead in the office parking garage.
The police rule Ron’s death a suicide, but Bobby becomes convinced one of his coworkers murdered him. He starts snooping around the office, slipping voice-activated tape recorders under desks, breaking into the HR filing cabinet, and tailing people home.
Bobby’s investigation will likely get him fired. It will possibly get him arrested. And if he isn’t careful, it just might get him killed.
Cube Sleuth is a dark comedy and an amateur-detective murder mystery.
A tragedy told with comedic timing.
And a raunchy tale of a twenty-something bachelor whose libido leads him down a dangerous path.
If you like mysteries with richly developed characters, crisp dialogue, bizarre twists, and boner jokes, this is the book for you.
The police rule Ron’s death a suicide, but Bobby becomes convinced one of his coworkers murdered him. He starts snooping around the office, slipping voice-activated tape recorders under desks, breaking into the HR filing cabinet, and tailing people home.
Bobby’s investigation will likely get him fired. It will possibly get him arrested. And if he isn’t careful, it just might get him killed.
Cube Sleuth is a dark comedy and an amateur-detective murder mystery.
A tragedy told with comedic timing.
And a raunchy tale of a twenty-something bachelor whose libido leads him down a dangerous path.
If you like mysteries with richly developed characters, crisp dialogue, bizarre twists, and boner jokes, this is the book for you.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2013
7 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Dave Terruso
19 books46 followersHi, I'm Dave Terruso.
I'm a mystery novelist and professional stand up comedian based in Philadelphia.
My debut novel, Cube Sleuth, was published by Full Fathom Five Digital.
As a stand up, I've opened for acts including Richard Lewis, Gilbert Gottfried, Dana Gould, Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, and Maria Bamford.
I've been featured on the RISK! Podcast, episode 350 Out of Bounds.
I'm currently writing and publishing a novel/graphic novel hybrid mystery series called Alter Ego. It's a supernatural mystery about a detective hired to uncover the secret identity of Blue, the world's first and only superhero.
You can read the first two chapters for free at AlterEgoBlue.com and enter your email there to get notified when it goes on sale on Amazon.
I'm a mystery novelist and professional stand up comedian based in Philadelphia.
My debut novel, Cube Sleuth, was published by Full Fathom Five Digital.
As a stand up, I've opened for acts including Richard Lewis, Gilbert Gottfried, Dana Gould, Tim Meadows, Colin Quinn, and Maria Bamford.
I've been featured on the RISK! Podcast, episode 350 Out of Bounds.
I'm currently writing and publishing a novel/graphic novel hybrid mystery series called Alter Ego. It's a supernatural mystery about a detective hired to uncover the secret identity of Blue, the world's first and only superhero.
You can read the first two chapters for free at AlterEgoBlue.com and enter your email there to get notified when it goes on sale on Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 26, 2015
Note: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Original Rathing: 4.5/5
PLOT | STORY
Cube Sleuth is an excellent book with an awesome plot line and mind-boggling twists. The story is pretty straight and simple to grasp but the twists make it a great mystery and will keep you thinking the entire time. I had a hard time figuring out who the possible murderer could be but, being an excellent mystery this book is, it proved me wrong like the hundredth time! The pace of the story was great and the morbid humour kept me entertained the whole time.
CHARACTERS
The characterisation is great. The lead character, Bobby pinker, is really well-developed and very well-thought-out character. David did a great job in making the readers understand Bobby, as an emotionally fucked-up character, very clearly. The personality of Bobby is that of a typical guy who lives in denial and his own thought-prison, unable to love anyone and running away from those who love him, thinking low about his own self.
ROMANCE
There’s quite a lot romance going on in the book. First Booby is in a relationship with Nancy and everything goes good, but the he cheats on her and dumps her as he felt that he wasn’t good enough for her, which really made me think of him as a jerk. Then he gets involved with Ron’s girlfriend, Helen, and both try to keep the relation going as they thought of each other as a substitute of Ron in their life. That relation ends when Helen cheats on Bobby. Then he realises his mistake and tries to do God-knows-what by sending Nancy (who’s still in love with him) a bunch of roses, that apparently he never did before. Well… as I said, Bobby is a typical “emotionally fucked up” guy.
WRITING
Cube Sleuth is a brilliantly written mystery with a sprinkle of dark comedy. The writing style was really simple and made this book a comfortable read for me. I really liked David’s sense of dark humour. Sometimes while reading in public I even giggled like a loon. David’s writing style is really unique. first he describes what’s going on and then he takes you back some days ago and starts to explain how that actually happened. This is how the chapters are written in the book, which was new to me and to be honest, I really liked it. At the beginning of each chapter I’m like “What!” and then by the end I’m like “Oohh!” So it kept me totally engrossed. I’m hoping to read more books by David in future.
BEGINNING
The pace of the book was great from the start. You get a clear idea about where the story is going and what is the plot about just in the starting pages. In the beginning I was convinced that Ron’s death was nothing more than a suicide but after just a few pages I was confident it was a murder, but it took me just few more pages to think again. It kept me guessing from the start, I really like this book for it.
ENDING
The ending is something I wouldn’t have expected even if someone would have told me beforehand! Yea, it was that impossible, and mind you, I’m not taking about ‘who the murderer was?’ but about the way it ended for Bobby. I was speechless after I read the last few lines and felt like I was in a void for some minutes. It was a really strong and effective ending.
BLURB
The blurb says it all. It couldn’t have been better and to the point.
COVER ART
I like the covers of both the editions. they plain and simple yet elegant.
Read the original review at The Reading Bud
Original Rathing: 4.5/5
PLOT | STORY
Cube Sleuth is an excellent book with an awesome plot line and mind-boggling twists. The story is pretty straight and simple to grasp but the twists make it a great mystery and will keep you thinking the entire time. I had a hard time figuring out who the possible murderer could be but, being an excellent mystery this book is, it proved me wrong like the hundredth time! The pace of the story was great and the morbid humour kept me entertained the whole time.
CHARACTERS
The characterisation is great. The lead character, Bobby pinker, is really well-developed and very well-thought-out character. David did a great job in making the readers understand Bobby, as an emotionally fucked-up character, very clearly. The personality of Bobby is that of a typical guy who lives in denial and his own thought-prison, unable to love anyone and running away from those who love him, thinking low about his own self.
ROMANCE
There’s quite a lot romance going on in the book. First Booby is in a relationship with Nancy and everything goes good, but the he cheats on her and dumps her as he felt that he wasn’t good enough for her, which really made me think of him as a jerk. Then he gets involved with Ron’s girlfriend, Helen, and both try to keep the relation going as they thought of each other as a substitute of Ron in their life. That relation ends when Helen cheats on Bobby. Then he realises his mistake and tries to do God-knows-what by sending Nancy (who’s still in love with him) a bunch of roses, that apparently he never did before. Well… as I said, Bobby is a typical “emotionally fucked up” guy.
WRITING
Cube Sleuth is a brilliantly written mystery with a sprinkle of dark comedy. The writing style was really simple and made this book a comfortable read for me. I really liked David’s sense of dark humour. Sometimes while reading in public I even giggled like a loon. David’s writing style is really unique. first he describes what’s going on and then he takes you back some days ago and starts to explain how that actually happened. This is how the chapters are written in the book, which was new to me and to be honest, I really liked it. At the beginning of each chapter I’m like “What!” and then by the end I’m like “Oohh!” So it kept me totally engrossed. I’m hoping to read more books by David in future.
BEGINNING
The pace of the book was great from the start. You get a clear idea about where the story is going and what is the plot about just in the starting pages. In the beginning I was convinced that Ron’s death was nothing more than a suicide but after just a few pages I was confident it was a murder, but it took me just few more pages to think again. It kept me guessing from the start, I really like this book for it.
ENDING
The ending is something I wouldn’t have expected even if someone would have told me beforehand! Yea, it was that impossible, and mind you, I’m not taking about ‘who the murderer was?’ but about the way it ended for Bobby. I was speechless after I read the last few lines and felt like I was in a void for some minutes. It was a really strong and effective ending.
BLURB
The blurb says it all. It couldn’t have been better and to the point.
COVER ART
I like the covers of both the editions. they plain and simple yet elegant.
Read the original review at The Reading Bud
February 4, 2021
review originally published: https://amanjareads.com/2021/02/03/cu...
Thank you so much to author Dave Terruso for sending me a copy of Cube Sleuth, not even in exchange for this review but just because he knew I'd love it. Spoiler, he was right.
Cube Sleuth is about office drone Bobby Pinker. He's about to hit his five year anniversary at the job he never wanted and is reeling from a breakup with a woman way out of his league, and it was all his fault.
He's feeling pretty low about various aspects of his life but at least he has his best friend Ron. They're getting a sketch comedy show put together and things are looking pretty good. Ron is finally about to go on a first date with the love of his life and Bobby can at least be happy for him.
This is why it's so suspicious when one day Ron kills himself in his car after work. Bobby knows without a doubt that this wasn't suicide. There's just no way, so he sets out to find the real killer even though no one else believes him.
Bobby has no experience being a detective but he does have a lot of motivation to occupy his mind with anything other than the horrible string of events in his life up until now. He channels all his anger, depression, shame, and sorrow into solving this mystery and avenging his best friend.
What Cube Sleuth does best is character development. Bobby Pinker is a raw, personal, real human that many of us might find uncomfortably relatable. Personally, I found a lot of this book uncomfortably relatable. It dug up some of the worst parts of my past and who I am or used to be and shoved them right in my face.
But it's also really really laugh out loud funny! Before I had a dramatic resurfacing of past traumas I was laughing so hard I had to set the book down for a moment. This dramatic shifting of emotions is present throughout the whole novel. It mimicks so much of real life and how we never feel just one thing at a time.
Cube Sleuth also deals with some of the finer points of human relationships. Many stories like to focus on pure positives like true love and romance or pure negatives like abuse. Author Terruso explores far more complicated nuances than these.
Grief is a powerful force throughout the story and a lot of actions are driven by that desperate state of mind. Relationships built on grief are tragic but are sometimes unavoidable. They may even become a necessary part of the healing process. This combination of sadness, hopelessness, and self destructive misguided horniness is an unfortunately true outlet for many people but I rarely see it represented in literature.
There's a personal honesty present throughout Terruso's entire body of work. His books stand out from the rest by bravely facing all of the worst parts of life, putting them on display, and then somehow finding the smallest part of it all that can make us laugh.
In addition to being a deeply personal exploration of the human condition, Cube Sleuth is a well crafted mystery. There are many clues to gather along the way as well as hidden easter eggs that you may never pick up on without some help. It's the kind of book that screams for dissection in a creative writing class.
Most importantly though is the ending. Without spoiling what happens I'll just say that it's the most "holy shit!!" ending I've read in years. It's surprising but it's not a stretch. It also combines the overall themes of tragic comedy in a way that can only be described as perfection.
It's no wonder that Terruso has quickly become one of my all time favorite authors and I will continue to read everything he publishes the second it comes out. Cube Slueth is the kind of mystery that makes you want to go back and lower the ratings of every other mystery you've ever read. Or at least that's how it felt for me.
Please please please read this book and literally anything else that Terruso has written. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you so much to author Dave Terruso for sending me a copy of Cube Sleuth, not even in exchange for this review but just because he knew I'd love it. Spoiler, he was right.
Cube Sleuth is about office drone Bobby Pinker. He's about to hit his five year anniversary at the job he never wanted and is reeling from a breakup with a woman way out of his league, and it was all his fault.
He's feeling pretty low about various aspects of his life but at least he has his best friend Ron. They're getting a sketch comedy show put together and things are looking pretty good. Ron is finally about to go on a first date with the love of his life and Bobby can at least be happy for him.
This is why it's so suspicious when one day Ron kills himself in his car after work. Bobby knows without a doubt that this wasn't suicide. There's just no way, so he sets out to find the real killer even though no one else believes him.
Bobby has no experience being a detective but he does have a lot of motivation to occupy his mind with anything other than the horrible string of events in his life up until now. He channels all his anger, depression, shame, and sorrow into solving this mystery and avenging his best friend.
What Cube Sleuth does best is character development. Bobby Pinker is a raw, personal, real human that many of us might find uncomfortably relatable. Personally, I found a lot of this book uncomfortably relatable. It dug up some of the worst parts of my past and who I am or used to be and shoved them right in my face.
But it's also really really laugh out loud funny! Before I had a dramatic resurfacing of past traumas I was laughing so hard I had to set the book down for a moment. This dramatic shifting of emotions is present throughout the whole novel. It mimicks so much of real life and how we never feel just one thing at a time.
Cube Sleuth also deals with some of the finer points of human relationships. Many stories like to focus on pure positives like true love and romance or pure negatives like abuse. Author Terruso explores far more complicated nuances than these.
Grief is a powerful force throughout the story and a lot of actions are driven by that desperate state of mind. Relationships built on grief are tragic but are sometimes unavoidable. They may even become a necessary part of the healing process. This combination of sadness, hopelessness, and self destructive misguided horniness is an unfortunately true outlet for many people but I rarely see it represented in literature.
There's a personal honesty present throughout Terruso's entire body of work. His books stand out from the rest by bravely facing all of the worst parts of life, putting them on display, and then somehow finding the smallest part of it all that can make us laugh.
In addition to being a deeply personal exploration of the human condition, Cube Sleuth is a well crafted mystery. There are many clues to gather along the way as well as hidden easter eggs that you may never pick up on without some help. It's the kind of book that screams for dissection in a creative writing class.
Most importantly though is the ending. Without spoiling what happens I'll just say that it's the most "holy shit!!" ending I've read in years. It's surprising but it's not a stretch. It also combines the overall themes of tragic comedy in a way that can only be described as perfection.
It's no wonder that Terruso has quickly become one of my all time favorite authors and I will continue to read everything he publishes the second it comes out. Cube Slueth is the kind of mystery that makes you want to go back and lower the ratings of every other mystery you've ever read. Or at least that's how it felt for me.
Please please please read this book and literally anything else that Terruso has written. You will not be disappointed.
December 28, 2014
REVIEW: CUBE SLEUTH
Lonely, bored, and socially maladept cubicle dweller Bobby Pinker has a perfect girlfriend, an overblown office romance, and a good buddy at his workplace. Girlfriend departs, office girlfriend dumps him, buddy commits suicide--according to his mother and the police. Bobby doesn't believe so--Ron would never--so he decides to investigate on his own. What results is an ironic, self-deprecating, cosy, mystery, laced with humor and confusion (did he? Didn't he?) that will keep the reader eager to follow along
.
REVIEW: CUBE SLEUTH
Lonely, bored, and socially maladept cubicle dweller Bobby Pinker has a perfect girlfriend, an overblown office romance, and a good buddy at his workplace. Girlfriend departs, office girlfriend dumps him, buddy commits suicide--according to his mother and the police. Bobby doesn't believe so--Ron would never--so he decides to investigate on his own. What results is an ironic, self-deprecating, cosy, mystery, laced with humor and confusion (did he? Didn't he?) that will keep the reader eager to follow along.
.
Lonely, bored, and socially maladept cubicle dweller Bobby Pinker has a perfect girlfriend, an overblown office romance, and a good buddy at his workplace. Girlfriend departs, office girlfriend dumps him, buddy commits suicide--according to his mother and the police. Bobby doesn't believe so--Ron would never--so he decides to investigate on his own. What results is an ironic, self-deprecating, cosy, mystery, laced with humor and confusion (did he? Didn't he?) that will keep the reader eager to follow along
.
REVIEW: CUBE SLEUTH
Lonely, bored, and socially maladept cubicle dweller Bobby Pinker has a perfect girlfriend, an overblown office romance, and a good buddy at his workplace. Girlfriend departs, office girlfriend dumps him, buddy commits suicide--according to his mother and the police. Bobby doesn't believe so--Ron would never--so he decides to investigate on his own. What results is an ironic, self-deprecating, cosy, mystery, laced with humor and confusion (did he? Didn't he?) that will keep the reader eager to follow along.
.
September 17, 2020
Bobby is a great and humorous protagonist. As I was wrapping it up, I was thinking it was too neat, but worth it for the final paragraph.
May 6, 2013
I read this book in 3 days. The minute you open this book you know every character. These are the people you work with, go to school with, sit on the bus with..those that you annoy and those that you love are represented in this book. Dave Terruso takes the human condition and heightens it with spectacular honesty. I was on the edge of my seat each chapter - wondering what would happen to the hero. A great summer read. It's fast, funny, and interesting !
June 14, 2013
It is a story about love, deception, greed, lust and unbridled enthusiasm.
October 1, 2020
Bobby Pinker works in a cubicle. His frien Ron commits suicide. But Bobby believes that Ron was murdered and sets out to prove it.
July 23, 2017
READ THE ORIGINAL REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://thebookaddictsblog.blogspot.pt...
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I didn't have a clue as to what I was going to find in the pages of this book, but I couldn't be happier with the result of an impulse download.
Firstly, David Terruso was able to develop his characters so well, it felt like Bobby was really telling us his story. I loved how we got to go incredibly deep into all the characters backstories, making them fantastically complex and real. As for Bobby Pinker, I found him to be one of the most likable unlikable characters I have ever encountered. He was truly a good guy, in a way, but he also had so many flaws and problems, was so strangely messed up, I couldn't decide exactly what to think of him, although his progress and evolution were fantastic. Terruso did a great job at allowing us to see inside his mind and understand his actions. His relationship with Ron was wonderful and shocking, especially as we went deeper and deeper into what happened before Ron's death.
I loved the aspect of a completely amateur detective, how he changed the course of his life for his best friend and the woman he loved. The result was an insanely dark comedy, hilarious to the point of containing numerous laugh out loud moments, as well as heartwarming situations. This book had it all, and showed how to disguise a deep, meaningful story behind silly conversations about a crazy theory.
The ending was nothing near predictable, at least not Bobby's ending. After finishing I had to take a moment and reread it to make sure I had read correctly the first time. Despite that, every loose end tied up wonderfully, making of this book one of the most unconventional yet enjoyable mysteries I have read in a very long time. It really felt like nothing was left unsaid, but the characters continued on long after the ending.
I was incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to read and review this book, and I was even more excited when I received an invitation from the publisher to read David Terruso's newest book, 'Lost Touch'. As for this one, there is only one last thing to say, and it is a huge recommendation to fans of mystery and dark, honest humour alike.
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I didn't have a clue as to what I was going to find in the pages of this book, but I couldn't be happier with the result of an impulse download.
Firstly, David Terruso was able to develop his characters so well, it felt like Bobby was really telling us his story. I loved how we got to go incredibly deep into all the characters backstories, making them fantastically complex and real. As for Bobby Pinker, I found him to be one of the most likable unlikable characters I have ever encountered. He was truly a good guy, in a way, but he also had so many flaws and problems, was so strangely messed up, I couldn't decide exactly what to think of him, although his progress and evolution were fantastic. Terruso did a great job at allowing us to see inside his mind and understand his actions. His relationship with Ron was wonderful and shocking, especially as we went deeper and deeper into what happened before Ron's death.
I loved the aspect of a completely amateur detective, how he changed the course of his life for his best friend and the woman he loved. The result was an insanely dark comedy, hilarious to the point of containing numerous laugh out loud moments, as well as heartwarming situations. This book had it all, and showed how to disguise a deep, meaningful story behind silly conversations about a crazy theory.
The ending was nothing near predictable, at least not Bobby's ending. After finishing I had to take a moment and reread it to make sure I had read correctly the first time. Despite that, every loose end tied up wonderfully, making of this book one of the most unconventional yet enjoyable mysteries I have read in a very long time. It really felt like nothing was left unsaid, but the characters continued on long after the ending.
I was incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to read and review this book, and I was even more excited when I received an invitation from the publisher to read David Terruso's newest book, 'Lost Touch'. As for this one, there is only one last thing to say, and it is a huge recommendation to fans of mystery and dark, honest humour alike.
February 21, 2014
Bobby Pinker is bored by his job and hates his boss. His existence outside work isn’t much better, especially after he cheated on the love of his life and she broke up with him.
Bobby’s only real friend is Ron, a goofy co-worker with whom Bobby feels he can truly bond. When Ron is found dead in the corporate parking garage and the death is ruled a suicide, Bobby begins to grow suspicious. He begins to secretly investigate his friend’s death on his own.
The trail of amateur sleuthing leads Bobby down surprising paths that include a fling with Ron’s former girlfriend and a reunion with Helen, Bobby’s former love. When another co-worker of Bobby’s jumps off a bridge near work, Bobby knows that his investigation is heating up.
...read more at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
Bobby’s only real friend is Ron, a goofy co-worker with whom Bobby feels he can truly bond. When Ron is found dead in the corporate parking garage and the death is ruled a suicide, Bobby begins to grow suspicious. He begins to secretly investigate his friend’s death on his own.
The trail of amateur sleuthing leads Bobby down surprising paths that include a fling with Ron’s former girlfriend and a reunion with Helen, Bobby’s former love. When another co-worker of Bobby’s jumps off a bridge near work, Bobby knows that his investigation is heating up.
...read more at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
October 3, 2017
A perfect read for the beach this summer! I happily breezed right through this quirky novel that follows a bored office-jockey-turned-sleuth who can't rest until he has answers after the unexpected death of his only friend at work.
Bobby Pinker is a solid everyman character who you root for straight til the page-turner ending that'll shock and amuse the most jaded of readers.
The mystery novel concept can always benefit from a new twist, and Terruso's amateur sleuth hero with a mess of a romantic life and a gambling problem and his comic style are welcome additions to the genre. Looking forward to Terruso's next entry!
Bobby Pinker is a solid everyman character who you root for straight til the page-turner ending that'll shock and amuse the most jaded of readers.
The mystery novel concept can always benefit from a new twist, and Terruso's amateur sleuth hero with a mess of a romantic life and a gambling problem and his comic style are welcome additions to the genre. Looking forward to Terruso's next entry!
September 14, 2013
Fun, quick read, written by a comedian. Once the story starts exploring the main character's relationships, history, and internal demons, it deepens beyond a mere throwaway. The biggest issue I had was that I couldn't understand why women would throw themselves at this character who was a jerk and admittedly homely-to-plain looking. And, and this is not a spoiler, it suffers from am abrupt, unsatisfying, and technically implausible ending. However, there are some genuine laughs to be had along with some genuine insightful turns of thought. I look forward to what this author writes next.
February 1, 2015
I thought this mystery was good if not a little bit underdeveloped.
Although I kept coming back to this book over the course of a few days I never felt that undeniable urge to find out what happens next.
The main character was ok but I didn't connect with him and grow to like him. I just felt average about this average guy.
I was hoping the mystery would be more complex but all in all I enjoyed the story. I give it 3.5 stars.
Although I kept coming back to this book over the course of a few days I never felt that undeniable urge to find out what happens next.
The main character was ok but I didn't connect with him and grow to like him. I just felt average about this average guy.
I was hoping the mystery would be more complex but all in all I enjoyed the story. I give it 3.5 stars.
June 28, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The book was very different than any other book I've read, in a very good way. The book was tragic, humorous, self-reflective and continuously amusing during the entire read. I look forward to reading his second book, if he keeps writing he could easily be compared to Carl Hiasen.
August 6, 2013
Later in the book our main character, Bobby, says, “Maybe I can write!” and it surprises both of us. After a beginning a bit too heavy on juvenile humor and some wandering that made me impatient, the book hit its stride and delivered both a character and a mystery that satisfied in the end. Big points for pulling all together.
Want to read
June 8, 2013I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11878797
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11878797
June 16, 2013
This book was such a breezy read, but not lacking in depth. A very funny and clever mystery with a ballsy ending to boot!
August 14, 2025
I thought that this was an okay read. Overall an interesting story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews